Hunt to Kill : A Loving Wife., A Ruthless Husband., A Cold-Blooded Plan.

by Lynn Distel Dave Distel

Recounts the true story of Bruce Moilanen, a debt-dodger and twisted madman obsessed with a happily married woman, who, in 1992, murdered his own wife and made it look like a hunting accident so he could collect on her substantial insurance policy that contained accidental death clauses. Reprint.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Book Club, Crime

342 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Emily Lindner · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all knew he did it from page 1

[Ceeceereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I found this case gripping, intriguing and sad. It was well-presented and well put together for a true crime read, my attention stayed with it. The author brought the rural Michigan setting to life and, I think, paid homage to the victim, mother-of-one Judy Blake, through loved ones confirmation of her character to detectives during the investigation. I find reading about about peoples shady behaviour, psychology, and intentions more interesting than legal processes and courtrooms so, for that reason, the very last part of the book I was ready to hear the verdict.

[Fisher4life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a couple of people in the book. A great well written book that tells a disturbing story of murder and greed from a man who thought he was so much smarter. Never fight the law, because the law will win. I hope this family has closure and that poor daughter who was left without parents due to this senseless act is doing ok.

[Celia Sweet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned not to walk in the woods when I would know my husband is hunting.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read. The pacing was excellent. Just enough information.Not so little that there are holes, but not so much as to weigh the story down.
I was unfamiliar with both the case & the author. Sad story, but it came from a different angle than most true crime. Mostly from the Detective investigating the incident. There is a courtroom twist that was a real surprise.
I enjoyed it enough to look for other books by the author, but it appears he isn't writing any more.
If you're a true crime fan, this is a solid read.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spellbinding! The writing/editing is a bit sloppy, but the pacing and revealing of investigation and clues and the coverage of the trial is done so well. It was chilling and well told. Knowing about the UP provided an extra dimension, feeling the truth of Distel’s explanatory injections and recognizing how things work (yes, police and lawyers really would drive two hours both directions every day to visit relevant people and locales, and yes, deer are more dangerous than other drivers).

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed examination of a wife-murderer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Interesting for all its nearly 400 pages. My only complaint is the authors' rather condescending treatment of the local population. They refer indiscriminately (and repeatedly) to those present in the courtroom as 'groupies,' and characterize any discussion of the case as 'gossip.' Originally published as THE SWEATER LETTER, after a particularly weird piece of evidence.

[Samantha Remilong · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Hunting accident” in ontonagon. Husband found guilty. Previously dropped brick on wife’s head. Interesting story. Read in 4 days. Longer than needed to be. Goes into more detail on court case than necessary.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I *love* to read true crime about places I've been to. This story starts out slow, but thoroughly encapsulates life in the Upper Peninsula. Could not put it down.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well presented, an engrossing tale from start to finish.

[Diane Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and good read.

[Erin Schmandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is very interesting but the writing was tough to get through.

[Carrie Soukup · Rating 3 out of 5]

To long. Too many characters and drawn out but good story.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love true crime, you need to check out The Sweater Letter by Dave Distel. This book was recommended by a library patron who actually knows one of the several witnesses, who put themselves in jeopardy, in order to help the police gather enough evidence to arrest an ambiguous and dangerous suspect. The man, Bruce Moilanen thought that he had committed the perfect crime. I found the book to be spell-binding and read well into two nights, in order to finish. Judy Blake Moilanen was shot and killed on the final day of deer season in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (1992 ) and it was quickly classified as a tragic hunting accident. However, Detective Bob Ball was not convinced. A strangely worded letter discovered in a box of sweaters, combined with the suspicious behavior of the dead woman's husband, Bruce, triggered the detective's massive investigation. After months of incredibly tenacious investigation (documented in an interesting and easy to follow format) Moilanen was finally brought to justice.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that makes you think about all the crazy people in the world. I don't want to say that I "enjoyed" reading this book, a book about a murdered women and the following investigation, but it was a decent read. The author does a good job with the facts of the story, while telling it with explanations in case you are not familiar with the area. Being that I am from Wisconsin, I liked the book even more, and a lot more about the story is understandable (especially when it comes to hunting season).

Either way, if you enjoy books about court cases, this book is a good choice. It doesn't even appear to be believable in that the murderer is just insane, but it gives good insight into the investigation of a killer.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, originally published as The Sweater Letter, is a local favorite, as it is a true murder story that took place at hunting camp in Octonagan County (Michigan - Upper Peninsula)in 1992 - the wife who died and the man who ends up going on trial for murder both lived and worked in Marquette. Basically, the wife was shot dead in the woods and it at first looked like a hunting accident. There were alot of names in the book of people I know in the community - judges, people who worked with them at the hospital, police officers, etc.
The book isn't by any means a literary award winner, but it entertained me and held my attention.

[Emily Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book... I saw the story on Court TV's Forensic Files, was intrigued because it took place just 200 miles or so north of here, then went to the Upper Peninsula Writers' Association annual conference and lo and behold, the book's author was a featured speaker! The study of the case is in depth and complete, and the methods used to prove the killer was the killer and prosecute him were genius, although seemingly so simple. It was fun reading familiar names in a murder story, too, I have to admit! lol

[Amber N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and engaging. Enjoyable to read? Not quite. There was no break from the dark undertone--it was a murder mystery so that wasn't unexpected but it did get pretty exhausting. I initially heard about the case from the investigator so it was neat to be able to understand a little more on the investigative side as I read the book. This is probably one of only a handful of murder mystery books I have ever read and it was a good read.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it a high rating because it kept me interested the whole way through. I read it in a day.
It's more interesting than other court/crime novels because it's local... So I recognized many of the references and even know one of the witnesses. Interesting read.

[Molly Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is gripping, and of local interest to the U.P. of Michigan, but the writing leaves much to be desired. Muddled timelines and drawn-out court testimony rehashing events bogs this otherwise interesting book down.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read about a creepy murder case in da UP, eh. Well-written -- it never dragged and made clear the complex dynamics between the officials involved as well as the unruly behavior of the suspect and the ultimately mysterious victim. I found this almost impossible to put down.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read.

[Thebestdogmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. Loved the detective work.

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Katie Cartwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty well written,

[Kaesey Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book while watching an episode of Forensic Files about this story. It's odd to say I enjoyed this book, but I truly did. I was captivated the entire time. It really makes you realize you never truly know anyone.