Early Graves

by Thomas H. Cook

The story of the life and crimes of the youngest woman on Death Row describes how pregnant, teenaged Judy encouraged her husband, Alvin, to go on a killing spree that left two little girls dead. Reprint.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 2, 1990

About the author

There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.

Thomas H. Cook has been praised by critics for his attention to psychology and the lyrical nature of his prose. He is the author of more than 30 critically-acclaimed fiction books, including works of true crime. Cook published his first novel, Blood Innocents, in 1980. Cook published steadily through the 1980s, penning such works as the Frank Clemons trilogy, a series of mysteries starring a jaded cop.

He found breakout success with The Chatham School Affair (1996), which won an Edgar Award for best novel. Besides mysteries, Cook has written two true-crime books including the Edgar-nominated Blood Echoes (1993). He lives and works in New York City.

Awards
Edgar Allan Poe – Best Novel – The Chatham School Affair
Barry Award – Best Novel – Red Leaves
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – The Chatham School Affair
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – Red Leaves
Herodotus Prize – Fatherhood

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

i knew the people that did this we had their twins as foster kids there is so much more that has happened since they went to prison it is unreal but the twins (wont say names) r realy good kids nothin like them

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent true crime book about a killer couple not as well known as some others. I think that was mostly because they were caught pretty quickly.
If I after reading a book do not immediately write a review half of the book will be gone out of my foggy (but clean) mind. Or it must have been so unusually good.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to be a huge fan of true crime novels, and after a long hiatus, I chose Early Graves as my return to the genre. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed.

Attempting to tell the story of Judith and Alvin Neeley and their crimes, Cook's writing style is very hard to understand. I found myself having to reread certain passages over and over in an attempt to figure out what exactly was going on.

Maybe I have been spoiled by the newer true crime like Erik Larson's Devil in the White City. This book just didn't really have much going for it in my view. I can't speak about all his work, as this is the first book of his that I have read, but Cook's work on this book is just terrible. The writing is sloppy and confusing and there is very little insight into Judith, Alvin, or any of the victims as people.

[A.r. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very horrific couple of murders comitted by this serial killer couple, written in a classic TC style. I definitely enjoyed this book, however I was left wondering why the author chose to focus almost exclusively on the female of the pair, Judith Neelley. I think it's possible that she played a very important role in the murders as the author has presented, but I was left wondering about her husband's part. I take it that the evidence of his guilt was not straight forward, but I would have rather heard the author's discussion of his life and crimes, and what part he may have played, rather than focusing exclusively on her guilt. Even so, the author presents a convincing story about Judith Neelley's culpability.

[Bill reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a three hour, non-stop session. Judith Neelley is the star of the story, along with her husband Alvin.
The lovebirds moved on up from robberies to the torture, rape and murder of a thirteen-year-old girl. Judy had injected Drano and Liquid Plumr into the victim and when the chemicals failed to kill the poor kid, then shot her and shoved the body off of a cliff.
The courtroom portion is unforgettable as the defense lawyer paints the killer as a battered wife. Both the prosecutor and author provide enough evidence to shoot down that particular theory.
Mr. Cook has done his homework and do not miss this awesome book.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The family that preys together

Alvin and Judith Neelley were a killer couple. They did everything together, including robbery and murder. Judith was so devoted to Alvin that she abducted females for him to rape, then she got rid of them. I don't recall that being part of the marriage vows, but that's devotion.

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[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grim and horrifying, and not nearly as satisfying as I'd hoped in the area of explaining how people get to be like this. I shudder every time I look at the cover, and I may not even be able to keep the book.

[Janet Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a very well written book. It didn't probe the psyche of Judith at all. Instead it focused on boring irrelevant details and it read more like a newspaper article. I was very disappointed.

[Deana Mccoy]

As a direct relative of Judith, I do not agree with this book at all. While it does touch base on the facts of the case, the only one of the two who were interviewed for the book, was Alvin. Judith had no way to give her side of anything in this book, so naturally it painted her as a seductive teenage monster who preyed on a mentally retarded man when the facts show that he was a grown ass man with a criminal record, who convinced a 15 year old girl, who was quiet and never done a bad thing in her life, to run away with him, elope, and join his crime spree. His ex wife (whom he was married to when he met Judith) even testified that he was sadistic and abusive. So, fuck this stupid book and all the idiotic media bullshit that just wants a good story.

[Sandra Laymon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read!

Although this is a really sad story Tom Cook did a great job writing about it. This is an example of everything I like about a true crime book. Mr. Cook gave the reader a lot of background information without telling us what the town looked like in the 1900s as some authors tend to do. He gave a lot of information about the crimes, the investigation and the trial. At the conclusion he gave the reader pictures of the most important characters and he told what the main characters were up to at the time he ended the book. I would definitely recommend this book to other true crime buffs and I look forward to reading more of Mr.Cook"s books!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 80s Judith and Alvin Neelley went on a vicious killing spree. This book details all the things they did, the investigation and narrowing net around them, and Judith’s trial for one of the murders. It is well-written and quite a fascinating story. I highly recommend this book to true crime fans!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done true crime. After finishing it I still had no clear grasp of whether Judith or Alvin was the dominant personality in the killing of the two girls. I suspect that the jury got it right by convicting Judith of being the actual person who pulled the trigger and poisoned the girls. Alvin seemed to be weak willed and slow witted which makes it unlikely that he masterminded the crime.

[Daphne Georges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Husband and wife go on killing spree in Georgia. She gets death but is still fighting for parole(!). Lots of details- probably more than you need to know. An interesting read. A wonderful description of her defense attorney and the lengths he goes to to spare her life.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Crime Story

A true crime book, which tells of an unusual crime and n interesting trial. The trial was a suspenseful one, as the defense seemed to tell a totally false story about the defendant and the crime. Actually the jury did not fall for it.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying and Fascinating

The author did a tasteful and informative job on this true crime case. Judith Neelly and her husband committed atrocious crimes against mostly young women and girls.

[Calla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very disturbing and tragic true crime story. The author did a fairly good job and the story is readable and compelling. Some grammatical and spelling errors present; especially toward the end of the story.

[Ash Kim Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this guy's fiction novel, at least from ones I've read but sadly his non-fiction work is just okay. Not bad, just okay.

Didn't really make you connect with the case, reads like a long wikipedia page. Just what happened, and then, and then and then. I already forgot about it the next day

[Terri White · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Crime that will you can't put down!

This was an amazingly horrific story told in well written format. I couldn't put it down! A haunting story since one of the victims and one of the perpetrators were so young!

[BARRY AUTRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about how Judy Neely loved to kill!

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book after finding out Judith is from my hometown - sounds evil to me - would like to know more about her children

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Cook did an excellent job in telling the tale of the two psychopathic killers. His research is faultless and managed to keep the suspense up till the end

[carol deminie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Really good true crime book. Had all the elements I like, some background, the crime, the investigation and the trial. All covered very well. Very good writer.

[James Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

[Robert Barone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying book. Lots of graphic details of torture and murder of innocent women

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of those folie-a-deux stories, in which a couple kills for no discernible reason, and when arrested each incriminates the other.

[Lucas Beaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coverage of a terrible story from a familiar place. Not for the weak of heart.

[Pauline Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

This book read more like a commentary than a true crime book. The trial part was long because the defense attorney kept droning on & on portraying this murderer a saint.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent true crime

[Patricia Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas H. Cook is probably my favorite writer. I give almost all of his books five stars and find them hard to put down one I start reading. Early Graves was well written, as are all of his books. I am not a fan of true crime and this book was very difficult to get through. I did not know anything about these two appalling killers so I am glad I read it. I definitely prefer Mr. Cooks's fiction mysteries and suspense to the true crime but, again, the book was well written and informative.

[Kathleen Hagen]

Early Graves, by Thomas H. Cook, a-minus, Narrated by Kris Koscheski, Produced by recorded Books, Downloaded from audible.com.

This is the story of a strangely bonded couple, Alvin and Judith Ann Meelley. At first they contented themselves with pranks, phone pranks, shooting into people’s houses, fire-bombing a house, etc. But then, they got the bright idea of kidnapping a young girl, subjecting her to torture and ultimately killing her. Judith Ann was the main perpetrator in these events, and she killed the girl by shooting her when injecting her six times with drain cleaner didn’t kill her. The couple then kidnapped another coule, shot the man in the back, but he survived as a witness, and killed the girl. Judith Ann was the main perpetrator in all these events, although she did try to make Alvin the persecutor. This was a true crime, and Judith ann, convicted, was at that time, 1989, the youngest person on death row in Georgia-19 years old.