Lethal Marriage (Updated Edition): The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

by Nick Pron

One of Canada’s finest crime reporters tells the whole story of the infamous Bernardo-Homolka case.

NOW UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER

The sensational trials of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka for abduction, rape, manslaughter and murder caused widespread controversy that continues to this day. The public was particularly outraged by the so-called “sweetheart deal” — the twelve-year sentence Homolka received as part of an agreement with government lawyers.

Journalist Nick Pron gives us a comprehensive account of previously banned information about Bernardo and Homolka; about Homolka’s role in the death of her sister Tammy; of slip-shod police work and lack of communication that allowed Bernardo and Homolka the opportunity to murder schoolgirls Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy; of the host of disturbing facts that were ruled inadmissable at the trial.

A new chapter details the most recent, shocking facts of Homolka’s life in prison, including her alleged “special treatment,” such as private access to the prison’s beauty salon and gym, and rumoured liaisons in Kingston’s Prison for Women. Also detailed are her startling plans for the future.

As Karla Homolka’s release date nears, many will reflect on her place in history, and on the Canadian legal system.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Horror, Canada, History, Biography

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the most disturbing true crime stories I've ever encountered and I've encountered many.
What these two "people" did to Homolka's little sister and the other women they abducted is beyond words.
The book itself is written in a very easy way- the story itself is VERY difficult to read. I think anyone who isn't a seasoned true crime reader might have serious problems. I'm glad this wasn't my first true crime read. Or my hundredth. I might not have read any more were that the case.
Pron does a wonderful job of setting up the story like more true crime authors do. We learn about Homolka and her boyfriends pasts and when they met and all through their relationship, if you can call what they had a relationship.
I'd only recommend this to very, very hardcore true crime readers and no one else- I would go so far as to say that those who are hard core readers shouldn't miss this.

[Julia Sapphire]

DNF about 150 pages in

I didn't DNF this due to flaws with the writing or with the structure of this. By far this is the most DISTURBING book I have ever read! Reading this hits so close to home for me and is truly terrifying to read about. I read 150 pages for my law class as I am doing an essay on this case but I can't bring myself to finish this book. The rape scenes and the abuse and murder is so DETAILED. It feels like your right there and it is beyond difficult to read in depth scenes with these two lover criminals. I don't understand how this was published with the VERY descriptive scenes this book includes. Mind you there is a warning on the back for violence but I did not expect what I read. I think the case could have been told just as well without the graphic descriptions. By know means did I want the case to be written untruthful but it didn't need to be this descriptive. I would not recommend this to anyone who is triggered by RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT. etc. If you are a true crime reader and you think you can read it, maybe give it ago. I have heard now that there are some better books having to do with this case though.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This True Crime was a little close to home, since it happened right around the corner from here. I even remember one of the guys I used to work with told me he had once been on vacation with Paul and a bunch of other guys. Creepy to the extreme! I think both of these two should have been shot, dismembered and dragged behind a horse while being set on fire.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very difficult to read and not for the faint at heart. Extreme detail about the most disturbing story Canadians have been faced with. Did not agree with the tendency to portray Karla as merely another victim but very well written and researched.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested to learn more about this case having worked as a CSI and having an interest in true crime, especially such a famous case from my new home country. However, I struggled to finish this book and did skip sections. Whilst I accept that the true crime genre can have a voyeuristic quality, this went too far with a multitude of very long detailed descriptions of certain events that went well beyond what could possibly be known from the transcripts. Poetic licence has no place in this type of book and I was disappointed at the blatant attempt to shock, as these crimes were shocking enough.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the most disturbing set of criminals I have read about. Their actions and what they did to their victims was disgusting. I found myself getting sick to my stomach at some points of the graphic descriptions of the crimes against these poor girls. The issue I have with this book is that there were so many typos that it was very distracting at points. Also I didn't really like the voice of the author and felt this book would have benefited from someone with a stronger writing style and less biased opinion. The author clearly feels pity for Homolka and for the majority of the book paints her more or less as a victim of Paul Bernardo's abuse. That is not to say the alleged abuse Homolka suffered at the hands of her husband wasn't horrific. However there was too much she did on her own, before the abuse started to write her off as innocent. I was appalled at the leniency of Holmolka's sentence in the end.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my February Books Banned By Country. This book was removed from the shelves in Canada.

Written by a newspaper reporter about the Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka case, this book allegedly contains inaccuracies, additionally, complaints were received by the St. Catharines library board from the mother of a victim that led to the book being removed from all public library branches in the city. As recently as 1999 this book was still unavailable to public library patrons in St. Catherines.

Legally, I get it. American law is not the same as Canada. Unfortunately for Canadians that live on the border, this was a lost cause by the 1990s. Everything contained in this book was fair game for the American press.

Emotionally, I understand why this was removed from the shelves. It's reasonable that the victim's parents didn't want their children's suffering out for all the world to read about.

I read the beginning of the criminal passages to get the general idea, but when it came to the extended, explicit descriptions, I skimmed. It's extreme horror. Their crimes were pornographic, horrific, and cruel. Bernardo's crimes were depraved and vicious enough to be described as unspeakable.

The purpose of Lethal Marriage was to make the public aware of how depraved Paul Bernardo is, and what souless creature Karla Holmolka became during the few short years of their marriage. Pron was aware of the videotapes made by the couple and wrote the book knowing that the evidence would be destroyed. (He was right. The tapes were destroyed.) To keep Holmoka and Bernardo in prison, the evidence needed to be protected.

Bernardo can now apply for parole, but has been turned down. Holmolka is already out of prison and living a normal life. She's unlikely to re-offend.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think that evidence of the crimes must be preserved until Bernardo and Holmolka are dead. The author did a faithful job of recreating the events from Bernardo's and Holmolka's childhoods to their crime spree. The honest litany of the crimes were laid out plainly, although, until the end, it was fairly clear he thought that Holmolka was a victim of Bernardo. The last chapters clear that up.

Tough book.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I read this book, to be honest. I guess I had a morbid curiosity regarding the ins and outs of the crimes Karla and Paul committed together, but even so, I should have known better. I also don't know where to begin when it comes to rating this book. I feel terrible giving it 4 stars because of the horrific subject matter, but I do think it was well written. I did read the warning attached to the book prior to purchasing it and for some reason I still thought I would be able to handle it. I was overly confident, that's for sure! I can't believe how graphic many of the scenes were throughout the book and often found myself skimming them because I felt dirty just reading it. I feel absolutely horrible thinking of what those poor girls had to go through. It was so cruel and unbelievable that I found myself constantly Googling images of Paul and Karla because it was just so hard to believe that anyone would be capable of the crimes they committed.

I agree with some of the other reviews on here that at times Nick Pron portrayed Karla Holmolka as a battered woman that didn't choose to partake in these crimes and was forced into becoming an accomplice. As someone that has been in an abusive relationship (albeit one that wasn't nearly as abusive as Paul and Karla's), I still can't justify the thought that Karla was any less guilty than Paul for the rape and murder of all three girls. Its devastating that she was let off so easy despite an utter lack of remorse or regret for the LARGE part she played in it all.

Some reviews on here question why the grotesque nature of this book was necessary, but I think it's important to make these details known so the world sees Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka as the monsters they truly are. I also think that it's also a great cautionary tale. These girls were defenseless, but unfortunately in today's world Paul and Karla were not the first and won't be the last of their kind.

If you intend to read this book, heed the warning and only do so if you have a strong stomach. It's far worse than you could possibly imagine.

[Jeremy Hannaford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intense book. Anyone who says that this book victimizes Homolka clearly didn't read the authors note at the beginning and read it until the end.

The graphic detail was hard to read but it was necessary to emulate the true evil that Bernardo inflicted on his victims. Pron's means of narrative choice was excellent and truly put you in the moment and made the book incredibly engaging.

I zoomed through it and am still thinking about it. The fact that he not only incorporates what happened with Bernardo and Homolka but also the stages of the investigation, including the blunders and delays the police went through, the unbelievably daft choices law enforcement made and just how much Bernardo was able to get past police.

This was an amazing read and if anyone can stomach what this book dishes out, you are in for an incredible read.

[Ambre · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most horrific books I ever read. And a catalogue of errors that should have seen Bernardo in prison long before he was finally captured. It took me a long time to read this because it was just so awful.

I have given it 4 stars - not because ~I 'really liked it' but because of how powerful an effect it had on me and how everyone should remember how monstrous some people are. What I find so completely unbelievable is that the evil bitch was ever let go and I hear she's had children! How on earth could anyone allow that monster to have an innocent child in her grasp?

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonably well-written account of the atrocities committed by this husband and wife team of monsters. This case was notable because of the infamous gag order effectively preventing the press from reporting on many details of the murders. The book contains transcripts of the notorious murder video recordings and the reader is warned that much of this is graphic and gruesome. If there were any real justice in Canada, this pair would be dancing at the end of a rope.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel bad giving it a 4 star rating due to the circumstances of the book. However, it was a good read. I can't get over how people can hurt people that way. So sad... :(

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since I read the book about Ted Bundy´, written by Ann Rule, I am absolutely obsessed with Serial Killer documentaries and books. And since the first ever "Born To Kill" documentary I watched was the one about Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, it was clear that I just had to read this book.
Sadly, I am a bit disappointed. It is, I admit, one of the most horrifiying and disgusting books I ever read, but - and I have to agree with a lot of people's reviews on here - I did not like the way Karla was presented as a victim, even though it MIGHT have been that way. The focus lies on Bernardo being the only monster, when it was Karla who sort of initiated his sex slave business when she gave her own baby sister to be raped and abused by him. Plus, it definitely reads like some sort of hardcore porn book, which was highly annoying, because it's definitely not my cup of tea.
As there are other books based on those two out there, I might give another one a shot, to compare.

[Lauren Nadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love true crime, which speaks to my wanting to earn a degree in psychology. this is the first true crime book that i’ve read and it was chilling, to say the least. it is physically sickening to read about the unspeakable things that karla and (mostly) paul did to so many young women. reading about all of the little details was almost too much to bear, but necessary to understand the depth of the terrible things that happened over the course of karla and paul’s spree. this book shined a light on what truly happened during this particular case, and after studying it briefly in classes in school, i was interested to learn more. i will definitely be reading more true crime books in the future.

[Evan Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost too detailed. Gruesome book.

[Megh Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough and extremely disturbing reporting, the most detailed book I’ve come across pertaining to this case.

[Dianne Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a teenager in Scarborough during the time of the Scarborough Rapist. I had stood at several of the same bus stops where attacks happened. I was followed home from near Kennedy and Lawrence. I walked up Kennedy before turning down a side street in the subdivision. I turned around a few times being aware of my surroundings and saw someone duck into the shadows, following me. This happened a few times. I had to walk past a park to get home, and thought, no way. I went to a friend's house instead. Her parents were hosting a dinner party, but her dad knew instantly something was wrong. He drove me home while his friends drove around the area. I have no proof it was Bernardo, but I have no proof it wasn't. A few days later there was another attack.

The sweetheart deal Holmoka got always bothered me. As soon as it became evident she had lied about her participation, that deal should have become null and void. She should have spent the rest of her life behind bars.

Though I have always followed this story, and knew the crimes well, it was interesting to read some about Paul's childhood and just read it all more or less in the order it happened.

[Marsmannix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: this books contains extremely graphic language taken directly from videotapes of the crime.
that said, i read this in 2 days. couldn't put it down. two disgusting human beings: should rot under the jail.

[Lisa McBrien · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not for the weak of heart. Sadly, I walked away from this story angry at the Canadian criminal justice system. The only winners here were the criminals. Karla, in particular deserves 0 sympathy: She got a sweetheart deal for 3 murders and not only had little remorse on the stand, she managed to wiggle her way out of another charge though she violated the terms of that deal which explicitly stated that she had to be forthcoming about any other crimes that she participated in with Bernardo. When asked outright, she claimed her memory was fuzzy, even though her own words prove otherwise. The sickest part of this whole story, not offered by the book, is that supposedly this woman got out, got married, and had a baby all under a new identity as Canada, believes that her privacy should be protected...SICK!!!!!! In the US, she would not have had such protection and would more than likely been required as part of her plea bargain to register as the highest level of sex offender. Given the fact that the crimes she was involved in involved young girls, in the US she would have had her parental rights terminated as well. I don't know what Canada's view is on sex offenders, but here, we know the worst of the worst like Karla and Paul cannot and will not be fixed after release. Even though our system of registering and monitoring sexual preditors is flawed, we at least try to protect innocent victims of these creeps!!!!! Letting this woman change her name is the ultimate slap in the face to Leslie, Kristen, Tammy Lyn, and all of Paul and Karla's victims we don't know about.

[Lish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This case has been in my mind ever since I was a child. It’s a story that I believe has shocked the world and disturbed us to our core. It was a very well written book, but also very hard to read. I had to take serval breaks as it made me sick and truly heart broken. Unfortunately the story is just so interesting that you want to know more, more so why? And how could anyone be so evil? I think it’s an important read so we can really see and hear these victims stories.

[Tom Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other than the last chapters, Pron's work seems more sympathetic to Karla than invisible Darkness.
"Karla" is also a film
Invisible Darkness
Weed Species

[Sandra Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Want a story who could imagine such cruel people could live in this world. It's hard to believe the torture these poor girls went through. A well told story about the most unimaginable events. I highly recommend you read this book

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read so many Barnardo/Holmoka books that they all seem to run together. This one was well written, but about the same as all the others I've read.

[Muriel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disturbing, I could not read parts of the book. Hard to accept that people like this actually exist.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the most explicitly graphic, violent books I've ever read. Holy crap. I had to take a break from it at times.

[Brad Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a doozy. If your looking for a in depth, meticulously researched and detailed account of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka this is the book you will want to read. It tells the complete story from their meeting to eventual arrests for the horrendous murders they committed. Using Bernardo’s journals and access to Homolka’s private messages to Bernardo I was blown away by the attention to all details of this couples murderous rampage.

That being said this book is not for the faint of heart. It provides transcripts and details of the infamous tapes the couple made of their rapes and murders of many young girls and at times these chapters, which basically chronicle the torture and rapes of these women, can be hard to take. There was a few times where I just had to skim the final pages of these poor girls rapes because I just couldn’t read anymore torture. The author at the very least has the decency to mention the graphic nature of these chapters in his prologue warning about what is to come.

The book spends a great deal of time discussing the complicity of Homolka in this killings. Bernardo was clearly a sexual deviant and the main aggressor of these murders but the question, which would be a bit more cleared up after the tapes were released, was Homolka a battered wife being forced to help her husband or a willing accomplice enjoying the rape and murder along with her husband. It’s a question no book will ever answer completely. There is too much grey area and uncertainty into the inner workings of their relationship but if your looking for a definitive account of one of the biggest crime couple in history this book is for you. Just make sure your prepare yourself.

[Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I learned about this book in college, but I'm not positive. I bought it 6 years ago for kindle and decided to read it based on my yearly reading goals.

Cannot give this anything over 3 stars, not because it's bad, but because the content within is so explicit and horrific that it is impossible to say anything close to "liking" this book.

It is not for the faint of heart. I appreciate the warning in the beginning of the book because it was absolutely warranted.

Not extremely well written - a bit disjointed even. My kindle copy did not make sections clear when POVs changed so that was a bit jarring. Could have used a bit more tightening up and segueways/flourish. But honestly, Pron may have been focusing more on realism and fact listing than anything else. It's an interesting approach, to write nonfiction in a storytelling format - I think there's something to be said for that, especially when examining the failures of an investigation, emphasizing the murderers' actions, and identifying how searching for suspects/treating suspects has changed because of a case.

I understand why Pron listed everything. But it was a damn hard read. What horrible, horrible people. They did not suffer enough.

[Jamie Yu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5. Very graphic, disturbing, had an effect on me--so much so that I kind of felt like the author was going for the shock factor, which I tend to be wary of when it comes to true events, particularly such violent and disturbing topics. I don't know if voyeuristic is the right word, but even though I know there were tapes, sometimes I felt like too much liberty was taken with authorship. Reading it, I felt like it was skewed, as most of the events are presented from Homolka's point of view (which, I guess I can also understand if you only have her word for it because then who knows what happened), because then it makes me feel like the book is biased towards the abused-wife narrative. Which may have been the case, but the point is no one knows. For a true crime book, I was looking for a more rounded interpretation as well as a stronger focus on the investigation as opposed to an interpretation of the horrific crimes. Heavy reading, but interesting, not sure that I would revisit though.

[Kamila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with several of the reviews here, there were parts of the book that were difficult to read and that definitely stick in your memory even after the book is done. As with some of the other reviewers, I did question how Nick Pron could possibly know some of the details he was describing and did some research online. I found that there seemed to be discrepancies and some manipulation of the facts. However, gory details aside I couldn't put the book down and I read it within a matter of days. I thought the book was well written and enjoyed Pron's style of writing. He truly finished each chapter in a way that held my curiosity and had me asking what happens next. As a true crime enthusiast I would recommend this novel. Personally, I stuck to reading it during the day and took breaks during some of the graphic sections - if your imagination is as visual as mine I would recommend doing the same instead of before bedtime!

[Cyn Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very in-depth about the crimes Bernardo and Homolka committed, and while I'm glad that the stories of Tammy Homolka, Kristen French, and Leslie Mahaffy are being told, this book overdoes it with the intimate details of the crimes. I've read a lot of true crime books, but this one is definitely the most horrific and detail-filled one I've read yet. I almost didn't finish the book because of how detailed some of the scenes are.

This book goes further than it needs to in many aspects of the crimes, and borders on pornographic in the descriptions of the rapes committed by this evil couple. The editing is also poor in this book, as there were a few times there were periods or quotation marks left out.

I knew next to nothing about the Ken and Barbie murders, and this book informed me more than I wanted to be.