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Open Secrets: A True Story of Love, Jealousy, and Murder
On a fall afternoon in 1983, in an upscale Dallas suburb, Rozanne Gailiunas was found stripped, bound to her bed, and shot through the skull. Her four-year-old son has been napping peacefully in the next room when she was killed. Rozanne's husband, Dr. Peter Gailiunas--and her lover, Larry Aylor--immediately fell under suspicion. Until a surprise informant identified the mastermind behind the murder as Aylor's own wife, Joy--a woman so driven by jealousy and greed that she put out a contract on both Rozanne and later her own husband.On the run and managing to elude investigators for eight years, the two-year search for the socialite would eventually end in the south of France. There, authorities found the elusive femme fatale, living as comfortably among the world's elite as she was among hired killers. At last, the authorities' questions would be answered, to reveal a shocking insight into the heart of an unlikely killer, and a small-town Texas crime that made international headlines.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 3, 2018
A fairly simple true crime story (jilted woman arranges the murder of her husband's mistress and attempted murder of the philandering husband) complicated by an unnecessarily long and detailed cast of characters and repeated insistences that the jilted woman was the real-life Aphrodite, the "most beautiful woman these men had ever seen." Why do so many true crime books find it necessary to describe either the female killer or the victim as if they are supermodels? As anyone can see from the photo on the cover, Joy Aylor wasn't hideous, but she was hardly a raving beauty.
Perhaps the constant descriptions of her beauty were to explain the actions of the men in her life, including a lawyer, Mike Wilson, who gave up his career and went to jail for her. While Joy is described as a manipulative seductress, I certainly didn't read that she was holding a gun to his head. All the men who were "taken in" by this "raving beauty" need to own their stupidity.
Most maddening is there are no photos of the victim, Rozanne Gailiunas, in life, and no explanation for their absence. If the family requested this, that's fine, but since other books about the same case feature photos of her, that's doubtful. That only punctuated the fact that this book glorifies the killer, her lovers, and their ridiculous exploits, while little is ever mentioned about the poor woman who died. It's almost like the author fell in love with Joy Aylor too.
Ugh.
Perhaps the constant descriptions of her beauty were to explain the actions of the men in her life, including a lawyer, Mike Wilson, who gave up his career and went to jail for her. While Joy is described as a manipulative seductress, I certainly didn't read that she was holding a gun to his head. All the men who were "taken in" by this "raving beauty" need to own their stupidity.
Most maddening is there are no photos of the victim, Rozanne Gailiunas, in life, and no explanation for their absence. If the family requested this, that's fine, but since other books about the same case feature photos of her, that's doubtful. That only punctuated the fact that this book glorifies the killer, her lovers, and their ridiculous exploits, while little is ever mentioned about the poor woman who died. It's almost like the author fell in love with Joy Aylor too.
Ugh.
May 8, 2022
This book was carefully-constructed not to give too much away. The photo section gave people's names but didn't spoil the story. Then someone at Pocket Books blew the whole bit and announced on the back jacket who was murdered and who did it. Luckily, this story was so full of twists and turns that this blunder didn't wreck the whole story. As always, Stowers delivers a good read, telling it well without bogging down anywhere. He compressed multiple trials into a short epilogue -- this story was all about the investigation.
March 11, 2013
Ugh. Too long. Tedious and overly detailed. And it bears saying again -- tedious. I had to skim about 150 pages in the middle or else I'd never have finished.
November 21, 2014
this book was well written it kept flowing.
October 17, 2018
I've read this book several times over the years and enjoyed it every time. It's a strange case with many memorable participants. Ken Englade's book TO HATRED TURNED (also known as A DARK AND DEADLY LOVE) is about the same case and is even better.
September 19, 2012
Carlton Stowers is an exceptional writer and this is an exceptionally good true crime book. What a mixed up mess of people were involved in this brutal murder, I was beginning to wonder how many more could possibly be involved. It was mind boggling. Still even with as many characters as this book had it was easy to keep track of them due to the authors style of writing. Great read, I highly recommend not just this book but this author.
September 8, 2014
on Monday, July 04, 2005 I wrote about this book on Bookcrossing (not much)
8 out of 10
I forgot to journal when I Finisihed it.
I thought this was a very good true crime book.
Really enjoyed the read. good writing and good story although it got a bit complicated with so many people involved.
Update September 08 2014. I see now how my reviews and my English have improved. ;)
8 out of 10
I forgot to journal when I Finisihed it.
I thought this was a very good true crime book.
Really enjoyed the read. good writing and good story although it got a bit complicated with so many people involved.
Update September 08 2014. I see now how my reviews and my English have improved. ;)
June 28, 2012
I could not put this book down. This true story was so bizarre with such an odd cast of characters.
December 16, 2014
4.5 stars. Great book by Carlton Stowers
July 7, 2023
This is a crazy murder-for-hire story. The author has a similar writing style as famed true crime aficionado Ann Rule. This case has an endless amount of colorful characters, plot twists, hitmen, lovers, and infidelity. At times it can be a bit to keep up with all the developments & list of accomplices/suspects. This book peaked my interest because the murder took place in Richardson, TX in the 80s, & it’s interesting to learn about crimes that happened in DFW near where I reside. Carlton Stowers has a fast paced writing style that keeps the reader intrigued. This is the third true crime book I’ve read by the author & it wont be my last.
September 9, 2024
We read this for book club because it was a true crime story that happened in our area. It reads like a (very) long Texas Monthly article, and I like Texas Monthly articles. A tad too much detail sometimes, but the characters involved in this case are all on a scale from intriguing to batshit crazy. I can safely conclude that everyone in Richardson during the 80s was shady as hell, especially the folks hitting up the JoJos, which I desperately wish was still there. Significant tea was spilled at that JoJos.
Exceeded expectations.
Exceeded expectations.
May 2, 2020
Very good true crime book!! By Topper
Enjoyed this account of a series of deceptions, greed and murder. Author's detail was so real. A wild adventure. Highly recommend this book.
Enjoyed this account of a series of deceptions, greed and murder. Author's detail was so real. A wild adventure. Highly recommend this book.
November 22, 2021
I love true crime books, love trying to solve "who done it" while reading. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't. This was one book that I didn't get it right until close to the end. While all true crime books are sad stories, I do enjoy playing detective.
June 2, 2022
There are a lot of moving parts in this case, and for the most part, Stowers does a good job keeping everything untangled. Ultimately, it’s a cut and dried case of ‘the rules don’t apply to me because I’m rich and dude’s want to sleep with me’, which is seriously uninteresting.
June 24, 2022
Another triumph by Mr. Stowers. The plot of his reads like the most ingenious detective story I have ever read, and it's all a true story! Full of morally corrupt and, dare I say, idiotic characters. A great read.
March 10, 2025
Details of capturing a Murderer
This book was interesting if you wanted to get details and the truth about a murder of Rozanne Gailiunas. There are true crime episodes, podcasts and even a movie. But this book lays out the facts of the case.
This book was interesting if you wanted to get details and the truth about a murder of Rozanne Gailiunas. There are true crime episodes, podcasts and even a movie. But this book lays out the facts of the case.
January 29, 2018
Amazing but scary story! The persistence of th e officers involved is amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2020
True story of one woman and three - separates by time - contracts to kill
July 22, 2022
Forgot to review this book but I remember I enjoyed it, just a bit too long.
October 26, 2022
Could not put this book down.
March 2, 2025
outstanding
Hard to put down. So any twists and turns. Hard to believe this was a true crime book and not fiction.
Hard to put down. So any twists and turns. Hard to believe this was a true crime book and not fiction.
March 15, 2025
Murder story
The book was interesting but was too complicated to follow with so many people in the story but guess that couldn't be helped.
The book was interesting but was too complicated to follow with so many people in the story but guess that couldn't be helped.
Read
April 4, 2025Great story! A real page turner!
May 16, 2025
Excellent
Very well written true crime story. What a web of characters! But the resilience of the officers is to be commended.
Very well written true crime story. What a web of characters! But the resilience of the officers is to be commended.
October 22, 2025
Might have been better if I had read it in one go since I would have remembered more details.
August 31, 2019
Murder, Texas style, well rendered
This is a superior true crime book. It is so complex and so full of characters that it is like several stories. I am struck again at how stupid people are and at how they seem so desperate for any sort of excitement. Adultery seems to be the biggest thrill here. Additionally, I see that so many of the people doing harm to others have sociopathic personalities: they are cold and without the normal human conscience. But perhaps this is just an impression. I won't detail any of the story here because it is too complex and I would only be giving a part of it. Like some other juicy true crime tales (see A.W. Gray's Poisoned Dreams (1993), for example) this takes place in and around Dallas, Texas. The characters are not quite as stupid as the ones in Gray's book, and the writing is better.
It interesting how these "true stories" all seem to run together in my mind. The characters are shallow sociopaths, doing drugs, committing adultery willy-nilly, hustling money, flashing status and spending conspicuously. That's it. That's their lives. It's kind of like a burlesque of normal human behavior. That's all, just more extreme. It's really a crack-up at how the authors always say the women are beautiful, and all the losers had everything life could offer and a bright future in front of them before they went down hill. The women, however, judging from their photos, which typically come in a ten page or so spread in the middle of the book, are not "beautiful." They often have dyed blond hair and expensive clothes, etc., but I sure as hell would not find them attractive. The central murderess of this one is Joy Ayler, said to be beautiful, but just one look at her photo and I can tell that she is someone desperately trying to appear attractive. I can tell she would be a nightmare as a mate. Her slutty-looking younger sister would be better. And the guys are all macho types flashing the usual big man, big deal personalities, trying to hustle as much of everything in this world as possible, sex, money, drugs, experiences, status, etc. And how they pretend such tender emotions; how much they love their children, etc. They think. They actually believe they love their children, but their behavior suggests otherwise as they destroy their lives, and the lives of those around them.
Stowers begins very well, keeping us in doubt about who is really guilty of the murder of nurse Rozanne Guiliunas: her workaholic estranged husband, a medical doctor; or her boyfriend, a building contractor. He writes the story from a police POV with Dallas police detective Morris McGowan as the hero. Stowers does such a good job of getting us to identify with McGowan that I saw for a moment just how difficult it must be to be a cop, and how easy it is to screw up an investigation, since they are so so difficult to pursue. And for that, Stowers is to be commended. The latter half of the book is less well-focused, scattered as it is among so many personalties, but still well done. By the way, this Joy Aylor is another female sociopath, a merciless killer without conscious.
What separates me and most people from these true crime story creatures? They live faster and they take more chances, yes. They are more superficial and their values are shallow, yes. But I think the main thing is their insatiable desire for the things of this world. Of course I am speaking now as a fifty-year-old man. When I was younger, perhaps I would have said they were just stupid. But in the final analysis (an analysis well beyond my ken) it may be just a question of a difference in brain chemistry or a hormonal imbalance. I actually believe this more than ever.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the sensational mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
This is a superior true crime book. It is so complex and so full of characters that it is like several stories. I am struck again at how stupid people are and at how they seem so desperate for any sort of excitement. Adultery seems to be the biggest thrill here. Additionally, I see that so many of the people doing harm to others have sociopathic personalities: they are cold and without the normal human conscience. But perhaps this is just an impression. I won't detail any of the story here because it is too complex and I would only be giving a part of it. Like some other juicy true crime tales (see A.W. Gray's Poisoned Dreams (1993), for example) this takes place in and around Dallas, Texas. The characters are not quite as stupid as the ones in Gray's book, and the writing is better.
It interesting how these "true stories" all seem to run together in my mind. The characters are shallow sociopaths, doing drugs, committing adultery willy-nilly, hustling money, flashing status and spending conspicuously. That's it. That's their lives. It's kind of like a burlesque of normal human behavior. That's all, just more extreme. It's really a crack-up at how the authors always say the women are beautiful, and all the losers had everything life could offer and a bright future in front of them before they went down hill. The women, however, judging from their photos, which typically come in a ten page or so spread in the middle of the book, are not "beautiful." They often have dyed blond hair and expensive clothes, etc., but I sure as hell would not find them attractive. The central murderess of this one is Joy Ayler, said to be beautiful, but just one look at her photo and I can tell that she is someone desperately trying to appear attractive. I can tell she would be a nightmare as a mate. Her slutty-looking younger sister would be better. And the guys are all macho types flashing the usual big man, big deal personalities, trying to hustle as much of everything in this world as possible, sex, money, drugs, experiences, status, etc. And how they pretend such tender emotions; how much they love their children, etc. They think. They actually believe they love their children, but their behavior suggests otherwise as they destroy their lives, and the lives of those around them.
Stowers begins very well, keeping us in doubt about who is really guilty of the murder of nurse Rozanne Guiliunas: her workaholic estranged husband, a medical doctor; or her boyfriend, a building contractor. He writes the story from a police POV with Dallas police detective Morris McGowan as the hero. Stowers does such a good job of getting us to identify with McGowan that I saw for a moment just how difficult it must be to be a cop, and how easy it is to screw up an investigation, since they are so so difficult to pursue. And for that, Stowers is to be commended. The latter half of the book is less well-focused, scattered as it is among so many personalties, but still well done. By the way, this Joy Aylor is another female sociopath, a merciless killer without conscious.
What separates me and most people from these true crime story creatures? They live faster and they take more chances, yes. They are more superficial and their values are shallow, yes. But I think the main thing is their insatiable desire for the things of this world. Of course I am speaking now as a fifty-year-old man. When I was younger, perhaps I would have said they were just stupid. But in the final analysis (an analysis well beyond my ken) it may be just a question of a difference in brain chemistry or a hormonal imbalance. I actually believe this more than ever.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the sensational mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
July 22, 2008
Hmmmm, these TExas true crime books are weird...but hey when Ann Rule is qoted on teh cover saying this is one of the most remarkable, blah blah blah - well who could resist THAT?
This woman was nuts. She killed her husband's lover, while the woman's kid (4 years old) was sleeping in the next room. Well actually she contracted to have it done, but yuck.
And the lawyer boyfriend of this woman was a coke freak and meth head, and there was just the biggest pile of trailer trash with money you have ever seen prancing through this story.
It kept me coming back for several days, and I was glad when it was over!
This woman was nuts. She killed her husband's lover, while the woman's kid (4 years old) was sleeping in the next room. Well actually she contracted to have it done, but yuck.
And the lawyer boyfriend of this woman was a coke freak and meth head, and there was just the biggest pile of trailer trash with money you have ever seen prancing through this story.
It kept me coming back for several days, and I was glad when it was over!
January 3, 2011
One of the best true crime books I've read. Although the whole situation was confusing and lasted a number of years, it was explained clearly. Joy Aylor was a dangerous psychopath and it's a minor miracle she was apprehended. I don't understand why Stowers chooses to start so many sentences and paragraphs with the word "too". I have never seen anyone else start a sentence with that word. "Also" seems a better choice, although neither is very good.
July 20, 2012
The book was well written although there were so many twists and turns and so many people involved in one murder, it was still easy to keep up. This woman is cold blooded and its amazing how many people were fooled by her.
December 9, 2013
Books like this are hard to write so I typically don't enjoy, but this one was well written. I enjoyed the true story though it was confusing at times; there are a slew of characters involved in the murder and its hard to keep track of them. But overall, not bad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews