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Devil in the Hole
James Kirkwood is obsessed with the Hartman house across the street. Each night, he notices the lights are on in every room. Once a light goes off, though, it never comes back on ... A worried Kirkwood calls the police, who find a shocking four bodies lined up next to each other on individual blankets, three teenagers and a middle-aged woman, each with a bullet through the head. Upstairs, they find an elderly woman, also shot through the head, and the family dog, similarly murdered. Missing is John Hartman, husband, father, son. Through the eyes of almost two dozen characters, the reader pieces together how these shocking murders affect the community, how John Hartman makes his escape, and maybe even why he committed these gruesome crimes.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2013
50 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Charles Salzberg
38 books280 followersCharles Salzberg's latest novel, Swann's Lake of Despair, is the third in the Henry Swann Detective Series. When rare photos, a scandalous diary, and a beautiful woman all go missing at once, the stage is set for three challenging cases for this skip tracer and his slovenly, disbarred lawyer friend, Goldblatt.
Devil in the Hole, his last novel, is a work of literary crime fiction based on the notorious John List murders, which is on shelves now, was just chosen by Suspense Magazine as one of the Best True Crime Novels of the Year. It is also now available as an e-book on Kindle.
He is also the author of the Henry Swann detective series: Swann’s Last Song, which was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel; Swann Dives In; and the upcoming Swann's Lake of Despair.
Salzberg has been a Visiting Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and has taught writing at Sarah Lawrence College, Hunter College, the Writer's Voice, and the New York Writers Workshop, where he was a Founding Member. He is a consulting editor at the webzine Ducts.org and co-host, with Jonathan Kravetz, of the reading series, Trumpet Fiction, at KGB in New York City.
His freelance articles has appeared in such publications as Esquire, New York Magazine, GQ, Elle, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, The New York Times Arts and Leisure section, The New York Times Book Review, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review.
He is also the author of From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, An Oral History of the NBA; On A Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place: Baseball’s 10 Worst Teams of the Century; and co-author of My Zany Life and Times, by Soupy Sales, Catch Them Being Good; and The Mad Fisherman.
Devil in the Hole, his last novel, is a work of literary crime fiction based on the notorious John List murders, which is on shelves now, was just chosen by Suspense Magazine as one of the Best True Crime Novels of the Year. It is also now available as an e-book on Kindle.
He is also the author of the Henry Swann detective series: Swann’s Last Song, which was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel; Swann Dives In; and the upcoming Swann's Lake of Despair.
Salzberg has been a Visiting Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and has taught writing at Sarah Lawrence College, Hunter College, the Writer's Voice, and the New York Writers Workshop, where he was a Founding Member. He is a consulting editor at the webzine Ducts.org and co-host, with Jonathan Kravetz, of the reading series, Trumpet Fiction, at KGB in New York City.
His freelance articles has appeared in such publications as Esquire, New York Magazine, GQ, Elle, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, The New York Times Arts and Leisure section, The New York Times Book Review, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review.
He is also the author of From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, An Oral History of the NBA; On A Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place: Baseball’s 10 Worst Teams of the Century; and co-author of My Zany Life and Times, by Soupy Sales, Catch Them Being Good; and The Mad Fisherman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
September 12, 2015
A friend reviewed this book back in 2013 because I didn't have time to read it. However, I got to reading it at the beginning of this year. It's a great book and fast paced with a different perspective to a normal thriller. This book is highly recommended from me, and I read it in a couple of sittings, which means its a quick and engaging read. I'm looking forward to reading more from Charles Salzburg.
REVIEWED BY TRACY HARRIS
James Kirkland is not your typical nosy neighbor. So, when he notices all of the lights blazing in his neighbors house, he’s curious but not curious enough to knock on the door and inquire after their health. He is inquisitive enough to notice that the lights are slowly burning themselves out.
A phone call to the police results in the discovery of the gruesome murders of an entire family including the dog, minus one member. John Hartman, husband, son and father of three is missing and all evidence points to him as the prime suspect.
We are given an unusual insight, discovering the story through the eyes of a cast of characters who have their own individual opinion on the man who is John Hartman. From the senior investigator who has become obsessed with apprehending Hartman, to his former mistress, to past work colleagues and even his postman. Even Hartman's side of the story is revealed through his viewpoint; a man who has committed the unthinkable crime and managed to elude authorities but not himself.
Based on a true story, the John List murders, reading the first page to Devil in the Hole is like having just one potato chip. You simply must have more.
Read this book if you want to treat yourself to a novel that is different, a novel not told from the traditional single viewpoint, but through multiple character’s viewpoints. I felt this allowed an opportunity to discover each individual's opinion of Hartman, through their own distinct and unique interactions. This way we have an opportunity to attempt to understand how such a horrendous crime impacts everyone.
REVIEWED BY TRACY HARRIS
James Kirkland is not your typical nosy neighbor. So, when he notices all of the lights blazing in his neighbors house, he’s curious but not curious enough to knock on the door and inquire after their health. He is inquisitive enough to notice that the lights are slowly burning themselves out.
A phone call to the police results in the discovery of the gruesome murders of an entire family including the dog, minus one member. John Hartman, husband, son and father of three is missing and all evidence points to him as the prime suspect.
We are given an unusual insight, discovering the story through the eyes of a cast of characters who have their own individual opinion on the man who is John Hartman. From the senior investigator who has become obsessed with apprehending Hartman, to his former mistress, to past work colleagues and even his postman. Even Hartman's side of the story is revealed through his viewpoint; a man who has committed the unthinkable crime and managed to elude authorities but not himself.
Based on a true story, the John List murders, reading the first page to Devil in the Hole is like having just one potato chip. You simply must have more.
Read this book if you want to treat yourself to a novel that is different, a novel not told from the traditional single viewpoint, but through multiple character’s viewpoints. I felt this allowed an opportunity to discover each individual's opinion of Hartman, through their own distinct and unique interactions. This way we have an opportunity to attempt to understand how such a horrendous crime impacts everyone.
August 25, 2013
I am always fascinated by fictional recreations based on notorious real life murder cases, and this is the starting point for this exceptional novel by Charles Salzburg, that kept me hooked and emotionally involved throughout in equal measure. The novel is based on the real case of John List who in 1971 killed his wife, mother, and three children in their home in New Jersey and then disappeared, having planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone noticed that anything was amiss. List then became a fugitive from the law, evading capture for nearly 18 years after assuming a false identity, eventually being brought to justice and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment. Salzberg recreates these events using the skeleton details of the real crime itself, and stealthily constructing a timeline of the events following the murders, through the eyes of everyone witness to, involved in the life of and pursuers of, his fictional construct the killer, John Hartman.
Chapter by chapter we bear witness to the testimonies, amongst others, of his neighbours, co-workers and his mistress along with those that seek to bring him to justice, in particular the dogged detective Charlie Floyd, and as Hartman’s flight progresses, those he encounters as a fugitive, and more emotively the thoughts and actions of Hartman himself. One of my biggest bugbears with novels is authors introducing characters far too quickly for the reader to get a handle on who’s who and who’s doing what to who. Remarkably, despite its slender form, Devil In The Hole actually contains no less than twenty-five characters, but thanks to the skill and control of Salzberg’s prose and characterisation, you never once lose sight of their place in the narrative and their connection to the main storyline. In every case, their presence, and the sometimes full, or in some cases, rudimentary details of their part in the plot are precisely delivered, little by little, all with a unique narrative voice, that separates them so distinctly in the reader’s mind. It’s a joy to read such an acutely well-constructed narrative, dwelling little on the physical description of character and location, but with Salzberg defining his characters so completely by their impression of, and personal interaction with a killer. Interestingly, we do not begin to hear the voice of Hartman until the third act of the book, and his, along with detective Floyd, are the key elements I feel in engaging the reader, and playing with our perceptions of and reaction to both. I found their narratives in particular exceptionally emotive, and how the travails of tracking a killer, and a life on the run impacts on both, and the ending was so unexpectedly poignant, I felt genuinely moved.
If I was to compile a list of the crime books that have had the greatest influence on me, Acts of Violence by Ryan David Jahn would feature very highly on the list, where Jahn manipulates the details of a true crime case, through the eyes of a host of beautifully rendered characters. However, and without compunction, I would sit Salzberg’s Devil In The Hole comfortably alongside Jahn in my Hall of Fame for playing so subtly with my emotions, and demonstrating the power on the reader of a perfectly constructed multi-voiced narrative. A remarkable and affecting read and certainly not the last I shall read from this author.
Chapter by chapter we bear witness to the testimonies, amongst others, of his neighbours, co-workers and his mistress along with those that seek to bring him to justice, in particular the dogged detective Charlie Floyd, and as Hartman’s flight progresses, those he encounters as a fugitive, and more emotively the thoughts and actions of Hartman himself. One of my biggest bugbears with novels is authors introducing characters far too quickly for the reader to get a handle on who’s who and who’s doing what to who. Remarkably, despite its slender form, Devil In The Hole actually contains no less than twenty-five characters, but thanks to the skill and control of Salzberg’s prose and characterisation, you never once lose sight of their place in the narrative and their connection to the main storyline. In every case, their presence, and the sometimes full, or in some cases, rudimentary details of their part in the plot are precisely delivered, little by little, all with a unique narrative voice, that separates them so distinctly in the reader’s mind. It’s a joy to read such an acutely well-constructed narrative, dwelling little on the physical description of character and location, but with Salzberg defining his characters so completely by their impression of, and personal interaction with a killer. Interestingly, we do not begin to hear the voice of Hartman until the third act of the book, and his, along with detective Floyd, are the key elements I feel in engaging the reader, and playing with our perceptions of and reaction to both. I found their narratives in particular exceptionally emotive, and how the travails of tracking a killer, and a life on the run impacts on both, and the ending was so unexpectedly poignant, I felt genuinely moved.
If I was to compile a list of the crime books that have had the greatest influence on me, Acts of Violence by Ryan David Jahn would feature very highly on the list, where Jahn manipulates the details of a true crime case, through the eyes of a host of beautifully rendered characters. However, and without compunction, I would sit Salzberg’s Devil In The Hole comfortably alongside Jahn in my Hall of Fame for playing so subtly with my emotions, and demonstrating the power on the reader of a perfectly constructed multi-voiced narrative. A remarkable and affecting read and certainly not the last I shall read from this author.
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June 9, 20185 stars is not enough. This book is a masterpiece. Like Capote, like Dreiser--one fiction, one non-fiction--this book recreates a horrific murder in a quiet town, revealing the thoughts and feelings and behaviors of those connected to the murderer who is on the run and slowly becoming emotionally strangled with his own madness. The author has complete control of each word, and I found myself begging for more all the way through the book. I just could not put it down. His discipline and judgement are profound. By choosing exactly the right details, the author gives life to the characters so that you feel you would know them if you bumped into them on the street. As for the killer, it is his ordinariness that is most terrifying--chilling. I got the creeps--like he was next to me at a movie or on the subway. Crime and mystery are my favorite genre--I have read thousands and even worked in a mystery book store. The book flies with the best of what I've read, sitting among the very few that reach greatness.
October 4, 2015
This book is based on a real murder case from 1971. Although the time, names, location, are all changed for this book, some details were left intact.
Very interesting style this book was written in, where every chapter is from the point of view of different people who knew or had some type of contact with the muderer.
There is no 'who done it' in here, you know from the beginning who the murderer is. The question is why and the effect John Hartman had on people who knew and encountered him.
I was a little disappointed in the ending in the fact that we didn't get to see how this affected Charlie Floyd, (the lead investigator).
All and all a very good read.
Very interesting style this book was written in, where every chapter is from the point of view of different people who knew or had some type of contact with the muderer.
There is no 'who done it' in here, you know from the beginning who the murderer is. The question is why and the effect John Hartman had on people who knew and encountered him.
I was a little disappointed in the ending in the fact that we didn't get to see how this affected Charlie Floyd, (the lead investigator).
All and all a very good read.
October 6, 2014
This book was probably my favorite of all the ones I have read this year. It gets right to the point. I thought with all the characters I would be confused but the book was so interesting it was easy to be interested in everyone's stories. I look forward to reading more of Salzberg's books.
Also, after reading other reviews about it being based off a true crime, I read up more on John List's story. It is very interesting.
Also, after reading other reviews about it being based off a true crime, I read up more on John List's story. It is very interesting.
October 30, 2017
This book made me worry when I didn't hear from a good friend for a few days. When it bleeds into your real life, you know it's great.
September 4, 2013
This is a clever book based on a terrible tragedy that really happened in New Jersey in 1971. I remember, and you might too, when John List almost got away with murdering his wife, three teenage children, his mother-in-law, and even their dog. He disappeared long before the bodies were discovered and the law didn't catch up with him for 18 years, until after the case was featured on "America's Most Wanted."
Salzberg has turned this awful crime into a novel set in Connecticut. He tells the story through many characters, each with his own chapter or chapters. This sounds confusing and a little ridiculous, but it is actually very effective. First we hear from a neighbor across the street who gets suspicious when all the lights are on in the huge house 24 hours a day and he doesn't see anyone coming or going. The family is strange and not friendly, but this finally gets to the neighbor and he calls the police. They find the bodies, but the husband/father is gone, as is the car, and the bodies are so badly decomposed, it has obviously been a couple of weeks since they were killed.
We then get the perspective of one of the cops who entered the house, then the other. The neighbor has his say again, then the chief of police, etc. The story advances through chapters supposedly written in the first person by people who are somehow involved with the case or the missing murderer. The characters seem real; almost as if you are listening to various types of people sitting with you telling their brush with a killer.
In retrospect, I think this way of telling the story is brilliant. I can't imagine any other method that would work as well. There are nearly two dozen characters and as we hear from them, we begin to form an idea of what was in the killer's mind when he did this unthinkable crime. We can't be totally certain of that, nor can we know John List's reasoning when he actually killed his family, but this gives us some inkling of the workings of a murderer's rationale for his crime.
Highly recommended
Source: author through Partners in Crime Book Tours
Salzberg has turned this awful crime into a novel set in Connecticut. He tells the story through many characters, each with his own chapter or chapters. This sounds confusing and a little ridiculous, but it is actually very effective. First we hear from a neighbor across the street who gets suspicious when all the lights are on in the huge house 24 hours a day and he doesn't see anyone coming or going. The family is strange and not friendly, but this finally gets to the neighbor and he calls the police. They find the bodies, but the husband/father is gone, as is the car, and the bodies are so badly decomposed, it has obviously been a couple of weeks since they were killed.
We then get the perspective of one of the cops who entered the house, then the other. The neighbor has his say again, then the chief of police, etc. The story advances through chapters supposedly written in the first person by people who are somehow involved with the case or the missing murderer. The characters seem real; almost as if you are listening to various types of people sitting with you telling their brush with a killer.
In retrospect, I think this way of telling the story is brilliant. I can't imagine any other method that would work as well. There are nearly two dozen characters and as we hear from them, we begin to form an idea of what was in the killer's mind when he did this unthinkable crime. We can't be totally certain of that, nor can we know John List's reasoning when he actually killed his family, but this gives us some inkling of the workings of a murderer's rationale for his crime.
Highly recommended
Source: author through Partners in Crime Book Tours
August 16, 2013
News of a horrific crime prompts the question: how could someone do that? In the cleverly-crafted Devil in the Hole, Charles Salzberg considers both the crime and the criminal from a number of angles to get at the answer.
Although fiction, the book is based on an actual event that occurred in a comfortable, upper-class east coast community. Five members of a household, along with the family pet, are brutally slain and left in a 13-room mansion ablaze with lights. Missing is John Hartman, the husband, father and son of the victims. So well does the suspected killer plan his escape and cover his tracks, that the deaths go unnoticed for three weeks and by then, well, where is he?
In a series of first person accounts from Hartman and others who knew him or whose paths he crossed, Salzberg recreate events leading up to the killings and delves into the mind and heart – if one exists – of the killer, a man who tidied up the house after methodically drugging and shooting his victims. As if speaking into a tape recorder, coworkers, neighbors, girlfriend, a local minister and the relentless investigating officer as well as a number of unsuspecting people Hartman encounters in his flight, talk about the case. Sometimes they digress into their own lives as people are wont to do but they always return to Hartman. His foul trail extends far and wide and keeps under the radar for years, leaving the reader to wonder if and how he will ever be caught.
Salzberg’s technique allows you to read as if sitting face-to-face with the interviewees as they relate their experiences with a killer and with the mild-mannered Hartman himself as he explains and tries to justify his loathsome deed. The result is both chilling and powerful and conveys a subtle cautionary message. The next time a soft-spoken unassuming man takes the seat next to you on the bus or train, you might take a second look and then scoot a little further away because you never know. You might be sitting next to a killer.
Although fiction, the book is based on an actual event that occurred in a comfortable, upper-class east coast community. Five members of a household, along with the family pet, are brutally slain and left in a 13-room mansion ablaze with lights. Missing is John Hartman, the husband, father and son of the victims. So well does the suspected killer plan his escape and cover his tracks, that the deaths go unnoticed for three weeks and by then, well, where is he?
In a series of first person accounts from Hartman and others who knew him or whose paths he crossed, Salzberg recreate events leading up to the killings and delves into the mind and heart – if one exists – of the killer, a man who tidied up the house after methodically drugging and shooting his victims. As if speaking into a tape recorder, coworkers, neighbors, girlfriend, a local minister and the relentless investigating officer as well as a number of unsuspecting people Hartman encounters in his flight, talk about the case. Sometimes they digress into their own lives as people are wont to do but they always return to Hartman. His foul trail extends far and wide and keeps under the radar for years, leaving the reader to wonder if and how he will ever be caught.
Salzberg’s technique allows you to read as if sitting face-to-face with the interviewees as they relate their experiences with a killer and with the mild-mannered Hartman himself as he explains and tries to justify his loathsome deed. The result is both chilling and powerful and conveys a subtle cautionary message. The next time a soft-spoken unassuming man takes the seat next to you on the bus or train, you might take a second look and then scoot a little further away because you never know. You might be sitting next to a killer.
August 25, 2013
The typical nosy neighbor, bored with his suburban life, becomes intrigued by the ever glowing house lights across the street. Anytime he looks, day or night, they're on. The house's occupants are nowhere to be seen. Finally, he notices the lights burning out one by one and decides to alert the police. What unfurls is a fast-paced tour de force....not a whodunit.....but rather a psychological study of a killer and now, a fugitive. Along the way, the psyche of the murderer becomes an obsession with the investigating officer as well as the neighbor, who to his shame, finds a vicarious thrill in the murderer's escape. Salzburg weaves a clever tale that takes the reader from Connecticut to Florida, Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala, San Salvador on trains, buses, planes, and a white Camaro. Marginal characters, psychics, runaways, hookers, academics and other fringe people make this a colorful, odyssey that grabs you and never lets go.
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November 11, 2013 This review is from: Devil in the Hole (Hardcover)
FIND THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEAT IN THE HOUSE...You wont be able to put this book down!!!
Charles Salzberg masterfully depicts the mind of a murderer through chapters as layers, one built upon the other by somebody who saw him, knew him, touched him. With these personal narratives, without awareness we create our own profile of the killer. We're captives to the tale, waiting to know if our picture matches that of the real perpetrator.
As a psychoanalyst I've always loved true crime stories that abandon theory and expose parts of the murderer's mind, while pulling me into a whorl of suspense. Salzberg magically achieves this feat. DEVIL IN THE WHOLE - original in its genre - will thrill you, not only through the plot, but through the outside images of the criminal and the inside layers of his mind.
Dr. Laura Arens Fuerstein
FIND THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEAT IN THE HOUSE...You wont be able to put this book down!!!
Charles Salzberg masterfully depicts the mind of a murderer through chapters as layers, one built upon the other by somebody who saw him, knew him, touched him. With these personal narratives, without awareness we create our own profile of the killer. We're captives to the tale, waiting to know if our picture matches that of the real perpetrator.
As a psychoanalyst I've always loved true crime stories that abandon theory and expose parts of the murderer's mind, while pulling me into a whorl of suspense. Salzberg magically achieves this feat. DEVIL IN THE WHOLE - original in its genre - will thrill you, not only through the plot, but through the outside images of the criminal and the inside layers of his mind.
Dr. Laura Arens Fuerstein
August 3, 2013
Reader, beware! Cliche as it may sound, once you start reading Devil in the Hole, it is well-nigh impossible to put the book down. I was instantly drawn to Salzberg's fascinating portrait of a community shocked by the heinous act of a seemingly mild-mannered family man. Told in alternating points of view, the reader is immersed in the minds of the murderer and those whose lives he impacts. Momentum builds as a detective obsessed with hunting down the killer refuses to give up the chase even as those around him prefer to forget the evil that once dwelt in their midst. Psychological study? Murder mystery? Call it what you will, Devil in the Hole is a damn good read.
August 22, 2013
I received this book for a fair and honest review.
This is not just a book about a crime. It's a horrific crime that is hard to wrap your head around. What kind of person murders their family in cold blood like that? Then just simply walk away like nothing happened.
This book is not read like a documentary where the author just describes the murders, and how the town handles the shocking news. It is told in varying points of view of people that knew the husband/father John Hartman.
Although this book is fiction, it is also based on a real murder case. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy reading about true crime.
This is not just a book about a crime. It's a horrific crime that is hard to wrap your head around. What kind of person murders their family in cold blood like that? Then just simply walk away like nothing happened.
This book is not read like a documentary where the author just describes the murders, and how the town handles the shocking news. It is told in varying points of view of people that knew the husband/father John Hartman.
Although this book is fiction, it is also based on a real murder case. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy reading about true crime.
September 5, 2013
I normally don't read this type of book, but I'm so glad I read this one! It was fantastic! Mr. Salzberg is an amazing author. It's like he has multiple personalities the way he writes as so many characters. Whether it be a teen girl, a witness, or a detective, he even has the accent down pat! Each chapter was a different character. There were even times where I was nervous, like I was in the story.
Although I've never read any book by Mr. Salzberg before reading Devil In the Hole, he is definitely on my radar now! An excellent read!
Although I've never read any book by Mr. Salzberg before reading Devil In the Hole, he is definitely on my radar now! An excellent read!
August 5, 2013
I could not put down Devil in the Hole. I found the format of using several different characters' point of view fresh and riveting. Each character came alive in very unique voices that made me want to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next and who I was going to read about next. Salzberg's gift of writing is so apparent in this fast paced novel, where there was never a lull in the story. Devil in the Hole is an excellent read!
August 26, 2013
Murders create mysteries that live on way after the murderer's been identified. This is a fascinating exploration of how a series of characters' respond to a mass murder that touches them personally. I loved all the different points of view, some of them as creepy as the murderer. This is a rich and entertaining story.
August 11, 2013
Devil in the Hole is more than just a great crime novel and compelling read, it's an accomplished work of literary fiction, with multiple points of view, all compellingly told, coalescing around a single, unimaginable, unforgivable act.
August 18, 2013
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. As soon as I opened the package, I sat down and started reading. I literally have only put it down to sleep since then. It started out strong and kept my attention the whole time.
August 16, 2013
Loved this book, one of my best reads of 2013!!!!
September 11, 2013
Devil in the Hole: Charles Salzberg
Murder comes to a small town and no one knows it or is aware of it. Someone notices the lights on in a house that never seems to ever go dark and begins to think that something is strange within its walls. Waiting three weeks while contemplating whether to call the police one man watches, waits, counts the lights that shine each night and finally decides to make that one phone call that would rock a small community’s feeling of security, safety and instill fear within the residents when five members of one family are found murdered. Just who would massacre their own family? It the house could speak and the walls could relate what happened this small town of Sedgweick, Connecticut, the home of the Hartman family would relate a story that will chill you to the core. When James Kirkland peers outside of his window and see wonders why the lights in the Victorian mansion across from his house never turn dark he begins to wonder why. When he finally makes that phone call to the police what they find, realize and learn would shake the inner core of the police chief who prefers not to handle the case, the FBI and many other law enforcement agencies. Three teenage children, Adele Hartman and Hartman’s mother are shot point blank in the head, each body covered with a blanket and quietly executed mob style. Listen to the voices of the police; James Kirkland; the killer and the neighbors as each one presents his/her own version, thoughts and ideas about why John Hartman decided to methodically, carefully and brilliantly kill his entire family.
Each voice presents his/her own viewpoint about this killer. The Reverend describes his first impressions upon meeting him, his conversation and the uneasy feeling that this man was judging him. Never meeting his wife except when he came to welcome the family to the community, the Reverend begins to think that maybe he was responsible for what happened. As John Hartman phoned him but from where no one really knows to say his family would be out of town and his son Paul would not be attending Sunday school. Perhaps if he paid closer attention he might have realized something was odd. The man was cold, austere and seemed quite rigid in his manner and ways.
You hear the voice of his mistress as she relates what happens when the other secretaries discuss the murders and how she wants to shout out that they have him all wrong and that their perception of this man was misdirected and misplaced. So, where is John Hartman and how did he pull off these murders with no one being the wiser? What happens when Charles Floyd, a senior police investigator gets the case and stops at nothing to question, inquire, and search for the evidence needed to find this man? A man whose life was filled with what others expected of him and who wanted to hide from himself, would not admit his faults or frailties nor allow others to point them out. A lonely man who filled his mind and time with what he thought life should be and when things were too rough and those around him became a burden he destroyed or killed him lessening the burden within himself and finally free you might way. A father who insisted he become an accountant. His desire to draw and his love of art as Janie his mistress describes not allowed by his austere and overbearing father. John hated failure and when things got rough and he found himself falling short of his own expectations he retreated within himself. Cold, hard, strict rules that he followed and a family that became a noose around his neck, this man decided to leave his life and start a new one thinking that the past would not become the present.
As you hear the many voices of his friends, mistress, the lead investigator and the reverend you learn just how disconnected, disjointed and cold this man really is. Why did he decide to kill his family? Why did he come back and burn down his house obliterating all memories, mementos and reminders that his family ever existed? Listen to the words of so many and hear their innermost thoughts as they relive, enact and revisit the many conversations they had with this man and one man, our first narrator, relives the moment when he realized that something in that house was wrong. When James Kirkland looked out once more he saw a burning inferno facing him. One man, Charles Sandberg will not let this go and he brings to you the reader a portrait of a man so debase, so demented and evil that in order for him to be able to reconcile what happened he needed to write about it and share the murders, the viewpoints and his thoughts with the world. John Hartman, one question that still remains unanswered. WHY?
When you hear his voice you begin to understand the character of this man who divorced himself from reality and became in his own words someone else. How could he be responsible for the murders when he lived somewhere else, reinvented his life the way he always wanted and added some color. Scary as we hear the voice of a woman he meets in a bar, the investigators that are racing the clock to find him and the many different police detectives, friends and even his sister that describe him in almost the same way. Never feeling he was good enough. Never feeling that he pleased everyone he decided to please no one except himself. His wife hired a private detective to find out what she basically already knew. Struggling with his own identity, never really able to find satisfaction anywhere in his life John Hartman decided to take the lives of those he felt were bringing him down. A wife that hated their life. Kids he felt that were out of control and a mother who complained all the time and never smiled. That was his perception but when the PI describes Adele Hartman the descriptions are quite similar. Throughout this novel so many different viewpoints are expressed yet when you reread them, sift through the information and hear the voices of so many what you hear is not all that different and what you learn about this man will make you shudder.
Many women that he meets and spends time with as they recount their meetings with him and the eerie feeling they felt after he leaves. One group of young boys that had to fight their way against him in order to be rid of John. Others describing his actions as calculated, planned and done according to his own special plan as he describes everything he did in Florida, then his decision to go somewhere else because he could not be himself there and needed a new life. Every step of the way the special investigator would move heaven and anything else, defy the rules of his job and fight to bring this man to justice. John Hartman did not believe he was guilty and still does not. Delusional, paranoid and definitely insecure in his own body and mind, John Hartman raced to clock to stay invisible.
Graves are dug for those who are about to inhabit them six feet down and across in most cases. But, some holes or graves are dug way before as one man was so far inside the walls of a grave or mausoleum that he would never dig his way out ever. Hearing the voice of the special investigator who would never give up until he brought him in you begin to wonder who was more obsessed with the crime John or Charlie. James Kirkland was enjoying the celebrity that this incident brought him and others in his town stopped to ask him about what he knew. Deep inside the mind of John Hartman we see a man filled with imperfections that hated anyone or anything that was perfect. When you read how he committed the murders, how he cleaned up when completed you will not only cringe at the sight of him as he is described so vividly by the author but just knowing that his image and movements are revealed on each page.
Charles Floyd came to a dead end in this case and then moved on to another gruesome murder. A lawyer and a stockbroker from an upper class family were tortured and murdered. The description is quite graphic and the end result unusual as their appeared to be no motive for the murder. But, when the reason for the murders is revealed you can never tell a rich couple by their cover. You will be amazed. The reaction of Charlie Floyd you might not expect.
When you hear the interview with Peter Simpson you wonder why he did not realize just who he was riding with on a train, hear what he was admitting and call the police after he left. But, he like so many others did not see what was right in front of them as the author interviews his sister again as John calls her and the conversation would haunt her. Then the shoe falls off the other foot as someone decides to declare John legally dead and what Charlie does will not surprise anyone. Going to a psychic was next so would Katherine Seabury be the answer to where John Hartman was? Just what happens and how they finally get him you won’t believe. Sometimes we never see what is right in front of us until it is too late. In May of 1989 the world would see the most famous murderer in New Jersey in a story that would run for ten minutes reminding an entire community of a murder that took place 18 years before. Charles Salzburg brings to light the power of television, the relentlessness of one man to catch John and the trial of a century that I researched and read about to learn the starling conclusion.
This is one story that everyone needs to read and one that will remind people to be more vigilant about their neighbors, noticing something odd might save a life if you call the police. What would have happened if they knew earlier on? Would anything have changed? Would they have arrested him sooner? John Hartman: till this day thinks he is innocent. Read this story and learn why!
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
May 23, 2017
It started off so well, but I was disappointed in the follow-thru.
A family in a big house in a wealthy neighborhood in CT keeps to themselves. The neighbor notices that every room in the house is lighted, 24/7, and he realizes that there is no activity, not even the kids going to school or the husband going to work. The rooms start going dark, one by one and, after he gets no response to knocking & smells something bad at the door, the neighbor calls the police. The family is carefully laid out in the ballroom, on blankets, each member shot in the head; the grandmother & dog are shot in her bed upstairs. 5 family members, one dog - dead. No adult male.
Telling the story from the points of view of the policeman, the mistress, the neighbor, the killer, and various other witnesses interviewed by the police, we track the killer's activities and movements as he eludes police for 5 years; we also track the primary detectives efforts and thoughts during that time.
A family in a big house in a wealthy neighborhood in CT keeps to themselves. The neighbor notices that every room in the house is lighted, 24/7, and he realizes that there is no activity, not even the kids going to school or the husband going to work. The rooms start going dark, one by one and, after he gets no response to knocking & smells something bad at the door, the neighbor calls the police. The family is carefully laid out in the ballroom, on blankets, each member shot in the head; the grandmother & dog are shot in her bed upstairs. 5 family members, one dog - dead. No adult male.
Telling the story from the points of view of the policeman, the mistress, the neighbor, the killer, and various other witnesses interviewed by the police, we track the killer's activities and movements as he eludes police for 5 years; we also track the primary detectives efforts and thoughts during that time.
June 7, 2017
DNF 5% Too grim for my reading mood right now.
June 11, 2017
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book but then it got boring. I'm not much into cop lingo. So all of the cop perspectives bored me.
December 10, 2017
Enjoyed the meat of the book, but the ending felt rushed and underwhelming.
December 30, 2017
Narrative was a little strange and kind of confusing, but overall it was a decent read.
August 9, 2019
A fairly good read about a serial killer. It is told from the aspect of those involved.
September 20, 2013
Crime thriller fans, boy do I have a riveting book for you!
In Devil In The Hole, author Charles Salzberg weaves a fascinating fictionalized tale based on the 1971 NJ true crime murder case of John List, who mass murdered his family in their posh family home, then fled the scene and eluded capture for eighteen years until he was highlighted on the TV show, America's Most Wanted.
Devil In The Hole is a fast paced page turner that follows the murder case of John Hartman, who cold-bloodedly planned and carried out the mass murder of his family in their affluent Sedgewick, Connecticut home, then disappears and eludes capture for three years. Author Charles Salzberg draws the reader into this riveting story with a convincing recounting of the murder, escape and hunt for the murderer told in an alternating first person narrative that includes John Hartman and well over a dozen other people whose lives have been impacted by his heinous crime. Each character's voice comes alive as they recount the frustrating hunt for the seemingly mild mannered murderer, who not only escaped the murder scene but also from the torment of his own troubled mind. Through a richly descriptive interweaving of accounts by the various characters, the reader delves into the complexity of the murderer, the crime and the impact that it had on the close knit Connecticut community, and those who became obsessed and doggedly searched for John Hartman.
Devil In The Hole is a haunting novel that will keep the reader in suspense as the dark portrait of a seemingly mild-mannered man's life descent into madness and murder unfolds, leaving a chilling rippling effect on people connected to this man and his heinous crime. As a born and bred Jersey girl, I remember the 1971 NJ mass murder case that John List committed on his unsuspecting family. I have also enjoyed the made for TV movie featured on Lifetime about the List case, so when I read the book description for Devil In The Hole, I knew I had to read this book, and I wasn't left disappointed. The author connects the murder and the ensuing manhunt with intriguing first person narratives that keeps the reader captivated and guessing what would happen next, it is a story that you won't be able to put down.
Devil In The Hole is one of the best psychological crime thrillers that I have read, it is a powerful story that is thought provoking and expertly told by an author who convincingly fictionalizes a true life crime into one hell of a riveting tale that is a must read!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
In Devil In The Hole, author Charles Salzberg weaves a fascinating fictionalized tale based on the 1971 NJ true crime murder case of John List, who mass murdered his family in their posh family home, then fled the scene and eluded capture for eighteen years until he was highlighted on the TV show, America's Most Wanted.
Devil In The Hole is a fast paced page turner that follows the murder case of John Hartman, who cold-bloodedly planned and carried out the mass murder of his family in their affluent Sedgewick, Connecticut home, then disappears and eludes capture for three years. Author Charles Salzberg draws the reader into this riveting story with a convincing recounting of the murder, escape and hunt for the murderer told in an alternating first person narrative that includes John Hartman and well over a dozen other people whose lives have been impacted by his heinous crime. Each character's voice comes alive as they recount the frustrating hunt for the seemingly mild mannered murderer, who not only escaped the murder scene but also from the torment of his own troubled mind. Through a richly descriptive interweaving of accounts by the various characters, the reader delves into the complexity of the murderer, the crime and the impact that it had on the close knit Connecticut community, and those who became obsessed and doggedly searched for John Hartman.
Devil In The Hole is a haunting novel that will keep the reader in suspense as the dark portrait of a seemingly mild-mannered man's life descent into madness and murder unfolds, leaving a chilling rippling effect on people connected to this man and his heinous crime. As a born and bred Jersey girl, I remember the 1971 NJ mass murder case that John List committed on his unsuspecting family. I have also enjoyed the made for TV movie featured on Lifetime about the List case, so when I read the book description for Devil In The Hole, I knew I had to read this book, and I wasn't left disappointed. The author connects the murder and the ensuing manhunt with intriguing first person narratives that keeps the reader captivated and guessing what would happen next, it is a story that you won't be able to put down.
Devil In The Hole is one of the best psychological crime thrillers that I have read, it is a powerful story that is thought provoking and expertly told by an author who convincingly fictionalizes a true life crime into one hell of a riveting tale that is a must read!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
October 4, 2013
Our Reviews:
The best thing about a book review is that everyone has their own opinion. For the first time in over a year, The Nook Users Book Club reviewers have agreed to disagree. The following are Tammy & Michelle’s individual reviews:
1. John Hartman disappears from his huge home in Connecticut before police find the bodies of his wife, three children, mother and dog. The only reason their bodies are found is because a neighbor notices the lights all on. One by one over the course of 3 weeks the light go out and he contacts the police. Over the course of three years the police one in particular host a manhunt for him. During his time on the run we are given insight into him by the neighbor, his mistress, minister, and other people he meets while on the run.
This novel is based on the John List murders. John List murder his entire family on November 9, 1971. He evades capture for almost 20 years finally being captured in June of 1989. He had assumed a false identity and remarried. He received five consecutive life sentences dying in prison in 2008.
I do not normally read true crime but was drawn in by the first chapter. The problem was that my attention wasn’t kept throughout the duration. The changing viewpoints distracted from the story too much for me even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I just wasn’t as intrigued about halfway through the novel. While I think it had great potential I wasn’t as attached to any of the characters or scenes. I love a great mystery / suspense novel and while I wanted to love this book there just wasn’t enough for me to do so.
2. Devil in the Hole is an interesting take on the true crime story of one time fugitive, John List (List committed the exact crimes described in the book back in 1971). The Author, Mr. Charles Salzberg, gives the readers an updated story told from the voices of the people touched by this horrific crime.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of specific people involved with the main character. The delivery of each chapter gives you the feeling you are conducting an interview. Characters include: the main character (John Hartman), his minster, a neighbor, girlfriend, detective, employer, sister, etc. With so many characters in the book this was an excellent to way to deliver the story and help the reader keep track of everyone. As each character is introduced, you learn what drives John to commit such horrible crimes.
This book is an intriguing and fast read that will keep your attention and having you guessing to the end.
The best thing about a book review is that everyone has their own opinion. For the first time in over a year, The Nook Users Book Club reviewers have agreed to disagree. The following are Tammy & Michelle’s individual reviews:
1. John Hartman disappears from his huge home in Connecticut before police find the bodies of his wife, three children, mother and dog. The only reason their bodies are found is because a neighbor notices the lights all on. One by one over the course of 3 weeks the light go out and he contacts the police. Over the course of three years the police one in particular host a manhunt for him. During his time on the run we are given insight into him by the neighbor, his mistress, minister, and other people he meets while on the run.
This novel is based on the John List murders. John List murder his entire family on November 9, 1971. He evades capture for almost 20 years finally being captured in June of 1989. He had assumed a false identity and remarried. He received five consecutive life sentences dying in prison in 2008.
I do not normally read true crime but was drawn in by the first chapter. The problem was that my attention wasn’t kept throughout the duration. The changing viewpoints distracted from the story too much for me even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I just wasn’t as intrigued about halfway through the novel. While I think it had great potential I wasn’t as attached to any of the characters or scenes. I love a great mystery / suspense novel and while I wanted to love this book there just wasn’t enough for me to do so.
2. Devil in the Hole is an interesting take on the true crime story of one time fugitive, John List (List committed the exact crimes described in the book back in 1971). The Author, Mr. Charles Salzberg, gives the readers an updated story told from the voices of the people touched by this horrific crime.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of specific people involved with the main character. The delivery of each chapter gives you the feeling you are conducting an interview. Characters include: the main character (John Hartman), his minster, a neighbor, girlfriend, detective, employer, sister, etc. With so many characters in the book this was an excellent to way to deliver the story and help the reader keep track of everyone. As each character is introduced, you learn what drives John to commit such horrible crimes.
This book is an intriguing and fast read that will keep your attention and having you guessing to the end.
September 11, 2013
Devil In The Hole, by Charles Salzberg
Nobody likes murder—especially when it wipes out a whole family—minus one, in this case. The only family member missing in this bloody tableau is John Hartman, the father, husband, and son of the dead. Did he do away with his entire family—including the dog? Three teenagers, their mother, and their grandmother—all shot once in the head—lie for weeks, undiscovered in an elegant but nearly unfurnished Connecticut mansion. Finally, an alert neighbor notices that all the lights in the house stay on, day and night, for weeks—and Charles Salzberg, mystery writer extraordinaire, offers us the first of almost two dozen voices narrating this strange crime story, Devil in the Hole, based on the true story of a man in New Jersey who murdered his entire family.
It is these many voices which bring the story alive: the neighbor who helps discover the bodies and can’t get the crime out of his mind; the minister who talked about religion with Hartman and is haunted by his sense that he failed him and is thereby somewhat responsible; Hartman’s ardent young mistress who feels she literally dodged a bullet—but also misses him; the cynical police investigator who can’t let go of the case even after everyone else gives up—and others.
Salzberg deftly brings each of these characters to life, swiftly letting us enter their lives as we hear their thoughts, their idiosyncratic ways of speaking, and their streams of consciousness show us their real or imagined relationships to Hartman. Each one “knows” that Hartman did or didn’t commit the murders and tells us why, confusing and confounding us about what we think “really happened.” Which you may or may not “know” until—well, you’ll see. Salzberg pulls us one way then another, just the way a skilled storyteller should—and then some.
Nobody likes a murder—but almost everybody loves a murder mystery beautifully told. The murders in Devil in the Hole are revealed in the first twenty pages. But the story—ah, the story and its startling twists and turns lasts for more than two hundred delicious pages more. Keep the lights on. You’re in the hands of a master.
Ellen Schecter, author of Fierce Joy
Nobody likes murder—especially when it wipes out a whole family—minus one, in this case. The only family member missing in this bloody tableau is John Hartman, the father, husband, and son of the dead. Did he do away with his entire family—including the dog? Three teenagers, their mother, and their grandmother—all shot once in the head—lie for weeks, undiscovered in an elegant but nearly unfurnished Connecticut mansion. Finally, an alert neighbor notices that all the lights in the house stay on, day and night, for weeks—and Charles Salzberg, mystery writer extraordinaire, offers us the first of almost two dozen voices narrating this strange crime story, Devil in the Hole, based on the true story of a man in New Jersey who murdered his entire family.
It is these many voices which bring the story alive: the neighbor who helps discover the bodies and can’t get the crime out of his mind; the minister who talked about religion with Hartman and is haunted by his sense that he failed him and is thereby somewhat responsible; Hartman’s ardent young mistress who feels she literally dodged a bullet—but also misses him; the cynical police investigator who can’t let go of the case even after everyone else gives up—and others.
Salzberg deftly brings each of these characters to life, swiftly letting us enter their lives as we hear their thoughts, their idiosyncratic ways of speaking, and their streams of consciousness show us their real or imagined relationships to Hartman. Each one “knows” that Hartman did or didn’t commit the murders and tells us why, confusing and confounding us about what we think “really happened.” Which you may or may not “know” until—well, you’ll see. Salzberg pulls us one way then another, just the way a skilled storyteller should—and then some.
Nobody likes a murder—but almost everybody loves a murder mystery beautifully told. The murders in Devil in the Hole are revealed in the first twenty pages. But the story—ah, the story and its startling twists and turns lasts for more than two hundred delicious pages more. Keep the lights on. You’re in the hands of a master.
Ellen Schecter, author of Fierce Joy
August 2, 2014
DEVIL IN THE HOLE by Charles Salzberg
Published by Five Star
Publication Date: August 7, 2013
ISBN-10: 1432826964
ISBN-13: 978-1432826963
Pages: 252
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: HC
My Rating: 4
Synopsis:
In the ballroom of a sparsely furnished Connecticut mansion, police find a shocking sight: four bodies lined up next to each other, three teenagers and a middle-aged woman, each lying on a blanket, each shot once in the head. In an upstairs bedroom: an elderly woman and the family dog, both of them shot as well. The only person missing is the husband, father, son, and prime suspect, John Hartman, who's got a three-week jump on the police.
Through the eyes of almost two dozen characters, including the neighbor who reports the crime, Hartman's mistress, a dogged state investigator, the family minister, and some of the characters Hartman meets on his escape route, we piece together not only what happened and how these shocking murders affect the community, but how John Hartman evades capture, where he's headed, and maybe even why he committed this gruesome crime in the first place.
Based on the notorious John List murders and already compared to works by Norman Mailer and Russell Banks, Devil in the Hole is gripping, literate, and haunting.
My Thoughts and Opinion:
This book was riveting and intriguing right from the start. As the synopsis states, it is based on a horrific true crime murder that went cold for many years. The chapters are short and each one is narrated by a different person as their "take" on the murder.
At first I thought that the amount of more than 20 characters would make this read confusing but after a few chapters I knew that wouldn't be the case. I was so engrossed in the story that it truly felt that each cast member was talking directly to me with their opinion of this story. So compelling that I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were fictional. So captivating, that by the middle of the book, I had to research the actual murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which had me turning the pages, to see what the next voice would reveal. A highly recommended read!!!
Published by Five Star
Publication Date: August 7, 2013
ISBN-10: 1432826964
ISBN-13: 978-1432826963
Pages: 252
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: HC
My Rating: 4
Synopsis:
In the ballroom of a sparsely furnished Connecticut mansion, police find a shocking sight: four bodies lined up next to each other, three teenagers and a middle-aged woman, each lying on a blanket, each shot once in the head. In an upstairs bedroom: an elderly woman and the family dog, both of them shot as well. The only person missing is the husband, father, son, and prime suspect, John Hartman, who's got a three-week jump on the police.
Through the eyes of almost two dozen characters, including the neighbor who reports the crime, Hartman's mistress, a dogged state investigator, the family minister, and some of the characters Hartman meets on his escape route, we piece together not only what happened and how these shocking murders affect the community, but how John Hartman evades capture, where he's headed, and maybe even why he committed this gruesome crime in the first place.
Based on the notorious John List murders and already compared to works by Norman Mailer and Russell Banks, Devil in the Hole is gripping, literate, and haunting.
My Thoughts and Opinion:
This book was riveting and intriguing right from the start. As the synopsis states, it is based on a horrific true crime murder that went cold for many years. The chapters are short and each one is narrated by a different person as their "take" on the murder.
At first I thought that the amount of more than 20 characters would make this read confusing but after a few chapters I knew that wouldn't be the case. I was so engrossed in the story that it truly felt that each cast member was talking directly to me with their opinion of this story. So compelling that I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were fictional. So captivating, that by the middle of the book, I had to research the actual murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which had me turning the pages, to see what the next voice would reveal. A highly recommended read!!!
January 2, 2014
Devil in the Hole is fast-paced, engaging and digestible. You can consume this book in large chunks, perhaps even a day or two, if you get drawn in. And it's easy to get drawn in. The book opens with a nosy neighbor noticing an odd occurrence at the weird family's house and calls the police. The murder scene and subsequent viewpoints are captivating.
In fact, divergent viewpoints are used throughout the book. There are more than 50 chapters, each one titled by the name of the person speaking. I didn't go back and check, but I'd guess there were 20 characters. The main ones are consistently coming back with more to say, while some are only seen once.
I gave this three stars, though, because of its thinness. It's a good story and a nice, easy read, but I was never taken away to a higher place, either through wondrous prose (although the author writes well) or character development or motivation. We know who is speaking, given the names at the start of the chapters, but character's voices are the same. The obsessed deputy sounds the same as the nosy neighbor, who is turn has the same voice as the mistress.
This obsessed deputy and the murderer are described as being the same type of person, but we don't get anything deeper than that. There isn't a connection bringing those two together.
The passage of time is also confusing. The first 1/3 of the book is focused on the time of the murder and the ensuing weeks. Toward the end, it drags as six weeks quickly becomes two years, then five. It moves so quickly, we don't care about the toll the passage of years has taken on those affected. By the time we reach the unsatisfying ending, it's almost impossible to determine how much time has passed.
In fact, divergent viewpoints are used throughout the book. There are more than 50 chapters, each one titled by the name of the person speaking. I didn't go back and check, but I'd guess there were 20 characters. The main ones are consistently coming back with more to say, while some are only seen once.
I gave this three stars, though, because of its thinness. It's a good story and a nice, easy read, but I was never taken away to a higher place, either through wondrous prose (although the author writes well) or character development or motivation. We know who is speaking, given the names at the start of the chapters, but character's voices are the same. The obsessed deputy sounds the same as the nosy neighbor, who is turn has the same voice as the mistress.
This obsessed deputy and the murderer are described as being the same type of person, but we don't get anything deeper than that. There isn't a connection bringing those two together.
The passage of time is also confusing. The first 1/3 of the book is focused on the time of the murder and the ensuing weeks. Toward the end, it drags as six weeks quickly becomes two years, then five. It moves so quickly, we don't care about the toll the passage of years has taken on those affected. By the time we reach the unsatisfying ending, it's almost impossible to determine how much time has passed.
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