Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal

by Richard Estep

Delve into the chillingly true world of murder and deceit. Explore the twisted paths of those driven by dark motives of control, money, social status, and revenge, and the unsuspecting victims who placed their trust in them.Discover the dark secrets that lurk behind closed doors in Family, Friends and Stories of Murder and Betrayal. You will be left questioning just how well you truly know those around you in this gripping true-crime collection. Dive into infamous cases such as Richard “Alex” Murdaugh, the Menendez Brothers, and Lizzie Borden, and also examine lesser-known crimes that will send shivers down your spine. You'll investigate thirty-four shocking tales of mind-boggling acts of violence, such as … The captivating downfall of prestigious attorney and community figure Alex Murdaugh, whose addiction spiraled into a web of deceit, fraud, and murder.The heartbreaking story of Michael and Robert Bever, brothers driven to commit unspeakable acts due to a lifetime of torment inflicted by their own parents.The macabre case of Heather Mack and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, who were entangled in a web of greed and trust funds leading to a gruesome discovery inside a suitcase.The shocking crimes committed by Lyle and Erik Menendez, whose privileged lives culminated in the massacre of their own parents, forever shocking the nation.The accused Victorian-era serial poisoner, Mary Ann Cotton, and the mysterious deaths of her husbands and children.The troubled Florida teen Tyler Hadley and his wild house party that went on while his parents' bodies bled in the master bedroom.The bank vice-president-turned-embezzler Steven Sueppel, whose mounting debts compelled him to commit a desperate act of murder.And dozens of other intimate murders and webs of deceit!Murders committed to escape a marriage, or out of dire desperation, or from an insane separation from reality, these and other less comprehensible motivations fill the pages of Family, Friends and Neighbors. It’s an unflinching look into humanity’s dark side! Read the stories, investigate the facts, and meet the vicious killers who murder the people who should have been nearest and dearest to them.

Genres: True Crime, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Crime

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2024

About the author

I'm a 48-year-old child who has no plans to ever actually grow up.

I make my living as a paramedic, clinical educator, for a busy hospital system and work as a street medic in a 911 system.

In my free time, I serve as the director of the Boulder County Paranormal Research Society, and investigate claims of haunted properties, people, and objects on both sides of the Atlantic. I love to read, particularly SF/Fantasy, history and historical fiction, the paranormal, and basically anything that piques my interest. I appear on the TV shows Haunted Hospitals, Paranormal 911, Paranormal Night Shift, Haunted Case Files, and several others.

I am an avid video gamer, table-top gamer, and love to build Lego. My wife and I are the proud humans of five adopted rescue cats and one smelly but adorable dog.

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a true crime buff, this audiobook is for you. The narrator, Perry Daniels shares horrific crimes both past and present. I was familiar with many of the stories and the narration added a chilling element. It was disturbing and intriguing getting a glimpse into the lives and motivations of these horrendous murderous individuals. Thank you, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this unsettling, and compelling audiobook.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book I really enjoyed the different information on the different cases and killers and the fact that even though they basically did the same thing the reasons why and methods and the cases were all different

[Letsreadagoodbook · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narration of the book was actually pretty good SOME of the stories that was told was good the the rest was ehh! The book has potential to be alot better! While listening it seems even the narrator was bored or even tired of reading them!.

[Lindsay pinkcowlandreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good true crime story in this audiobook by Richard Estep and narrated by Perry Daniels delivers 34 violent criminal acts, focussed around families, friends, and neighbors. Each story is fully investigated and delivered in a nice compact way.

The audiobook was incredibly easy to listen to and The narrator was a good fit for this book.

I personally enjoyed listening to this, even though some of the stories I wish there was more information where dug deeper, but in general, this was a good one you could easily pick up listen to a case or two and put down.

[RoosBookReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly standard true crime audiobook. Goes over the basics of quite a few cases, many well known and some I had never heard of. The author makes sure to just share the facts, not give his own opinions.
The narrator was fine, but seemed bored with the material, maybe they didn't connect with it well?
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Richard Estep, and Highbridge audio for my copy of this audiobook.

[KarnagesMistress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tips for avoiding being the victim of familicide, as learned from Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal:
(1) use birth control;
(2) be financially independent;
(3) avoid people with strong religious beliefs; and
(4) avoid people who have been bullied or otherwise experienced traumatizing treatment.
This list could also serve as a broad summary of the kinds of families you'll meet in Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal. You will meet many, by the way. For a relatively short book there is a lot of tragedy packed in. I listened to the audiobook, and Perry Daniels's voice suited the subject matter perfectly. Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal is more of an encyclopedia. Anyone who wants to take a deeper dive into any of these stories should do so, as several are still ongoing. Richard Estep is careful to point out the status of these cases as of the time of writing. Speaking of, the only case that I found to be a bit outdated was that of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (I emphasize the "I" because I kind of live under a rock, spend too much time listening to audiobooks, LOL).

In sum, Family, Friends and Neighbors: Stories of Murder and Betrayal is a concise introduction to a number of cases. Perry Daniels is a fine narrator, and well-cast for this project. I would like to thank HighBridge Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time listening to an audiobook by the same author, Richard Estep, I really like the way he explains the story, he doesn’t really dwell in the gruesome details nor exalt the criminal hands that did the crime, he exposes the facts, and doesn’t let his own bias come through, and that is refreshing… I did know some of the cases told here, they spam from many years to a couple of years ago, some of the criminals died long ago, while others are still in jail…

what makes someone kill their own flesh and blood? The author doesn’t really give you the why, but tells you mater of the fact what the police uncovered, some had mistresses, others wanted to throw a party… yeah there’s lots of reasons, do they make sense? I don’t think so, but in the mind of the person behind the crime, yeah it did sense for them…

this was a great performance from Perry Daniels, he had one of those voices great for podcasts, he was telling things mater of fact, in fact I think I want to listen more genres from him, I want to see how he reads a book in fiction, but I really enjoyed this narration, kept me on my toes, wanted to listen more. I really recommend this audiobook for fans of true stories, true crime.

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Mrs. Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although most of Richard Estep’s books deal with “hauntings,” Family, Friends and Neighbors is a collection of brief, straightforward accounts of murders by persons well-known to their victims, most of them within a household and many of those family annihilations. Even the most fully-informed true crime reader will come across cases he’s never heard of; in fact a principal virtue of the book is its inclusion of more than just the Lists, Downs, DeFeos, Murdaughs whose cases brought them front-page/TV series/motion picture infamy. An additional plus for those whose interest is in what happened rather than in how gruesome it must have been is the book’s factual (rather than dramatic) tone. Family, Friends and Neighbors’s main defect is inherent in its format. Brief accounts of the strange behavior of persons very different from ourselves of necessity omit far more information than they include, and the writer’s opinions inevitably inform his decisions about what is relevant. Still, the book is interesting, informative, and well-written. Recommended for true crime readers.

[Nikki Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of True Crime stories, surrounding crimes that have been committed by a family member, friend or neighbour.

There were a fair few stories in this that I had heard of, via documentaries I’ve watched in streaming services - like that of the Gypsy Rose and the Murdaugh Murders, but this book is packed full and there were still many I had never heard of, like the women who killed her baby and husband via poisoning for monetary gain and the axe mother murderer.

Each story was bite size and easy to digest, with enough description to leaving you in shock or feeling uneasy and if there was one that piques your interest, well you can definitely go and do more a deep dive into the story.

If you’re a lover of true crime - then you don’t want to miss picking this up and it was really great in Audio too.

Thanks @highbridgeaudio @netgalley and Richard Estep for this Audio Advanced Readers Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the first story started I thought, oh yeah, I don't really like short stories because I'm definitely a detail-oriented person. I didn't realize initially that this was going to be a book of multiple accounts of true crimes with "just the facts, ma'am." However, as the skilled narrator kept going, I was actually getting into it and realized that the short snippets were thorough enough that I felt as if I really did get all the pertinent information. There were a few I was unfamiliar with that I've already googled and watched some news specials about to further satiate my curiosity.
Overall I think this is a well-researched and satisfying collection of cases told succinctly and narrated well. I definitely recommend it for all true crime fans or even those just wanting to learn more about some infamous and some not as well-known sensational murders.
Thanks to NetGalley and Visible Ink Press for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family, Friends And Neighbors by Richard Estep and narrated by Perry Daniels. This is a mixed collection of true crime stories from the very famous to the more obscure but all are committed by those they knew. From family annihilators, vengeful wives and neighbors who fell off the deep end I found this book extremely interesting historical True Crime is my favorite in the head a good amount of those in this book that’s not to say I didn’t find the Menendez brothers John list and others just as interesting but no matter what your jam is they have 38 stories, so there’s bound to be something that grabs your attention. Not to mention the stellar narration by Mr. Daniels I thought he did a great job and would definitely listen to another book narrated by him.#NetGalley, #RichardEstep, #PerryDaniels, #FamilyFriendsAndNeighbors,

[Nadia Meriouli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I enjoyed this. A book filled with crimes , to ask what you may think of some of them. Did some of them do what they were accused of? However because there’s so many crimes in here I feel like not enough time is put into each crime. I watch a few YouTubers who do true crime and they can really make me so emotional with what happened in the case. Absolutely heartbroken as if they were related to me or a friend. And I feel like it felt just a bit wrong listening to this and only thinking about the crime. Not the victim and the people who knew the victim and the pain it created from them. So I do prefer those videos than this book. However for what it is and how many crimes it’s going through it’s good.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative and interesting audiobook, but also pretty gruesome in the details of the crimes. Some of the cases I’d already had some knowledge about, but there were many of them that I had never heard of before. It’s hard to believe someone could be so callous and evil, especially in situations where the victims were their own family members! The fact that some of these mass murderers have never been caught, shows just how devious and diabolical they were in planning and carrying out their violent crimes. I thought the narrator, Perry Daniels, did an excellent job and he was the perfect choice for this audiobook. Thank you to #HighBridgeAudio and #Netgalley for allowing me to preview this very entertaining book by #RichardEstep.

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime that proves we are more likely to be killed by loved ones than strangers. A very long list of family annillaters, mothers who kill their children, and betrayal by lovers and friends. Such cheery stories.
All were interesting, though none I hadn't heard about before from John List to the Menendez brothers.
I listened to the audio book for this, and I found the narrator to be a little on the dull side. With such disturbing content as this, I was surprised by the monotone of his delivery.
Thanks to @netgalley and High Bridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Kristi Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a true crime junkie, I knew a number of these stories already; however, there were some with which I was completely shocked. I had no idea author Anne Perry served time in prison for murder. (This is not really a spoiler as it is in her Goodreads bio. Go look.)

Estep presents each case giving the specific information about the date and location of the murder. They then proceed to create a narrative about the circumstances of each murder.

Some of the more infamous people in the book include:
Lizzie Borden
Marvin Gay, Sr.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Alex Murdaugh and many more

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Family, Friends, and Neighbors, Estep shares true crime stories of betrayal - times where the murderer is very close to home. Estep provided a good variety of cases - some well-known, some rarely covered, some from over a hundred years ago, and some from the last decade. I think he achieves his intent, which is to give a brief overview of each case. The narrators voice was easy to listen to as well, Overall, this was the perfect audiobook for listening to as you move throughout your day - easy to listen to and held my interest.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the Audio ARC!

The premise of this book is unfortunately far too simple, common, and believable: we often hurt those we love. And when it comes to cases of murder and other violent crimes, this is all too true. The author explores many well-known and some not-so-known cases where the perpetrators and victims of crimes are connected by blood or other close relationships. A very interesting read.

[Bexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

filled with 35 stories of families murdering and being murdered, this is dark and sad. each story, some more well known than others, fills about 5 brief pages with a quick rundown of who the killer was, what they did, and possibly why they did it, it is a fast read. it's not adding any new information to these stories, just sharing the darkness that was in all of them. it would have been better without the random photos that weren't involved in the story but were there to provide ambience.

[Laura Newsholme · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining survey of some of the most heinous crimes committed by one family member to another. Ranging from the mass murder of a whole family, such as the Amityville murders, to the murder of a parent, such as the Menendez brothers. It is a brief look at a large number of crimes so nothing is covered in much depth, but it is interesting and well written.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Kristen Jauregui · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime fans will find *Family, Friends and Neighbors* a gripping and chilling listen. Perry Daniels’ narration adds a haunting depth to Richard Estep’s detailed exploration of horrific crimes from both past and present. Though I knew many of the cases, the audiobook brought fresh insight into the twisted motivations behind these betrayals. Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this compelling, if unsettling, audiobook. Highly recommended for those who love dark, real-life stories.

[Aimee | aimeeds.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this audiobook by Richard Estep. This one has lots of interesting information about multiple cases, some of which I had heard before and others new details. I like that it was a quick chapter about each case without getting too much into the gritty details but more looking at cause for the actions. A great read or listen for any true crime fans.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook for review.

[Donna Humble · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a decent book. The different true crime stories are condensed to the basics. It is well written, and there were several stories that I had never read or heard of. In my opinion, this book would be a good book for anyone who might be interested in the True Crime genre.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting, and the narrator was great, however I didn’t realize a lot of the stories would be very dated. I still did enjoy this book and I’d love to read another by the author (and narrator!) with more updates, recent cases.

[Shelby Yemen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can be a little intense so I like to take it a few stories at a time.

[Kate See · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really like true crime books and this one had short vignettes about familicide. Some stories were really interesting while others were more disturbing. Definitely not a read for the faint of heart. The one thing I really wish this book did differently: sort the crimes, either chronologically or by type of familicide (who's doing the killing).

[Emily Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting collection of true crime stories ranging from the very famous to the very obscure. I really enjoyed all of the information on the different cases. I'd definitely recommend it for those who are interested in true crime. It'll definitely make you want to take a deeper look at some of the cases.

Thank you to HighBridge Audio and Netgalley for my audio-arc!

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone expects to be safe in their own home - but sometimes, it can be the most dangerous.

In this book, you will read through cases where families are annihilated, husbands murder wives, neighbors go off the deep end, and more.

I enjoyed this one! Most of the cases I was familiar with, but there were a few that I had never heard of. Highly enjoyable read.

[Erin Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had the potential of being a good book. Instead, I found the book to be a fairly mundane retelling of the crimes committed. It was almost like reading newspaper accounts of what happened.