Holding My Hand Through Hell: A Real Life Journey of Hope, Survival, Murder, and Abuse

by Susan Murphy-Milano, Diane Fanning (Foreword)

This poignant well-written book tells the story of a police officer’s family and one daughter’s quest for justice long after the heart-wrenching murder of her mother. Susan Murphy Milano embraces a legacy of unconditional love and faith to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable abuse and pain.

Based on a true story, told with the flow of a novel, spiced with frank wisdom and wit, Holding My Hand Through Hell encourages the reader to immerse themselves into this family’s life and is an inspiration to become an advocate for change in this world we all share. This book will incite discussion, debate, and heightened awareness about hope, survival, abuse, murder, and its impact on our society. In the end, it will leave readers both applauding this woman as well as wondering how she escaped, sometimes at the eleventh hour. Twenty years later, she has realized that God must have been holding her hand through hell, delivering her from the evils of her life in order to save others.

Includes a foreword by Diane Fanning, Edgar nominated award-winning, and New York Times best-selling, true crime author of many books, including Written In Blood

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2012

About the author

Susan Murphy Milano is a specialist and expert in intimate partner violence and works nationally with corporations, faith based organizations, domestic violence programs, law enforcement and prosecutors providing technical and consulting services in “high risk” domestic violence and stalking related cases. Her principal objective is to intervene before a victim is seriously injured or killed. Utilizing a procedure which she devised, The Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit,© Murphy Milano’s clients are all still alive--a statistic that is remarkable considering the distinct increase in intimate partner homicides.


In addition, she and her work have been prominently featured in newspapers, magazines, radio and television including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Radio, ABC’S 20/20, Justice Files, E-True Hollywood, CNN, Sunday Today Show Profile, Women’s Day, Family Circle, US News and World Report to name only a few. She has frequently participated in guest media commentary panels on major news programs and recently appeared on the A&E Biography of Drew Peterson. She is a well known radio host, regularly hosting The Susan Murphy Milano Show,“Time’s Up!” on the Zeus Media Network, also she appears on Crime Wire on BlogTalk Radio, and a regular weekly co-host on nationally syndicated, The Roth Show.

Her books (Defending Our Lives, Moving Out, Moving On and Times Up!) and corresponding strategies are taught world-wide and used by law enforcement, social workers, attorneys, health care workers, human resource departments and domestic violence agencies.

Reviews

[Marcelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just saw this sitting out at the library and picked it up. Great book. It's not a literary book, it's not a mystery thriller, it's not perfectly written .... but it is the story of a woman who chose to not only leave her past behind and create a better future; she also created a better future for other abused victims. And by abuse I mean emotional, physical, and sexual. You may not agree with everything she did or how she did it but overall SHE DID IT. I was also impressed that despite making several (!!) bad choices in marriages (probably due to never having seen a good relationship) she always eventually recognized the situation she had put herself in and she got herself out of it.

At the time she was growing up I don't think there were many avenues for abused victims to peruse for help. I could be wrong on that. However, many turned their back on what they knew to be a bad situation. Reading this reminds me of all the Holocaust museums - they aren't pretty but they are there to remind us that we should never allow this to happen to ourselves or to anyone else.

[Tanya Wadley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to be critical of people who have gone through so much and have gone to the trouble to share their experiences but I don't feel that I could recommend this book. I thought the beginning showed a lot of promise. The story was horrible and compelling. What a blessing that in the last few decades domestic abuse and sexual abuse have gotten enough attention to be recognized as criminal behavior with serious consequences. How unfortunate that there must be many thousands of people who are silent victims even in our enlightened culture. Thank goodness for people like Susan Murphy-Milano who have given so much to take up the cause of women who are abused.

I felt in the end, that Ms. Murphy showed us that she has made something really good of her life in dedicating herself to help victims of domestic abuse. At the same time, I think she is an example of how abuse can cause damage that doesn't go away... she is enduring through hell. I hope she gets whatever support she can through friends and peers as she continues life's journey, and a growing understanding that God does care.

I know that I am like many others, in looking forward to a day in the future when I believe we will understand why such great evil and suffering happen on this earth and has been allowed to happen... and why God does not often reach out and stop evil... that He allows people to make their dreadful choices that hurt others so much. I'm confident He knows how to one day "make it all up" and that He will be fair, and that those who have caused so much suffering will be accountable.