Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer

by Charlie Hess, Davin Seay

Documents the story of a retired FBI agent who helped to obtain a confession that he had committed nearly fifty murders out of Robert C. Browne, in an account that traces the harrowing cat-and-mouse process during which the author and serial killer forged a psychologically disturbing relationship. 50,000 first printing.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jason Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book seemed to take an interestingly long time to get down to what the main subject appeared to be. However, that being said, the route in which the author took to finally get there was not a bad one. I did enjoy it and can now understand why the author chose to route the reader the way that he did. It also made me appreciate even more getting to "the good stuff". Once I got more than half way through the book, it became increasingly difficult to put down.

If you are fascinated with true crime, serial killers, and mysteries, then this book will satisfy all of those interests at the same time.

Serial killer Robert Browne's troubled history and crimes are documented in unique details by the cold case detectives who helped break the case. I found their account of how everything unfolded to be so well written that I did not want the book to end.

[Mauoijenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on how some cops tracked down a serial killer.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like a detective circle jerk and less about the victim

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read that gives not only a clear idea of what cold-case detectives deal with, but also an idea of what it's like to wheedle tiny pieces of information, year after year, out of a self-pitying egotist who doesn't seem to see the problem with killing people on a whim. Recommended.

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer tells the story of three detectives that went out of their way to reexamine the murder files that were thrown away due to lack of evidence. Lou Smit, Charlie Hess, and Scott Fischer teamed up to help each other investigate notorious murder cases that lead to only one criminal whose name was Robert Charles Brown. The 1991 abduction and murder of thirteen-year-old Heather Dawn Church confused police for three years, and became one of the most infamous murders of Colorado Springs. It was homicide detective Lou Smit who broke the case and sent Robert Charles Browne, a forty-three-year-old Louisiana drifter and career criminal, to prison for life. You would think that once a person is in jail, everything would be solved. Not for Robert Browne. When Robert Browne was in prison, he sent letters to the three detectives, hinting to them that the murder of Heather Church was just the beginning. Later on in the book, he hinted out to them that he didn't kill just one person, but forty-eight more, making him the most notorious killers of America.

The very first case that linked to Robert Charles Brown was the murder of Heather Dawn Church. This scene/chapter was the most memorable for me because the author illustrated the scene with words so distinctively that you were able to picture how everything happened. From the marks and fingerprints on the window pane to the pajamas that were thrown carelessly on the ground. The author, Charlie Hess, made me feel the agonizing pain that the parents and community went through. Three years of investigating yet nothing was found. I still remember how he explained that everyone including police officers, teachers, neighbors, and families, came together and went on the search for Heather Church. This was the beginning of a killing spree that Robert Browne had set up. Even after going to prison, his crazy tactics and puzzles were still being put to show. The only person who would know their puzzle best is the one who assembled it. Smit, Hess, and Fischer were put to the challenge to solve these puzzles themselves along with the help of the person that started it himself, Robert Browne.

Ultimately, the story of one of America's most notorious mass murderers is a story of three detectives who tried their best to understand the mind of Robert Charles Brown. From Examining the motives and evaluating the evidence, to solving the puzzles that were assembled to mess with their minds. It all adds up to a tale of crime investigation, a duty which takes us step by step with the murderers and their motives while seeing the truth reveal itself each time new evidence was gathered. Hello Charlie tells that story very well, revealing how a persons appearance and actions cannot determine who they are inside because everyone is capable of being a murderer, whether you choose to believe it or not.

If you are a person who is interested in crime investigations and cold case solving then this book would be perfect for you. Every chapter, Charlie Hess would either include a murder case or he would just examine Robert Browne's background and things that explained the motives and reasons as to why he committed these crimes. Each murder scene is explained with details from the bruises on the body, to the weapons that were used. Every case examinations also included the killer himself, talking about what he id and why he did it. This story was a perfect pick up to Silence of the Lambs because the main killer was the lead and informational person that linked evidence to other cases. As the main suspect reveals the truth to his crimes, it links to another case which eventually helped solve the other cases that were thrown away. It's like the criminal who you were trying to put on a death trial is the only person who would be able to help you with solving the cases where the truth was never revealed. This story keeps you interested throughout the whole book because every single chapter makes you so curious as to what would happen next. If you are a person who loves watching a case be solved step by step then you would like this book.

I think this book taught me well about the interpretation of crime investigations with only the amount of information that was given to them. By examining the people around you, it would help you understand your environment more. As a serial killer, your motives aren't portrayed along with your character in real life. You act as a different person so that you wouldn't be thought of as a creepy man-stalking criminal. Ultimately, I think the author was trying to say,"You can't judge a book by its cover." Just because a person looks nice on the outside does not mean that he/she are filled with butterflies and hearts. And just because a person looks dull and bitter, does not mean that he/she are filled with coal.

Although it was just a book, I felt a lot of the emotions that were presented along with the murder cases. The Heather Church case was the one that gave me a slap in the face because as I read it, I pictured a good ending, as if she was going to return to her family. Instead, it ended with her being raped and killed. In order for a book to be good, in my opinion, is that it must make the words pop out from the pages and jump into your soul. If you were able to feel how the detectives or the victim's family felt, then the book would've probably done its job. I think this book was overall pretty well written. Each chapter kept me intrigued and it kept me going. Although some chapters were boring, there were a lot more exciting chapters. I would recommend this book because it portrayed an investigation theme pretty well.

[Analese · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to have liked this book... but it was not well written and really hard to get through. When it finally, finally got to the integral point of the whole book it wasn’t as much of a pay-off as I would have liked. Interesting, but woefully slow and not very deep.

[Brandie Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely did not start out like I thought the book would, but it was an interesting view. It did take a long time to actually get to the point, but was nice to have the points of views! Great read.

[Leila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took much too long to get to the meat of the story. While I appreciated the background information provided, the pacing would have been much improved if this info was interwoven through the book instead of taking up the first 150 pages.

[James Burkhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Worth the time to read. It took me sometime to get into but when I did I finished it quick.

[Crystalann Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took forever to get to the point. But overall was a pretty good book. Just have to be patient.

[amelia de la rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good read

It is a good book. To see into the mind of a cold-blooded serial killer is both scary and interesting.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this chilling account, retired FBI agent Hess details his years of correspondence with serial killer Robert Browne, as he tried to coax out details of Browne's alleged 49 murders. Sentenced to life without parole in 1995 for the first-degree murder of 13-year-old Heather Church in Colorado, Browne began taunting investigators in 2000 with vague hints of other victims. Hess—a former FBI and CIA agent with years of experience as a polygraph analyst—had volunteered to investigate cold cases in Colorado Springs; assisted by homicide detective Lou Smit and former newspaper publisher Scott Fischer, Hess began writing to Browne in the hopes of uncovering (based on Browne's letters) clues to as many as 48 unsolved murders. The men traded letters for years, each one bringing Hess and his team one step closer to proving the murderer's grisly claim. In clean, vivid prose that avoids melodrama, Hess and Seay (coauthor, With God on Our Side) explore not only Browne's troubled Louisiana childhood and his string of abusive marriages but also the lives of the investigators. With Hess's first-person narrative and excerpts from his and Browne's letters, this is an unsettling account of a man who is possibly the most prolific and twisted of serial killers.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true-crime story follows the investigation into the serial killer Robert Charles Browne. It opens with the description of the investigation that first uncovered him as a killer, but the focus of the book is on the time that Browne was in prison. After his conviction in the kidnapping and murder of Heather Dawn Church, Browne began to get bored in prison, and started several taunting correspondences with police officers. Retired detectives Charlie Hess and Lou Smitt took the time to engage Browne and try to draw him out. What they discovered was not the one-time killer that the state of Colorado believed it had jailed, but rather a serial killer who may have killed more people than any other American serial killer. The book is very interesting, and the detectives are fascinating people, well worth learning about. However, I am not sure that the read is worth the trauma of learning about Browne's crimes.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started with a bang and I thought I would love it. However, the following chapters were a major let down. I read this book because I thought it would get into the psychoanalysis of a serial killer, instead it was just a lot of meaningless information. A lot of the cop's history and why he felt an emotional connection to this man. Almost nothing about the man himself, until the end. It wasn't absoulutely horrible, that's why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1, I just think the synopsis was misleading.

[Angela Kitchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out somewhat promising but lost its momentum rather quickly. It seemed the author/renegade cop/whatever his title was a bit full of himself. The murderer was no one special and I did not find him particularly smart or charismatic for that matter. He just seemed to be pure evil who should have been caught a lot earlier but luck had always been on his side. I am still trying to figure out what good came of these letters and visits... Robert Browne simply was not interesting enough to have a book written about him.

[Jacquie Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOOO scary. I can't believe that there are really people out there who can murder so brutally and cruelly and not think twice about it. What a wake-up/ reminder. ICK. But- again, well written and I couldn't put it down.

[Spam philebar · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really good read. Very captiivating, also amazing that it really happened.

[Neko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was interesting only because the crimes took place in the state I live in. The killer was touted as an intelligent adversary, but never seemed particularly smart or devious. Disappointing.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting story but too slow at times and I didn't really like the writing style.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Disturbing on many levels. I don't think it was written all that well but the story line made up for the lack of flow.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Heather Dawn Church went missing from the family home outside Colorado Springs in September 1991 and a massive search was conducted. Colorado Springs is a good size town but it feels more like a small town. This was a missing persons case that bothered all of us. Search crews covered a 4 square mile area around her home and found nothing. For 2 years law enforcement searched, following up on tips from the community. Two years later her skull was found off of a mountain road approx. 30 miles from her home. Still law enforcement searched for more clues. In 1995 a single finger print from a window frame finally turned up Robert Charles Browne in Louisiana. The book contains corresponcence between investigator Charlie Hess and Browne. Robert Charles Browne has confessed to a total of 49 murders. If you have any interest in serial killers you will enjoy this book.