Blood and Money: The Classic True Story of Murder, Passion, and Power

by Thomas Thompson

Edgar Award Winner: The “gripping” true story of a beautiful Texas socialite, her ambitious husband, and a string of mysterious deaths (Los Angeles Times).

Joan Robinson Hill was a world-class equestrian, a glamorous member of Houston high society, and the wife of Dr. John Hill, a handsome and successful plastic surgeon. Her father, Ash Robinson, was a charismatic oil tycoon obsessed with making his daughter’s every dream come true.
 
Rich, attractive, and reckless, Joan was one of the most celebrated women in a town infatuated with money, power, and fame. Then one morning in 1969, she fell mysteriously ill. The sordid events that followed comprise “what may be the most compelling and complex case in crime annals” (Ann Rule, bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me).
 
From the elegant mansions of River Oaks, one of America’s most exclusive neighborhoods, to a seedy underworld of prostitution and murder-for-hire, New York Times–bestselling author Thomas Thompson tracks down every bizarre motive and enigmatic clue to weave a fascinating tale of lust and vengeance. Full of colorful characters, shocking twists, and deadly secrets, Blood and Money is “an absolute spellbinder” and true crime masterpiece (Newsweek).
 

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Mystery, Book Club, Biography

484 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

He was born in Texas and graduated from the University of Texas in 1955. He then worked as a reporter and editor at the Houston Press.

Thompson joined Life Magazine in 1961 and became an editor and staff writer. While at Life he covered the JFK assassination and was the first writer to locate Lee Harvey Oswald's home and wife. Among his stories were coverage of the making of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, in which he revealed the group's extensive drug use; an in-depth look at Frank Sinatra and his alleged Mafia ties; and the 40th and 50th birthdays of Elizabeth Taylor.

His book Hearts (1971) concerned the rivalry between Houston surgeons Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley at the dawn of the heart transplant era. Richie: The Ultimate Tragedy Between One Decent Man and the Son He Loved (1973) was the story of a Long Island man who killed his drug-addicted son. This was made into a TV-movie called The Death of Richie. Thompson's most successful book was Blood and Money (1976). It was based on a true story of scandal and murder. The book sold four million copies in fourteen languages. Thompson also wrote Serpentine (1979), the story of convicted murderer Charles Sobhraj. Thompson wrote one novel, Celebrity (1982), which was on the national best-seller list for six months. That novel became the basis for a five hour mini series in 1984.

Thompson received the National Headliner Award for investigative reporting. He was also the 1977 Edgar Award winner for Blood and Money.

"Thompson first wrote Western stories for pulp magazines in 1940 after stints as a sailor, a nightclub entertainer, a secretary and a furniture salesman. He later published hundreds of articles in national general-interest magazines and wrote 25 Western novels, including “Range Drifter,” “Shadow of the Butte” and “Bitter Water.” (latimes.com)

He was a co-founder and president in 1957 of Western Writers of America and later received two of that group’s Spur Awards for his writing. Thompson was a life member of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame."

Thompson's family believed that the liver disease that caused his death was contracted in the Far East while investigating the Charles Sobhraj saga. When he became ill, Thomas was teaching writing at the University of Southern California.

Reviews

[Joey R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This book is as great as "In Cold Blood" There is truly an art to writing a True crime book and making it as compellable to read as a good novel. Unfortunately now I have to read all of his books because it was that good.

[Tooter · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++++++ Stars. Everyone should experience Thomas Thompson sometime in their lives, even if nonfiction is not your thing. He's absolutely amazing.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bleak story is one of the best true-crime books around.

Joan Robinson, the daughter of Ash Robinson, a rich oil millionaire, dies mysteriously, and her husband, John Hill, is brought to trial for murder. It ends in a mistrial, and John is murdered by a contract killer before he can be tried again. The books then follows the people involved in the murder as the law attempts to bring them to justice.

Now, I don't believe John murdered his wife. If I recall the book correctly (and it's been a while), it was described as medically impossible for him to have intentionally given her that disease. The only way for him to be guilty is through "murder by omission", which strikes me as a bizarre legal quirk which allows someone to suffer as a murderer when all they've committed is involuntary manslaughter. And in all probability, John isn't even guilty of that. The book pretty much admits that the only reason this case became an criminal trial is because of Ash Robinson's influence. It's also very strongly implied that Ash set up John's murder.

You would think that John, having been harassed, wrongfully accused, and finally murdered by his crazed father-in-law, would be the most sympathetic person on earth.

And you would be wrong. He's a douche; everyone in this book is. No one is completely sympathetic, and no one is completely unsympathetic, either. Every character is carefully written so that they can have full personalities, and they all have huge character flaws. It really gives you a bleak picture of humanity.

But the picture this book gives you of humanity is nowhere near as bleak as the picture it gives you of the legal system. I don't think a single person in this book gets fairly treated by the law. We get to see John be railroaded at the grand jury, through the eyes of it's only unbiased member, whose concerns are pretty much ignored by the rest. Another person on trial has some defense, but her lawyer lazily pleads her guilty on the chance that she'll be released on appeal. A third person (she was almost certainly guilty) is convicted, but it is not so much on the evidence but rather because her well-meaning lawyer made a slip-up which allowed the defendant's daughter to testify that her mother had prostituted her as a child.

All in all, this a wonderfully written book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys true-crime, or to anyone who feels too happy or optimistic about life and wants to put an end to that nonsense.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about reading a book that is set in places you know, places you've been, places where you've lived. The familiarity or intimacy makes the book feel so much more tangible, and that was the case with Blood and Money for me:

1. I live in Houston. I know River Oaks very well. I don't live there - far too expensive, but I have spent a lot of time in the restaurants and shops out there.
2. I know the oil and gas industry very well, having worked in it for 20 years. So I know the oil money that flows through and holds Houston together.
3. I know the Medical Center very well. Houston has the largest medical center in the world. DeBakey is a well-known name to everyone in the city, and DeBakey High School churns out a high percentage of pre-med students.
4. While I'm not a society woman, I do know the scene here. I feel like outside of South Korea and Brazil, Houston possibly has the largest number of plastic surgeries done. That's probably incorrect - LA and NYC probably give Houston a good run for its money, but Houston is definitely a contender.

I had never heard of this case, but because I knew the house where the second murder took place (given the address is included in the court testimony cited*), reading about felt like a retrospective edition of National Enquirer. The level of salaciousness was very high, and I have to admit that I lapped it up. Every time a new rock was turned over, another piece of unbelievable evidence appeared. By the end, I couldn't believe my jaw was still falling to the ground - there was so much even before it that I didn't think there was any space left for it to hang!

Aside from the prurience, the book also gives you a look into how laws have changed. For example, one of the key witnesses is allowed to spend his time in Dallas, which is about a four-hour drive, while on parole. That would NOT happen today. And because it's Texas, the Rangers have a role to play too. If you like true crime, this is definitely a good one!

4.5, rounding up to 5.

* The house is gauche (in my opinion). The address, if you want to look it up on HAR.com is 1516 Kirby Dr.

[Martin, I stand with ISRAEL · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was boring as hell

[Judith E · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if the actual bizarre facts of this case weren’t riveting enough, Thompson’s paced revelations only adds to the unexpected turn of events in this murder case in 1970’s Houston, Texas. Murder, revenge, socialites and whores are combined with a gripping courtroom ending making it easy to see why this is a classic in the true crime genre.

[Helen Sews-Knits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly compelling and well worthy of the hype. It's a story in three books but is a tragedy in five acts. Very well written, I especially like that the court cases, which could have been boring if allowed to dominate the book, are seperated by the stories and people who lead up to them. No one is portrait as a saint, they are shown as real people with real flaws but it's very tactfully done. With the last most damning court case, the author allows the real events and words to do the talking.

One of the things I came away with was just how convoluted and binding the system at the time was for prosecution lawyers. For example It's ludicrous that it was not legal for the prosecution to show a jury police records of a defendant. Had this happened today we would be reading a radically different and much shorter book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, some advice: Don't look up any of the names before you finish the book. It's somewhat like the movie Psycho where it goes in a very different direction from what you might expect. You'll have a much better reading experience if you don't already know the story.

The writing is very good and the story is full-bodied. Thompson ably demonstrates the author's power to change the reader's perspective with subtle shading and illumination. I never watched Dallas, Knots Landing or Falcon Crest but I suspect the best of those shows would tie in well with Blood and Money.

The book is slightly overlong but worth reading (it sags a bit at the three-quarters mark but finishes well). If you've read a lot of true crime this will fit in well with the others; if you're new to the genre this is an excellent book to start with.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was way too long! It started to seem like I was never going to finish it. But if you can get past the ridiculous sexism, which I guess is a reflection of when this book was written, the writing isn't bad. (The author actually refers to a woman as a "prize colt". 🙄) The story is fascinating, though the outcome is somewhat unsatisfying.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a mesmerizing book of murder in high society Houston in the early 1970s. I learned that it was such a high profile case that several films and mini-series have been made about it with the first winning an Emmy. The story is actually an intriguing series of murders - each an escalation related to the previous ones. After the world’s largest oil basin was discovered in East Texas during the Great Depression along came the money and a sub-culture mix of wealthy surgeons, oilmen, horse shows, illegal gambling, guns, a girl scout den mother doubling as a madam, child prostitution, botched autopsies, exhumed bodies and some good people to contrast with the rogues.

The story is 1/3 backstory, 1/3 commission of the crimes, and 1/3 courtroom drama. The book starts a little slow with the backstories.

I read this lengthy book in one day. It reminded me of In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter because it is quite suspenseful. It is told on a linear timeframe that is easy to follow.


5 stars. Highly recommended

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a classic. I re-read it, and somehow had forgotten EVERY freaking detail. Except of course how totally bizarre the rich Texans are. That stuck with me from decades ago when I read this for the first time.

The crime of the murdered wife/daughter was all resolved by halfway through, then the obsessed old rich guy (the original victim's father) just basically went out and hired people and made sure that the murderer paid.

Wonder what ever happened to the kid? Time to google. It was the first time I had read about Racehorse Haynes, the attorney for the original murderer. Wow, and attorneys wonder why people think they are totally willing to sell themeselves for money.

[j e w e l s · Rating 5 out of 5]

an old classic! one of my favorites

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Houston newspaper recently said that Thomas Thompson’s Blood and Money was the quintessential book about Houston. I had read the book in 1978 when it was first released, and I found it fascinating. With this new accolade, I decided to read it once again. And I wasn’t disappointed. Reading like a novel, rather than the non-fiction it is, Thompson captivates his readers with a story of devotion, greed, treachery, prostitution, and guile. The book opens with the death of socialite Joan Robinson Hill, the daughter of crusty wealthy oilman Ash Robinson. Both she and her father were firmly entrenched in the River Oaks set—the area of Houston where the fabulously wealthy live and play. Ash is convinced that Joan’s philandering plastic surgeon husband John Hill murdered her. And thus begins a tangled web that doesn’t unravel until the final word, 475 pages later. Ash Robinson is a J.R. Ewing as he uses his influence and money to pursue an indictment against his son-in-law. What takes place would today—and probably even then—be considered illegal, but this was 1960s Houston, Texas, and rich men could get away with a lot more than perhaps they can today. Before the story is over, there is a trial, a murder-for-hire, a crazy heroin-riddled prostitute, and a woman, who wants us to believe she is a simple society matron, who is accused of master-minding a heinous crime and put on trial as well. A fiction writer who made up a story of this complexity would be hailed a master storyteller, but Thompson worked from interviews, research, and trial transcripts and made up nothing, yet he spins a story that is compelling and revealing of Houston in the 1960s—or at least of one segment of Houston society, presided over by a smothering father who felt he could control his tiny world, at least where his daughter was concerned.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Some men steal and kill...because they think they are too ugly to do anything else."

I expected more from this. I loved the first two acts, but the third left me wanting. The courtroom drama just wasn't dramatic. Or maybe I just didn't care enough about Bobby, Lilla, and Marcia. It wasn't their story.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the benefits of the e-book publishing boom is the reissuing of old, out-of-print books. Several books by the late author Thomas Thompson have been published in e-form and I just reread two of his classics, "Richie", and "Blood and Money". I had read both books when they were originally published in the 1970's and I found they have both stood the test of time. I'm going to review them together; both are true crime books but they differ in scope. One, "Richie", is a very personal story of one family, which is torn apart by one son's use of drugs and his death at the hand of his father in a final horrific scene. The other, "Blood and Money", is a sprawling tale, set in Houston, and is the story of many people who are touched by a woman's death and the murder of her husband a couple of years later.

I've read three classic true-crime books. They are Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood", Norman Mailer's "The Executioner's Song", and Tommy Thompson's "Blood and Money". All three books feature the crime in the first part, and the after-events in the second part. In "Blood", the first part is the life and death of Joan Robinson Hill, a legendary Houston society beauty and equestrian. Adopted as an infant by oilman Ash Robinson and his wife, Joan had been through two short marriages before meeting and marrying Dr John Hill, a young plastic surgeon just establishing a practice in Houston. Rarely has there been a more mismatched couple and the marriage soon soured after the birth of their only child, Robert. Joan Robinson Hill died in very murky circumstances - possibly abetted by her estranged husband - and her father, who adored her more than anything else in his life, vowed revenge on Dr John Hill. The book's second part is about the murder of John Hill, in front of his third wife, his son, and his mother, and the cast of characters involved in that murder. It is this part that Thompson's writing shines.

The plot and execution of the Hill's murder involved some of the strangest "characters" you'll ever read about. From Marcia McKittrick - the proverbial prostitute with a heart of gold -, to her sometime boyfriend, Bobby Vandiver, who carried out the murder, to Lilla Paulus, the Houston matron with the bad, bad past who set up the assassination, and to the lawmen who worked the case and the lawyers that defended and prosecuted McKittrick and Paulus, Tommy Thompson brings the characters to life. The reader feels as if he's there, with Dr Orrin Staves, who loses his pistol to Marcia McKittrick in a funny scene and then tries to walk off with the weapon when he's testifying in court. The man just wants his gun back...even if it now evidence in a murder trial!

But if Thompson's characters are beautifully written, so is his writing about the city and society - high and low - of Houston, which almost becomes a character. Thompson's book is about people - good and bad, high and low, moral and immoral - who find themselves bound together in the death of a woman and the aftermath of that death.

[Anthony Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true crime story covers the typical elements that precede the act of murder. The hunger for power and control is fueled by greed, lust and revenge that drives desperate people to unimaginable acts. It's a detailed analysis of the motives of a troubled family and prominent businessmen sinking to the level of gangland reprobates to satisfy their insatiable desires. The twists and turns along the way deliver surprising results all the way to the last page in this Edgar Award winning tale.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling, if overly long, look at a Texas family's descent into tragedy and murder in the late '60s/early '70s. Lots of larger than life characters and a story so bizarre, it has to be true. By the end, though, I was just exhausted: at some point the narrative had begun to feel like misery porn. I'm off to cleanse myself with a novel about chefs.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was very interesting with a lot of twists and crazy turns. The book dragged a little bit and I found the author to drone on about details that didn’t matter to the story. He probably could have told the same story in a lot less pages.

[Tom S · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best true crime books that I have read. Winner of the Edgar Award for non fiction in 1977.
Full of rich characters and the basic elements of a murder mystery.

[Christopher M Simonton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been long infatuated with this story and finally got around to reading this book. Lilla Paulus was my Grandfather's adopted cousin (she was adopted as an infant by his aunt and uncle), so I grew up hearing about this saga. I thought I had an idea of how crazy this story was, but this book provided many more details I had never heard. Some of the family stories about Lilla and her wild and crazy early-adult years put another interesting twist on the tale and made it that much better for me to read.

[Dennis Nehamen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I notice that my average rating on books is almost a perfect five. There's a reason. I only rate books I finish and I only finish books that thrill me. Blood and Money, similar to Serpentine, is not a complex story but it is a great way to spend a couple days sitting out by the pool on vacation. I'm not giving it a 5 for it's deep meaning or stylistic presentation. It's just a great story of a little too much parental love.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true crime book is chilling, particularly if you grew up in River Oaks like I did and went to Christmas parties in the house where everything happened. I'm not much into the true crime genre, but I highly recommend this book for people who are... and even people who aren't, now that I think about it.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this many years ago but because I was slightly acquainted with Dr. John Hill, he being a doctor on staff at the small hospital where I worked as a nurse, I found it fascinating. I still think of this case every time I drive through River Oaks on Kirby Dr. I'm sure I have forgotten much of the book since, but for anyone interested in true crime novels I would recommend it.

[Sharon Beers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story of a beautiful Houston heiress who was murdered by her plastic surgeon husband in 1969. Joan Robinson Hill was a glamourous socialite who lived in River Oaks and was a fixture at the moneyed horse show circuit on her Beloved Belinda. This is a searing portrait of money, power and murder.

[Patrick Juhasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long....

This book started very slow, then picked up some steam, then become unbearably slow again. It just keeps going! I gave it 2 stars because the plot line was interesting. There is entirely too much detail and no real tension and release. It feels like one long run on story.

[Kristen Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! I still wonder if John Hill really killed his wife?

[Anna Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting start but devolves into a lot of legal/courtroom information that is not especially riveting.

[Catherine Harpold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fascinating and extremely well written!!!

[Mary Havens · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've "been reading" this book for three months. That never happens.
Really, this book has been sitting on my nightstand for three months while I muscled through about 100 pages of it. I kept finding other things to read.
It's 512 pages so it better be captivating. But it's not.
I really enjoy True Crime but the genre can be so granular!! It's hard to find True Crime that keeps my interest while telling the story but doesn't tell you every minute detail. I read an article from a Houston news site today in about 20 minutes and got the story I needed.
Life's too short to spend on books that don't interest you. I gave it a good go but seeing that it's been on my "Reading" shelf for three months?? I'm never finishing this one.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by true crime. Originally published in 1976, this is a second edition. The events detail the life of Joan, born to a rich, spoiling and doting father, Ash Robinson in Houston Texas. We follow lightly thru her younger years, which helps to paint the picture of her father’s overbearing concern and love, a borderline obsessive behavior.
Joan has trouble staying married in part due to her father’s behavior. She ends up marrying a young man, John Hill whom Ash doesn’t like at all but supports thru school, home, vehicles, etc., so the young man can gain solid employment and care for Ash’s daughter in a manner she had become accustomed to.
The excitement begins in 1969 with the untimely and suspicious death of Joan. Thru numerous interviews, articles and police reports, Thompson weaves an intricate tale that just won’t quit. It becomes more and more murky, and all along the reader is wondering how does this father keep the energy to doggedly pursue his daughter’s murderer?
I recommend this read to anyone interested in true crime, old-time Texas oil barons and the juicy gossip that followed them and their lifestyles. Just when you think you’re starting to figure it out, another wrench is thrown in the system. Once you finish, you’ll want to Google and follow up on what happened to the principle players. A good, thorough and captivating read.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for making it available.)