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Discovery's Murder is Forever #3
Murder Beyond the Grave
Two true-crime thrillers as seen on Discovery's Murder is Forever TV series
MURDER BEYOND THE GRAVE: Stephen Small has it all – a Ferrari, fancy house, loving wife, and three boys. But the only thing he needs right now is enough air to breathe. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom, Stephen has forty-eight hours of oxygen. The clock is ticking . . .
MURDER IN PARADISE: High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernise this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate . . .
MURDER BEYOND THE GRAVE: Stephen Small has it all – a Ferrari, fancy house, loving wife, and three boys. But the only thing he needs right now is enough air to breathe. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom, Stephen has forty-eight hours of oxygen. The clock is ticking . . .
MURDER IN PARADISE: High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernise this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate . . .
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2018
1229 people are currently reading
4840 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
May 30, 2018
I really dig James Patterson & generally find true crime books to be fascinating, so I probably picked this up with unrealistic expectations. In both cases, the victims' plight deserved to be told & Mr. Patterson certainly did them justice. He simply presented the facts as polished stories, whereas I'm accustomed to the bare-bones, almost jolting dialogue of other true-crime tomes.
February 20, 2018
During a recent binge of James Patterson’s BookShots, I came across his newest series of short stories, non-fiction with a criminal twist. Murder is Forever—now apparently a television program—shows off some real-life crimes that have been committed by dumb criminals and rolls them into bite-sized reads. In this third volume, Patterson teams up with Aaron Bourelle and Christopher Charles to bring two more tales where murder plays a central role in the final outcome of the criminal experience. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Murder Beyond the Grave (with Aaron Bourelle)
Danny Edwards is a low-level drug dealer who cannot do much of anything right. After being busted for large quantity possession, he turned on his supplier in a sting operation, but even then could not wait for the cocaine to appear before uttering the code word. Down on his luck and money, Danny has a plan; kidnap the local millionaire and keep him for ransom. In order to ensure that Stephen Small does not foil his own kidnaping, Edwards constructs a coffin of sorts to bury him, but provides an oxygen source to ensure that no one will find Small until the money’s been provided, but he is sure to stay alive. Using his unknowing girlfriend—Nancy Rish—to take him to and from the scene of the burial, Edwards places phone calls from pay phones that summer of 1987, hoping to get the Small family to pay up. Edwards thinks he is so smart, alternating pay phones, but does not realise that they can be traced. Soon Edwards and Rish are both apprehended and the police use some tactics to strong-arm Danny into admitting what he’s done and where to find Stephen Small. It is only then that things take a terrible turn for the worse.
Murder in Paradise (with Christopher Charles)
When Jim and Bonnie Hood came upon a potential fixer-upper property in the hills of California, they had differing views. Where Jim saw a cesspool of wasted money, Bonnie saw some potential and set about to make it a wonderful getaway. However, the more time and money she spent there, the more anonymous threats that she received. After a clash with some local loggers at the saloon, Bonnie thought she might have to take some drastic action and made some thinly veiled threats. When, after a tryst with one of her employees, their cabin was attacked by an intruder, Bonnie was left dead, leaving Jim to break the news to his children. After locating a suspect and going to trial, Bruce Beauchamp was found not guilty, forcing the Hoods to fear that he might seek retribution. What came next was truly the twist in the story, which shows that justice does not always follow the most obvious path.
These are two more stories that show the criminal element cannot always get away with a crime that seems almost foolproof at the start. Patterson has a knack for finding some interesting cases and presenting them in an intriguing short story format, which keeps the reader curious and wanted to forge onwards until the end. Using two well-seasoned collaborators, Patterson strengthens the storytelling and keeps the reader wanting more, which is sure to come in the next instalment of the Murder is Forever series. For now, those readers with the option can tune in to see Patterson’s television program on a weekly basis.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson, Bourelle, and Charles, as you recount these interesting tales. I like the style and the succinct nature used to present these stories and cannot wait to see what other cases make their way into the print version of this series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Murder Beyond the Grave (with Aaron Bourelle)
Danny Edwards is a low-level drug dealer who cannot do much of anything right. After being busted for large quantity possession, he turned on his supplier in a sting operation, but even then could not wait for the cocaine to appear before uttering the code word. Down on his luck and money, Danny has a plan; kidnap the local millionaire and keep him for ransom. In order to ensure that Stephen Small does not foil his own kidnaping, Edwards constructs a coffin of sorts to bury him, but provides an oxygen source to ensure that no one will find Small until the money’s been provided, but he is sure to stay alive. Using his unknowing girlfriend—Nancy Rish—to take him to and from the scene of the burial, Edwards places phone calls from pay phones that summer of 1987, hoping to get the Small family to pay up. Edwards thinks he is so smart, alternating pay phones, but does not realise that they can be traced. Soon Edwards and Rish are both apprehended and the police use some tactics to strong-arm Danny into admitting what he’s done and where to find Stephen Small. It is only then that things take a terrible turn for the worse.
Murder in Paradise (with Christopher Charles)
When Jim and Bonnie Hood came upon a potential fixer-upper property in the hills of California, they had differing views. Where Jim saw a cesspool of wasted money, Bonnie saw some potential and set about to make it a wonderful getaway. However, the more time and money she spent there, the more anonymous threats that she received. After a clash with some local loggers at the saloon, Bonnie thought she might have to take some drastic action and made some thinly veiled threats. When, after a tryst with one of her employees, their cabin was attacked by an intruder, Bonnie was left dead, leaving Jim to break the news to his children. After locating a suspect and going to trial, Bruce Beauchamp was found not guilty, forcing the Hoods to fear that he might seek retribution. What came next was truly the twist in the story, which shows that justice does not always follow the most obvious path.
These are two more stories that show the criminal element cannot always get away with a crime that seems almost foolproof at the start. Patterson has a knack for finding some interesting cases and presenting them in an intriguing short story format, which keeps the reader curious and wanted to forge onwards until the end. Using two well-seasoned collaborators, Patterson strengthens the storytelling and keeps the reader wanting more, which is sure to come in the next instalment of the Murder is Forever series. For now, those readers with the option can tune in to see Patterson’s television program on a weekly basis.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson, Bourelle, and Charles, as you recount these interesting tales. I like the style and the succinct nature used to present these stories and cannot wait to see what other cases make their way into the print version of this series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
August 28, 2018
These were two quick short crime stories in one book co-authored by James Patterson. I enjoyed the first story a lot more than I did the real estate murder in the second story. The first was actually a good view of what can happening when keeping questionable company.
My quick and simple overall: okay read. Nothing awesome but not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
My quick and simple overall: okay read. Nothing awesome but not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
February 12, 2022
I've been on a run lately of reading a lot of James Patterson's work. These books are no exception, and they are a shorter book than many.
Murder Beyond the Grave: Stephen Small has it all--a fancy Ferrari, fancy home, wonderful and loving wife, and three sons. The only thing he needs right now is enough air to keep on breathing. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom. He has forty-eight (48) Hours of oxygen, and the clock is ticking.....Small was Born:1947 and raised in Kankakee, Illinois. His parents, Burrell and Reva Small, owned and operated a media conglomerate called Mid America Media; the Small family also owned the controlling interest in United Press International; and this is where Small himself worked. His great grandfather was Illinois governor Len Small. Stephen Small had received his education at Lake Forest Academy, the University of Denver and Mark Hopkins College. In 1969, he married Nancy Pedersen, with whom he had three sons.
Around 12:30 a.m. on September 2, 1987, someone claiming to be a Kankakee police officer called the Small home and told Stephen Small that a burglary had occurred at the Bradly House, a property that Small owned and was in the process of renovating. Small got dressed and left his home. Around 3:30 that morning someone called the Small residence and told Stephen's wife, Nancy, "We have your husband." Nancy then heard her husband say that he had been handcuffed inside a box underground. Small told his wife to obtain $1 million in cash. The caller directed Mrs. Small not to report the matter to the police. The matter was reported to the authorities, however, and devices were connected to the Smalls' telephone line to record incoming calls and to determine their origins. At 5:03 that afternoon, the same person called again, asking Mrs. Small how much money had been collected. This call was placed from a telephone located at a Phillips 66 gas station in Aroma Park. Edwards was seen there at that time, in the company of a blonde-haired woman. At 5:40 p.m., Jean Alice Small, Stephen Small's aunt, telephoned the Small residence to tell them of a call she had just received. Jean said that the caller had told her that he knew that Nancy Small's telephone was tapped. After telling Jean that the victim was buried, the caller threatened to kill Jean's husband. Nancy Small received another telephone call from the kidnapper at 11:28 that night. This call originated from a telephone at a Sunoco station in Aroma Park, where an FBI agent saw a white male at a telephone, and a blonde-haired woman in a car that was later identified as belonging to Nancy Rish, Edwards' girlfriend; Rish had blonde hair. The caller played a tape recording of Stephen Small's voice. On the tape, Stephen provided instructions for delivering the ransom. After audio enhancement, a voice in the background could be heard threatening Small.
Nancy Small received one more telephone call from the kidnapper, at 11:46 that night. The call was placed from a Marathon service station in Kankakee. The caller accused Nancy of having notified the police and refused her offer of the ransom. Minutes later, at 11:50 p.m., an Illinois State Police officer saw Rish's car, with its trunk partly open, driving from Kankakee toward Aroma Park. Law enforcement officers then placed Edwards' home under surveillance. They saw a dark-colored Buick, with its trunk partly open, arrive at the house in Bourbonnais where Edwards and Rish lived. Edwards and a white woman with blonde hair left the car and went inside. Officers carried out a search of the residence later that morning, on September 3, Rish and Edwards were arrested at that time. Later that day, Edwards led law enforcement officers to the site where the victim was buried. There, officers dug up a wooden box and found the victim's body inside. The box measured about six feet long and three feet wide, and was constructed of plywood. It contained a light connected to an automotive battery, a one gallon jug of water, candy bars, gum, and a flashlight. A medical examiner later determined that the victim died of asphyxiation caused by suffocation. The medical examiner believed that the victim would not have survived more than three or four hours inside the enclosed box. The medical examiner noted that the pipe extending from the box into the open air was too long for its diameter to serve as an adequate air-exchange system.
The State presented other evidence connecting Edwards to these offenses. On the night of the victim's disappearance, around midnight, a neighbor of Edwards heard Edwards say, "Let's go, let's hit it," get into his car, and drive off. Also, two neighbors of the Small family saw Edwards' van, or one similar to it, parked in their neighborhood after midnight on September 2. One neighbor also noticed a mid-sized car at that time, heard two car doors slam, and saw the car and Edwards' van drive away with their lights off. Several witnesses saw Edwards constructing a wooden box in his garage during summer 1987, preceding the offenses here. Edwards gave various explanations for the project, saying that it would be used for a lemonade stand, or by his brother for transporting things, or at his brother's pool in Florida. A neighbor of the Smalls had seen a white van similar to Edwards' van driving through an alley next to the Small's home about 10 times that summer. While Edwards and Rish were visiting a boat store that summer, Edwards saw Stephen Small leaving the store in a sports car; Edwards was heard to say, "Boy, it sure would be nice to afford stuff like that." The search of Edwards's residence at the time of his arrest turned up a Kankakee telephone book with the name "Small" circled. Edwards' boots were found behind a washer and dryer at the residence, and soil on the boots matched a sample from the location where the box was buried. Soil in Edwards' van also matched the sample. White caulking material on gloves found in Edwards' trash had the same chemical composition as the caulking material used to fill in the seams of the wooden box in which the victim had been buried. Edwards' fingerprints were found on PVC pipe and duct tape recovered from the box. A person who owed Edwards money had had a pair of handcuffs stolen from him, and the same pair was later discovered on the victim. Another person who owed Edwards money had had a gun stolen, and it was found by investigators in the countryside near Aroma Park. Edwards purchased a battery that was found in the wooden box. Bolt cutters belonging to a company owned by Edwards' brother were found at a point between where the box was uncovered and where the victim's car was found, and they could have been the implement used to cut the chain connecting the handcuffs on the victim's wrists.
Murder in Paradise: High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernize this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate.....
Murder Beyond the Grave: Stephen Small has it all--a fancy Ferrari, fancy home, wonderful and loving wife, and three sons. The only thing he needs right now is enough air to keep on breathing. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom. He has forty-eight (48) Hours of oxygen, and the clock is ticking.....Small was Born:1947 and raised in Kankakee, Illinois. His parents, Burrell and Reva Small, owned and operated a media conglomerate called Mid America Media; the Small family also owned the controlling interest in United Press International; and this is where Small himself worked. His great grandfather was Illinois governor Len Small. Stephen Small had received his education at Lake Forest Academy, the University of Denver and Mark Hopkins College. In 1969, he married Nancy Pedersen, with whom he had three sons.
Around 12:30 a.m. on September 2, 1987, someone claiming to be a Kankakee police officer called the Small home and told Stephen Small that a burglary had occurred at the Bradly House, a property that Small owned and was in the process of renovating. Small got dressed and left his home. Around 3:30 that morning someone called the Small residence and told Stephen's wife, Nancy, "We have your husband." Nancy then heard her husband say that he had been handcuffed inside a box underground. Small told his wife to obtain $1 million in cash. The caller directed Mrs. Small not to report the matter to the police. The matter was reported to the authorities, however, and devices were connected to the Smalls' telephone line to record incoming calls and to determine their origins. At 5:03 that afternoon, the same person called again, asking Mrs. Small how much money had been collected. This call was placed from a telephone located at a Phillips 66 gas station in Aroma Park. Edwards was seen there at that time, in the company of a blonde-haired woman. At 5:40 p.m., Jean Alice Small, Stephen Small's aunt, telephoned the Small residence to tell them of a call she had just received. Jean said that the caller had told her that he knew that Nancy Small's telephone was tapped. After telling Jean that the victim was buried, the caller threatened to kill Jean's husband. Nancy Small received another telephone call from the kidnapper at 11:28 that night. This call originated from a telephone at a Sunoco station in Aroma Park, where an FBI agent saw a white male at a telephone, and a blonde-haired woman in a car that was later identified as belonging to Nancy Rish, Edwards' girlfriend; Rish had blonde hair. The caller played a tape recording of Stephen Small's voice. On the tape, Stephen provided instructions for delivering the ransom. After audio enhancement, a voice in the background could be heard threatening Small.
Nancy Small received one more telephone call from the kidnapper, at 11:46 that night. The call was placed from a Marathon service station in Kankakee. The caller accused Nancy of having notified the police and refused her offer of the ransom. Minutes later, at 11:50 p.m., an Illinois State Police officer saw Rish's car, with its trunk partly open, driving from Kankakee toward Aroma Park. Law enforcement officers then placed Edwards' home under surveillance. They saw a dark-colored Buick, with its trunk partly open, arrive at the house in Bourbonnais where Edwards and Rish lived. Edwards and a white woman with blonde hair left the car and went inside. Officers carried out a search of the residence later that morning, on September 3, Rish and Edwards were arrested at that time. Later that day, Edwards led law enforcement officers to the site where the victim was buried. There, officers dug up a wooden box and found the victim's body inside. The box measured about six feet long and three feet wide, and was constructed of plywood. It contained a light connected to an automotive battery, a one gallon jug of water, candy bars, gum, and a flashlight. A medical examiner later determined that the victim died of asphyxiation caused by suffocation. The medical examiner believed that the victim would not have survived more than three or four hours inside the enclosed box. The medical examiner noted that the pipe extending from the box into the open air was too long for its diameter to serve as an adequate air-exchange system.
The State presented other evidence connecting Edwards to these offenses. On the night of the victim's disappearance, around midnight, a neighbor of Edwards heard Edwards say, "Let's go, let's hit it," get into his car, and drive off. Also, two neighbors of the Small family saw Edwards' van, or one similar to it, parked in their neighborhood after midnight on September 2. One neighbor also noticed a mid-sized car at that time, heard two car doors slam, and saw the car and Edwards' van drive away with their lights off. Several witnesses saw Edwards constructing a wooden box in his garage during summer 1987, preceding the offenses here. Edwards gave various explanations for the project, saying that it would be used for a lemonade stand, or by his brother for transporting things, or at his brother's pool in Florida. A neighbor of the Smalls had seen a white van similar to Edwards' van driving through an alley next to the Small's home about 10 times that summer. While Edwards and Rish were visiting a boat store that summer, Edwards saw Stephen Small leaving the store in a sports car; Edwards was heard to say, "Boy, it sure would be nice to afford stuff like that." The search of Edwards's residence at the time of his arrest turned up a Kankakee telephone book with the name "Small" circled. Edwards' boots were found behind a washer and dryer at the residence, and soil on the boots matched a sample from the location where the box was buried. Soil in Edwards' van also matched the sample. White caulking material on gloves found in Edwards' trash had the same chemical composition as the caulking material used to fill in the seams of the wooden box in which the victim had been buried. Edwards' fingerprints were found on PVC pipe and duct tape recovered from the box. A person who owed Edwards money had had a pair of handcuffs stolen from him, and the same pair was later discovered on the victim. Another person who owed Edwards money had had a gun stolen, and it was found by investigators in the countryside near Aroma Park. Edwards purchased a battery that was found in the wooden box. Bolt cutters belonging to a company owned by Edwards' brother were found at a point between where the box was uncovered and where the victim's car was found, and they could have been the implement used to cut the chain connecting the handcuffs on the victim's wrists.
Murder in Paradise: High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernize this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate.....
June 5, 2023
Two stories of true crime. I remember the 2nd story the best as it was so unexpected who did it. I was quite shocked.
February 19, 2018
I'm hoping Patterson continues with his true crime thriller series, because I have definitely enjoyed the three that have been published so far. This is another quick, gripping read, that I flew through in about a day.
February 23, 2018
I liked the other two books in this series a little bit better. These ones seemed drawn out to even make them short stories. I still like the concept tho & am hoping maybe there will be more of these to read.
March 4, 2018
Really good! A real crime story that’s keeps you focused on finding out what happened to the victim and the criminal.
May 29, 2024
Easy to read. There are two true crime stories in this book and I enjoyed them both.
February 14, 2018
Good book, two true crime stories. Very easy to read, maybe too easy if that makes sense. To me it seemed as if it were almost written at a YA level.
March 19, 2018
Two great stories!!!! I really enjoyed both of them!!!
August 18, 2019
I wish there had been a little more on the last story. It seemed rushed.
February 17, 2020
audio could have been more exciting had it been fiction.
April 30, 2019
These are true crime stories from Discovery Channels new show Murder is Forever. Patterson taken the details of the story and all of its evidence and crafted them into stories to be told from the many points of view of those affected by the story itself. The special agents involved in the investigation, the wife who lost her husband, the woman who loved the wrong man, and the ex-drug dealer trying to live a normal life but hung up on the fact that he can no longer afford the finer things in life. There no real way to rate this story because its detail are all true. But the way it all comes together is makes for a good read.
April 29, 2021
True crime thrillers Murder Beyond the Grave and Murder In Paradise. Both are excellent reads. 1st one is of a former drug dealer who kidnaps a very wealthy man and buries him in a box with water, candy bars and pvc pipe so he breath and calls the mans wife want a million dollars in exchange for where her husband is buried.
Second story is of a man who's wife buys a old resort and starts rebuilding it into a very fine place. but trouble soon comes along in the form of bikers who don't like the changes to the bar. Murder soon follows and things are not what they seem to be.
Second story is of a man who's wife buys a old resort and starts rebuilding it into a very fine place. but trouble soon comes along in the form of bikers who don't like the changes to the bar. Murder soon follows and things are not what they seem to be.
July 31, 2021
Humans may have the capacity for incredible kindness we also have the capacity for unspeakable violence.
- James Patterson
I had a difficult time listening to the first story. It is one of the most horrific stories I have ever heard.
Even after finishing the book, I get chills just thinking about what I now know about this horrible murder.
Both stories were interesting in the way that true crime is. But damn. There really are monsters among us!
I’m really enjoying this series of true crime stories.
- James Patterson
I had a difficult time listening to the first story. It is one of the most horrific stories I have ever heard.
Even after finishing the book, I get chills just thinking about what I now know about this horrible murder.
Both stories were interesting in the way that true crime is. But damn. There really are monsters among us!
I’m really enjoying this series of true crime stories.
March 22, 2020
I enjoyed both of these stories (truths). I did like the first one more than the second but they both held my attention and I wanted to know how it would end...ok, maybe I looked up the real story for the first one and read a spoiler, but it still didn't ruin it because I didn't know all the other details. I hope the author comes out with more of these!
February 2, 2024
3.5/5 This book was okay. The book has two parts, so like 2 short stories that were actual cases that happened in the late 80s and early 90s. I did like the true crime stories, knowing that this actually happened and leading me to look more into the cases. Although, there were parts of the stories that seemed a little hard to believe that they actually happened
March 7, 2018
I liked the first story better than the second one,but, all in all this was a good read. Murder beyond the grave was the first story, it took me a while to read because of the storyline. If you like chilling true crime stories, thus is the book for you. I might suggest you be prepared because both stories will chill your blood.
Happy reading!☺
Happy reading!☺
Currently reading
November 18, 2020Have read nearly all of the first story but it was such a horrific crime and it made me so sad I had to take a break. Will try to read further.
August 11, 2024
This is the second occasion I have read this book. Regrettably I seem to often borrow the same library book twice. On the first occasion it seemed too fictionalised for me. On the second reading I was more familiar with this author’s style. It was totally based on true crimes (two per book) and wonderfully portrayed as though you were there. I can certainly understand why this author enjoys worldwide success.
April 19, 2019
He seems to be catering to a certain audience. The book is a very large print, large double spacing and written very simplistic. You can read the whole book in an hour. The author indicated some of the characters were fictionalized for the story. So, are we still calling this True Crime?
October 25, 2019
Trashy but readable. Fictionalized scenes brought characters to life!
March 19, 2020
I found thos book hard to put down for a true book.
August 30, 2021
It was an awesome read. I would recommend it to anyone.
November 25, 2020
Murder Beyond the Grave is two short stories based on true crimes.
Murder Beyond the Grave is written from the perspective of Daniel Edwards, the murderer of Stephen Small. Edwards, a drug dealer trying to go straight, comes up with a botched kidnapping plot of a wealthy man which turns out badly. I found the most interesting part of this story relating to Nancy Rish, Edward's girlfriend. In this interpretation of the events, she was not an active participant but a naïve single mom who picked the wrong boyfriend. By researching this case afterwards, I saw she was also convicted and charged in the crime. 3/5
Murder in Paradise follows the murder of Bonnie Hood, a married mother of two who was restoring and running Camp Nelson Lodge, a place she loved as a child. Bonnie lived at the Lodge during the week and only saw her husband and kids on the weekends. I was really fascinated with this story and found myself researching everything about the crime after finishing this. 5/5
Grade: 4/5
Murder Beyond the Grave is written from the perspective of Daniel Edwards, the murderer of Stephen Small. Edwards, a drug dealer trying to go straight, comes up with a botched kidnapping plot of a wealthy man which turns out badly. I found the most interesting part of this story relating to Nancy Rish, Edward's girlfriend. In this interpretation of the events, she was not an active participant but a naïve single mom who picked the wrong boyfriend. By researching this case afterwards, I saw she was also convicted and charged in the crime. 3/5
Murder in Paradise follows the murder of Bonnie Hood, a married mother of two who was restoring and running Camp Nelson Lodge, a place she loved as a child. Bonnie lived at the Lodge during the week and only saw her husband and kids on the weekends. I was really fascinated with this story and found myself researching everything about the crime after finishing this. 5/5
Grade: 4/5
February 1, 2021
Not quite what I expect from a book with James Patterson's name attached.
There are two, true, short stories about murders that occurred in the United States.
Patterson has changed the names of those involved, in fact the introduction reminded me of the introduction to the old FBI television series.
I understand dramatic license, and I understand fact; based on fact could use a bit more dramatic license then what was used in either of these stories.
The first story: "Murder Beyond the Grave" is about a kidnapped man, buried in a box with 48 hours of oxygen and the criminal who thought up the scheme.
The second story: "Murder in Paradise" tells the story of a land developing husband and wife team who find their plans to modernize a rustic property thwarted by locals who despise wealthy outsiders who want to change their lives. The locals will go to any extent to stop the couple, including murder.
There are two, true, short stories about murders that occurred in the United States.
Patterson has changed the names of those involved, in fact the introduction reminded me of the introduction to the old FBI television series.
I understand dramatic license, and I understand fact; based on fact could use a bit more dramatic license then what was used in either of these stories.
The first story: "Murder Beyond the Grave" is about a kidnapped man, buried in a box with 48 hours of oxygen and the criminal who thought up the scheme.
The second story: "Murder in Paradise" tells the story of a land developing husband and wife team who find their plans to modernize a rustic property thwarted by locals who despise wealthy outsiders who want to change their lives. The locals will go to any extent to stop the couple, including murder.
April 18, 2021
This is my 2nd true crime novel by James Patterson and it defintely did not disappoint. The book is broken into two different true crimes.
The first story is about Stephen Small, who you find when you first start reading that this poor man is alive, but buried in a makeshift coffin underground. There is a PVC breathing tube, some water and candy bars. He has apparently 48 hours to live in that box, according to the man who kidnaps him. This is truly a nightmare come true.
The second story is about Jim and Bonnie Hood. She decides that she wants to purchase an old campground area, that has a bar (which is still open for locals) and a bunch of cabins. Her husband stays at home to take care of their two children and visits her on the weekend. One day he gets a phone call that his wife is dead, AND that she was found dead with the hired-hand whom she has been having an affair with. Wait til the end, because there is a plot twist that no one saw coming.
The first story is about Stephen Small, who you find when you first start reading that this poor man is alive, but buried in a makeshift coffin underground. There is a PVC breathing tube, some water and candy bars. He has apparently 48 hours to live in that box, according to the man who kidnaps him. This is truly a nightmare come true.
The second story is about Jim and Bonnie Hood. She decides that she wants to purchase an old campground area, that has a bar (which is still open for locals) and a bunch of cabins. Her husband stays at home to take care of their two children and visits her on the weekend. One day he gets a phone call that his wife is dead, AND that she was found dead with the hired-hand whom she has been having an affair with. Wait til the end, because there is a plot twist that no one saw coming.
April 20, 2018
These Murder is Forever books by James Patterson have been fun to read, they’re quick, easy to read and feature enthralling true-crime stories that I probably otherwise would never know about. This one I noticed was co-written though which was a bit of a letdown for me, the other 2 were solely written by Patterson and I really appreciated that, oh well, it is what it is.
For people just getting into reading true-crime these books would be a great starting point, they’re very accessible for a new reader.
For people just getting into reading true-crime these books would be a great starting point, they’re very accessible for a new reader.
October 14, 2018
This was my first non-fiction true crime book and I just don't think it's for me. The way the short stories are written very well, but they left me feeling like something was missing. I don't think I'll be reading anymore of James Patterson true crime thriller but it was an okay quick little read.
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