When Evil Came to Good Hart

by Mardi Jo Link

"The murder mystery that has confounded and fascinated people for over forty years has been given a whole new life. When Evil Came to Good Hart is a well-researched and well-written piece of nonfiction that holds the reader in its spell, just as it has the many writers, reporters, and law officers who have puzzled over it. My highest praise for Mardi Link's book is to say that it reads like a good novel, a real page-turner."
―Judith Guest, author of Ordinary People and The Tarnished Eye In this page-turning true-life whodunit, author Mardi Link details all the evidence to date. She crafts her book around police and court documents and historical and present-day statements and interviews, in addition to exploring the impact of the case on the community of Good Hart and the stigma that surrounds the popular summer getaway. Adding to both the sense of tragic history and the suspense, Link laces her tale with fascinating bits of local and Indian lore, while dozens of colorful characters enter and leave the story, spicing the narrative. During the years of investigation of the murders, officials considered hundreds of tips and leads as well as dozens of sources, among them former secretaries who worked for murder victim Dick Robison; Robison's business associates; John Norman Collins, perpetrator of the "Co-Ed Murders" that took place in Washtenaw County between 1967 and 1969; and an inmate in federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, who said he knew who killed the Robison family. Despite the exhaustive investigative efforts of numerous individuals, decades later the case lies tantalizingly out of reach. It is still an unsolved cold case, yielding, in Link's words, forty years worth of "dead-end leads, anonymous tips, a few hard facts, and countless cockamamie theories."

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

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2008

About the author

Mardi Link is the author of the memoirs The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friendship Beyond Time and Chance and Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass On a Northern Michigan Farm . She studied agriculture and journalism at Michigan State University and creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, a street tree planter, a seamstress, and a tournament pool player. Her books about Michigan murders, When Evil Came to Good Hart, Isadore’s Secret and Wicked Takes the Witness Stand spent several weeks on the Heartland Bestseller List and won awards. Mardi's essays have been published in Creative Nonfiction, Bellingham Review, Bear River Review, Publishers Weekly, Traverse Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press . She lives in Traverse City, Michigan, on The Big Valley.

Reviews

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is true crime, unsolved mystery that is about the death of my second cousin Shirley Robison, and her entire family which occurred at their summer home on Lake Michigan in Northern Michigan. Every summer, we ride past Robison Road in Good Hart as we head to Cross Village. I get chills every single time we ride by.
She and my mom were very close friends. My mom remembered the funeral being surrounded with FBI agents. It is an intriguing and heartbreaking story.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched! True crime- especially about murder- is not my favorite, but I wanted to read this for the setting (Northern Michigan). Be prepared for some gruesome details if you read this. Overall, it reads very easy for a non-fiction book.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a tragic story, but a fascinating read about the investigation into the 1968 murder of a family in Good Hart, Michigan.

[Cheri Creel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great true crime read. The case is officially “unsolved”, however the author comes to some well founded conclusions that leave the reader satisfied. It’s also a wonderful glimpse into the mid century life of a generation of Michiganders who spent their weekends and summers “up North”. I’ve never been to Good Hart, Michigan but the author beautifully described the landscape and culture of the time and place. It’s a quick and easy to follow read- especially if you enjoy true crime.

[Cecilia Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrifying, brutal event way back at the end of the 60s. Mardi Link does a spectacular job of bringing it all back and presenting a visceral history and probable ending to this Michigan mystery. A whole family wiped out for no apparent reason. Even the probable reason really seems over the top. But I'm not going to tell you any more. Read the book. It's worth it.

[Anna Sallee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book - loved following Mardi as she investigated and analyzed this horrific crime. This book really gets your mind turning and I found myself in Mardi’s shows, analyzing every lead and clue. Really enjoyed how it was written and highly recommend!

[Debbie (Vote Blue) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story, but tragic. Amazing that this could happen and never be officially solved.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family of six is murdered in a northern Michigan cabin and the case is never solved. This is the kind of local reporting on a specific and interesting event that I enjoy, even, in this case, despite the horrific nature of the event itself.

As presented here, it’s unsolved only in the sense that no one was ever charged. I would have liked to see more about why the state attorney general and country prosecutor both decided not to charge the suspect; they had motive, opportunity, a fraudulent alibi, and even a tie to the murder weapon.

While the author also presents alternative possibilities, none (as presented) come anywhere close to the likelihood as the one the police came up with.

There are some weird things, though. The main suspect “assigned to the Army Security Agency and given a J-38—a Morse code ‘straight key’—and taught how to use it.”

It takes a special kind of mind to decipher Morse code. First, you have to translate short and long sounds or electronic pulses, as well as the gaps between them, into letters of the alphabet and elements of punctuation. Then, you have to translate those letters into words, and finally be able to put those words into meaningful sentences. Memorization forms the base of the ability, but it is a physical skill as well.

On the one hand, I find this amusing because I’m a ham radio operator, and can’t really disagree with Link’s “special mind” quip, though I wouldn’t count it as a sign of a mass murderer! The rest of it… is weirdly true and misleading at the same time. For one thing, the second half of it also applies exactly to reading. You translate letters into words, words into sentences, and sentences into meanings. With Morse code you’re doing an audio translation of symbols into letters; with reading you’re doing a visual translation of symbols into letters. The rest is the same.

It’s fascinating, because I’m guessing it’s a description of Morse code by someone who did a lot of research into what Morse code was and never understood what Morse code actually is!

The reason she seems to think this is relevant to the murder suspect is that she sees Morse code as a digital communication where the listener is the computer, and that being proficient at Morse code means that the suspect is inhuman. Despite the author using this to lead into the police reading the suspect his Miranda rights, it does not appear that the police ever made this connection.

But overall this is one of those weird cases on the edge of nowhere that was probably famous for a few minutes in the wider world, for a few years in the wider area around Good Hart, and has become a legend in the campgrounds and cabins of Good Hart. It is weird, and it is interesting, and this book is a nice overview of what makes it weird and interesting.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Review of Audio Format **

Unsolved Mystery

Who would kill an entire family down to the smallest child? This is one mystery that is yet to be solved. There is good evidence to support the author’s theory of who she thinks is responsible but the police were never able to uncover enough evidence to bring a suspect to trial. The case remains unsolved to this day.

I feel like the book focused on the father too much. Yes, he is the most likely reason the family was murdered. He, by most accounts, was not a very likeable person although he had some redeeming qualities. He appeared to be a successful businessman but he seemed to rub most people the wrong and was overly exacting by nature. He was also a good provider for his family but had a somewhat bizarre fetish. His wife is only mentioned at the end and we don’t get to know the children at all so we are left with a very unclear picture of what life was like for this family.

The investigation was long and very detailed. Every lead was followed to the end. The police really wanted to find out who perpetrated this crime and yet, with no murder weapon, the main suspect out of the picture and so much time passed, it is unlikely we’ll ever know what happened and why. I just wish more time had been invested in detailing the lives of the children and Mrs. Robison. In the end, I’m left disappointed by those left behind.

The narration was really very good. I enjoyed JoBe’s voice and he brought a feel to the book that would have otherwise been missing if I had read rather than listened to this book.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

[Mike Barat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is unsolved because the police didn't turnover enough stones when the police were investigating this crime. There was for example no mention of the police asking other cottagers if there was anybody that someone in Robison family didn't get along with or someone that didn't get along with the Robison Family. Dick Robison (the father) it was well known was planning to leave the cottage area for about a month to go to Kentucky to purchase horses and to Florida to purchase property and after hearing that a Mr. Roberts or Roebert from Kentucky were going to meet the Robison in Michigan (I believe in the cottage area.) and go with the family on this trip out of state that didn't seem to be pursued enough. Although there's a good chance that this Mr. Roberts or Roebert may not have even existed at all. Police could have pursued to find out find if Dick Robison knew anyone in Kentucky or Florida. There was one person in this book who had two rifles and only one was tested, because he said he gave the other refile to someone in Chicago the police were told, and yet there was no mention of the police asking for address in Chicago so the police could get the refile and test it. And if the person said no then it's time to put pressure on that person. I enjoyed the writing overall, but I'm really not so sure this crime is unsolved because of lack of technology in 1968 compared to today as I think this book was trying to make that point, however I think it's much more a matter that to much was over looked in the investigation.

[Aaron VanAlstine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-researched book with a narrative that draws you in. My grandparent’s had a rural cottage outside Mackinaw City about fifteen miles from Good Hart. My parents took us there every summer. When I was a kid in the early 1970s, my (late) Uncle Carlie mesmerized my cousins, brother, and me with stories about a haunted cottage where an entire family was murdered by an axe-wielding fiend and "you can still see the bloodstains on the walls." While the case is technically unsolved because no-one was brought to justice, the author (and the police) have no doubt about the perp's identity. Fifty years on I understand that Uncle Carlie wildly embellished the story for his rapt young audience, but he also gave me the wonderful memory of my seven-year-old self thrilling to campfire tales in a fairytale cottage in the forest.

[Fatima A. Alsaif · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a very intriguing book to read! Saying that I enjoyed reading a book about a cold murder case in a state I lived in and loved so much is very creepy, but I honestly did love the book. The writing was so good and kept me curious throughout the book.
However, I think keeping the information of it being a cold and unsolved case a secret until the end of the book would've kept me more engaged and even more hooked. But telling the reader the end from the title takes away the enjoyment and curiosity of reading the book, but I still think it's a good book to read if you're into true crimes. Also, I felt at some point that there were some fillers as if the author needed to hit a page count target, but it was worth the journey.

[Chris Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio, and the narrator was JoBe Cerny. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. This is the second true crime non-fiction that I read by Mardi Jo Link. I had read Isadore's Secret, which had a bit more poetic license which added some drama to the mystery. In "Good Hart", there was less drama, but more facts and dialogue which kept my interest throughout. At times, the narration became distracting as Cerny has a start-and-stop style of speaking which creates pauses for seemingly no reason. Almost a William Shatner-Captain Kirk resemblance. But the mystery is worthy of a non-fiction account, and Mardi Jo Link is as good as any that I've read in this genre.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murders of the six members of the Roberson family in Michigan in 1969 were no less shocking that the murders that Truman Capote chronicled in "In Cold Blood." Mardi Link has written a painstaking, well-documented account of this horrific crime and the investigation that followed. This edition of the book includes an update on what is now considered a cold case that was never officially closed. Do we know who committed these murders? Were there others involved? There are some clues to these questions, but there are also other questions that may never be answered. This is a great book for fans of true crime.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve spent summers in this area and my husband grew up there and lived nearby the murders and remembers the day the bodies were discovered well. He said, “everyone was scared.”

The area was a hotbed for the MK Ultra mind control program that was run out of Battle Creek. What I know matches some of the information in the book which leads me to believe this was not a normal murder s as bd is MK Ultra related. A lot of families were involved in this abusive program.

Look this program up and then read the book.

[Alicia Farmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this murder that happened in 1968 in Northern Michigan. Unfortunately, it was never officially solved. So the book is basically an accumulation of all the dead ends the police encountered in their attempt to solve it. It wasn't terribly compelling -- "We thought it could be this, but it wasn't." -- and I could have done without summaries of a lot of the kooky tips police got from an overzealous public. I mean, I guess this summarizes what happened, but it just wasn't a high drama story.

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that we did not build up to the crime, nor did we spend a lot of time at the crime scene. The book was matter of fact and concentrated more on the process of solving the crime, although no one was ever arrested for this crime, it is a cold case.
It was a terrible case, five people gunned down, the youngest an innocent seven year old girl. Such tragedy. I don't much like the genre of true crime, it is too disturbing, too sad.

[Glenn Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of good information about this case in this book. I read it because I included the case in a book of my own titled Zodiac Maniac, which pins the murders of the Robison family on a suspect you probably haven't heard of and who isn't in this book but I think you will find interesting. I think it's clear that he murdered scores of people and it was covered up, which is not hard to believe once you familiarize yourself with the facts of this case.

[Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used Google maps when I started reading the names of towns around Good Hart and recognizing them. My mom lives 11 miles from where this family of 6 was murdered. I think this book does a good job of covering the case and shows a good argument for who the killer may have been. The problem with a small town cold case is having enough information to fill a book. A few chapters were on locals and the town and could have been left out completely, but it would just cause the book to be shorter.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all the book was good but I wish there were more photos/recreations of the objects such as the note (especially when we are told there is a misprint for the last name).

This is one of those cases I heard about and it just stuck with me. Similar to the Oakland County child killer the main suspect seemingly committed suicide before being brought to justice. It was nice to hear the polygraph reader confirm it’s 99% to be Joe.

[Jo Fetsco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true story of a 1968 murder in Good Hart, MI. of the Lathrup Village Robison family of six.  There is no real conclusion because the crime is still a cold case, but the author shows the different suspects that are the possible murderer.  Interesting story set in places that I know and to which I have been, making it even more interesting.  

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was chosen for a book club read. It was rather tedious with all the research and factual information provided by the author. To know this is an unsolved murder of an entire family, along with the realization that was quoted that if this crime had occurred today it would have been solved, I found it to be a depressing book of facts.

[Edward J. Piquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story…

… for a life-long resident of Michigan and frequent visitor to the Good Hart area Got a little lengthy/wordy at the end, but that might have been due to this being a 10th Anniversary edition. Perhaps the original book published in 2008 focused more on the story and didn’t include so much of the authors musing at the end. Still a good read.

[Jedadiah Lampron · Rating 2 out of 5]

If your looking for a true crime book this isn't it. This is a travel book for Good Hart with the attention grab of being a true crime book. 90 percent of the story is telling the overall history and current times of Good Hart and what it has to offer. 5 percent about the crime and 5 percent filler of things that don't contribute to the story in anyway. well written, bit for the wrong reasons.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. It felt as though the author tried to make the book a certain number of pages and when the actual story didn't yield that number, she filled it will details that added no value to the story. It left me wondering why she chose to write about this event.

[Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF pg. 127

Characters: 3 stars
writing: 5 stars
Diversity: 1 star
Plot: 1 star
(Out of 5 stars)

This nonfiction murder case did not hold my interest. It started off wonderfully but ended up crashing and burning.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that my reading this year has included more true crime; my co-workers have the best recommendations! Link’s writing of incidents here in northern Michigan have me hooked knowing how nearby these crimes have taken place!

[Paul H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative... but...

The book was decently written, to the extent of the research involves, but got to be a bit long and over descriptive of things that seem to have absolutely no bearing upon the case.

It certainly was an engaging read, because of my connection to the area m.

[Rhonda Schulte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting!

Interesting read! Author was able to keep my attention.. I would recommend this book. It is a quick read. Thanks.

[Sean Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

More complex than I imagined and clear why it isn't yet solved. Book was well written and engaging in style. A worthy read.