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Blood Games
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bitter Blood comes the story of a greed so powerful it led to an unspeakable crime.
Wealthy Lieth von Stein lay dead and his wife Bonnie near death in their North Carolina home after a vicious assault with knife and baseball bat as they slept. The crime seemed totally baffling until police followed a trail that led to the charming von Stein stepson, Chris Pritchard, and his brilliant, drug-using, Dungeons-&-Dragons playing friends at N.C. State University. Blood Games is the shattering true story of degraded young minds—and a son’s gruesome greed turned horrifyingly real. Jerry Bledsoe masterfully reconstructs the bloody crime and its aftermath, as he takes us on a riveting journey into the secret twisted hearts of three young murderers.
“Haunting…addictive, chilling and a masterpiece of reportage…powerfully demonstrates that every heart is capable of darkness.”—Patricia Cornwell“A powerful account…Mr. Bledsoe goes straight to the bigger issues.”—New York Times Book Review
“In Mr. Bledsoe’s hands, a mega-load of inert facts becomes a human story of hurricane force.”—Raleigh News & Observer
“Devastating…a brilliant account”—Publishers Weekly
Wealthy Lieth von Stein lay dead and his wife Bonnie near death in their North Carolina home after a vicious assault with knife and baseball bat as they slept. The crime seemed totally baffling until police followed a trail that led to the charming von Stein stepson, Chris Pritchard, and his brilliant, drug-using, Dungeons-&-Dragons playing friends at N.C. State University. Blood Games is the shattering true story of degraded young minds—and a son’s gruesome greed turned horrifyingly real. Jerry Bledsoe masterfully reconstructs the bloody crime and its aftermath, as he takes us on a riveting journey into the secret twisted hearts of three young murderers.
“Haunting…addictive, chilling and a masterpiece of reportage…powerfully demonstrates that every heart is capable of darkness.”—Patricia Cornwell“A powerful account…Mr. Bledsoe goes straight to the bigger issues.”—New York Times Book Review
“In Mr. Bledsoe’s hands, a mega-load of inert facts becomes a human story of hurricane force.”—Raleigh News & Observer
“Devastating…a brilliant account”—Publishers Weekly
607 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
953 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Bledsoe
54 books89 followersJerry Bledsoe is the author of "The New York Times "#1 bestseller "Bitter Blood, "and others. He has written for "Esquire, The New York Times, "and many other publications. He lives in North Carolina and Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 6, 2017
Link to full review below! This could have been good...sadly it turned into a family tree for all people even tangentially connected in any way to anyone who was at one point possibly related to this crime. So, maybe in total, about 1/4 of this book is good and worthwhile. The rest is a total waste of time...See full review on The Book Disciple
April 15, 2019
This was a good true crime book though it was way drawn out as it took more than half of the book to figure out who committed the crime.
Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein seemed to have it all and were living the good life until one terror stricken night when they were attacked in their bed. Lieth passes away from his injuries and Bonnie survives the attack but just barely.
What starts out as a total mystery to the police ends up being something beyond everyone's wildest dreams when the attack seems to lead back to the Von Steins son, Chris and some friends from college who were heavily involved in Dungeons and Dragons.
The whole attack centered around huge life insurance policies that were on both parents as the only ones to benefit from their deaths would be their two children, Chris and Angela.
The book was very slow as the author covered every aspect of the police trying to figure out who was behind the attack which that took up almost three quarters of the book. Only the last few chapters is it revealed who was involved in the attack and how they were brought to justice. Giving this one three stars.
Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein seemed to have it all and were living the good life until one terror stricken night when they were attacked in their bed. Lieth passes away from his injuries and Bonnie survives the attack but just barely.
What starts out as a total mystery to the police ends up being something beyond everyone's wildest dreams when the attack seems to lead back to the Von Steins son, Chris and some friends from college who were heavily involved in Dungeons and Dragons.
The whole attack centered around huge life insurance policies that were on both parents as the only ones to benefit from their deaths would be their two children, Chris and Angela.
The book was very slow as the author covered every aspect of the police trying to figure out who was behind the attack which that took up almost three quarters of the book. Only the last few chapters is it revealed who was involved in the attack and how they were brought to justice. Giving this one three stars.
August 25, 2014
I first encountered this title working at a used bookstore. A customer came in looking for this book about nerdy college kids who play Dungeons and Dragons and form a bizarre plot to murder. I was intrigued and being that it’s a little dated, I had no trouble picking it up at the library. My favorite kind of murder mystery accounts are the ones that DON’T outright tell you who-killed-who, and that’s exactly how Bledsoe handled the case. I’m going to be honest though, it’s a long book (I had to renew it 3 times). It’s split into a couple different parts which was initially frustrating, but all parts interlink and all come together at the end. The report comes off as well written across all 446 pages. I would definitely read another one of Bledsoe’s books!
July 4, 2019
Slow read...glad it's over!
Started off strong, pretty quick paced and facts presented in an interesting fashion. One night I picked up my kindle to read and recognized none of the characters! I thought i was in a different book. Turns out I would endure NUMEROUS long dull chapters, the history of the distant families of the potential killers....I'm talking waaay back in the generations of three or four characters.....to be honest I started skimming! It just took way too long to tell this story. Once the author got to the confessions and the court drama....it was just a lengthy repeat of what we'd heard repeated already....dull, looong, side tracked by unnecessary storylines....just do not start it because if you're like me you'll feel obligated to finish but dread reading it so much that it takes forever! Ugh....so glad it's over and I can move on!
Started off strong, pretty quick paced and facts presented in an interesting fashion. One night I picked up my kindle to read and recognized none of the characters! I thought i was in a different book. Turns out I would endure NUMEROUS long dull chapters, the history of the distant families of the potential killers....I'm talking waaay back in the generations of three or four characters.....to be honest I started skimming! It just took way too long to tell this story. Once the author got to the confessions and the court drama....it was just a lengthy repeat of what we'd heard repeated already....dull, looong, side tracked by unnecessary storylines....just do not start it because if you're like me you'll feel obligated to finish but dread reading it so much that it takes forever! Ugh....so glad it's over and I can move on!
October 7, 2016
This is the second and last book I will read by this author. He fills his books with unrelated facts that appear to only be there to help him meet his page requirement (I don't care about the history of the town where this occurred, I don't care about random background facts about people involved, why do I care that the parole officer was taught to shoot at 16?). Maybe this author just picks boring cases, but I had to force myself to finish it.
November 6, 2020
God, this was a slog to get through !! I found it pretty hard-going and not as good a read as a prior book by him I read. I can't fault the research but if you don't know the back-story (which I did as I've read another book about this case but MANY years ago) you don't realise why certain chapters about some of the protagonists are featured, because you've no idea if they're one of the lawyers he's talking about or one of those to be prosecuted. So I had to go online and look on Google to see who Bart and Neal were, for example, since he brought us all the way through their lives, and I needed to know where each featured. So I found that highly irritating.
All three involved in the murder were rich, bright privileged kids who wanted for nothing and were all a bunch of ungrateful little s*itheads. Chris' sister Angela wasn't a nice person, either. Another waste of space. What was pretty astounding was that considering their combined intelligence, they'd not done their homework and not one realised that Chris wouldn't get any riches till he turned 35 as things stood !! All of that Dungeons and Dragons stuff I find pretty laughable as well. It all sounds like so much guff and always seems to be played by young men who are a bit geeky.
The only person who ever really took any of these kids into hand was Christy Newsom, Bart's probation officer. Their parents paid no attention whatsoever to what any of them were up to at college.....they managed to raise a trio of self-entitled monsters.
There are a lot of police personnel to remember, some from a police department, some from a sheriff's department and others from the SBI. That also made it quite hard-going for me, as I had to keep flicking back 'n' forth to see who worked with who, etc.
There are some pretty shocking errors as well which have ensured I knocked my rating down. A quote right at the beginning by Dostoevsky was credited to Dostoyevski which was pretty appalling and he also, more than once, got people's names totally wrong, which for me is always an unforgivable transgression......so writing Skyton all of a sudden and not Slayton and again with writing Ned and not Neal (!!) There are some apostrophe mistakes and quite a few dropped fullstops and coining written and not coming. Not good.
I still found it most peculiar that Lieth still had a full stomach supposedly something like 7 hours after he ate. The stress explanation for this didn't sit well with me. Seems very strange and you have to wonder about it. Considering what terrible criminals all three of these kids were as well, it's shocking Bart didn't leave more clues behind, either. I liked a couple of great points the prosecutor made...."This was not a case of some deprived person-depraved, maybe, but not deprived" and "Is Lieth Von Stein any less dead because the bat and the knife were wielded by a nineteen year old ?" Very well pointed out. One of the defence lawyers had referred to "difficulties" his client had faced in his life and that was SO much cobblers as they had none of them ever had any difficulty in any of their lives. They were all three rich, entitled kids out to get something for nothing, and for kicks.
I read that 2 of them are now free so let's hope they've learnt their lessons.
All three involved in the murder were rich, bright privileged kids who wanted for nothing and were all a bunch of ungrateful little s*itheads. Chris' sister Angela wasn't a nice person, either. Another waste of space. What was pretty astounding was that considering their combined intelligence, they'd not done their homework and not one realised that Chris wouldn't get any riches till he turned 35 as things stood !! All of that Dungeons and Dragons stuff I find pretty laughable as well. It all sounds like so much guff and always seems to be played by young men who are a bit geeky.
The only person who ever really took any of these kids into hand was Christy Newsom, Bart's probation officer. Their parents paid no attention whatsoever to what any of them were up to at college.....they managed to raise a trio of self-entitled monsters.
There are a lot of police personnel to remember, some from a police department, some from a sheriff's department and others from the SBI. That also made it quite hard-going for me, as I had to keep flicking back 'n' forth to see who worked with who, etc.
There are some pretty shocking errors as well which have ensured I knocked my rating down. A quote right at the beginning by Dostoevsky was credited to Dostoyevski which was pretty appalling and he also, more than once, got people's names totally wrong, which for me is always an unforgivable transgression......so writing Skyton all of a sudden and not Slayton and again with writing Ned and not Neal (!!) There are some apostrophe mistakes and quite a few dropped fullstops and coining written and not coming. Not good.
I still found it most peculiar that Lieth still had a full stomach supposedly something like 7 hours after he ate. The stress explanation for this didn't sit well with me. Seems very strange and you have to wonder about it. Considering what terrible criminals all three of these kids were as well, it's shocking Bart didn't leave more clues behind, either. I liked a couple of great points the prosecutor made...."This was not a case of some deprived person-depraved, maybe, but not deprived" and "Is Lieth Von Stein any less dead because the bat and the knife were wielded by a nineteen year old ?" Very well pointed out. One of the defence lawyers had referred to "difficulties" his client had faced in his life and that was SO much cobblers as they had none of them ever had any difficulty in any of their lives. They were all three rich, entitled kids out to get something for nothing, and for kicks.
I read that 2 of them are now free so let's hope they've learnt their lessons.
July 12, 2019
Jaw dropping (spoilers)
Even though I've read this account before, I'm still shocked by the outcome. I'm not convinced that Neal Henderson wasn't the brightest of his peers. If he thought everything through to the bitter end, well he'd be out in no time. Lo and behold, he is; as of February 2005 and the son of the whole "Game"? Well, he was freed June 2007.
Yet, Bart, the only one that didn't cut a deal, he's still in prison, no longer on death row, but I'm not sure there's much difference.
Justice is a pretty word, imbued with a meaning that I rarely, if ever see in action. I'm not saying that Bart isn't guilty, I don't know, I wasn't on that jury, I didn't know the families, but justice? Bart said it best, "I am appalled and shocked at the verdict, I find it utterly amazing that the testimony of two confessed murderers would be enough to convict anyone to death!"
There was no forensic evidence, nothing except two men who'd cut deals. Even if Bart is guilty, I'm surprised that two confessed liars is all the evidence it takes to put someone to death. It's quite frightening actually. So, the true killer, Chris Pritchard (the guy who set it all in motion) is out spending his dead step-father's inheritance, while suckling at his mother's protective, proverbial, breast. The whole bunch make me sick, attorneys, law enforcement, community, jury, perpetrators, et al.
Even though I've read this account before, I'm still shocked by the outcome. I'm not convinced that Neal Henderson wasn't the brightest of his peers. If he thought everything through to the bitter end, well he'd be out in no time. Lo and behold, he is; as of February 2005 and the son of the whole "Game"? Well, he was freed June 2007.
Yet, Bart, the only one that didn't cut a deal, he's still in prison, no longer on death row, but I'm not sure there's much difference.
Justice is a pretty word, imbued with a meaning that I rarely, if ever see in action. I'm not saying that Bart isn't guilty, I don't know, I wasn't on that jury, I didn't know the families, but justice? Bart said it best, "I am appalled and shocked at the verdict, I find it utterly amazing that the testimony of two confessed murderers would be enough to convict anyone to death!"
There was no forensic evidence, nothing except two men who'd cut deals. Even if Bart is guilty, I'm surprised that two confessed liars is all the evidence it takes to put someone to death. It's quite frightening actually. So, the true killer, Chris Pritchard (the guy who set it all in motion) is out spending his dead step-father's inheritance, while suckling at his mother's protective, proverbial, breast. The whole bunch make me sick, attorneys, law enforcement, community, jury, perpetrators, et al.
June 19, 2020
If you want to know what happened in this true crime case, read Wikipedia. This was nothing more than a collection of every action, thought, word, etc. that the perpetrators and the police went through, line by line. There are no surprises, no suspense. You can figure out who did it pretty quickly and then it takes forever for the police to get any evidence and finally, a confession from one of the perpetrators. I kept reading it because I thought there might be something new, or a surprise ending. No. Don't waste your time
July 9, 2020
Two books in one or should have been.
I did not like all the information about where the characters were born, when, and report cards from grade schools through high school. So much unnecessary background info... I am exhausted from turning back often to check if somehow I had lost my mind and downloaded a totally different title. I finally read the author’s epilogue to read how it ended. Good grief!
I did not like all the information about where the characters were born, when, and report cards from grade schools through high school. So much unnecessary background info... I am exhausted from turning back often to check if somehow I had lost my mind and downloaded a totally different title. I finally read the author’s epilogue to read how it ended. Good grief!
August 23, 2020
If you want detail - this is your book. So much history about characters and shifts in the narrative that at one point I thought I accidentally switched books on my kindle.
I feel like the detail about the characters was a bit too much and then details about the crime were skimmed over. I expected more about how the police finally put it all together (aside from the word of the defendants against each other). Felt a bit lacking on that end. I typically like Jerry Bledsoe books but this was just so-so.
I feel like the detail about the characters was a bit too much and then details about the crime were skimmed over. I expected more about how the police finally put it all together (aside from the word of the defendants against each other). Felt a bit lacking on that end. I typically like Jerry Bledsoe books but this was just so-so.
October 7, 2015
An exhaustive account of a nasty little family crime perpetuated by a bunch of moronic fuckwits who the author spends a great deal of time trying to convince us are otherwise. There's a whole bunch of Dungeons and Dragons stuff thrown in which was apparently A Big Deal in the late 80's when the crime was committed, but which seems only tangentially related to the event now.
January 4, 2010
Pretty good account of same crime as in Joe McGuinness's Cruel Doubt, this time from one of the murderers' point of view. Very decent for the genre, although the hysterical tone about Dungeons and Dragons doesn't help matters.
June 23, 2020
This is an informative, factual account of a world famous case. I was really young when this happened and I knew a little of what had happened but not the whole story. I can't say I feel better for the knowing of it. :/
September 23, 2015
Real life story about three misfits and the disjointed way they grew up and went awry.
August 13, 2020
I think I must have read about this crime before, but didn't remember many details. In this account, I liked the extensive background, but I really don't think that D&D had anything much to do with the crime - drug use, other criminal activity like theft, and complete lack of moral strength or maturity is more than enough to explain the criminal's acts. They could have spent their time playing any game. Now, why these men ended up living such pointlessly violent and wasted lives is an interesting question, and although the background information helps, I'm not sure there is a single explanation for the choice of such a lifestyle. The author makes it clear that intelligence and a middle-class background isn't enough to guarantee success in life. If every child of divorce ended up like these men did, there would be a lot more murders. Another interesting point in this case is how on earth a victim, and someone who was intended to be a victim, could possibly overlook or accept what happened. Even forgiveness does not require that you take someone who nearly managed to have you murdered back into your life. In the book, this aspect doesn't seem to have been tackled as well as other parts of the story. However, the question of how the surviving victims learn to live with the fact that one of the people closest to them is happy to have them brutally murdered is only one part of the story. We have unlikely suspects, young men who would be expected to be doing well at university and moving on with life. We have the punishment of the three being surprisingly unequal, given that it seems clear that they all contributed to the crime. Overall, this was a generally thorough account of an interesting crime.
January 31, 2024
I am a true crime junkie, I admit it. Blood Games was particularly absorbing. True crime is rarely a literary masterpiece, but I look for clarity, lack of bias, and use of details beyond newspaper and court summaries.
This book really fulfills the mission. The story of a group of friends in Raleigh, NC as well as their families. We get to meet the perps as children and then again as college students. Their college lives seemed to center on drugs, drunken parties, and of course, crimes to get money.
These particular friends also enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons. Did that influence them?
I was really absorbed into the lives of the families. I am shocked at the slovenly behavior of the college kids who thought no further than their next scam.
The author takes the reader through their lives, their crimes, and the police investigation of the murder in a small town. I was surprised at how the case developed and what happened thereafter. I am not offering any spoilers because a lot of info was shocking to learn about and why ruin it for the next reader? Well done, MR. Bledsoe.
This book really fulfills the mission. The story of a group of friends in Raleigh, NC as well as their families. We get to meet the perps as children and then again as college students. Their college lives seemed to center on drugs, drunken parties, and of course, crimes to get money.
These particular friends also enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons. Did that influence them?
I was really absorbed into the lives of the families. I am shocked at the slovenly behavior of the college kids who thought no further than their next scam.
The author takes the reader through their lives, their crimes, and the police investigation of the murder in a small town. I was surprised at how the case developed and what happened thereafter. I am not offering any spoilers because a lot of info was shocking to learn about and why ruin it for the next reader? Well done, MR. Bledsoe.
September 5, 2023
Jerry Bledsoe at his Best
I am such a fan of Jerry Bledsoe’s. I read both BITTER BLOOD and BLOOD GAMES and learned quickly that Mr. Bledsoe researched every possibility in his writing before he put his pen to writing. Therefore, I was confident that his work was authentic and masterfully written. He dealt with incomprehensible situations created by his characters and enabled his readers to see his characters as they truly were.
My only regret is he has no more books for me to read… a true talent wasted.
I am such a fan of Jerry Bledsoe’s. I read both BITTER BLOOD and BLOOD GAMES and learned quickly that Mr. Bledsoe researched every possibility in his writing before he put his pen to writing. Therefore, I was confident that his work was authentic and masterfully written. He dealt with incomprehensible situations created by his characters and enabled his readers to see his characters as they truly were.
My only regret is he has no more books for me to read… a true talent wasted.
September 3, 2022
I love the opportunity to read this case from a slightly different perspective. Joe McGinness’ Cruel Doubt is a nice into to the case, but Is definitely a more emotional examination of the story than presented here. Within Blood Games, you get a less histrionic representation of the players and a more balanced examination of the case. (You should still read Cruel Doubt, because it’s a great look at the central victim, but misses the most important parts).
April 16, 2019
Fascinating book!
This was an interesting story of a cold blooded murder in North Carolina which involved a conspiracy by three young men who were brilliant but wasted their lives on drugs, alcohol and an obsession with the game Dungeons and Dragons. I highly recommend it to other true crime readers.
This was an interesting story of a cold blooded murder in North Carolina which involved a conspiracy by three young men who were brilliant but wasted their lives on drugs, alcohol and an obsession with the game Dungeons and Dragons. I highly recommend it to other true crime readers.
June 16, 2019
Good read
I live in North Carolina and I remember when this happened, but I couldn't remember the details and what happened to the boys. I can't say I enjoyed the book because it was sad and really full of pain. But it was absolutely a good, informative book. I do love reading Jerry Bledsoe books.
I live in North Carolina and I remember when this happened, but I couldn't remember the details and what happened to the boys. I can't say I enjoyed the book because it was sad and really full of pain. But it was absolutely a good, informative book. I do love reading Jerry Bledsoe books.
June 26, 2019
True Crime gem
Excellent true crime book with in-depth depiction of young people, drugs, drinking and game playing leading to murder. It is rare when I read a true crime book that I feel sorry for the killers but this time I did. This is a case of greed, drugs, alcohol, privilege and murder. Exceptional book that is a must read for true crime lovers.
Excellent true crime book with in-depth depiction of young people, drugs, drinking and game playing leading to murder. It is rare when I read a true crime book that I feel sorry for the killers but this time I did. This is a case of greed, drugs, alcohol, privilege and murder. Exceptional book that is a must read for true crime lovers.
September 2, 2019
Even Better on the Second Read
This is one fantastic true crime read. It is well written, well researched and just plain hard to put down. I first read it about two and half years ago. This time I think I may have enjoyed it even more. The case almost beggars belief. It was a waste of many lives. Still the story is so well told that is hard to put down.
This is one fantastic true crime read. It is well written, well researched and just plain hard to put down. I first read it about two and half years ago. This time I think I may have enjoyed it even more. The case almost beggars belief. It was a waste of many lives. Still the story is so well told that is hard to put down.
January 13, 2021
A true account of a murder fueled by greed, drug addiction, mental illness, and the influence of the game Dungeons and Dragons. A thought-provoking book that provides evidence of how the violent nature of a game, mixed with fantasy and the influence of the occult could drive an unstable young person to murder.
June 28, 2024
Partying mixed with drugs and drinking. Along with playing dungeons and dragons. Lead Chris and a couple of his college buddies. To do the unthinkable kill his stepdad and injury his mom. It’s a free for all with these three putting the blame on each other. To one of them denying he was even involved.
June 9, 2019
True Crime Story
This is a very good true crime book. It explains a murder that would seem y to be common and easily solved. Theauthor goes into great detail to explain how this murder occurred and the reasons for it.
This is a very good true crime book. It explains a murder that would seem y to be common and easily solved. Theauthor goes into great detail to explain how this murder occurred and the reasons for it.
October 16, 2019
Fascinating Case
I enjoyed Bledsoe’s account of this appalling crime. It did get a bit bogged down in parts with some repeated information, but it’s factual and interesting for fans of true crime. I believe that, even so many years later, we still don’t have all the information.
I enjoyed Bledsoe’s account of this appalling crime. It did get a bit bogged down in parts with some repeated information, but it’s factual and interesting for fans of true crime. I believe that, even so many years later, we still don’t have all the information.
January 15, 2020
Some Relatives Cannot Be Trusted
Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we do try to deceive... or something like that - this was a tangled, but carefully woven web of a story; kept me guessing almost to the end.
Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we do try to deceive... or something like that - this was a tangled, but carefully woven web of a story; kept me guessing almost to the end.
November 9, 2020
An already well covered subject "done better"
I have read other authors and seen media coverage on this case. I am so glad I read this account. The background of moog and nc state are covered in much more detail than in other works.
I have read other authors and seen media coverage on this case. I am so glad I read this account. The background of moog and nc state are covered in much more detail than in other works.
November 30, 2020
Don't Bother Reading This One
Horrible book. Filled with repetitions and irrelevant junk. I normally like this author, but do yourself a favor and skip this one. Not worth the time it takes to wade through the drivel.
Horrible book. Filled with repetitions and irrelevant junk. I normally like this author, but do yourself a favor and skip this one. Not worth the time it takes to wade through the drivel.
November 30, 2020
This is a well-researched book that has a long list of players. If you like crime novels with multiple layers, this is a book you might enjoy. I have a difficult time believing how family members and friends of the accused could support them once the trial was completed. But to each his own!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews