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Citizen Jane: A True Story of Money, Murder, and one Woman's Mission to Put a Killer Behind Bars
Tom O'Donnell had been living off the graces of Jane Alexander for six years, regaling her with his charm and also borrowing money extensively. He would do anything for money--even murder Jane's 88-year-old aunt. After he fled with more than $10,000 of her money, Jane was determined to put him behind bars. This is her story. of photos.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 2, 1999
25 people are currently reading
755 people want to read
About the author
James Dalessandro
10 books55 followersJames Dalessandro was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and started writing poems and short stories at age six. He attended Valley Forge High School, studied journalism at Ohio University, and screenwriting at UCLA Film School. After seeing a documentary on the Beat Poets, he packed his bags and hitchhiked to San Francisco, but upon his arrival, was told he was “10 years too late to be part of it.”
At age 23, he founded The Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ken Kesey; serving as its director from 1973 - 1977. At the time, it was the nation's largest annual literary festival, bringing together the likes of Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, and Gary Snyder to the seaside town of Santa Cruz, CA; breaking attendance records, with 2,000+ people gathering at the Civic Auditorium each night. Ferlinghetti later said, "James Dalessandro has given a rebirth to American poetry. He's one of the new breed of populist poets who has something to say, quite clearly, about life on the wild side."
He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue a career in screenwriting, selling his first screenplay to Motown while still a student at UCLA. He wrote more than 75 trailer campaigns, mostly for Columbia Pictures. After selling more than a dozen screenplays, and his first novel, BOHEMIAN HEART (St. Martin's Press, 1993), an update of the classic Noir San Francisco Detective Thriller, he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995.
James has published four books: “Canary In A Coal Mine” (poetry); “Bohemian Heart; “Citizen Jane” (true crime), and “1906,” a novel about the great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
In 2005, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution he wrote and proposed, on behalf of himself and historian Gladys Hansen, asking that the "official" death count of 478 people be amended to reflect the factually accurate count of "3,000 plus victims;” an event that made international news. On April 18, 2006, the documentary, "The Damnedest, Finest Ruins," which James wrote, directed and produced, was presented at the 100 year Commemorative, drawing more than 50,000 people to the streets of San Francisco. The documentary was picked up by KQED/PBS of San Francisco, and now airs on their Youtube.com channel, "TRULY CALIFORNIA."
In September 2009, the Hallmark Channel aired “Citizen Jane,” a film about the story of Jane Alexander, a Marin County, California woman who spent 13 years tracking down and helping to convict the man who murdered her 88-year-old aunt. Dalessandro wrote the teleplay and served as one of the films producers.
In 2010, “PLAYBOY” Magazine published his 7,000 word article, "PETROSINO vs. THE BLACK HAND," the true story of a NY Shoeshine boy who was drafted into the NYPD, to fight crime in Italian run neighborhoods; beginning what would ultimately turn into an astonishing 26-year-career on the force. James sold a mini-series based on the “PETROSINO” article, to the FX Channel, where he was hired to develop the Pilot episode and Series Bible, with the help of his friend Bobby Moresco, Oscar-winning writer of “CRASH” and “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.”
In April of 2015, the Digital/Kindle edition of “1906” was released on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes Books. Within two hours, it rose to #1 in Historical Fiction/Thriller/Suspense, and #2 in Literary Fiction. It remained in the Top 10 for several weeks, and Top 100 for more than two months. James is currently represented by David Saunders, co-owner and Head of Literary at the APA Agency in Los Angeles.
Dalessandro has lectured at the Cinequest Film Festival and the Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles, CA. He formerly taught "Screenwriting as a Pro" at Fort Mason Art Center in San Francisco, CA. He currently teaches Advanced Screenwriting at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA.
James is married to the former Kathleen "Katie" Callies and has an adopted son, Jeremy
At age 23, he founded The Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ken Kesey; serving as its director from 1973 - 1977. At the time, it was the nation's largest annual literary festival, bringing together the likes of Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, and Gary Snyder to the seaside town of Santa Cruz, CA; breaking attendance records, with 2,000+ people gathering at the Civic Auditorium each night. Ferlinghetti later said, "James Dalessandro has given a rebirth to American poetry. He's one of the new breed of populist poets who has something to say, quite clearly, about life on the wild side."
He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue a career in screenwriting, selling his first screenplay to Motown while still a student at UCLA. He wrote more than 75 trailer campaigns, mostly for Columbia Pictures. After selling more than a dozen screenplays, and his first novel, BOHEMIAN HEART (St. Martin's Press, 1993), an update of the classic Noir San Francisco Detective Thriller, he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995.
James has published four books: “Canary In A Coal Mine” (poetry); “Bohemian Heart; “Citizen Jane” (true crime), and “1906,” a novel about the great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
In 2005, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution he wrote and proposed, on behalf of himself and historian Gladys Hansen, asking that the "official" death count of 478 people be amended to reflect the factually accurate count of "3,000 plus victims;” an event that made international news. On April 18, 2006, the documentary, "The Damnedest, Finest Ruins," which James wrote, directed and produced, was presented at the 100 year Commemorative, drawing more than 50,000 people to the streets of San Francisco. The documentary was picked up by KQED/PBS of San Francisco, and now airs on their Youtube.com channel, "TRULY CALIFORNIA."
In September 2009, the Hallmark Channel aired “Citizen Jane,” a film about the story of Jane Alexander, a Marin County, California woman who spent 13 years tracking down and helping to convict the man who murdered her 88-year-old aunt. Dalessandro wrote the teleplay and served as one of the films producers.
In 2010, “PLAYBOY” Magazine published his 7,000 word article, "PETROSINO vs. THE BLACK HAND," the true story of a NY Shoeshine boy who was drafted into the NYPD, to fight crime in Italian run neighborhoods; beginning what would ultimately turn into an astonishing 26-year-career on the force. James sold a mini-series based on the “PETROSINO” article, to the FX Channel, where he was hired to develop the Pilot episode and Series Bible, with the help of his friend Bobby Moresco, Oscar-winning writer of “CRASH” and “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.”
In April of 2015, the Digital/Kindle edition of “1906” was released on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes Books. Within two hours, it rose to #1 in Historical Fiction/Thriller/Suspense, and #2 in Literary Fiction. It remained in the Top 10 for several weeks, and Top 100 for more than two months. James is currently represented by David Saunders, co-owner and Head of Literary at the APA Agency in Los Angeles.
Dalessandro has lectured at the Cinequest Film Festival and the Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles, CA. He formerly taught "Screenwriting as a Pro" at Fort Mason Art Center in San Francisco, CA. He currently teaches Advanced Screenwriting at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA.
James is married to the former Kathleen "Katie" Callies and has an adopted son, Jeremy
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 21, 2016
This was decent. I wish there was more on the trial or even the crimes this man committed. I thought he would've been far more interesting. It also never fails to amaze me how gullible some people are. Shouldn't there be a ceiling somewhere? Like, wouldn't any normal person think BS when someone says he was a big, huge dealer of blood diamonds kicked out of South Africa and who is getting a huge amount of money from a trust over seas sometime *SOON*? Or, at the very least, try to verify SOME of this?
Still. I felt bad for her. I can't imagine the guilt she felt for having that person in her life and knowing it was probably her connection to him that got her Aunt killed. =/ I
Still. I felt bad for her. I can't imagine the guilt she felt for having that person in her life and knowing it was probably her connection to him that got her Aunt killed. =/ I
February 12, 2016
A Great book, spolied a bit by a ending that wafts off on other tagents which really should have been shortened into an epilouge. However the actualy case is awesome, despite the really annoying spoiler in the book's description. If possibly I'd advise not to read the description. All you need to know is that it is about the hideous murder of an 88 year old woman. She was a lovely person who was kind to all. There is no obvious motive for her very vicious death. It's told from the perspective of her neice who is devistated by her aunt's death. She is determined to find out what kind of low life could have taken her loved one from her!
September 2, 2010
On Wednesday, May 26, 2004 I wrote:
Forgot to update.i did read this book in March and what a good read it was.Really enjoyed this. was very well written and an interesting story. do recommend. (I gave it 9 out of 10 back then)
Forgot to update.i did read this book in March and what a good read it was.Really enjoyed this. was very well written and an interesting story. do recommend. (I gave it 9 out of 10 back then)
February 21, 2016
This is an interesting case, told well, and very competently read by Kevin Pierce. It's a worthwhile listen.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
May 1, 2015
This book warns about how dangerous these con men are.
January 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s about one woman’s crusade to find her aunt’s killer and to ensure that her aunt gets the day in court that she deserves, regardless of the case’s outcome. I admire Jane’s tenacity throughout the tedious ten years that it took to find her aunt’s killer and to have him convicted no matter the hardships and how close to home the investigation took the police. Although Jane’s search for justice is not an unusual occurrence for many victim’s and their families, as many have to navigate the exorbitant amount of red tape and pitfalls that plague the American Justice System. But, most importantly Jane took her experiences and all the things she learned along the way to try and help other victim’s families find the killers of their loved ones so that they may get their day in court.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime and criminal justice novels as well as books that empower victims and their families during difficult and unprecedented times.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime and criminal justice novels as well as books that empower victims and their families during difficult and unprecedented times.
September 6, 2017
Definitely
worth the read. A little on the long side, but gaining justice takes longer than it should...I'm amazed a woman of Jane's age was able to do all she was able to do, amazed.
worth the read. A little on the long side, but gaining justice takes longer than it should...I'm amazed a woman of Jane's age was able to do all she was able to do, amazed.
July 29, 2019
"One woman's mission to put a killer behind bars" makes a great byline, but far from what is written in the book. More like "completely hoodwinked woman finally faces reality, and is harrassed into assisting authorities with putting a murder behind bars"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2020
Wow
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The effort by Jane to find justice for her aunt and to keep going is amazing. The fact that her and others formed a group to fight for the justice of murder victims while dealing with their own tragedies. Justice can be found.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The effort by Jane to find justice for her aunt and to keep going is amazing. The fact that her and others formed a group to fight for the justice of murder victims while dealing with their own tragedies. Justice can be found.
June 4, 2023
Absolutely utterly fascinating story. Jane Alexander refused to give up on finding and prosecuting the person who killed her beloved Aunt Gert.
The only reason I did not rate this 5 stars is due to the many editing mistakes.
The only reason I did not rate this 5 stars is due to the many editing mistakes.
July 24, 2019
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that it had an actual woman in her 60s as the protagonist - not a stereotype of a little old lady. The true story is heartbreaking and shocking.
September 22, 2020
A niece pursues the killer of her dear aunt.
November 17, 2020
love a good murder mystery
March 22, 2021
Could have been an interesting read. But the way it was written bored me and I just couldn’t get through it. I may try reading it again someday. But fir now it’s in my kindle library
March 19, 2022
Another true crime story that was riveting and well written. Reading these true crime stories makes me nervous about our justice system at times.
August 29, 2025
I salute Jane’s dogged determination for justice.
November 20, 2015
This is a story that needed to be told. Jane Alexander is every woman, widowed or otherwise single, who ever thought herself in a perfect relationship with a wonderful man who treated her like a queen, only to find out later that she was living with a con man. Sometimes all that's lost is pride and perhaps some money, but Jane lost almost everything she held dear, including her elderly Aunt Gert, who was murdered brutally to speed up Jane's inheritance so her "partner" could get access to it. He also took over $200,000 from her so she lost her beautiful Marin County, CA home.
Jane's initial denial of Tom's guilt, then the gradual process of ultimately accepting that he was the murderer, rang true to me. Following this, her persistent prodding of the police department to pursue him not only ultimately brought on a warrant for murder one but led her to other victims' family members who had waited years for justice. A group she and another survivor of a murder victim formed began assisting others in their journey toward solving the crimes.
I enjoyed the read very much. It's a fascinating story. One star off for errors, though.
Jane's initial denial of Tom's guilt, then the gradual process of ultimately accepting that he was the murderer, rang true to me. Following this, her persistent prodding of the police department to pursue him not only ultimately brought on a warrant for murder one but led her to other victims' family members who had waited years for justice. A group she and another survivor of a murder victim formed began assisting others in their journey toward solving the crimes.
I enjoyed the read very much. It's a fascinating story. One star off for errors, though.
July 4, 2012
This is an engaging true-crime read that is sure to please dedicated fans of the genre. The prose is very plain, and the author sometimes doesn't give a broad enough view to understand the larger legal and societal context of the story, but essentially the book works.
Some readers, myself included, may become frustrated with Jane Alexander's incredible naiveté, and the author does portray her gullibility thoroughly. Even given her generation, I find it hard to understand how someone could be so easily swindled. Jane comes off as a relatively privileged woman who essentially allowed herself to be a sort of dependent "pet" to the men in her life. But as the book makes clear, there are many, many people who can be swindled in this way. If you have an older relative who is a bit on the gullible side, buy this book and make them read it.
Some readers, myself included, may become frustrated with Jane Alexander's incredible naiveté, and the author does portray her gullibility thoroughly. Even given her generation, I find it hard to understand how someone could be so easily swindled. Jane comes off as a relatively privileged woman who essentially allowed herself to be a sort of dependent "pet" to the men in her life. But as the book makes clear, there are many, many people who can be swindled in this way. If you have an older relative who is a bit on the gullible side, buy this book and make them read it.
November 2, 2015
This book will make you stand up and cheer as you choke back tears
I read a lot of true crime, and without hesitation or doubt, this is one of the best books I have read. The writing is flawless: smooth and swift, the story carries you breathlessly forward. This is a story of a genuine heroine; someone you will be glad you got to know. Someone we all need to be more like: true citizens, true citizens, active, involved citizens of our great nation. I believe it was Franklin who said: We leave you a democracy, let us see if you can keep it. That goes for our justice system as well. Read this book. If you want to learn how to survive and thrive, how to fight back, how to assure the good guys win and keep on winning, read this book. Thank you Jane Alexander. And thank you James Dalessandro for telling her story.
I read a lot of true crime, and without hesitation or doubt, this is one of the best books I have read. The writing is flawless: smooth and swift, the story carries you breathlessly forward. This is a story of a genuine heroine; someone you will be glad you got to know. Someone we all need to be more like: true citizens, true citizens, active, involved citizens of our great nation. I believe it was Franklin who said: We leave you a democracy, let us see if you can keep it. That goes for our justice system as well. Read this book. If you want to learn how to survive and thrive, how to fight back, how to assure the good guys win and keep on winning, read this book. Thank you Jane Alexander. And thank you James Dalessandro for telling her story.
February 6, 2012
We met the author James Dalessandro at a Road Scholar event in San Francisco. He is an engaging presenter who loves to tell stories about people who have impacted the world around them.
As a result I am not surprised that he has effective engaged the reader in a story of resilience about a woman who experienced tragedy caused by the very person she had grown to trust. Her story depicts how hard it is to believe what is true when a crimes have been committed by someone who has been loving and upon whom she depended. Jane did face the reality and did bring about justice.
The author told us that there is a TV series called Citizen Jane is in the process of being produced. I am waiting and watching.
As a result I am not surprised that he has effective engaged the reader in a story of resilience about a woman who experienced tragedy caused by the very person she had grown to trust. Her story depicts how hard it is to believe what is true when a crimes have been committed by someone who has been loving and upon whom she depended. Jane did face the reality and did bring about justice.
The author told us that there is a TV series called Citizen Jane is in the process of being produced. I am waiting and watching.
October 18, 2015
A real page turner
I thought I would be disappointed with this book given that early on it's self apparent who committed the murder. But I wasn't. James Dalessandro did a nice job keeping me interested with details of the crime that would later come back to haunt the perpetrator. He also throws you a couple little curves in discovering some circumstantial evidence long after the crime has been committed. The effect here is that of shoving you the reader over the edge in establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. At one point with the introduction of new evidence, even the defendant puts his face into his hands. A story of the triumph of a victim and victims everywhere this one will not disappoint you.
I thought I would be disappointed with this book given that early on it's self apparent who committed the murder. But I wasn't. James Dalessandro did a nice job keeping me interested with details of the crime that would later come back to haunt the perpetrator. He also throws you a couple little curves in discovering some circumstantial evidence long after the crime has been committed. The effect here is that of shoving you the reader over the edge in establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. At one point with the introduction of new evidence, even the defendant puts his face into his hands. A story of the triumph of a victim and victims everywhere this one will not disappoint you.
September 20, 2016
This true story chronicles the actions of a con man turned murderer to fulfil his greed. The victims niece, Jane, is also a victim to the conman who is living with her and she is bilked out of all her money, her house and is left homeless. But instead of crumbling Jane fights for justice for her murdered Aunt Gert.
This superbly written story places the reader in the same roller coaster experience as Jane while she hunts to get Aunt Gert justice for her own brutal murder.
Well written, this story draws the reader into the thoughts, feelings, frustrations and excitement of a determined victim seeking justice for her murdered aunt where the conman could get away with murder !
Absolutely Incredible ! I could not put this book down.
This superbly written story places the reader in the same roller coaster experience as Jane while she hunts to get Aunt Gert justice for her own brutal murder.
Well written, this story draws the reader into the thoughts, feelings, frustrations and excitement of a determined victim seeking justice for her murdered aunt where the conman could get away with murder !
Absolutely Incredible ! I could not put this book down.
August 22, 2016
This was ok, I guess, but I get the feeling I was meant to fall in love with Jane and admire her resourcefulness and drive. Instead, while she undeniably had some terrible things happen to her, and did respond with drive, I just didn't like her that much, which put me in conflict with the author.
From previous reviews I was expecting a twist that never came (spoiler: to be posted when I get on an actual computer), and I was left with a Hallmark movie of a crime.
From previous reviews I was expecting a twist that never came (spoiler: to be posted when I get on an actual computer), and I was left with a Hallmark movie of a crime.
March 11, 2016
True murder
This book was so well written. It was such a sad story for Jane. I wanted her to win no matter what. It is so very sad what Tom put her through. But I don't see her as a victim anymore. I wish I was half as strong as this woman is. Well worth the read. Tom, I hope you rot. I never felt so strongly about a murder as I did about this one.
This book was so well written. It was such a sad story for Jane. I wanted her to win no matter what. It is so very sad what Tom put her through. But I don't see her as a victim anymore. I wish I was half as strong as this woman is. Well worth the read. Tom, I hope you rot. I never felt so strongly about a murder as I did about this one.
December 6, 2015
Good read
I don't like writing reviews as I an not well spoken. I enjoyed this book. It was a good read.
I don't like writing reviews as I an not well spoken. I enjoyed this book. It was a good read.
May 30, 2016
If you are a fan of NBC Dateline I think you will enjoy this true crime story. But, it does give you a depressing view of the criminal justice system.
March 11, 2016
This was a heartbreaking read about misused trust a brutal murder and greed in its most evil form.
For a in depth review please go to my blog
www.readingghost.blogspot.dk
For a in depth review please go to my blog
www.readingghost.blogspot.dk
April 6, 2016
Great read!
I just could not put this book down! So well written and couldn't wait to find out what the next chapter would bring. Would definitely recommend.
I just could not put this book down! So well written and couldn't wait to find out what the next chapter would bring. Would definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews