Lipstick and Blood

by John Kearney

4-Sided Love Triangle

Michelle Hetzel, Keary Renner, and Devon Guzman were three high school girls who shared a their lesbian desires. After high school, Michelle married Brandon Bloss, 25, while Keary and Devon lived together. Michelle used her husband's credit card to finance a trip for herself and Devon to the island of St. Croix, where they were secretly wed. Back home in Easton, Pennsylvania, on a night in June 2000, Devon broke up with Michelle, and a series of violent quarrels ensued among the foursome. The next day, Devon was found dead in her car.

Geometry Of Murder

Devon's death was murder made to look like suicide. Her throat had been cut clear through to the spine. Who was the killer? Keary Renner had been physically abusive to Devon in their relationship. Michelle was furious at being rejected by Devon. And Brandon Bloss wanted his wife to stay faithful to him. Forensic evidence indicated that Brandon and Michelle were the culprits. A jury agreed, sentencing them both to life prison terms. Here is a searing true account of secret lives, lethal passions--and savage murder.

Includes 16 pages of shocking photos.

John Kearney has been an award-winning newspaper and science writer for fifteen years and served for three years as a writer and editor for Diagnostics Intelligence, a scientific publication on blood and DNA testing. He lives in New Jersey.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

John Kearney has been an award-winning newspaper and science writer for fifteen years and served for three years as a writer and editor for Diagnostics Intelligence, a scientific publication on blood and DNA testing. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews

[Lyne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went to HS with these girls and knew one of them personally. After 11 months of trying to get through this I gave up. The writting was so bad and the same description of the murder area was given over and over and over...etc. Still so sorry for Devon's family.

[Leanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very poor writing style but the story of the murder and trial is interesting.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Highly recommend.

[Bri Barkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually the true crime books I read only have a chapter or 2 on the trial but literally half this book was of the trial which at first I didn't like but later on it was actually kind of neat to hear the story from a trial aspect rather than from a detective aspect.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is 80% trial. Junk.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love triangle leads to violence

[Vicki Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

not really a review, but my book had 423 pages

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

True-crime story about a love triangle gone wrong. The murder occurred in Easton in 2000. The book focuses mainly on the trial, but is peppered with insights from the many of those who were involved--peripherally--to the murder: the father of the dead girl, various friends and relatives, police, attorneys, and so forth. The trial didn't resolve the biggest question--Who actually committed the murder?--and the book doesn't pretend to offer easy answers. Instead the author lays out the details of confused and convoluted relationships, and chronicles various confessions, police interviews, forensic evidence, and theories of trained investigators, and lets the reader sort through the messiness of the lives involved. It's a sad story, but a good read, made more so for me because its setting is familiar to me.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three high school girls, seemingly bi-sexual, this is a story of jealousy and murder and how deception and lies can lead some people to do something horrible.... this was the murder of Devon Guzman and what led up to and after the murder...their lives and how they were entwined.

[Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly mind blowing, but a pretty decent true crime book.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A straightforward account. Not great, but not bad.

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved it john got right to the point on everything

[. · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a courtroom drama book than anything else, but still entertaining regardless.

[Diane Wheat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not well edited.

[Kelly Mcquaid]

Its about my cousin devon so even though i never met her.. i know alot about her now

[Jacquelyn Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book! very detailed. I have to admit when I read over the autopsy part I almost threw up. Devon loved Kerry and she also loved Michelle. Kerry loved Devon and wanted her for herself. they were already living together in an apartment. but Devon just couldn't put Michelle behind who was married to Brandon. I think Michelle married Brandon for all the wrong reasons. Brandon wanted to save his marriage and needed Devon out of the picture. Devon kept going back to Kerry which made Michelle hurt and find comfort in her husband. with how they described her autopsy, this was the work of 2 people. Brandon and Michelle murdered Devon because each had a different jealousy reason. they made roo many mistakes to cover their trails. if it wasn't for the evidence and innocent person would have been convicted and the guilty would have been free.