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Ripped from the Headlines!: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies’ Most Memorable Crimes
Bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter explores the real-life headline-making psychos, serial murderers, thrill-hungry couples, and lady-killers who inspired a century of classic films.
The necktie murders in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy; Chicago’s Jazz Age crime of passion; the fatal hookup in Looking for Mr. Goodbar; the high school horrors committed by the costumed slasher in Scream. These and other cinematic crimes have become part of pop-culture history. And each found inspiration in true events that provided the raw material for our greatest blockbusters, indie art films, black comedies, Hollywood classics, and grindhouse horrors.
So what’s the reality behind Psycho, Badlands, The Hills Have Eyes, A Place in the Sun, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Dirty Harry? How did such tabloid-ready killers as Bonnie and Clyde, body snatchers Burke and Hare, Texas sniper Charles Whitman Jr., nurse-slayer Richard Speck, and Leopold and Loeb exert their power on the public imagination and become the stuff of movie lore?
In this collection of revelatory essays, true-crime historian Harold Schechter takes a fascinating trip down the crossroads of fact and fiction to reveal the sensational real-life stories that are more shocking, taboo, and fantastic than even the most imaginative screenwriter can dream up.
The necktie murders in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy; Chicago’s Jazz Age crime of passion; the fatal hookup in Looking for Mr. Goodbar; the high school horrors committed by the costumed slasher in Scream. These and other cinematic crimes have become part of pop-culture history. And each found inspiration in true events that provided the raw material for our greatest blockbusters, indie art films, black comedies, Hollywood classics, and grindhouse horrors.
So what’s the reality behind Psycho, Badlands, The Hills Have Eyes, A Place in the Sun, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Dirty Harry? How did such tabloid-ready killers as Bonnie and Clyde, body snatchers Burke and Hare, Texas sniper Charles Whitman Jr., nurse-slayer Richard Speck, and Leopold and Loeb exert their power on the public imagination and become the stuff of movie lore?
In this collection of revelatory essays, true-crime historian Harold Schechter takes a fascinating trip down the crossroads of fact and fiction to reveal the sensational real-life stories that are more shocking, taboo, and fantastic than even the most imaginative screenwriter can dream up.
374 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2020
1375 people are currently reading
1240 people want to read
About the author
Harold Schechter
78 books1,396 followersAka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
July 6, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book is 7 July 2020
First of all, I must say this book is not for everyone. You really have to be a lover of old movies and history to really appreciate it. Fortunately, I am both and found the stories behind the stories quite interesting. There were more moments that I felt like I was reading a textbook but for the most part the pace of the stories were spot on. I am really interested in seeing what else this author has written
First of all, I must say this book is not for everyone. You really have to be a lover of old movies and history to really appreciate it. Fortunately, I am both and found the stories behind the stories quite interesting. There were more moments that I felt like I was reading a textbook but for the most part the pace of the stories were spot on. I am really interested in seeing what else this author has written
July 6, 2020
First of all, I must say this book is not for everyone. You really have to be a lover of old movies and history to really appreciate it. Fortunately, I am both and found the stories behind the stories quite interesting. There were more moments that I felt like I was reading a textbook but for the most part the pace of the stories were spot on. I am really interested in seeing what else this author has written.
September 21, 2022
This was an awesome premise! It made me go to Netflix to,see if I could find any of these movies. But the way the book the actual crime and the movies all tied together. I would love another book in this series.
September 12, 2020
In this book, true-crime writer Harold Schechter surveys more than 40 crime movies that were more or less closely based on true crimes. He describes the movie plots and compares them to the real events that inspired them.
Some of the connections between the film and the original crime appear to be quite attenuated. For example, the plot of Fritz Lang's 1937 movie You Only Live Twice, starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda, only barely resembles the Bonnie and Clyde story by which it was allegedly inspired. Schechter makes the connection via an anecdote in which novelist Theodore Dreiser suggests to Sidney and producer Walter Wanger that if a movie were to be made about the two bank robbers, Sidney would be perfect for the role of Bonnie.
Nevertheless, as a fan of film noir and other crime movies, as well as a sometime true-crime reader, I found the book to be entertaining and quite informative. I was not previously familiar with a lot of the crimes, but now, if and when I watch some of the movies (I haven’t seen the majority of them), I’ll have more background. For those who may be put off by the title, I would say that it’s unnecessarily sensational (although I guess it might help to sell copies) and that the book itself is a serious look at the movies and the events that inspired them.
Some of the connections between the film and the original crime appear to be quite attenuated. For example, the plot of Fritz Lang's 1937 movie You Only Live Twice, starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda, only barely resembles the Bonnie and Clyde story by which it was allegedly inspired. Schechter makes the connection via an anecdote in which novelist Theodore Dreiser suggests to Sidney and producer Walter Wanger that if a movie were to be made about the two bank robbers, Sidney would be perfect for the role of Bonnie.
Nevertheless, as a fan of film noir and other crime movies, as well as a sometime true-crime reader, I found the book to be entertaining and quite informative. I was not previously familiar with a lot of the crimes, but now, if and when I watch some of the movies (I haven’t seen the majority of them), I’ll have more background. For those who may be put off by the title, I would say that it’s unnecessarily sensational (although I guess it might help to sell copies) and that the book itself is a serious look at the movies and the events that inspired them.
September 2, 2021
5 stars audio
3 stars story
3 stars story
August 27, 2020
Do you love movies?
Do you love True-crime books?
This is both. A carefully curated collection of films that were 'based' on a true crime.
(Sorry kids Fargo isn't in there)
This is well written, fascinating and astonishing. We get classics like Fritz Lang's M and modern film like Alpha Dog. I haven't seen a majority of the movies but that didn't make it a bit less enjoyable.
I read it more or less straight through but the Movies are presented in their own chapters so you could dip in and out.
i loved it,
Do you love True-crime books?
This is both. A carefully curated collection of films that were 'based' on a true crime.
(Sorry kids Fargo isn't in there)
This is well written, fascinating and astonishing. We get classics like Fritz Lang's M and modern film like Alpha Dog. I haven't seen a majority of the movies but that didn't make it a bit less enjoyable.
I read it more or less straight through but the Movies are presented in their own chapters so you could dip in and out.
i loved it,
June 3, 2020
Ripped From The Headlines! Kind of......what he did was found movies that had been made from shocking true crime headlines and then told them for a third time. He used the real life names and in parentheses he put the name of the actor who played the part in the movie. The way it was written made me cringe, leaving out the actors names would have completely reformulated the book into a readable higher starred book.
December 14, 2020
This is an excellent read that blends true crime accounts with the often unsettling films inspired and born of them. I simply can't find enough superlatives to describe how I feel. Some of these films and their real life bases are rather obscure; some getting brief newspaper coverage. While other are so notable, so remarkable, that they'll likely live on in infamy for as long as human memory can allow. Overall a great compilation of the factual and the fictitious.
January 5, 2025
"Shocking true stories" is most definitely not an understatement. This is an intense drive through the true crimes that inspired 40 movies, both famous and not so famous.
Hold on to your hat!
Hold on to your hat!
June 3, 2020
I have a love/hate with Harold Schechter. I'm a huge true crime fan, along with the majority of America, but I've found that Schechter, who obviously was an incredibly important figure in the behavioral analysis of criminals and creating the idea of a "profile," likes to really pat himself on the back over and over in his books and it starts to grate on you.
However, I recently read one of the novellas he wrote for Amazon, The Pied Piper, and enjoyed it. It was very cut and dried, and not as editorialized as many of his other books, and it was about someone I had never heard about, so I wanted to try this book (shoutout to Netgalley for the ARC).
I am torn on this book. My previous annoyances with the author are not present in this book, which is great. He does give his opinion on many of the movies and actors/actresses, which is fine. But I still wasn't overly impressed with it.
The premise of the book is that there are a lot of movies out there, and many are based on actual crimes people don't know about. I found this surprising, because so many movies (like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) love to say they are "based on real events" even if the connection is tenuous, because it impresses viewers and ups the scare factor. I enjoyed learning about these crimes because I had not heard of many of them. Some are more famous, such as the crimes behind Chicago, Child 44, etc., but others are relatively unknown.
The format seemed off. In some cases, Schechter talked about the movie first, and then the crime. In others, he wrote about the crime first, and then the movie. In the case of Andrei Chikatilo, Schechter wrote about Child 44, in which a serial killer is not recognized by the police because serial killers were considered a "capitalist problem," and in Communist Russia, they would not admit that it could happen; to the Chikatilo murders; to Citizen X, an HBO movie that is based on Chikatilo. The problem is that he describes Child 44, and then says it's a complete work of fiction, discusses Chikatilo, and then discusses Citizen X, which is actually based on the real events. So why was Child 44 in there? Maybe he just liked the movie?
Another thing I had a problem with surprised me - it is INCREDIBLY graphic. Now if you've read about Dahmer, Kemper, Gein, you know people are MESSED UP and capable of things you'd never consider. It's part of what fascinates us about true crime - trying to figure out how a human being can do this to other humans; it's this need to understand why some people do this, but others don't. It's why nature vs. nurture has been a debate in psychology for so long.
However, it's one thing to read a book about Andrei Chikatilo, and to learn about his backstory, and how the first profile written in Russia was written to catch this man, and the methods used to catch him, and how the politics of the country and the time allowed this killer to continue his murders for so long, but it's quite another to just have all of this put into a couple of pages and to have a paragraph detailing EXACTLY everything he did to the children, in a list format. It seemed almost disrespectful, in a way. I mean, I'm reading about Arsenic and Old Lace, this comedy, and the murders that were behind it, and then boom - learning about the most horrific things I've ever read in my life being done to children. It is incredibly jarring and upsetting. If you think I'm being too sensitive, check the spoilers for a brief description so you know if you can handle this or not .
I don't think that everyone who picks up this book is going to expect these gory details. They want to know what crimes are behind these movies, sure, but I'm not sure they want to know that Charles Starkweather .
Also, I read this on my phone through the kindle app, and there were photos, but they were so small I couldn't see anything at all.
So we have pros: stories I hadn't heard, learning about these movies and actors and actresses, true crime
Cons: photos are too small, writing is too graphic, format seems off
However, I recently read one of the novellas he wrote for Amazon, The Pied Piper, and enjoyed it. It was very cut and dried, and not as editorialized as many of his other books, and it was about someone I had never heard about, so I wanted to try this book (shoutout to Netgalley for the ARC).
I am torn on this book. My previous annoyances with the author are not present in this book, which is great. He does give his opinion on many of the movies and actors/actresses, which is fine. But I still wasn't overly impressed with it.
The premise of the book is that there are a lot of movies out there, and many are based on actual crimes people don't know about. I found this surprising, because so many movies (like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) love to say they are "based on real events" even if the connection is tenuous, because it impresses viewers and ups the scare factor. I enjoyed learning about these crimes because I had not heard of many of them. Some are more famous, such as the crimes behind Chicago, Child 44, etc., but others are relatively unknown.
The format seemed off. In some cases, Schechter talked about the movie first, and then the crime. In others, he wrote about the crime first, and then the movie. In the case of Andrei Chikatilo, Schechter wrote about Child 44, in which a serial killer is not recognized by the police because serial killers were considered a "capitalist problem," and in Communist Russia, they would not admit that it could happen; to the Chikatilo murders; to Citizen X, an HBO movie that is based on Chikatilo. The problem is that he describes Child 44, and then says it's a complete work of fiction, discusses Chikatilo, and then discusses Citizen X, which is actually based on the real events. So why was Child 44 in there? Maybe he just liked the movie?
Another thing I had a problem with surprised me - it is INCREDIBLY graphic. Now if you've read about Dahmer, Kemper, Gein, you know people are MESSED UP and capable of things you'd never consider. It's part of what fascinates us about true crime - trying to figure out how a human being can do this to other humans; it's this need to understand why some people do this, but others don't. It's why nature vs. nurture has been a debate in psychology for so long.
However, it's one thing to read a book about Andrei Chikatilo, and to learn about his backstory, and how the first profile written in Russia was written to catch this man, and the methods used to catch him, and how the politics of the country and the time allowed this killer to continue his murders for so long, but it's quite another to just have all of this put into a couple of pages and to have a paragraph detailing EXACTLY everything he did to the children, in a list format. It seemed almost disrespectful, in a way. I mean, I'm reading about Arsenic and Old Lace, this comedy, and the murders that were behind it, and then boom - learning about the most horrific things I've ever read in my life being done to children. It is incredibly jarring and upsetting. If you think I'm being too sensitive, check the spoilers for a brief description so you know if you can handle this or not .
I don't think that everyone who picks up this book is going to expect these gory details. They want to know what crimes are behind these movies, sure, but I'm not sure they want to know that Charles Starkweather .
Also, I read this on my phone through the kindle app, and there were photos, but they were so small I couldn't see anything at all.
So we have pros: stories I hadn't heard, learning about these movies and actors and actresses, true crime
Cons: photos are too small, writing is too graphic, format seems off
June 4, 2020
True crime aficionados and movie buffs know that murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) and that Elephant (2003) was informed by the Columbine shootings, but they might be surprised to learn that the killers in Scream and The Hills Have Eyes have real-world counterparts, too. With this riveting compendium, true crime guru Schechter (Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men) provides the ghoulish details behind 40 films, from classics such as Arsenic and Old Lace to grindhouse fare including Eaten Alive! Every entry summarizes the movie (beware spoilers) and offers Schechter’s account of the crime. He also expands his discussion when a killer has inspired several movies—Ed Gein, the basis for Psycho’s Norman Bates, also influenced The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
VERDICT: Schechter’s expertise is such that three of his previous titles appear as works cited in this well-researched and gripping read. This fascinating look at the intersection of true crime and pop culture is a must.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?revie...
VERDICT: Schechter’s expertise is such that three of his previous titles appear as works cited in this well-researched and gripping read. This fascinating look at the intersection of true crime and pop culture is a must.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?revie...
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February 4, 20213.5
March 19, 2020
Review to come!
May 28, 2021
As enjoyable as a book about murder, murder, murder can be. Quite well written. Has made me want to go back and visit some old 1930s and forward to present-day films. I think I'd get more from some of the early black-and-white films now having read this book. It's a great bed-time book, too, because of the containment of each film and its story within one chapter. Definitely for film buffs, and true-crime afficianadoes.
September 10, 2020
What It’s About:
In this book, true crime historian Harold Schechter, takes us on an entertaining and exciting journey into the world of popular crime movies and the true stories that inspired them.
My thoughts: Oh wow. This is one unique true crime book I’ve read so far. There are about forty movies discussed in this book and even though I’ve watched the newer ones (The Hills Have Eyes, The Strangers, Scream, Murder on the Orient Express), I have no idea that there were inspired by true events! So, that definitely was an eye-opening experience.
I took my time reading this book. Not only that there are quite a lot of movies discussed in this book, but half of them are older movies such as Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), The Phenix City Story (1955), and many many more. And at this point, I am so thankful for Google and YouTube! I watched the trailers and googled some pictures too. Speaking of pictures, I wish that there were more photo inserts of both the movies and perpetrators.
In a nutshell, this is an interesting and different true crime book, and if you’re a movie buff and true crime fan, give this a go! It is not a book to be read in one sitting, and heads up on some cases like Burke & Hare, Rostov Ripper, Ed Gein, The Keddie Murders which contain some graphic depictions of violence.
My thoughts: Oh wow. This is one unique true crime book I’ve read so far. There are about forty movies discussed in this book and even though I’ve watched the newer ones (The Hills Have Eyes, The Strangers, Scream, Murder on the Orient Express), I have no idea that there were inspired by true events! So, that definitely was an eye-opening experience.
I took my time reading this book. Not only that there are quite a lot of movies discussed in this book, but half of them are older movies such as Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), The Phenix City Story (1955), and many many more. And at this point, I am so thankful for Google and YouTube! I watched the trailers and googled some pictures too. Speaking of pictures, I wish that there were more photo inserts of both the movies and perpetrators.
In a nutshell, this is an interesting and different true crime book, and if you’re a movie buff and true crime fan, give this a go! It is not a book to be read in one sitting, and heads up on some cases like Burke & Hare, Rostov Ripper, Ed Gein, The Keddie Murders which contain some graphic depictions of violence.
May 17, 2020
I was given a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
I am really disappointed in this book. The bare bones could have made for a 4 or 5 star read. The movie choices are interesting. The cases are interesting. This issue is that the author doesn't know how to be objective. The movie summaries are filled with his opinions of what the movie are about and not the facts. Also over an over I kept being bothered by how he described women. Their bodies, their sexual behavior and more. I found that the author could not but help to constantly describe women's bodies when he didn't need to. Also the fatphobia in the Honeymoon Killers was just too much. When writing nonfiction you're supposed to be objective. This book fails at that. Also I noticed a couple factual errors in the crimes he covered. So in the end this was just not for me at all.
I am really disappointed in this book. The bare bones could have made for a 4 or 5 star read. The movie choices are interesting. The cases are interesting. This issue is that the author doesn't know how to be objective. The movie summaries are filled with his opinions of what the movie are about and not the facts. Also over an over I kept being bothered by how he described women. Their bodies, their sexual behavior and more. I found that the author could not but help to constantly describe women's bodies when he didn't need to. Also the fatphobia in the Honeymoon Killers was just too much. When writing nonfiction you're supposed to be objective. This book fails at that. Also I noticed a couple factual errors in the crimes he covered. So in the end this was just not for me at all.
March 22, 2020
This book certainly has some great elements. It covers an incredible range of films and gives the intricate backstory of a lot of the stories they were gleaned from, whilst also describing in short synopsises what the movie derived from them. The criticism I have of the book is that it felt somewhat undulating, and a lot of the movies included were not ones that you would have heard of, nor would you anticipate to be included. I just wish that this had gone beyond the scope of true crime and into other true stories that had been ripped from the headlines too- it would have broken the monotony up a bit and been more cohesive. It is certainly well-written, and it covers an amazing breadth of knowledge, but I just wanted a little more from it.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy!
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy!
May 5, 2020
I spent every spare moment trying, again and again, to fall into this book. I love true crime, and hoped to love the correlation between those crimes and films I may have seen. However, this just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to.
I will say though, that I learned several things I did not know prior to reading this book. The author is very knowledgeable, and I found the facts intriguing despite not feeling as though I could not put the book down.
I will say though, that I learned several things I did not know prior to reading this book. The author is very knowledgeable, and I found the facts intriguing despite not feeling as though I could not put the book down.
May 14, 2020
I received a copy of this book in from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fascinating look at films that have been based on actual crimes. I had no idea that "Alpha Dogs" was based on a true story!
It gives a synopsis of the movie and the crimes.
I quite enjoyed it!
This is a fascinating look at films that have been based on actual crimes. I had no idea that "Alpha Dogs" was based on a true story!
It gives a synopsis of the movie and the crimes.
I quite enjoyed it!
November 20, 2020
My two favorite things true crime and movies.....
March 13, 2021
I really, really enjoyed this book. I am interested in historical true crime, not contemporary. I thought I'd read one or two just to see what it was like but ended up reading it all and could go back and reread parts. The real appeal for me in this one is not the crime, but the movies which used the crime as inspiration and this included a lot of early films. Some of which I knew only the title and not really what the movie was about--Butterfield 8, for example-- and now have a list of movies I want to see. Checking other reviews I see that some of the true crime people feel the crimes were given short shrift, but since I found the film aspect more interesting I consider that a plus. A few times more graphic detail was given than I cared for, but for the most part Schechter was restrained. I also liked his film commentary, which often contained a critique as well. The book is broken up into chapters by movie name, though other films may appear if they used the same basic plot. There are some contemporary horror fest types, but many are more in the classic film vein. Films included Arsenic and Old Lace, Rope (and Compulsion), Shadow of a Doubt, Night of the Hunter, M, Badlands, and Chicago. There are around 40 in chapters, with others mentioned. There is an index.
November 23, 2021
Made it through about half of this book and then just had to set it aside. Was not that interesting to me, maybe because I'm not really a 'true crime' fan. Reading about the first 3 or 4 movies/crimes was OK but it just didn't hold my interest. Don't really like leaving books unfinished, but wanted to move on to something else.
October 18, 2020
Some really notable facts in this one, tying mostly older movies into the true crimes they are based on. A few hidden gems of facts, too. Engaging and interesting.
November 16, 2020
Mildly interesting series of stories linking famous crimes with their depictions in movies.
January 6, 2021
This was a fun book
July 11, 2022
esperava mtooooo mais
May 12, 2023
The introduction should state, “full synopsis with spoilers ahead!”
Yeah, I found myself jumping over the synopsis of a few of the films because I quickly learned that they were NOT spoiler free!
I really wound up enjoying this. This book covers films and crimes from the beginning of the twentieth century up to the beginning of the twenty first century. Now, I was initially a bit put off because it read as a sort of cookie cutter encyclopedia of films and true crime, but I soon grew fascinated with the vast amounts of cinema trivia that each chapter contains. Funny enough, I was initially drawn in because of the actual crimes that inspired the films, and it was the golden age trivia that kept me turning the page.
So whether you’re a cinema buff or a true crime fanatic, it’s definitely worth a read.
4/5 ⭐️
Yeah, I found myself jumping over the synopsis of a few of the films because I quickly learned that they were NOT spoiler free!
I really wound up enjoying this. This book covers films and crimes from the beginning of the twentieth century up to the beginning of the twenty first century. Now, I was initially a bit put off because it read as a sort of cookie cutter encyclopedia of films and true crime, but I soon grew fascinated with the vast amounts of cinema trivia that each chapter contains. Funny enough, I was initially drawn in because of the actual crimes that inspired the films, and it was the golden age trivia that kept me turning the page.
So whether you’re a cinema buff or a true crime fanatic, it’s definitely worth a read.
4/5 ⭐️
August 31, 2020
Grisly. Horrific. Is it art imitating life?
Schechter found movies based on real-life stories or they made movies (loosely-based?) on real-life stories.
Both the crime and movie synopses encompass the short recap of the chapter's movie title showcasing the year, director, writer, and prominent actors.
The horrific minds of people and the grisly crimes they committed. Not for the faint of stomach. But it does get boring (or are we desensitized) reading about grisly crime after crime.
Schechter found movies based on real-life stories or they made movies (loosely-based?) on real-life stories.
Both the crime and movie synopses encompass the short recap of the chapter's movie title showcasing the year, director, writer, and prominent actors.
The horrific minds of people and the grisly crimes they committed. Not for the faint of stomach. But it does get boring (or are we desensitized) reading about grisly crime after crime.
July 8, 2020
This novel held promise for me, a die-hard true crime fan. However, it fell severely short.
March 24, 2020
Being a fan of both movies and true crime, I went into this book excited to gain insight into both. However, I was treated to summaries of movies, as well as, the crimes that these movies were based on. While, I could tell that the author did quite a bit of research, a lot of the movie summaries had the author’s opinion attached. While I don’t mind reading reviews, a lot of times, the reviews took me out of the story itself. I appreciate the author’s insight into this subject matter, but there needed to be more focus on the link between the crime and movie.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews