Preacher's Girl: The Life and Crimes of Blanche Taylor Moore

by Jim Schutze

Chronicles the twisted life and times of Blanche Taylor Moore, a devout born-again Christian seemingly devoted to her ill husband, but who concealed a psychopathic past filled with abuse, violence, and sexual outrage. Reprint.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Biography, History, Audiobook

10 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

Reviews

[Rama Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady from hell

The story of Blanche Moore is a Southern-comfort facade of gentility, a fusion of Scarlet O’Hara and Blanche DuBois, hides a murderous revenge on men in her life. Apparently rooted in the sexual abuse from her father when she was a little girl. Blanche is seductively nice and compassionate until she would find her way of finishing them off, literally. Spiking milk shakes, or potato soups or a drink with anti-ant poisoning, she was cold and calculated killer who manipulated the men she was intimate with. The motive was for financial gain or a plain revenge. She poisoned three men in her life; her first husband, a co-worker, Raymond Reid with whom she worked with, and her second husband, a preacher who survived despite intense arsenic poisoning. She may also be responsible for her father’s death, and her mother-in-law by her first marriage. Currently Blanche Moore is awaiting execution in the state of North Carolina for the 1986 killing of her boyfriend, Raymond Reid.

The 1993 movie “Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story” starring Elizabeth Montgomery offered a brilliant performance as sweet-talking cold faced killer. In fact, much of the movie is based on the research work of author Jim Schutze. It saves you great deal of time to watch the movie than read the book. In addition, it saves you from reading the ghastly details of pain and sufferings of arsenic poisoning.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blanche Kiser was born in North Carolina in 1933. Her father was a Baptist minister, who Blanche would later claim was abusive, alcoholic, and much more. He father died suddenly from a heart attack, which now has an air of suspicion around it. Blanche married James N. Taylor in 1952, with whom she had two children. Blanche did not have a great relationship with her mother-in-law, who died suddenly of...a heart attack... During their marriage, she began working at Kroger. While working at Kroger, Blanche seemed to be a favorite of male customers and coworkers. Her husband would die in 1973 of...a heart attack... She eventually began a relationship with a coworker, who would later die from arsenic poisoning. While this man was dying in the hospital, she was canoodling with a preacher that she would eventually marry. The preacher also took ill much like her last two main squeezes and found himself in the hospital. Blanche and her killing spree were uncovered due to another positive arsenic test.

This woman was WILD. She got up to some SHENANAGINS. The only complaint I have about this book is that it kept repeating how beautiful this woman was, and Google disagrees with the gaslighting going on here. She was BOLD. She was manipulative and calculating. I would also really like to know the real story about her dad and her childhood, as you cannot believe a thing this woman says. The book was really interesting. I listened to it in one shift at work and was very engaged in it. Overall, a solid true crime book.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like true crime. If you know me, you know I really like reading about serial killers and can easily kill 4+ hours on the (sniff sniff basically defunct) Crime Library website.

However, this book opens by writing a check that it's ass never cashes. The prologue is a fictionalized recounting of Blanche's preacher father forcing her into prostitution to pay off a debt. This sets the scene for the causality of "she was abused, therefore she killed." But the author never really makes good and never really revisits her past with any depth and blah... it suffered. The most remarkable part of the book was the medically specific descriptions of poisoning that turned my stomach. And the funny looks I got with it on the bus.

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

First saw the movie years ago with Elizabeth Montgomery as Blanche. As usual, the book was even better then the movie. Crazy tale about a "religious zealot" who kills all the people around her by feeding them arsenic. The reason for this is because she perceives them as sinners.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

in- depth story of Blanche Taylor Moore

This is the best account of this case I’ve read. Stellar writing and solid research give a much more detailed picture of this person and her crimes.

[Michael Milton, Ph.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid Reporting in Endearing Prose

The author not only told this remarkable story with beautiful prose, but captured the feel, the tempo, and the “ancient” talk and ways of the Southerners of the Piedmont in North Carolina. Well done, indeed.

[Pauline Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extensively Researched subject

I enjoyed this book becuse it wasn't just about poison, the author made me feel so much empathy for the victims. The information about the absolute cruelty of being murdered in this manner is heartbreaking. I couldn't put it down.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to believe someone could inflict this kind of suffering on anyone. Death by arsenic is described in horrifying detail in this book.

[Cheryl A. Breidigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time just as good!

Read this book a few years ago. Came across it again as I was trying to find something to read on a long flight.

[bookboundb! · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is insane in the membrane!! I knew almost nothing about Blanche Taylor Moore, other than that she poisoned her husbands, and there’s still so much I don’t know about her…which makes this book all the more intriguing honestly.

This book is definitely a bit sensationalized. I took some of it with a grain of salt. There’s a blend of narrative style and cold hard fact that made this super entertaining and easy to read.

What I love most is that this book isn’t just about Blanche, though she is a fascinating study. This book is also very much about North Carolina, the history & culture of my state, particularly an area that I grew up in.

I do wish there had been a bit more about Blanche’s childhood, which is incredibly tragic, but understand the author’s reasons for being vague about it. I found myself kinda loving her at first, only to really despise her by the end. There were moments when I was like, “yeah girl, get it!” because ngl she makes some baller moves. But there’s no justification for the pain & suffering she caused and she should very much burn in hell.

Also be warned that the medical details are fucking brutal and extremely hard to read. I did not know just how awful death by arsenic is, y’all.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because this story took place in the county I am now living in. I had overheard my father-in-law talking about it and I was intrigued to learn more. Yes, it was a quite morbid read, and difficult to swallow (no pun intended) at times. I learned more than I ever needed to know about how arsenic works in the body and what death by arsenic poisoning actually looks like. It's pretty awful!

But other than the murders, this book was multi-dimensional. It also touched on the history of this part of North Carolina, the inequality of male/female workers, the often blatant sexual abuse going on in the workplace, the hidden lives of "genteel church-going folk," the chaotic workings of a hospital and how things can go wrong (which did not boost my confidence in the healthcare system), and the red tape and bureaucracy of the judicial system. I found most of it quite fascinating, some of it quite repulsive, but it was all a good reminder that things are not always what they appear.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! I received the hard copy, and it kept me on the edge of my seat after I started reading it. The writer is wonderful at expressing the human emotions that were running through each of the characters. I remember when this case first came out, and I was living in Los Angeles, CA. It made headlines even there. Books such as this should made available on the Kindle device; this would make them more accessible. They are good reading, and very valuable. And the public should be made more aware of the personality disorders in people such as Blanche Taylor Moore.

[Michelle Tackabery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough history of the case of Blanche Taylor Moore, and meticulously researched. They just don't write them this way anymore. Moore is still alive, having beat the death penalty with appeals to survive to 93 or so. I think Schutze's psychological history of her, without making any conclusions, is remarkable.

This book should be read by anyone wanting to write investigative journalism. It's that brilliant.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a number of books about poisoners, but this one is by far the grisliest. The author takes you through every miserable moment of what the victims experienced. This story combines heartrending tragedy, dreadful suspense, moments of relief, outrage, disgust, shock, you name it. Well-written and never drags. If you think you can stomach it, be sure to read this one.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We lived in Greensboro and I worked in Burlington when Blanche was arrested and I followed this case as if it were a soap opera. Well, I guess it kind of was.

[Dana Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s an interesting story but there was too much unnecessary detail. I skimmed large sections of the book that seemed like unimportant fillers to the story.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear I have taken care of people like this in the nursing home or hospital.

[Robert Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Except read.

I like to read about true crime books that happened in the past when the rules were more lax. Especially the ones with women. loved this onel.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Real Page Turner

I couldn’t read fast enough! So many great details! The story, itself, was just unbelievable, but, true! I loved it!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blanche Taylor Moore was a loving wife and mother, a doting grandmother, a born-again Christian. She was also a paragon of Southern womanly virtue whose husband - the Reverend Dwight Moore - was suddenly stricken with an unexplainable violent, wasting disease. As the doctors tried to diagnose the Reverend Moore's illness, the community admired Blanche's concerned care for her husband. She constantly was at the hospital, tending to him with loving care by wiping his brow and making him his delicious peanut butter milkshakes.

I thought this book was extremely interesting; I had never heard of this particular case before, but was drawn in by Mr. Schutze's discussion of Blanche's various crimes and her psychopathy. It was an interesting look at the makings of a psychopath. I give this book an A+!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give this one 5-stars. Maybe not the best written book ever, but very intriguing to me personally. I knew this woman, back in the day......

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good if you're interested in female narcissists who kill.

[Juliet Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fast paced. A quick and excellent read about a very disturbed woman and her arsenic.