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Discovery's Murder is Forever #5
Murder of Innocence:
Two true-crime cases from the hit TV series Murder is Forever
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2020
451 people are currently reading
2708 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
954 books356k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
November 30, 2020
This book contained two very different true crime thrillers. The first was about a self absorbed wealthy slouch that does horrible things to women after drugging them into unconsciousness. The second story follows a young FBI agent as he throws his family and career in the toilet over the temptation of an attractive informant. Patterson writes true crime in the same quick short chapters he frequently uses in fiction.
April 10, 2023
James Patterson has great versatility when it comes to what is published under his name. I have long felt that it is the collaborators who drive the content, shaping ideas and having them ‘blessed’ by Patterson before they go to the publisher. All that being said, this allows James Patterson to have a great variety of works attributed to him, both fiction and non-fiction. This is another collection of two non-fiction pieces about criminals who sought to have it all and keep their victims in the dark. Working with Max DiLallo and Aaron Bourelle, Patterson presents two cases that will shock and stun the reader, both of which are entirely true and pulled from the headlines. I find that Patterson usually excels with his non-fiction work and this was no exception, offering up some chilling revelations for all to see.
MURDER OF INNOCENCE (with Max DiLallo)
Andrew Luster is one of those men from whom women cannot turn away. His good looks and charm are matched by a significant wealth that makes his California lifestyle one that keeps him partying and with an ever-rotating list of women in his life. The flip side to this is his penchant for targeting young women, all of whom are caught up in his charm and desire to push the envelope. While many agree to his suggestion of GHB, Andrew takes it to the next level when they have passed out, raping them and filming it for his own pleasure. While he comes across as kind and romantic, it is the treasure trove of videos he has of these women, all of whom are clueless to what they have done, that keeps him going. When one woman chooses to report the encounter to the police, it begins a snowball effect that Andrew Luster and his attorney could not have seen coming!
A MURDEROUS AFFAIR (with Andrew Bourelle)
Having dreamed of working for the FBI, Mark Putnam is excited when he is given his first assignment in Kentucky. While Agent Putnam is building his case, he finds that he can use the help of Susan Smith as an informant, who will help him locate one of the state’s most wanted criminals. When the case ends, Agent Putnam and Susan continue their connection, moving things into a more personal realm. Soon, Agent Putnam is making excuses to his family and finds himself neck-deep in a relationship with Susan. When she turns up pregnant, he panics and she disappears. Agent Putnam denies knowing anything about the disappearance, but all the signs point to something sinister and rookie agent soon becomes prime suspect.
Patterson’s shorter non-fiction pieces have always been of interest to me, particularly because I do enjoy a bit of true crime. Both these stories develop well with strong narrative foundations, preparing the reader for what is to come without revealing too much at once. Short chapters help propel things forward and keeps the reader on their toes. The characters, who appear throughout the story, serve a purpose and hep add depth to an already great piece of writing. While these are non-fiction pieces, the element of surprise and the means by which the stories are told keep me wanting to read more, in hopes of cracking the case wide open before the final sentences. I have a few more of these collections to read and will pace myself, adding them between larger and more intense reads.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson, DiLallo, and Bourelle, for a great set of stories that sent chills up my spine and turned my stomach. Criminals can appear so cunning, but their stupidity is also baffling.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
MURDER OF INNOCENCE (with Max DiLallo)
Andrew Luster is one of those men from whom women cannot turn away. His good looks and charm are matched by a significant wealth that makes his California lifestyle one that keeps him partying and with an ever-rotating list of women in his life. The flip side to this is his penchant for targeting young women, all of whom are caught up in his charm and desire to push the envelope. While many agree to his suggestion of GHB, Andrew takes it to the next level when they have passed out, raping them and filming it for his own pleasure. While he comes across as kind and romantic, it is the treasure trove of videos he has of these women, all of whom are clueless to what they have done, that keeps him going. When one woman chooses to report the encounter to the police, it begins a snowball effect that Andrew Luster and his attorney could not have seen coming!
A MURDEROUS AFFAIR (with Andrew Bourelle)
Having dreamed of working for the FBI, Mark Putnam is excited when he is given his first assignment in Kentucky. While Agent Putnam is building his case, he finds that he can use the help of Susan Smith as an informant, who will help him locate one of the state’s most wanted criminals. When the case ends, Agent Putnam and Susan continue their connection, moving things into a more personal realm. Soon, Agent Putnam is making excuses to his family and finds himself neck-deep in a relationship with Susan. When she turns up pregnant, he panics and she disappears. Agent Putnam denies knowing anything about the disappearance, but all the signs point to something sinister and rookie agent soon becomes prime suspect.
Patterson’s shorter non-fiction pieces have always been of interest to me, particularly because I do enjoy a bit of true crime. Both these stories develop well with strong narrative foundations, preparing the reader for what is to come without revealing too much at once. Short chapters help propel things forward and keeps the reader on their toes. The characters, who appear throughout the story, serve a purpose and hep add depth to an already great piece of writing. While these are non-fiction pieces, the element of surprise and the means by which the stories are told keep me wanting to read more, in hopes of cracking the case wide open before the final sentences. I have a few more of these collections to read and will pace myself, adding them between larger and more intense reads.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson, DiLallo, and Bourelle, for a great set of stories that sent chills up my spine and turned my stomach. Criminals can appear so cunning, but their stupidity is also baffling.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 24, 2020
3.5 rounded up.
January 30, 2021
Two different types of true crime stories. Both written very well even though the crimes themselves were disturbing. Keep this series going please! I enjoy reading about real cases and it was interesting to see Dog the Bounty hunter make an appearance for his first case!
December 5, 2020
Goodreads Stars rating system is as the following:
1 Star equals Did not like it
2 Stars equals It was okay
3 Stars equals Liked it
4 Stars equals Really liked it
5 Stars equals It was amazing
James Patterson's true-crime thrillers, Murder of Innocence, gets a solid 3 stars from me. It was a quick, easy read...something to pass the time with. However, nothing really stood out to raise my rating. It isn't a bad read, just average to me compared to Patterson's other works.
The book contains 2 separate true-crime thrillers. I found myself getting into the first one, Murder of Innocence. I wanted to kick the protagonist right in the balls. If this story was a stand alone I would up my rating to 4 stars. The second story, A Murderous Affair, was a bit on the boring side, almost predictable, hence the 3 rating. On a positive note, I did find that learning the characters and visualizing their development was a bright spot in that story.
I liked the book, I just wasn't over the moon about it.
1 Star equals Did not like it
2 Stars equals It was okay
3 Stars equals Liked it
4 Stars equals Really liked it
5 Stars equals It was amazing
James Patterson's true-crime thrillers, Murder of Innocence, gets a solid 3 stars from me. It was a quick, easy read...something to pass the time with. However, nothing really stood out to raise my rating. It isn't a bad read, just average to me compared to Patterson's other works.
The book contains 2 separate true-crime thrillers. I found myself getting into the first one, Murder of Innocence. I wanted to kick the protagonist right in the balls. If this story was a stand alone I would up my rating to 4 stars. The second story, A Murderous Affair, was a bit on the boring side, almost predictable, hence the 3 rating. On a positive note, I did find that learning the characters and visualizing their development was a bright spot in that story.
I liked the book, I just wasn't over the moon about it.
March 22, 2021
A great series, though in my opinion this is one of the weaker entries; the audiobook reader is particularly annoying with his over-acting and corny accents. The first story is about sleazy Max Factor heir Andrew Luster and the second one is about FBI Agent Mark Putnam, which was covered better in Joe Sharkey's ABOVE SUSPICION.
June 9, 2022
I enjoyed how there were two stories incorporated into one novel. I love the fact that it was based on actual true stories that took place, and how extremely detailed and intriguing they were. It was told in a way of a story, with detailed facts, and years to bring it to life. You were definitely transported into the book. Crazy what people can do in certain situations. Plus, Andrew was beyond creepy. I enjoyed both stories, and will have to pick up another version of this book.
January 7, 2024
Is it odd to find these James Patterson true crime series as a comfort read? Maybe. They are just so quick and easy and somehow knowing they're true just makes them that much more intriguing.
The first thrilling tale is about a man who is all about the thrills of the California lifestyle. Parties, women, and being a film producer. What woman would deny the charms of such a man? Unfortunately some of his "charms" come with the help of GHB. Like anyone that gets a little too comfortable with their own scheming, one of his victims finds his treasure trove of many videos documenting the rape of many woman. This starts the snowball effect of finally bringing the big, bad wolf down.
The second story is about an FBI agent. Mark Putnam is assigned to build a case in Kentucky. The life of an FBI agent is a strained one as he has to leave his family behind for long periods of time to try and locate a most wanted criminal. To speed up his case, he uses the help of a local woman as an informant. As things heat up during the long nights while exchanging information and....other things, his informant, Susan Smith, ends up pregnant.
After threatening to ruin his life and case, Susan ends up missing. Mark claims he knows nothing of the disappearance, saying things aren't always as they seem. Sometimes they are EXACTLY as they seem.
Two more quick, fun true crime stories told from the mind of the great Patterson. This series won't win any awards, but they will melt away a full afternoon for sure.
The first thrilling tale is about a man who is all about the thrills of the California lifestyle. Parties, women, and being a film producer. What woman would deny the charms of such a man? Unfortunately some of his "charms" come with the help of GHB. Like anyone that gets a little too comfortable with their own scheming, one of his victims finds his treasure trove of many videos documenting the rape of many woman. This starts the snowball effect of finally bringing the big, bad wolf down.
The second story is about an FBI agent. Mark Putnam is assigned to build a case in Kentucky. The life of an FBI agent is a strained one as he has to leave his family behind for long periods of time to try and locate a most wanted criminal. To speed up his case, he uses the help of a local woman as an informant. As things heat up during the long nights while exchanging information and....other things, his informant, Susan Smith, ends up pregnant.
After threatening to ruin his life and case, Susan ends up missing. Mark claims he knows nothing of the disappearance, saying things aren't always as they seem. Sometimes they are EXACTLY as they seem.
Two more quick, fun true crime stories told from the mind of the great Patterson. This series won't win any awards, but they will melt away a full afternoon for sure.
March 25, 2022
I had loved all of the ID James Patterson true crime books so far, but this one it took me a while to finish. There were only 2 cases explored here and the first case felt quite long winded. It was a serial date rape case, which was horrific but not the twisty, multi-layered domestic type of story from previous books. The second story was much more on a par of what I expected. Overall a 3 star read.
February 9, 2022
Guess I am in the minority because I couldn’t even finish this book. That os crazy because I had not yet heard about this case but it felt like I was reading a cheap romance novel and definitely not a non fiction true crime book. All the conversations between people felt so not real I just could not continue.
Read February 2022
Read February 2022
August 29, 2021
I am actually enjoying these true crime books from James patterson
April 24, 2022
Read in 2 days! Couldn't put it down. This series never misses
May 18, 2023
Easy read and interesting stories!
Did have a cry at the end when I read about Kathy dying, knowing this is based on a true story made me so sad for her
Did have a cry at the end when I read about Kathy dying, knowing this is based on a true story made me so sad for her
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2021
Another "True Crime" novel from the James Patterson factory...Two tales one of which deals with the Andrew Luster case...The tale of the Max Factor heir that drugged and raped women while filming the events, who escaped to Mexico during his trial...Dog the Bounty Hunter makes an appearance and has a role in bringing Luster to justice...The second deals with a FBI agent who becomes involved with his beautiful informant in the Hills of Kentucky...I felt it was an episode of "Justified"...Okay stuff!!!
November 21, 2020
Very Average mystery.....easy to figure out even though knew who the culprit was before the investigation. The use of the word “was” as tip....an old old giveaway.
April 1, 2025
Those cases are crazy
March 6, 2023
I am a big true crime fan. And a big James Patterson fan. However, the retelling of these stories seemed to lack drama or excitement. Even a Dateline or crime doc adds some foreshadowing or cliffhangers to keep you reading. This just seemed like a retelling with some creative convos added in. Not bad but not compelling me to read others in this series.
June 1, 2021
Good short true crime
November 28, 2020
Murder of Innocence
Do you ever meet someone and think, "He's a little creepy, but whatever."
TRUST YOURSELF, HE'S PROBABLY CREEPY FOR A REASON.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Andrew Luster is one of those people. He's living off a trust fund, which pays for his Cali bungalow and extravagant night life. Is he charming or is he just showing off?
There's a lot of red flags when meeting people like this.....I mean, why is a 30 something year old man hanging around the college bars, throwing money around, and hitting on girls more than a decade younger than him? It's weird.
This case has a few parts to it because Andrew Luster sexually assaulted dozens if not hundreds of young women. Some of which literally did not know until they were shown the tapes of him assaulting them while they were unconscious. What makes this even more insane, is he escaped his house arrest and made it to Mexico where he stayed undetected for almost 6 months.
But a little budding bounty hunter, who we now know as Dog, was determined to track Andrew Luster down and hopefully make a name for himself in the reality television world.
A Murderous Affair
This one made me sick.
An FBI agent murdering one of his informants....it was unheard of.
Mark Putnam was a rookie FBI agent who took a job in a Kentucky field office. He moved his family out there, determined to make a name for himself. He had a case waiting for him and just the informant to help him crack it wide open. Susan Smith, a young woman in an abusive relationship looking to make a little money by getting her "friends" to confide their illegal escapades to her. Which is just what a bank robber, Cat Eyes, does while he's living with Susan and her family.
Mark takes her tip very seriously and realizes he actually had a shot working with the FBI. He's grateful to Susan and wants her to know how much he appreciates her flipping on the people who trusted her. But Susan takes his appreciation to be affection and thus begins their illicit love affair.
When Mark realizes he's falling for Susan, he knows it's time to go.
His wife is starting to assume he's having an affair and she's absolutely miserable in Kentucky. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and she wants him to transfer immediately. So they pack up the kids and move on down to Florida. But Mark still has a few loose ends to tie up in Kentucky. On a trip back, his ex-partner set up an impromptu meeting between Mark and Susan, during which Susan reveals she's pregnant with his child.
Mark couldn't have her getting in the way of his new career, so he did what he had to do.....
Over a year later, the Bureau began investing one of their own agents.
That's when Mark led them to what remained of her body.
Reviews for the entire Murder is Forever series can be found on A Reader's Diary!
Do you ever meet someone and think, "He's a little creepy, but whatever."
TRUST YOURSELF, HE'S PROBABLY CREEPY FOR A REASON.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Andrew Luster is one of those people. He's living off a trust fund, which pays for his Cali bungalow and extravagant night life. Is he charming or is he just showing off?
There's a lot of red flags when meeting people like this.....I mean, why is a 30 something year old man hanging around the college bars, throwing money around, and hitting on girls more than a decade younger than him? It's weird.
This case has a few parts to it because Andrew Luster sexually assaulted dozens if not hundreds of young women. Some of which literally did not know until they were shown the tapes of him assaulting them while they were unconscious. What makes this even more insane, is he escaped his house arrest and made it to Mexico where he stayed undetected for almost 6 months.
But a little budding bounty hunter, who we now know as Dog, was determined to track Andrew Luster down and hopefully make a name for himself in the reality television world.
A Murderous Affair
This one made me sick.
An FBI agent murdering one of his informants....it was unheard of.
Mark Putnam was a rookie FBI agent who took a job in a Kentucky field office. He moved his family out there, determined to make a name for himself. He had a case waiting for him and just the informant to help him crack it wide open. Susan Smith, a young woman in an abusive relationship looking to make a little money by getting her "friends" to confide their illegal escapades to her. Which is just what a bank robber, Cat Eyes, does while he's living with Susan and her family.
Mark takes her tip very seriously and realizes he actually had a shot working with the FBI. He's grateful to Susan and wants her to know how much he appreciates her flipping on the people who trusted her. But Susan takes his appreciation to be affection and thus begins their illicit love affair.
When Mark realizes he's falling for Susan, he knows it's time to go.
His wife is starting to assume he's having an affair and she's absolutely miserable in Kentucky. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and she wants him to transfer immediately. So they pack up the kids and move on down to Florida. But Mark still has a few loose ends to tie up in Kentucky. On a trip back, his ex-partner set up an impromptu meeting between Mark and Susan, during which Susan reveals she's pregnant with his child.
Mark couldn't have her getting in the way of his new career, so he did what he had to do.....
Over a year later, the Bureau began investing one of their own agents.
That's when Mark led them to what remained of her body.
Reviews for the entire Murder is Forever series can be found on A Reader's Diary!
March 21, 2021
Two true crime stories. The first is about Andrew Luster, heir to the Max Factor fortune, who drugs girls and then rapes them. The second is about Mark Putnam, the FBI agent who had an affair with his informant and unintentionally murdered her. I read the hard cover version and it was almost a large print book. Each story is about 150 pages. With that format I found it to be a pretty quick read and the cases were short and concise without a lot of filler or minute detail. But on the other hand, there also wasn't a lot of background detail and there are no pictures so when I was done I did a search for more info. The most interesting was that the second story ends with the conviction but there was a whole lot more that happened after that. If you want a more detailed book I found through my search that Aphrodite Jones and Joe Sharkey have written books about this murder and there is also a movie. One interesting thing about the first book is that a well-known TV bounty hunter makes an appearance, shortly before he got a television series.
March 18, 2025
Murder of innocence by James Patterson
Murder of innocence:
It’s hard to resist Andrew Luster. He’s rich, charming, and good looking and dozens of women have fallen under his spell.
But there’s a very dark very dangerous side to his womanizing. And it’ll take a global manhunt to put him behind bars. (With Max DiLallo)
A Murderous Affair:
Mark Putnam is a rookie FBI agent with a first assignment in a remote part of Kentucky.
When his informant Susan Smith, helps him make a big break in an important case, rumors begin circulating about an affair and a pregnancy. Then Susan suddenly disappears. (With Andrew Bourelle)
My thoughts 🤔📚
James Patterson is a brilliant and talented writer and I’m very happy I read his book.
I could not put it down, can you believe Andrew Luster in the book men like him are honestly disgusting and I hate men ( not all men are bad I know but can you blame me there the damn main problem in the first place just speaking truth).
Oh and Susan I felt bad for her and Mark is honestly an idiot for cheating on his wife but also seriously he gots problems haha
I love crime shows like Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds and others and it was great.
Can’t wait to read more of his books.
Thank you ☺️
5/5 ⭐️
Peace out ✌🏻😁
Murder of innocence:
It’s hard to resist Andrew Luster. He’s rich, charming, and good looking and dozens of women have fallen under his spell.
But there’s a very dark very dangerous side to his womanizing. And it’ll take a global manhunt to put him behind bars. (With Max DiLallo)
A Murderous Affair:
Mark Putnam is a rookie FBI agent with a first assignment in a remote part of Kentucky.
When his informant Susan Smith, helps him make a big break in an important case, rumors begin circulating about an affair and a pregnancy. Then Susan suddenly disappears. (With Andrew Bourelle)
My thoughts 🤔📚
James Patterson is a brilliant and talented writer and I’m very happy I read his book.
I could not put it down, can you believe Andrew Luster in the book men like him are honestly disgusting and I hate men ( not all men are bad I know but can you blame me there the damn main problem in the first place just speaking truth).
Oh and Susan I felt bad for her and Mark is honestly an idiot for cheating on his wife but also seriously he gots problems haha
I love crime shows like Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds and others and it was great.
Can’t wait to read more of his books.
Thank you ☺️
5/5 ⭐️
Peace out ✌🏻😁
November 24, 2020
This book is crazy! This is two short stories about true crimes of real people. The first is Andrew Luster, Max Factor grandson or great grandson. He would drug and rape women. He was so cocky even after he was arrested he didn’t realize he was busted until 3 days before the end of his trial and he disappeared...
The second book is about the first FBI agent to ever kill a person! Mark Putman was transferred to this small duty station in Kentucky and he hires Susan as his informant. Susan helps bust people in the area for drugs and a bank robbery. It helps her ex husband is a drug dealer. Small town and they are in the know. Problem is Susan’s life is boring, and Susan likes to make it sound more exciting. So Susan tells tales. Stories can get you in trouble.
The second book is about the first FBI agent to ever kill a person! Mark Putman was transferred to this small duty station in Kentucky and he hires Susan as his informant. Susan helps bust people in the area for drugs and a bank robbery. It helps her ex husband is a drug dealer. Small town and they are in the know. Problem is Susan’s life is boring, and Susan likes to make it sound more exciting. So Susan tells tales. Stories can get you in trouble.
August 12, 2024
I read a number of books by James Patterson, so far this is the best of the bunch. His writing reminds me of David Baldacci and John Grisham. Two crime stories in the book, both are excellent, specially the second one, had to shed a tear at the final pages. Any book able to do that gets 5 star 🌟 from me.
April 19, 2023
i really enjoy listening to true crime podcasts & watching true crime docs but never thought about reading one, so i’m glad my friend got me this for my birthday cause i really liked it
and after reading the 2 stories in the book, it’s safe to say that men are SCUM 🙂
and after reading the 2 stories in the book, it’s safe to say that men are SCUM 🙂
July 12, 2024
read like an episode of criminal minds so that was cool! it was short and entertaining and i read it in one night so i guess it was good!
also…..i’ve officially told myself i can’t buy or borrow any more books until i finish all the books i already have so here’s the start of that
also…..i’ve officially told myself i can’t buy or borrow any more books until i finish all the books i already have so here’s the start of that
December 9, 2020
this book was hard to put down. Did like the first "story" more than the second, but both were still great! Scariest part was these are TRUE CRIME STORIES!
January 13, 2021
Great non fiction book by James Patterson- Andrew Luster (1st story) and Mark Putnam (2nd story) need to read the other books in this true crime series!
August 4, 2022
3.5 rounded up
March 4, 2023
I couldn't decide between 3 or 4. Good, Interesting stories made for a quick read. Maybe lacked the 4th star for not being overly thought provoking as just a simple read??
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February 4, 20253.5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews