First Degree Rage

by Paula May

This true crime book tells the investigation of two murders - Viktor Gunnarsson and Catherine Miller. The key suspect is a police officer in NC. It is written by Paula May, who was the lead detective in the case.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook

535 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2020

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I recently got is an excellent true crime story authored by the woman detective who lived it. There is lots of investigative action and good details as it follows along with detective sergeant Paula May as she and her crew go after a double murderer. High school teacher Kay Weden has been plagued by scary occurrences and she needs to get them to stop. Once you get into the story, you will see that the main suspect is quite the odd duck that is being hunted by police.

"There was no brown in his eyes at all. They were just two black buttons. I looked in his eyes. All I saw was solid black against the whites. It wasn’t natural. It was… creepy, unnerving, demonic."
- Detective Paula May

There is also a bit of gas-lighting going on in the situation, just a matter of figuring out who is doing it. The book is a bit long, but for the most part, it held my interest well through the majority of it. You couldn’t come up with a stranger mix of people and backgrounds coming together if you tried. Just a weird story about a weird set of circumstances that happened.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a e book for my laptop from the publisher of this book. I enjoyed reading it. It was a good true crime story book. I hope to read more books by this author.

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true crime book written by one of the investigators on the case. L. C. Underwood had been a police officer himself but was now suspected in two murders, (he actually was convicted in 1997). This book tells of the lengthy investigation that went into his conviction.
L.C. had a horrible childhood that could account for many of his decisions and personality issues. I was shocked though that law enforcement would embrace him. I know that in the past their was a lot of “good ole boy” in police stations and it was a strong factor in small town offices. I had a hard time though with the way the others looked away from huge red flags and allowed him to have and keep a gun and a badge. Not only while he was working either. One of the offices allowed him to keep his police issue gun after he was no longer working there! Reading this book gave me an appreciation of police officers who are good and genuinely trying to help.
It is scary to think about an issue that I believe may still be a problem in law enforcement. That issue is domestic violence. I certainly understand that being a police officer is a difficult job and that officers can become accustomed to violence. They deal with it every day. They see things most of never have to see. They have times when they do their best but the perpetrators go free, a huge frustration I’m sure. I imagine that all can build up inside even a decent officer. One who had the background issues and relationship issues L.C. had, I feel, would make him totally unsuitable for police work. Yet he was a detective. My mind quivers.
I thought the author really brought the reader into the investigation. She shared the problems of getting witnesses to talk. She showed how L.C. was able to twist the truth and convince people he was the victim. I felt the frustration of the detectives in not only solving the crime but trying to stay ahead of it happening again before they could put him behind bars.
This is a book I would recommend to true crime readers and also those with an interest in psychology, particularly criminal psychology.

[Nancy Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absurdly bad writing

One simple sentence after another for hundreds of pages; grammatical mistakes from the beginning -( mascara...on lashes... were ???? a middle school level mistake on subject- verb agreement); the most juvenile dialogue imaginable - gosh/golly HaHa!! see how funny good ol'boys self-proclaimed perfection in CLEAN Christian humor can be? No, since it is embarrassingly un- funny and childish; never a page, hardly a paragraph without ridiculously FLAWED theology - a law enforcement officer proclaiming that WHENEVER a body is found after a long period of time, it is always due to divine intervention!?!?!?

What a narcissist/opportunist the writer is to ridiculously preach to the reader as she includes every boring, irrelevant anecdote and Bible passage that comes to mind!

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this morning and I am not happy.

This book was so good I loved I and now it is my bed time and I remember I finished this so I am sad.
Did not expect to find such an excellent true crime book when I picked this through my kindle unlimited subscription.

Back in the day i was a victim of someone who stalked me and I know how terrifying that can be. I felt so sorry for Kay in this book. I understood her, she often told him not to come but you also do not want to anger your stalker because you know he will get worse.You want him out of your life but the mind games that are being played and this coward was a master liar and talker.

The author made all the characters alive for me. People like Viktor and Kay and her fellow officers.

[Karissa Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting crime story

While the author is really good at telling the story and details, it was too much details. Too long. So much could have been left out that would not have affected the truth and story. The religious parts were a bit much and the use of characters in the spelling of swear words was ridiculous. I'm reading a horrible, true story of murders and the cuss words aren't spelled out? I scrolled through much of the mundane parts but it's an interesting true crime story about a severely cruel man. I hope the living victims have been able to find some peace in their lives and minds.

[Lorie Brinkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book if you like a hard-to-put-down true crime book. It’s full of great detail and keeps interest from beginning to end.

[Valerie Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but churchy

If you like your true crime with a side of religion and a LOT of quotes from the Bible, this one’s for you.

[Barbara Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat interesting

Wanted to really like this book but as I continued to read I found myself being burdened with way too much information. Bogged down with pages and pages of unneeded words and details. But the real turn off was the continuous use of bible references. They truly were not pertinent to the story. Just the author's interpretation. Probably should have been listed as a Christian biased novel.

[Ron Deremiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, could not finish this book.

Bible versus mixed in with awkward proselytizing. Repetitive. Maybe only the third book in my lifetime that I didn't complete. Not trying to be mean.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling from start to finish

The story itself is that of nightmares, an obsessive, stalking cop who is a master manipulator and above being held accountable. May does an excellent job weaving this tale of terror and drawing the reader into this page turning thriller as her team desperately seeks uncover the truth and identify evidence to hold the meticulous officer accountable for his heinous crimes. The story is an excellent narrative of the haunting factors and collision course of individuals whose fates will be forever and irreparably changed. I couldn't put it down.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and scary account of a psychopath-stalker-murderer. Paula May has written a true-crime masterpiece.

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kay Weden, a high school teacher, goes through a stretch of harassment for seemingly no reason. After attempts on her life and her son’s, things seem to take a turn for the better when she finds a potential love interest in a man named Viktor. Then he’s found murdered in the Appalachian Mountains.

This was fascinating, different from any other true crime book I’ve ever read. Since the author was the lead detective on the case, it gave interesting insight not only into the murder but police procedure as well.

Although it’s a long book, there’s plenty here to hold your interest. Plenty of different people make an appearance, all of them with unique personalities and backgrounds. Definitely a fascinating book, one that’s likely to be popular with both fans of thriller books and true crime.

Narration fits the story.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic true crime novel!

As a lifelong North Carolinian, I appreciated knowing where Mrs. May was talking about geographically. She is a terrific writer; the book was well-paced and I felt I got to know the main players pretty well. I loved how she included scripture throughout the book and when she witnessed to L.C. (who summarily dismissed it) I cried. It was so moving, that even knowing what he had done, she had the capacity to show him true mercy. I hope to see future books from her (and try a cheese steak salad in Salisbury if Spencer's is still open, ha!). Well done and five stars!

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every now and then I like to read a true crime story. There are two takeaways from this book. The first one is that the book was way, way, way too long. The second one is that I find it amazing that some women are so desperate, stupid and gullible toward men. There were hundreds of signs that this guy was a psychopath. Come on, he stalked them, was brutal to them, lied to them, etc., etc., etc., and they kept going back. The one woman he was obsessed with, Kay, was particularly stupid. Finally, after her mother is murdered and a recent boyfriend she sees the light. Duh! I truly have no sympathy for very weak women.

[Alice Hill]

Extremely detailed writing. The reader walks the long path of detective and police work in bringing a criminal to court. Paula May writes with heartfelt compassion for the victims and expresses well her frustration in providing adequate evidence to convict. The psychological layers of why the two murders were committed along with the accounts of others whose lives were impacted by their relationships with a manipulative psychopath leave the reader very aware of how quickly a madman can ruin a normal life.
For lovers of True Crime this is a well written first hand account.

[Ramona Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to Paula May!! This is a great read. I love an author who can put me right in the story with them. Paula’s detailed writing, from the discovery of the body to the very end of the book, kept me hanging on her every word. Not only is she very knowledgeable about the content, she writes with passion for the career she dedicated her life to. I look forward to reading many more books by this author.

[Denise Meister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heinous Crimes Revealed

Excellent true crime by the author who investigated and relentlessly sought justice for the victims. She writes a detailed and fast paced account. Her work is organized, personal and a testament to great police work. I especially like her choice of scripture leading in to each chapter. History tells us that evil exists far far back in humanity. And so does goodness. She and her team of detectives are an example of that. Worth the read.

[Kathleen Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG! This is a relatively interesting story but the detective who worked on the case and who wrote the book really needed an editor! I skipped over pages and pages of repetitive information. And the Swedish guy was almost an afterthought in the whole story and I don’t understand why so much was made of him. There were various things that didn’t track at all. I found myself VERY frustrated with the author. Long, long story that could/should have been half as long.

[Lisa]

Fantastic!

Little known true crime story of an egotistical, narcissistic who preyed on women and terrorized one woman he claimed to love to the extent that he murdered two people who 'got in his way' of having her - even though he never would.

I only wish the author had let us know if the second was ever taken to trial, even years later

[Robi A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and In-Depth Investigation

Two murders and the police know who did them, but there's no physical evidence...because the suspect is a cop!! Difficult Detecting around your colleague.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting

I normally like true crime but this book could have been half it’s size. Redundancy, for me was boring. There was nothing in this book that kept me interested.

[Larry Van Guilder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, we've seen this "writing" before

Page upon page of transcripts do not a true crime narrative make. And, no, my reaction was not (much) affected by the zealous "gospelizing." Pathetic and sadly common these days. (See In Cold Blood at al, Mrs. May.)

[Corbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lumbers

I made it to chapter 11. Good luck. I don't care for true crime that tells you what color panties the fourth cousin twice removed Aunt's best friend wore to church. This book is resplendent with that kind of detail.

[Lori Rubin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing true crime

Lots of religion added by the author that made this feel like going to church. Not a part of the actual story. The perpetrator was actually accused of an additional killing. The author fails to indicate the resolution of the 2nd case.

[Adel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super detailed...

Found myself skipping over a lot of stuff as this written more like a police report than a crime story.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good audiobook. It kept my interest throughout. I particularly liked that it was written by a woman in law enforcement. We don’t get that perspective very often. I do think that seventeen hours is on the long side, even taking into account that getting to the trial took over three years. However, overall I felt Paula May kept the repetition to a minimum. If I were among the family or friends of the victims, I would appreciate an investigator like Mrs. Mays. She comes across as caring and genuine. If I worked with her, I would appreciate her persistence and her humor. If I were on the jury, I am not sure what I would do for defense attorney’s closing arguments during the penalty phase must have touched the jury.

I am also not sure how I feel about the author’s biblical quotations before each chapter. I wish she would have indicated what translation(s) she quoted. I have no doubt she finds them appropriate. Her deep conviction is admirable. I am also sure some readers would be put off by the quotes. I must admit that the passages informed her faith and were not a case of offensive proselytizing.

The emotional torment that was inflicted upon people by the man who was convicted of some of his crimes must have been awful. His life is a testament to how extensive the impact of child abuse to everyone, to all of society. I am not excusing the harm he caused, just appalled by all the pain of all of us when some of us abandon and/or abuse children.

[Nadine Wiseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painstaking account

Thoroughly investigated and afterwards painstakingly recounted this a good, detailed, largely well-written account of two murder investigations. If it lacks the neutrality of a crime book written by an author/journalist, that's understandable. This is Paula May's account of the years she and her team spent racking up enough evidence to charge LC Underwood, a former police officer, with murder.
The reasons for the low rating are firstly, the constant injection of religion into the narrative, Bible quotations and references to the Lord & Jesus. She refers to the suspect as "demonic." She claims the eventual breaking of the case was down to "the Lord," and not, as it quite clearly was, the meticulous & exhaustive work of Agent Benrude in the crime lab. This irritated the hell out of me.
Secondly, the censoring of certain words drove me nuts. So it's not "damn" it's "d*mn," not "ass" but "*ss," not "whore" but "wh*re." For goodness' sake, we're adults reading a true crime book, include some gruesome detail. It's ridiculous, unnecessary and annoying to censor language like this. Just tell us what the person said. That's why we read these books. Hence only 3 stars, and sufficiently irritating that I wouldn't get through anything else she might write.

[lindz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is long. Almost 600 pages, and with the slow pace, it's a commitment. The author, Paula May, was a detective on the case and offers a unique, boots-on-the-ground perspective you don't always get in true crime.

I appreciated how she humanized the main suspect by detailing his traumatic childhood, adding nuance that was mostly free of preachiness. The part of the story connected to the assassination of Sweden's Prime Minister was also fascinating and mysterious, and it hooked me early on.

However, the book's biggest weakness is its length. It often felt like May put every single detail from her police reports directly onto the page. I ended up skipping a lot of the transcripts from phone calls and letters because the suspect was extremely repetitive, which slowed the pace. It took me months to finish this book.

Fans of dense, detailed true crime will find plenty to enjoy, but it might be a slog for more casual readers. For me, I'm glad I read it and learned about a case I was completely unfamiliar with, I just wish it were 100 pages shorter.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting true crime about a dual murderer in Carolina. The male victim was a man who had been arrested in the murder of Prime Minister Olaf Palme of Sweden. He was able to establish his innocence and the charges were dropped.

He moved to the US to escape the gossip that still followed him and moved to Salisbury, NC. He was handsome and very popular with the ladies and all that knew him. He began dating a teacher who had a teenage son. She had a very jealous ex-boyfriend who was a police officer and he was enraged by her new relationship.

Eventually the ex-boyfriend killed the new boyfriend and his girlfriend's mother.

The book covers in meticulous detail the long investigation into the murders and the eventual trial and conviction.