What do you think?
Rate this book
Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer
Drawing on extensive interviews with the accused herself, here is the sordid, twisted, and surprising story of Brookey Lee West--a successful technical writer from Silicon Valley who went on a twenty year crime and killing spree.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2005
35 people are currently reading
1132 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 7, 2022
My review disappeared. Must be a witch involved !!!
Gosh darn it !
I will keep it short. An excellent true crime story regarding a family of criminals and the most sociopathic of women who almost gets away with several murders in Nevada and California.
Fascinating and dark !!
Read this with the light on !
Gosh darn it !
I will keep it short. An excellent true crime story regarding a family of criminals and the most sociopathic of women who almost gets away with several murders in Nevada and California.
Fascinating and dark !!
Read this with the light on !
August 23, 2018
The first half was better than a 3 star, at least 4. And the autopsy process and the entire progression of procedures to get the victim to the autopsy was 5 star.
But the second half of the book was mostly straight transcript or neighbor witness "word for word".
This was a truly sick, sick family. And that the woman Brookey Lee West had continuous employment at one company in the technical writing field as long as she did for her mental condition? That's what I found nearly inexplicable.
And after all was finished within this book's reading, I was left with almost a single thought. That the little girl who was left at the Indian boarding school when she was 4 years old and never saw her mother or grandmother again was the luckiest person in this bloodline.
The photos are 5 star. It lost more than 1 full star for all the gratuitous language and foul extras that did not have to be so front and center for each and every Christine and Brookey life conversation.
I really did feel for those Fir Street tiny town neighbors! We had a couple in my youth that were bad, but not this bad. Presently there is an empty house by me now going on 3 years plus vacant- but all of the other 30 plus houses on our street prefer it that way. Rather than how it was before the extended group family owners let it get reclaimed by the bank while ravishing the entire structure and every movable part before then left it. It's truly a difficult problem when crazy is visible and coming in your back door without knocking while holding a stun gun.
But the second half of the book was mostly straight transcript or neighbor witness "word for word".
This was a truly sick, sick family. And that the woman Brookey Lee West had continuous employment at one company in the technical writing field as long as she did for her mental condition? That's what I found nearly inexplicable.
And after all was finished within this book's reading, I was left with almost a single thought. That the little girl who was left at the Indian boarding school when she was 4 years old and never saw her mother or grandmother again was the luckiest person in this bloodline.
The photos are 5 star. It lost more than 1 full star for all the gratuitous language and foul extras that did not have to be so front and center for each and every Christine and Brookey life conversation.
I really did feel for those Fir Street tiny town neighbors! We had a couple in my youth that were bad, but not this bad. Presently there is an empty house by me now going on 3 years plus vacant- but all of the other 30 plus houses on our street prefer it that way. Rather than how it was before the extended group family owners let it get reclaimed by the bank while ravishing the entire structure and every movable part before then left it. It's truly a difficult problem when crazy is visible and coming in your back door without knocking while holding a stun gun.
March 14, 2018
This was a fairly interesting and quick true-crime read. The writing style is somewhat sensationalist but to be expected with this type of book. I had expected, based on the title, some kind of occult influence on the crimes perpetrated by West, but there wasn't. She read tarot cards, thought she was psychic and had some books on the subject, this was just something the media could use to get more mileage out of the story. It's more useful as a tale that serves to illustrate how damaged, abusive people such as West's highly dysfunctional parents go on to produce damaged, messed-up children. Moreover, West probably attracted more opprobrium because she violated society's idealised mother-daughter relationship, it wasn't just that she was a female killer, but that she killed her own mother too, a woman who came across as deeply unlikable and inadequate, but we somehow expect motherhood status to offset almost everything else about a woman. Still, this was a thought-provoking case though more insight into West's psychology would have proved enlightening, as she was clearly an intelligent woman who likely had sociopathic tendencies/borderline personality as a result of her chaotic upbringing.
November 14, 2024
Bir gazeteciden bekleneceği üzere, haber metnine benzemiş.
January 15, 2021
Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas's Most Notorious Female Killer
This story was a whirlwind. I was expecting a female serial killer who dabbled in the dark arts. But what I got instead of this treasure trove of a crime family.
There are several people within this family that the book follows.
The mother, Christine Smith, went to prison for shooting her lover. The father, Leroy Smith, was deeply invested in witchcraft and Satanism. His last wife makes an appearance before the book is over too. Then there's the kids, Travis and Brookey. No one has seen of heard from Travis since the early 2000's, to this day he has not been located. Brookey takes up the bulk of the story. She shot one of her husbands in the neck and is suspected to have killed him a few weeks later. She admitted to stuffing her mother in a trashcan and concealing her inside her storage unit for close to four years. She attempted to use a stun gun to immobilize her stepmother towards the end of her father's life. Some investigators even believe Brookey is also responsible for her brother's disappearance.
There are some things that aren't quite as heinous.
Christine and Brookey were involved in multiple theft rings where they would steal high end items, just to steal them. Both received charges for their involvement. They would also frequent a rehab center for Native American men who struggled with alcoholism. Brookey read tarot cards with her mother's Las Vegas neighbors.
But what keeps tickling the back of my mind, Brookey told Christine's friends and neighbors that she was taking her mother to live with Travis, her brother. But we all knew Travis was homeless....that makes me wonder if she was involved with his death as well. In a way, it seems she was stating the obvious. She knew her mother was dead, she knew Travis was dead. So the easiest lie, wasn't really a lie at all. Her mother and brother really were in the same place after all.
This review and more true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
This story was a whirlwind. I was expecting a female serial killer who dabbled in the dark arts. But what I got instead of this treasure trove of a crime family.
There are several people within this family that the book follows.
The mother, Christine Smith, went to prison for shooting her lover. The father, Leroy Smith, was deeply invested in witchcraft and Satanism. His last wife makes an appearance before the book is over too. Then there's the kids, Travis and Brookey. No one has seen of heard from Travis since the early 2000's, to this day he has not been located. Brookey takes up the bulk of the story. She shot one of her husbands in the neck and is suspected to have killed him a few weeks later. She admitted to stuffing her mother in a trashcan and concealing her inside her storage unit for close to four years. She attempted to use a stun gun to immobilize her stepmother towards the end of her father's life. Some investigators even believe Brookey is also responsible for her brother's disappearance.
There are some things that aren't quite as heinous.
Christine and Brookey were involved in multiple theft rings where they would steal high end items, just to steal them. Both received charges for their involvement. They would also frequent a rehab center for Native American men who struggled with alcoholism. Brookey read tarot cards with her mother's Las Vegas neighbors.
But what keeps tickling the back of my mind, Brookey told Christine's friends and neighbors that she was taking her mother to live with Travis, her brother. But we all knew Travis was homeless....that makes me wonder if she was involved with his death as well. In a way, it seems she was stating the obvious. She knew her mother was dead, she knew Travis was dead. So the easiest lie, wasn't really a lie at all. Her mother and brother really were in the same place after all.
This review and more true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
October 8, 2009
Insertion of the femme fatale or wicked woman has served as an irresistible literary device back to the Garden of Eden, where Eve tried to blame it all on a snake. It's only been in the last generation, however, that we learned the fairer sex can actually be more than a fictional antagonist. True crime books and TV documentaries have heralded the emergence of the true-life femme fatale as a uniquely dangerous breed, and some of us just can't get enough.
So, I say thanks to newsman Glenn Puit for his cold-blooded introduction of Brookey Lee West through publication of Witch. Brookey clearly deserves a spot in anyone's Wicked Woman Hall of Fame. We meet her in the first chapter as the prize suspect in the gruesome "burial" of her own mother in a hermetically sealed barrel where the older woman had been left to rot and liquefy for several years inside a shed. After that eye-opener to begin the book, Puit takes the reader on a nostalgic trip back to Brookey's 1950s roots to learn that the acorn had not fallen too far from the tree. Then, he highlights the unsolved murder of Brookey's ex-husband and her fascination with the occult before recounting the basics of the trial in her mother's death that ultimately put her behind bars for life in Nevada.
The result is an intriguing but limited chronicle of violence and mystery that is quick and easy to read.
It is limited in a couple of ways. True crime succeeds only to the degree that the author can effectively infiltrate the mind of the criminal and plumb the development of their deviousness. With full access to a repentant transgressor, a skillful reporter can shake the skeletons out of their head and paint a clear picture of psychotic motivation. Although Puit had access, Brookey continues to deny her guilt, so he was unable to pop all the best questions. Nevertheless, he did an admirable job of assembling the pieces of her troubled background together into a fascinating puzzle that helps explain a lot.
I also must challenge Puit's decision to religiously employ newspaper reporting style for the book--describing all action through quotes of recollection rather than recreating the action as narrative to heighten suspense. At times, the story seems to be coming through a filter at arm's length from the action while also prompting confusion whenever he had to use quotations inside other quotations to reconstruct dialogue.
Still, if you want to get in touch with true crime's feminine side, I recommend a date with Brookey Lee West. Let Glenn Puit set you up!
So, I say thanks to newsman Glenn Puit for his cold-blooded introduction of Brookey Lee West through publication of Witch. Brookey clearly deserves a spot in anyone's Wicked Woman Hall of Fame. We meet her in the first chapter as the prize suspect in the gruesome "burial" of her own mother in a hermetically sealed barrel where the older woman had been left to rot and liquefy for several years inside a shed. After that eye-opener to begin the book, Puit takes the reader on a nostalgic trip back to Brookey's 1950s roots to learn that the acorn had not fallen too far from the tree. Then, he highlights the unsolved murder of Brookey's ex-husband and her fascination with the occult before recounting the basics of the trial in her mother's death that ultimately put her behind bars for life in Nevada.
The result is an intriguing but limited chronicle of violence and mystery that is quick and easy to read.
It is limited in a couple of ways. True crime succeeds only to the degree that the author can effectively infiltrate the mind of the criminal and plumb the development of their deviousness. With full access to a repentant transgressor, a skillful reporter can shake the skeletons out of their head and paint a clear picture of psychotic motivation. Although Puit had access, Brookey continues to deny her guilt, so he was unable to pop all the best questions. Nevertheless, he did an admirable job of assembling the pieces of her troubled background together into a fascinating puzzle that helps explain a lot.
I also must challenge Puit's decision to religiously employ newspaper reporting style for the book--describing all action through quotes of recollection rather than recreating the action as narrative to heighten suspense. At times, the story seems to be coming through a filter at arm's length from the action while also prompting confusion whenever he had to use quotations inside other quotations to reconstruct dialogue.
Still, if you want to get in touch with true crime's feminine side, I recommend a date with Brookey Lee West. Let Glenn Puit set you up!
January 31, 2018
Loved this book.. such an interesting but scary true story.. would recommend to all!!
November 22, 2022
The book begins with a badly decomposed body leaking fluids inside of a large garbage can. A storage facility shed was the final resting place for the dead woman. Books on satanic worship were found nearby. IDs with the name Christine Smith identified the likely victim. The city was,appropriately, Las Vegas.
A search was begun for the renter of the shed, Brookey Lee West, the daughter of the victim. The autopsy is nauseating, with the necessity of draining the melting flesh into a giant strainer before the medical examiner could proceed.
Meanwhile, the history of the dead Mrs. Smith is simply amazing. The woman was certifiably insane. Jail time and a few uncovered audio tapes filled with sexual fantasies are beyond strange.
Brookey's father dabbled in Satanism and witchcraft and married another woman after divorcing Christine. Brookey also married and had a daughter who she gave up for adoption. She next hooked up with a Native American man who later was found dead. West seemed to be bad luck for those in her vicinity.
Brookey turned out to be a one woman crime spree. The twists and turns are indescribable. Witch is a very good read.
A search was begun for the renter of the shed, Brookey Lee West, the daughter of the victim. The autopsy is nauseating, with the necessity of draining the melting flesh into a giant strainer before the medical examiner could proceed.
Meanwhile, the history of the dead Mrs. Smith is simply amazing. The woman was certifiably insane. Jail time and a few uncovered audio tapes filled with sexual fantasies are beyond strange.
Brookey's father dabbled in Satanism and witchcraft and married another woman after divorcing Christine. Brookey also married and had a daughter who she gave up for adoption. She next hooked up with a Native American man who later was found dead. West seemed to be bad luck for those in her vicinity.
Brookey turned out to be a one woman crime spree. The twists and turns are indescribable. Witch is a very good read.
September 20, 2008
on Sunday, June 15, 2008
Finished it last night. I quite liked this book to my surprise.
It kept me enthralled from beginning till the end.
Finished it last night. I quite liked this book to my surprise.
It kept me enthralled from beginning till the end.
September 10, 2013
great book
January 10, 2014
I was hooked on this book from the first chapter. A really interesting well written book about an evil woman. A definite recommendation to those that like true crime stories.
October 10, 2025
Time taken to read - 4 days
Pages - 352
Publisher -
Source - Bought (in Vegas)
Blurb from Goodreads
Drawing on extensive interviews with the accused herself, here is the sordid, twisted, and surprising story of Brookey Lee West—a successful technical writer from Silicon Valley who became Las Vegas’ most notorious female serial killer.
In February, 2001, police uncovered the decomposed remains of Christine Smith bagged like garbage in a Las Vegas storage unit. She’d been dead for years. Next to the makeshift tomb were books on witchcraft and Satanism. It didn’t take long for authorities to discover that the owner of the foul Canyon Gate Unit #317 was Christine’s own daughter, Brookey Lee West. Further investigation revealed something even more shocking—a one-woman crime spree that spanned two decades, stretched from Nevada to California, and may have counted among its victims Brookey’s own husband and brother....
My Review
So I hadn't heard of this one, I have read/seen a lot of true crime but never heard of this case. We effectively open with the finding of a body in a storage unit, the police trying to find the owner of said storage unit. We then get a back history of the deceased person Christine Smith and her daughter and owner of the unit, Brookey Lee West. Christine's early life, upbringing, how she met her husband and their life. The beginning of Brookey Lee's life, the suspected murders and glimpses of who she was or presented to those who were in her life.
This book is different is that we get more of the victims past and lives than really we do of Brookey Lee West. I feel like I don't know a whole lot more of her than I did before I started the book, absolute I know more of her mum, dad, husband and some of the ways she interacted with them but otherwise I don't think we know her much at all. Most books on killers you get quite in depth of who they are/were but this leaves you, well it did me, with a lot more questions.
Interesting read and I would read other books on her, see what information and takes other authors manage to pull together, 3.5/5.
Pages - 352
Publisher -
Source - Bought (in Vegas)
Blurb from Goodreads
Drawing on extensive interviews with the accused herself, here is the sordid, twisted, and surprising story of Brookey Lee West—a successful technical writer from Silicon Valley who became Las Vegas’ most notorious female serial killer.
In February, 2001, police uncovered the decomposed remains of Christine Smith bagged like garbage in a Las Vegas storage unit. She’d been dead for years. Next to the makeshift tomb were books on witchcraft and Satanism. It didn’t take long for authorities to discover that the owner of the foul Canyon Gate Unit #317 was Christine’s own daughter, Brookey Lee West. Further investigation revealed something even more shocking—a one-woman crime spree that spanned two decades, stretched from Nevada to California, and may have counted among its victims Brookey’s own husband and brother....
My Review
So I hadn't heard of this one, I have read/seen a lot of true crime but never heard of this case. We effectively open with the finding of a body in a storage unit, the police trying to find the owner of said storage unit. We then get a back history of the deceased person Christine Smith and her daughter and owner of the unit, Brookey Lee West. Christine's early life, upbringing, how she met her husband and their life. The beginning of Brookey Lee's life, the suspected murders and glimpses of who she was or presented to those who were in her life.
This book is different is that we get more of the victims past and lives than really we do of Brookey Lee West. I feel like I don't know a whole lot more of her than I did before I started the book, absolute I know more of her mum, dad, husband and some of the ways she interacted with them but otherwise I don't think we know her much at all. Most books on killers you get quite in depth of who they are/were but this leaves you, well it did me, with a lot more questions.
Interesting read and I would read other books on her, see what information and takes other authors manage to pull together, 3.5/5.
August 10, 2020
It was a good and interesting book as I’d not heard of Brookey Lee West before. However I did expect it to contain more information about the murder she was charged with and sent to prison for committing.
May 14, 2009
If you like real life crimes - it is good. I remember hearing of this after it happened...now, it has nothing to do with witches (Brookey West's family delved into the occult), and that fact has nothing to do with Brookey's murders she committed....the author does have a small paragraph in the Author's Note - stating this is in no way connected to Wiccans in the U.S. or witches, who do not use the carft for evil....just felt it would have been better not to use Witches fr a title - not connected to the story in any major way....
December 23, 2020
I love me a true crime novel. This one doesn’t disappoint. Author Puit is an investigative journalist and his work here shines as through, authentic and interesting. Really well done writing! The story itself tells itself as it’s true crime as Brookley West is truly one twisted individual. I highly recommend!
July 4, 2009
Interesting story, poorly written book. Very frustrating.
December 14, 2012
The sort of neighbour who would make me contact my nearset estate agent. There are some people that just feel wrong, and Brookey West is one of them.
March 6, 2016
This is one strange and demented woman. Overdone on the detail for my taste in some parts but the story was so fascinating it keep my interest and was a good book. Quick read but not a easy read.
February 28, 2018
The author really did his research and showed events from both viewpoints. The pictures included were shocking. Warning: it does contain foul language as direct quotes.
January 17, 2025
As an avid true-crime reader, I desperately wanted to like this book, as it was about a Female Serial Killer that I hadn't heard about. However, there were some major factors that led to me almost filing it away as a DNF:
• Primarily, the Writing Style.
While it is stated on prefix pages VIII and IX that "standard news-gathering prinicples were used in writing the book," I do not feel that this method of information gathering should eclipse the author's ability to tangibly write The Story. It felt like a splice betwixt a case review, a copy-paste of interview notes, and a tangle of psudo-explanations and historical facts; all with a splash of passing emotion and informative connect-the-dots. While this isn't intrinsically bad (some books are more fact-based and informative than story-based), when combined with a lack-luster narrative and patchy writing style, we are left with a bit of a mess.
Additional Note: Witch does not have a Table of Contents, though it is divided into several sections:
Chapter 00: Author's Note
Chapters 01-06: The Beginning
Chapters 06-10: Loved Ones
Chapters 11-19: Devil Worship
Chapters 20-34: Howard
Chapters 35-45: Mother
• Secondly, the Point of View.
I prefer to read true crime books that appear to have a consistent and reliable narrator. With Witch, we change from several points of view, many times over; from the Author, to West herself, her Parents, the Investigators, the Prosecuters...the Neighbors, Friends of Victims, AA Hosts, and even a person that even bought West's house at some point... It's a slew of characters that are largely uninvolved with the investigation, the crime, or West's history. Each chapter is a change, starting with a quote from a myriad of sources. Even still, the timeline jumps in wide swaths. Sometimes, we're as far back in the past as 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, or as far forward as 2004 during the author's then present-time interview of the suspect. The disorganized jumps and hodge-podge arrangement of persepctives, locations, times, events, and incidents seems an overly-convoluded way to narrate a story. To me, it became gradually more difficult to keep up the further I read. For many true crime fans, organization and smooth timelines are a key to understanding the build of motivation and method for the killer while reliving the discovery and hunt by the investigators. This book lacks that sense of organization and clarity. As stated before, it's just a mess.
• Next, Pacing.
Chapter 1 introduces us to West's final victim, and the source of the start of the investigation that led to her arrest and conviction; but the entire set-up of the investigation hits the breaks by chapter 6. By the time we get to chapter 20, all we've learned through extensive recounting that West and her brother grew up in a volitile home surrounded by drugs, alcohol, crime, and devil worship. It's assumed that this foray into West's past is included as a venture to likely guess the source of her inherent malfeasance and need to kill, but because of the Point of View issues mentioned above, it's an extended jumble of pages (86, to be exact) before we get any additional informtion about the murders or the investigation. Chaper 21 dives right back into West's history with her family and eventual husbands, and from there we get nothing about the murders other than a few brief scentences until the final chapters of the book where we're brought back to the investigation.
• Lastly, Unwarranted Sensationalization of Partial Influences.
The title of this book is "Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer," which evokes the image of some crazed female occult serial killer prowling the streets of Vegas like a vengeful, gothic, Californian version of Aileen Wuornos. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it makes for an overall disappointing read. West was not a witch, did not practice the arts of the occult, and the satanic arts had no bearing or influence on her kills. Sure, she read tarot cards, tossed marbles, and believed she was an empath/psychic, but that is the extent of the supernatural in her "spree." (Though 3 kills is hardly a "spree," and she was only convicted of 1, so...?)
I did eventually finish the book, though it was like pulling teeth. I hate leaving a book as a DNF, regardless of my reading preferences. I'm not writing off this author completely, and I do plan on checking out his other works; but I will go into his other works with the knowledge that I will likely be reading more of a sensationalized version of an investigation report than a "True Story Of [Whatever]..."
• Primarily, the Writing Style.
While it is stated on prefix pages VIII and IX that "standard news-gathering prinicples were used in writing the book," I do not feel that this method of information gathering should eclipse the author's ability to tangibly write The Story. It felt like a splice betwixt a case review, a copy-paste of interview notes, and a tangle of psudo-explanations and historical facts; all with a splash of passing emotion and informative connect-the-dots. While this isn't intrinsically bad (some books are more fact-based and informative than story-based), when combined with a lack-luster narrative and patchy writing style, we are left with a bit of a mess.
Additional Note: Witch does not have a Table of Contents, though it is divided into several sections:
Chapter 00: Author's Note
Chapters 01-06: The Beginning
Chapters 06-10: Loved Ones
Chapters 11-19: Devil Worship
Chapters 20-34: Howard
Chapters 35-45: Mother
• Secondly, the Point of View.
I prefer to read true crime books that appear to have a consistent and reliable narrator. With Witch, we change from several points of view, many times over; from the Author, to West herself, her Parents, the Investigators, the Prosecuters...the Neighbors, Friends of Victims, AA Hosts, and even a person that even bought West's house at some point... It's a slew of characters that are largely uninvolved with the investigation, the crime, or West's history. Each chapter is a change, starting with a quote from a myriad of sources. Even still, the timeline jumps in wide swaths. Sometimes, we're as far back in the past as 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, or as far forward as 2004 during the author's then present-time interview of the suspect. The disorganized jumps and hodge-podge arrangement of persepctives, locations, times, events, and incidents seems an overly-convoluded way to narrate a story. To me, it became gradually more difficult to keep up the further I read. For many true crime fans, organization and smooth timelines are a key to understanding the build of motivation and method for the killer while reliving the discovery and hunt by the investigators. This book lacks that sense of organization and clarity. As stated before, it's just a mess.
• Next, Pacing.
Chapter 1 introduces us to West's final victim, and the source of the start of the investigation that led to her arrest and conviction; but the entire set-up of the investigation hits the breaks by chapter 6. By the time we get to chapter 20, all we've learned through extensive recounting that West and her brother grew up in a volitile home surrounded by drugs, alcohol, crime, and devil worship. It's assumed that this foray into West's past is included as a venture to likely guess the source of her inherent malfeasance and need to kill, but because of the Point of View issues mentioned above, it's an extended jumble of pages (86, to be exact) before we get any additional informtion about the murders or the investigation. Chaper 21 dives right back into West's history with her family and eventual husbands, and from there we get nothing about the murders other than a few brief scentences until the final chapters of the book where we're brought back to the investigation.
• Lastly, Unwarranted Sensationalization of Partial Influences.
The title of this book is "Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer," which evokes the image of some crazed female occult serial killer prowling the streets of Vegas like a vengeful, gothic, Californian version of Aileen Wuornos. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it makes for an overall disappointing read. West was not a witch, did not practice the arts of the occult, and the satanic arts had no bearing or influence on her kills. Sure, she read tarot cards, tossed marbles, and believed she was an empath/psychic, but that is the extent of the supernatural in her "spree." (Though 3 kills is hardly a "spree," and she was only convicted of 1, so...?)
I did eventually finish the book, though it was like pulling teeth. I hate leaving a book as a DNF, regardless of my reading preferences. I'm not writing off this author completely, and I do plan on checking out his other works; but I will go into his other works with the knowledge that I will likely be reading more of a sensationalized version of an investigation report than a "True Story Of [Whatever]..."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2021
4/5 stars
I'll start off by saying I'm not the biggest true crime fan, but Glenn Puit's rendition of Brookey Lee West's story had me turning page after page.
I enjoyed the first part as the discovery of the crime scene felt like watching an episode of CSI: Miami. I liked the pacing of the book as well, Puit dives into West's background with detail, getting many quotes from nearly everyone involved in her life, while also maintaining his smooth narration.
My favourite thing about the writing is the fact that every person who is introduced gets a bit of background information about them. This attaches soul and personality to each person introduced in a chapter, instead of just another faceless name you encounter.
For those who don't like books with a lot of quotes, this may not be too much to your liking since the author includes transcripts from tape recordings that take up most of the middle section of the book. However, the recordings aren't added in vain as they definitely pertain to the storyline and include important information.
I take away the last star as the selling point of "She's a witch" was a bit milked for the promo, but isn't completely out of reach for the content that's included.
I'll start off by saying I'm not the biggest true crime fan, but Glenn Puit's rendition of Brookey Lee West's story had me turning page after page.
I enjoyed the first part as the discovery of the crime scene felt like watching an episode of CSI: Miami. I liked the pacing of the book as well, Puit dives into West's background with detail, getting many quotes from nearly everyone involved in her life, while also maintaining his smooth narration.
My favourite thing about the writing is the fact that every person who is introduced gets a bit of background information about them. This attaches soul and personality to each person introduced in a chapter, instead of just another faceless name you encounter.
For those who don't like books with a lot of quotes, this may not be too much to your liking since the author includes transcripts from tape recordings that take up most of the middle section of the book. However, the recordings aren't added in vain as they definitely pertain to the storyline and include important information.
I take away the last star as the selling point of "She's a witch" was a bit milked for the promo, but isn't completely out of reach for the content that's included.
May 7, 2019
Half stars aren’t an option otherwise it would be more like 3.5 stars. Not quite a 4 and not a 2 so I have to go with 3. I enjoyed this book. It was a used find at a local book store for $4 bucks. It sat in my “to read” pile for a long time but I’m slowly working my way through that stack. I enjoyed the story. Brookey Lee West had a roller coaster of a life and an interesting crime spree. The writing could be better and should have been proof read a little more before publication. Otherwise it’s not bad for a true crime read. I will say I never appreciate the satanic aspects in cases like these and the false information that usually accompanies cases when satanic worship is involved. I can definitely say the author should have done a little more research into the modern satanic church as they do not actually believe in or worship the devil as he expresses in this book. But I won’t hold too much against him since at the time this book was written the satanic church was a lot less understood.
November 22, 2019
Historia Brookey Lee West na pewno jest ciekawa i miejscami makabryczna, jednak opisana została w bardzo średni sposób i moim zdaniem cały potencjał tej opowieści został zmarnowany.
Opisy z okładki głoszą "Prawdziwa historia o szaleństwie, miłości, nienawiści i magii!" jednak większość z tych rzeczy w książce jest tylko wzmianką.
Za dużo było opisywania wszystkich wokół głównej bohaterki, za mało skupienia się na psychice Brookey. Cała książka to głównie cytaty z nagrań z wywiadów przeprowadzonych przez autora, inne pochodzą z policyjnych raportów. Wszystko jest przedstawione "na sucho", komentarze autora bardzo lakoniczne i rzadko dotyczące głównej bohaterki.
Tytuł jest również mylący, ponieważ wątek magii i satanizmu jest tylko skromnym dodatkiem do całości. Nie został on wykorzystany przez oskarżenie w trakcie procesu, więc i autor potraktował go pobieżnie.
Sam proces opisany w kilku akapitach, bez żadnego budowania napięcia.
Polecam czytelnikom, którzy chcieliby się zapoznać z historią Brookey Lee West, jednak ostrzegam przed mylącymi tytułem i opisami na okładce.
5/10
Opisy z okładki głoszą "Prawdziwa historia o szaleństwie, miłości, nienawiści i magii!" jednak większość z tych rzeczy w książce jest tylko wzmianką.
Za dużo było opisywania wszystkich wokół głównej bohaterki, za mało skupienia się na psychice Brookey. Cała książka to głównie cytaty z nagrań z wywiadów przeprowadzonych przez autora, inne pochodzą z policyjnych raportów. Wszystko jest przedstawione "na sucho", komentarze autora bardzo lakoniczne i rzadko dotyczące głównej bohaterki.
Tytuł jest również mylący, ponieważ wątek magii i satanizmu jest tylko skromnym dodatkiem do całości. Nie został on wykorzystany przez oskarżenie w trakcie procesu, więc i autor potraktował go pobieżnie.
Sam proces opisany w kilku akapitach, bez żadnego budowania napięcia.
Polecam czytelnikom, którzy chcieliby się zapoznać z historią Brookey Lee West, jednak ostrzegam przed mylącymi tytułem i opisami na okładce.
5/10
September 11, 2024
Well-researched, but middling in execution. The first half laid the groundwork for a gripping story. Unfortunately, the second half fizzled out with mostly transcripts and direct quotes that made for a rather anticlimactic ending.
Also, a small gripe regarding the title: “Witch” is little more than a cash-grab. There are familial ties to the occult, but it’s not even the most interesting part of West’s background, let alone substantial enough to sell it as primary motivations in her alleged crimes. What was interesting was the generational violence, the shared need for psychological help, and the outcome when these elements crash together unchecked.
Also, a small gripe regarding the title: “Witch” is little more than a cash-grab. There are familial ties to the occult, but it’s not even the most interesting part of West’s background, let alone substantial enough to sell it as primary motivations in her alleged crimes. What was interesting was the generational violence, the shared need for psychological help, and the outcome when these elements crash together unchecked.
January 11, 2025
I don’t read much true crime, but I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and watch true crime shows. I think this book did a pretty good job of laying out the story of the crime that put Brookey Lee West in prison. At times, the book took odd tangents to talk about the history of some forensic techniques. That felt like it was just in there to make the book longer. When learning about this case, I don’t need to know about the first time fingerprints were used to convict someone else. Not that it’s not interesting, just felt like filler text between the parts I wanted to know about this crime.
September 30, 2021
Interesting. The witch angle is overdone.
This is a great case study of what happens when decades of mental illness, domestic abuse, and child abuse/severe neglect are combined with alcohol and substance abuse. It doesn't have a happy outcome for anyone.
My main complaint is that whie "witchcraft" and satanism are present during parts of this family's tragic story, that whole theme is tangential to the story (and was deemed inadmissible in her trial), and using the term "Witch" to title the book just seems like grasping for readers.
This is a great case study of what happens when decades of mental illness, domestic abuse, and child abuse/severe neglect are combined with alcohol and substance abuse. It doesn't have a happy outcome for anyone.
My main complaint is that whie "witchcraft" and satanism are present during parts of this family's tragic story, that whole theme is tangential to the story (and was deemed inadmissible in her trial), and using the term "Witch" to title the book just seems like grasping for readers.
September 30, 2025
Although it was a true story written by a report, I found the never-ending description of her mother rotted into a pool of goo in her storage unit upsetting. We get it - the "Witch" was truly evil and deserves to rot, herself. But why go on for fifteen pages discussing the condition of her poor mother and the aftereffects of being left to dissolve in the container? I had to put this down -- and I didn't even pass it along to our community bookshelf. I threw it in the garbage, which I felt was fitting.
July 6, 2018
Glen Puit does a very thorough, very factual, recounting of the life and crimes of Brookey West, stemming from his time as a crime reporter in Las Vegas. Though documentary like it reads like a novel, but without the neat and tidy resolution. Child abuse, mental illness, racism, drug abuse and alcoholism all play a part in West's life.
The story begins with the discovery of a body in a rolling trash can in a storage unit. The police work and investigation is fascinating.
The story begins with the discovery of a body in a rolling trash can in a storage unit. The police work and investigation is fascinating.
October 27, 2022
A good read! This one moved right along -- there were several bombshells tucked away in these pages -- and the story was not repetitive at all. The courtroom proceedings were described well without belaboring everything we already knew about the investigation from earlier chapters. There was not much from the mouth of the defendant, but I suspect she didn't have a lot to say to the author charting her downfall. Includes grody crime-scene photos and quite a few maddening, unanswered questions.
April 10, 2019
Most Notorious Killer. Nope.
Most Notorious Female Killer. Better. Nope.
Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer.
Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer West of the Drive. Probably the editor stepped in and stopped the circus..
Most Notorious Female Killer. Better. Nope.
Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer.
Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer West of the Drive. Probably the editor stepped in and stopped the circus..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews