One Dark Night: A True Story of Deceit, Desire, and Murder in a Peaceful Town

by Kevin F. McMurray

Their neighbors were Bill and Hillary Clinton. Their home was Chappaqua, the upscale New York suburb famous for its tranquility—until one dark night, when a brutal murder shattered the community. Driving home with his wife Peggy, Carlos Perez-Olivo claimed he was forced off the road by another vehicle. Entering the couple’s SUV, the other driver allegedly shot and killed Peggy during a struggle. Then, while wrestling with the assailant, Carlos took a bullet in the abdomen. But disturbing facts about Carlos began to He’d sent flowers to his mistress two days before Peggy’s murder. He’d been recently disbarred as a criminal defense attorney. And now, he stood to inherit Peggy’s life insurance policies. With each revelation, more questions were Was Carlos an innocent victim? A scheming accomplice? Or a cold-blooded killer? This is what really happened…

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating true crime novel. One of the better true crime books I've read. It is quite a story and shocking this is true. If you are seeking a riveting true crime novel(Many have been let downs to me) this is one you want to read. Your attention will not wander.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book for me was one of the most boring books I have ever read. The reason being it focused all on the court case and I just literally got bored with it.

[Ruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always been intrigued by true crime stories, but found this one to drag on to the point that I almost quit reading. Too many “players” that seemed to have little or nothing to do with the crime or trial at all were introduced at great length, and I often found myself asking “So?” There were also some glaring grammatical errors that I feel should never have been allowed past the editing desk (such as the ever-annoying misuse of “then” when making a comparison rather than “than”. The author took an obvious stance that the case was mishandled by the police, and if all the information is accurate, I have to admit that I believe he may be right. But, on the other hand, it seems that the most likely suspect is the one that sits in prison. In the end, having read the book, I can honestly say that I would never have been able to sit on the jury on this case because it seemed that there was reasonable doubt…but it is sad that the author of this book felt the need to bring to light useless information that meant nothing just to fill enough pages to make a book. While I dislike “bashing” someone’s hard work, I feel that I have to admit that I did not care for this author’s style and would not recommend it to readers with little to no patience.

[Alison Gulley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The case itself is interesting, and from the details here I have reasonable doubt that he committed the crime, but the organization is off. For some reason key players and episodes aren't introduced until after the section on the trial and verdict. The trial itself is pretty boring, but in general I dislike true crime books that give an almost blow by blow of what goes on in court.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but the layout was a bit confounding, almost like there was a section missing. We learn that a death takes place, then we're gearing up for the murder trial without knowing what happened.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting story.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally enjoy true crime stories but I found this one dragged a lot.

[Guera25 · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Very poorly written and sloppy. Constantly alluded to evidence that had not been mentioned before as if the reader should know all about it.