A Rose for Mary: The Hunt for the Real Boston Strangler

by Casey Sherman, Dick Lehr (Foreword)

An analysis of the Boston Strangler case also offers an insider perspective on the murder of final victim Mary Sullivan, as told by her nephew, and discusses how the chief suspect had no physical evidence linking him to the crimes and was killed before he was charged.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History

220 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2003

About the author

Casey Sherman is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 13 books including The Finest Hours (now a major motion picture starring Casey Affleck & Chris Pine), Boston Strong (the basis for the film Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg), Animal & Hunting Whitey.
Sherman is also the author of 12, Search for the Strangler, Animal, Bad Blood, Black Irish, Black Dragon, Above & Beyond and The Ice Bucket Challenge.
Sherman is a contributing writer for TIME, Esquire, Washington Post, Boston Herald and Boston Magazine and has appeared as a guest an analyst on more than 100 television news programs.
Sherman is a graduate of Barnstable High School (Cape Cod), Fryeburg Academy (Fryeburg, Me.) and Boston University.

Reviews

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 4 out of 5]

He made a compelling case that DiSalvo could not have committed all of the murders he was charged with committing. When I read the book in 2004, I had more than a reasonable doubt of his guilt.
Today 10 years later, it is ironic that DNA conclusively has proven that in fact DiSalvo was responsible for the murder of the author's aunt.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down and devoured it in one day. Written by the nephew of the reported Boston Stranger's last victim, this book tells the journey taken to find the truth about the person responsible for the murder of Mary Sullivan. Definitely compelling evidence for sure!

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its kind of like 2 books in one: true crime, then a memoir. I'm a sucker for true crime; then again, spare me your true feelings.

[B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book. Billed as investigative/ journalistic style writing, the unfortunate truth is that it just doesn't hold up to that level of integrity in writing. It's written by the nephew of one of the victims, a man born after Mary was dead, yet when he starts out with a fictionalized assumption of how she would have spent her days, when she was in Boston with no family remotely near her....it loses all credibility - if he made this up, what else did he make up because it made a better story? It's the type of writing you would expect to see from a so-called "news" outlet today, and the type of writing that would have made Cronkite turn up his nose in a scoff. Very disappointing.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and very well written! It's nice to finally have closure for Mary's family even though the killer was never caught.
He will come before God one day and be judged for his sins.
Great author.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book for this first time since 2004 after watching the Boston Strangler series on Hulu and it is still as good as I remembered.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping book. I read more than half of this book in a single day. (A personal achievement for this slow reader!) Sherman's search for his aunt's killer caused me to think twice about how the original investigation was handled -at least by Ed Brooke and John Bottomley. Boston Police Officer James Mellon emerges as hero. No one listened to him. There's no doubt in my mind that Albert De Salvo was not the Boston Strangler after reading this book. However the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and the Boston Police Department behaved shamefully -covering up the mistakes of 40 years ago. Also, I can't help but wonder if Casey Sherman could be sued for libel.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey Sherman's aunt, Mary Sullivan, was killed at the age of 19 in Massachusetts and her death was always pegged as the doing of the Boston Strangler. Although the person who is thought of as the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo, was never tried for the murders.
Casey and his mother, Mary's sister, always felt that Mary did not die at the hands of Albert DeSalvo and Casey set out to prove otherwise.
You will have to read the book to find out whether he proved that or not.
Casey's writing is concise and interesting. You will want to go and do more research after finishing the book.

[Champaign Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is about the search for the real Boston strangler, the possible murderer of many women killed in gruesome ways. The investigator is the real life nephew of Mary Sullivan, one of the victims that died a horrible death. The author considered his aunt's murder a family stigma until her murder was clarified. He believed strongly the man accused of the killings was not the real murderer but a puppet of the manipulative and dangerous mind of the real Boston Strangler. It's a very excellent real life mystery!

Recommended by Maria N.

[Myles David · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I am starting on a documentary about the Boston Strangler, all my reading is focused on this for now. Casey Sherman does a great job presenting his own findings and I am impressed with his determination and courageousness in approaching a family history that most would want to forget.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not something I would read before bed but was really interesting. I didn't realize that there are a lot of people that believe the "boston strangler" was actually several different killers. The evidence really seemed to back this guy's theory up.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about Casey's aunt who was supposedly the last victim of the Boston Strangler After reading it, to me there is no doubt that Albert DeSalvo is not the Boston Strangler. It is a great read for anyone who likes non fiction

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this bee in my bonnet to find out more about the boston strangler, so I checked this out a tthe library. It wasn't as comprehensive as I would have liked, but it did the trick to satisfy my information quest.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent example of CYA within our government. Well written, meticulous attention to detail argument that proves DeSalvo was NOT the Boston Strangler and displaces the myth that there ever was a Boston Strangler.

[Carla (There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smooth, clean narrative. Sherman tackles the possibly sticky subject of his own aunt's murder, and does so with aplomb.