Mind Games: The True Story of a Psychologist, His Wife, and a Brutal Murder

by Carlton Smith

A SUCCESSFUL DOCTOR.Dr. Felix Polk was a married psychologist living in Berkeley, California. At forty years old, he had a successful practice and a towering reputation—until he began a scandalous affair with one of his Susan Bolling. She was fifteen years old.A TROUBLED TEENAGE GIRL.After divorcing his first wife, Felix married Susan. Susan would later claim that her marriage was built on lies, manipulation, and psychological abuse. She tried to divorce Felix, but no settlement could be reached. Susan seemed to believe that Felix had stashed up to $40 million in a secret bank account in the Caribbean. She wanted her half—or else…A CASE THAT STUNNED THE NATION.In October 2002, Felix was found stabbed to death in his own home. Susan insisted she acted in self-defense. But what would a jury think when Susan—claiming she was the victim of Felix's manipulation—became her own defense attorney? This is the true story of marriage, murder, and mind games

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2007

Reviews

[Ernie McCracken · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took quite an effort to slog through this long-winded book. There was about enough decent material for a magazine article or 20-page ebook, not a full-length job. 80 percent of the book covers run of the mill arguments and shouting matches between the husband and wife. Exhausting really.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dull and disjointed work. Like the trial it describes, the book goes on and on and on.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felix Polk was a psychologist, Susan was his patient. When she was 14 and he was 40 they embarked on an affair that led to marriage. Decades later Susan killed Felix. The story that came out after her arrest was a relationship of abuse and manipulation, control and jealousy. Not sure why I picked this up as I usually read true crime prior to 1900. This was okay but nothing special.

[Diane Waddington · Rating 4 out of 5]

read pretty convoluted he said she said who knows. Not sure she should have been convicted.

[Terra Wolski · Rating 3 out of 5]

52BC prompt "Starts with the letter M"

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dull and disjointed work. Like the trial it describes, the book goes on and on and on.

[Terri Durling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the true story of one of the most dysfunctional families in modern time. The father, Felix, a Holocaust survivor and we'll known psychologist, marries one of his patients, Susan, a teenager some 25 years younger. It a marriage made in hell that produces 3 sons who unfortunately witness the mind games and cruelty of their parents as they each try to outdo and control the other. The result is Felixs murder and a showdown as Susan attempts to defend herself and the trial ends up being a one way ticket to a circus like one has never before seen. Sons are divided and mother alienates two of her sons in the progress. It is not hard to see why she was found guilty despite overwhelming evidence she was abused by Felix and was also mentally ill., it was a bit too long in the storytelling for my liking but a very compelling story of how two people can destroy each other and their families and the consequences of such hatred.

[Lynn Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this only to check off A book based on a true story on my reading challenge list. a few chapters in, and I had to double check that is was a true crime book. It's insane. While the writing itself was a little drawn out for my taste, the story was captivating. I couldn't put it down

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both the victim and the killer were crazy. They make the people in Running With Scissors look normal!

[Jeannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just felt this author drug the story out way too long, I got bored reading of her antics in the courtroom.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good true crime book.