Love Her to Death

by M. William Phelps

In the midst of Pennsylvania's Amish country, on a peaceful summer night in 2008, the body of 45-year-old Jan Roseboro was found at the bottom of her backyard pool. Her husband Michael, a successful businessman and a member of a prominent family, showed no emotion as he learned of her death. But the next day an autopsy revealed Jan had been savagely beaten and strangled before being tossed in the water to drown. Soon Michael's secret lover, pregnant with his child, stepped into the media spotlight. And a horrifying true story of illicit passion, deadly deceit, and cold-blooded murder unfolded...

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Mystery, Biography

459 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with Patricia's review. I just found it repetitive and did not finish. This was a DNF for me.


I also think I am getting burnt out on True Crime. It's an unsettling book and there isn't anything wrong with it (I did read quite a bit of it before deciding to stop) but the repitition and slow pace kept me from wanting to read the whole thing.

I do think if one is a real lover of true crime they may like this. I am an occasional reader of the genre and have been reading less and less of it lately so thi s book was just not for me.

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a peaceful night in Pennsylvania in 2008 Jan Roseboro was found dead in her swimming pool. Her husband Michael, a successful businessman and member of a prominent family, showed no emotion as he learned of her death. Everyone is stunned when it is revealed Jan was beaten and strangled. Michael's lies are catching up to him when his pregnant mistress comes to the light. Michael is pond scum. Poor Jan was murdered by the one person she trusted and never found out why. Phelps did a good job putting everything together.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Review: This is a good book about a murder and it's trial told through the voice of M. William Phelps. Having always liked his books (his writing style and the time he puts into fact checking etc. are top notch) I was excited to read this one because I did watch a show on the case a while back, and I wasn't disappointed. However, as with many of his books, there were a lot of parts that dragged on and on. Repeating the same facts over and over again alienates readers just as much as it would a jury and I found myself wanting to skip over sections because of it. For instance, the love letters between the killer and the woman he was having an affair with was redundant, cheesy, and overdone. I would have gotten the point in 5 pages rather than reading upwards of 50 of them. Other than this, the book is eye opening, interesting, well written. I recommend his books for those who enjoy true crime novels and shows on Investigation Discovery (the I.D. channel).

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great true crime book by M. William Phelps that I set aside when it arrived and just discovered again. What starts out looking like an accidental drowning of the wife of a wealthy undertaker who discovered her in the bottom of their new swimming pool one night in Pennsylvania, turns out to be a very twisted murder story. It's soon discovered that although she drowned, she was beaten to death first and the investigation expands from there. The twists and turns are pretty crazy and kept me very involved in this one, right to the finish. Good investigation and trial information, as is usual with Phelps, very thorough reporting all around.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book with a friend... it was a quick read only because I was able to skim quite a bit. I suggested we read this book since M. William Phelps has been on plenty of the shows I enjoy (Investigation Discovery) so I thought that he would be a good writer! I think I will stay away from all his other books from now on... This book went on and on about the same thing, it was extremely repetitive, went on for too long. I did enjoy being advised I could go hear the 911 call online, which I did. He did portray the "bad guy" as just that, but I will pick an Ann Rule book (even one I read before!) before picking up another of his.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

read on my nook...

I'm a fan of true crime fare and since M. William Phelps is a Connecticut author this seemed like a doubly good choice for me.

The crime, one I had seen featured on 48 Hours, is an interesting case involving the high profile murder of 45-year-old Jan Roseboro who was found dead in the deep end of her swimming pool. Her husband, Michael Roseboro, a respected member of this tight-knit community located in the heart of Amish country, seems a bit off to detectives who initially show up at the scene. Michael, a funeral director, is the person who finds his wife, and the one who calls 911 to report her drowning. He seems cold, distant, shows little emotion at what one would think is a horrific and devastating event.

It's hard to say exactly what made this just so-so for me. It seemed a bit too much of he said, she said, he did this, she did that, but not like in the good investigative sense.

M. William Phelps is the author of the critically acclaimed Nathan Hale: the life and death of America's fist spy and also The Devil's Rooming House: the true story of America's deadliest female serial killer, about Amy Archer-Gilligan, proprietor Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalid in Windsor, CT, the inspiration for Arsenic and Old Lace. I think I should try one of these.

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a lot of true crime in my life and this particular book is one of the worst I have ever read. The author does not dig beneath the surface and try to understand who the people are in the story at all. He gives no background information on how they met or how they got to the point where a husband kills his wife. Instead the author chooses to focus ad nauseum on the mistress and the sordid relationship these two adultrous people have - pages and pages and pages and most of them add nothing of relevance to the story. The 500 pages primarily center around the murder and the year after the murder and could certainly have been condensed into 200 pages or less. The author also has an annoying habit of commenting on the story instead of just writing the story and letting the reader judge for himself.

I'm not sure what this author was thinking, but there are far better true crime writers out there than this guy.

[Ceeceereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good for the most part. I found it interesting enough although a little lacking in depth so I didn’t get stuck in. It started to fall short towards the end. I found the communications between lovers interesting but other than that, it did at times feel like it was skirting on the surface.

[Rikki Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you finish the book, you must youtube the 911 call that the book talks about…
Insane!

[Klynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one just didn't hold my interest due to its slow pace.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true crime story about a mortician (of all things) who murdered his wife for several reasons: he had been a serial adulterer, and was afraid his wife was going to find out about his most recent affair; his mistress was pregnant (she was also married), and he had promised to marry her). This man, Michael Rosemore, is one of the worst narcissists I have ever read about, and instead of divorcing his wife of 19 years, he decides to brutally murder her. It can't get much worse than that. This case took place in Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County, where a lot of Amish and Mennonite people live, which makes it all the more surreal in my opinion. The author did a good job of getting into the heads of the family members, principals, and also the law enforcement personnel involved in the case. I have just one word to sum this book up: unbelievable........

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

these books normally take me 2 days to read. this took me almost a week.
slow story, wealthy man, sex addict, mistress, love child, sees no other way out, murders the wife of 20 years and stages it as an accidental drowning. yawn. seen it before. nothing new or juicy to it.

typically i love this author. this one was not that great. i dont think anyone could have made this story interesting.

i think the most surprising thing of this whole book was the fact that the prosecutor got a conviction. i'm not sure i would have voted for conviction had i sat in on this case.

[Tabitha Rohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. William Phelphs is always great and this book is no exception to the rule. I love how he adds a little of his own witty personality while telling the story as it was revealed to him.

[Linda Edmonds Cerullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply disturbing and engrossing account of the murder of Jan Roseboro by her husband Michael. The couple had everything a couple could want: children, a large home in the middle of Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with a swimming pool, friends, loving family. Michael was the owner of a well-established funeral home and made an outstanding income. Then he met Angie Funk and the two become intimately involved. Promising each other they would leave their mates and marry, they became consumed with the "idea" of a life together, but neither seemed to make a move. Until the night Jan Roseboro was found dead in her pool. The author does a great job unraveling all the threads Michael Roseboro tangled in order to cover up the murder and does an excellent job covering the trial in an orderly and easy-to-follow way. A terrible tragedy in the heart of a peaceful area of rural Pennsylvania compassionately and thoroughly presented. Sad, but riveting reading.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Her to Death traces the bizarre death of Jan Roseboro, and the trial that put her killer away. This is a true story, and the author's note explains how he interviewed the associated parties so that he could write with accuracy. I was riveted by all the details, even down to the direct quotes from the 911 call, emails, police interviews, and court proceedings. The breakdown of events leading to the killer's demise is very well-written. This is the sort of true-crime Twinkie I crave. My only feedback is that there are moments that get "explainy," stating multiple times that we're to notice how a person acted or the tone of a conversation. I understand, though, that this is a way the author is guiding us toward the inevitable conclusion.

[Mollee Lemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 454 pages instead of the 320 that it claims it has. Once again, M. William Phelps knocked another book out of the park. This book is about Michael and Jan Rosboro. Michael Rosboro was the owner of Rosboro Funeral Home in Pennsylvania. Michael and Jan had been married for 19 years. They had 4 children together. Michael Rosboro began to have an affair with Angela Funk who was also married. Angela ended up getting pregnant with Michael's baby. They had a little boy. One July night in 2008 Jan Rosboro and Michael were out by the pool when Michael hit Jan on the head and then pushed her in the swimming pool causing her to drown. Michael is currently serving a life sentence in prison.

[Sandy Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phelps isn’t one of my favourite authors as I get so annoyed at his short sentences. So annoying. Such short sentences. So he isn’t a favourite. No, Phelps isn’t a favourite.
This book is actually quite good though as the story line is intriguing. It is the usual case of husband getting sick of wife, has a girlfriend but doesn’t want to share his assets or lose his children to a wife that he could easily dispose of.
His downfall is how well he is known in his town and a sudden break for one night only of the family routine is noticed by so many different people around him that suspicions are raised. The dedication of the police officers in solving the crime and the prosecution team are what make the story so interesting.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The case was interesting and so was the investigation. However, I was put off by the amount of time the author spent on the sexual events. For me, they went on & on & on.....I got the point of the relationship fairly quickly.

I was disappointed that the investigation did not go into the possible reason why Roseboro's children were so deeply asleep the whole time first responders were at the house & their deceased mother was taken away to the hospital. Did Roseboro drug them? That part of the story left a big gap for me.

Why didn't any of the family (immediate and/or extended) go to the hospital? More importantly, why didn't Roseboro call or show up in person to check on his wife? Several areas left unanswered.

[Pam Herrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Roseboro had it all. Successful career as a mortician, beautiful wife, 4 kids, multi million dollar home and a fat bank account. But he wanted more. He wanted a mistress and he picked one that was bedazzled by him. She also was married and had 2 kids. He obsessed about Angie and decided to stage his wife's murder by making it looked like she drowned in their pool.
He deserves his life in prison sentence.

[Paige Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am usually a huge Phelps fan, but this one let me down. The author admits that the major players did not respond to his requests for an interview, and I think that's why this one was boring. I just didn't enjoy the writing at all. There are chapters dedicated to emails written between a cheater and his mistress, and they just drag on and on. Phelps weighing in on them annoyed me. I don't know if I was just not in the mood for this book or if it was really that bad. Read this one with caution.

[Tracy Bealer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run

This one takes place “close to home” since Denver is a stones throw from where I live. Another Phelps book that keeps the reader engrossed to where you don’t want to put it down. Michael Roseboro is one of those criminals you love to hate for taking the life of his wife.

[Marnie Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot of this authors books and this is not one of the better ones, the story is really not very interesting or unique in any way. There is way too much about the calls/texts between Angie & Michael, I get it, I don't need to hear on and on about how they are so hot for each other. There was a lot of repetition and as usual Phelps adds in many (unnecessary) snarky comments

[D'Anne Nelson]

It took me weeks to finish this book. I had to keep putting it down. Not sure if it's because I'm from Lancaster Pa, and already knew the outcome, but I just felt the pages were filled with the same facts stated over and over again. I suppose Phelps didn't really have much to work with, though. Not very exciting material.

[heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

As far as true crime goes, this book doesn’t get into the psychological aspects of the crime. It is more of a play-by-play of a perpetrator’s selfish actions. It is a dramatic read and provides limited insight into the crime so we may learn from it.

[seb gratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

In the UK we have a saying that goes " There's nowt as queer as folk" meaning Nothing is as strange as people can be, people behave in very odd ways and Mr Phelps certainly proved this in this book. It was wonderfully written and very detailed

[Donna Humble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read with a lot of details of the crime and trial.

[julie Juarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad story told well

Very well told. I couldn't put it down. It's just tragic people have to die so horribly that books are written about them.

[barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my new favorite authors. excellent read

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good true crime book - and this was a goodie. What a stupid, arrogant man he was.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, extremely well written account of the murder of Jan Roseboro.