The Count and the Confession: A True Mystery

by John Taylor

Do you believe that the gentlest and
most courteous person you know
is capable of murder?


The count in John Taylor’s beguiling true story is Roger de la Burde, a wealthy scientist and art collector, who wore ascots, claimed he was a Polish nobleman, bowed to women—and then routinely propositioned them. In 1992, Burde was found dead on his Virginia estate, with a single bullet wound in his forehead. The Count and the Confession explores the layers of mystery surrounding this strange man’s death. Did he, as the local deputies at first assumed, commit suicide? Or had he, as a state police investigator later decided, been killed? And if so, by whom? The longtime girlfriend? The pregnant mistress? A cuckolded husband? A disgruntled business associate?
At the center of this mystery is Beverly Monroe, who becomes the lead suspect in Burde’s death. Monroe is an improbable murderer. Burde’s companion for twelve years—he called her “Mouse”—she is an unfailingly genteel Southern lady, affluent, highly educated, and a mother of three children—and prior to her indictment, she had never even received a parking ticket. But Monroe did have an apparent motive. She was also the last person to see Burde alive. And in a controversial interview with an ingeniously manipulative state police investigator, she changed her initial story and said that she had been present when Burde killed himself.
Critically acclaimed author John Taylor’s recon-struction of this riveting case is narrative nonfiction at its best. Meticulously reported, artfully written, rich in psychological complexity, Gothic detail, and dramatic suspense, The Count and the Confession will make you marvel at the peculiarities of human motivation and force you to grapple with an array of irresistible questions, the most dramatic being Did she or didn’t she?

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

John Taylor is a writer and former BBC radio producer. He now runs The Fiction Factory production company, an established supplier of programs to the BBC.

Reviews

[Holly]

As a lawyer, this case highlights a point about our legal system that has disturbed me for quite some time. "Judge Williams had reviewed exactly the same material as Magistrate Lowe -- the transcripts, the exhibits, the motions on appeal, the depositions --and had come to a diametrically opposite conclusion. What did that say about the system? It said judges are human beings who brought their own liabilities and preconceptions to their cases. It also said the courts were a crapshoot." Fortunately for Beverly Monroe, her daughter was a lawyer and eventually took over her case. Though she was inexperienced, she was tenacious. What about all the accused people who don't have that luxury? Our legal system really is frightening.

As a resident of Henrico County and then Chesterfield County, with ties to the medical, legal and criminal justice communities, I could scarcely turn a page in this book without encountering a person I actually know. How their paths all crisscrossed in this case was just fascinating to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[Robin Martin]

It is rare for me to read a nonfiction book, but when this title came up as a choice for our book club I was very eager to read it. The setting is a local place, where my son and I did quite a bit of our homeschooling with friends, Powhatan and parts of Chesterfield. And it was really cool to read about places I've been and, in a surprise to me, people I know.

This book is about a narcissistic faux nobleman, Roger De La Burde, and the circumstances surrounding his death. Was it suicide or was it murder? Beverly Monroe, an educated, soft-spoken gentlewoman, and his longtime lover is accused of murdering him. She undergoes painfully constructed and relentless brainwashing by the police to the point where she (ridiculously) confesses to being in the room when Roger dies. Thereafter, we learn in painstaking detail about the slipshod investigation and the tedious preparation for each trial and appeal that occurred.

While I found the main story to be entertaining, it read too much like a VERY long newspaper article. I applaud the author's research and attention to detail but it was a little too mindnumbing for me. Throughout the book, I kept wanting to skim but wasn't sure whether I would miss something important so I didn't.

[Kirsten]

It's was fascinating to read a story about something that happened in Richmond and being able to visualize a lot of the places described. I appreciated all of the images at the end because I scoured the internet looking for pictures. It was a good read. WAS Roger murdered? If so, who did it?!

[Judy]

A lot has happened since I finished this book, so let's see what my hazy memory recalls. It definitely does not read in your typical true crime way. It was very detailed in areas of the law and often repetitive (in that oh-so-special bureaucratic way). The logical side of your brain wants to scream no way would a woman agree to false confessions (multiple ones at that), but reality is that humans are easily manipulated, especially in emotional times. A very interesting and cautionary tale. Don't think because you are innocent that won't get convicted for something.

[Raeanne Williams]

The beginning with so much backstory was long and at times exhausting and boring to read, but did help add to the story overall. It took a month or so to read because I found it difficult to get into but I did enjoy it. I would recommend this to people who enjoy true stories and subjects such as forensics, court cases, etc. It is very good and at times, a rollercoaster of a story.

[Kayla Brooke]

Being from Virginia, and knowing this book was based in Richmond, I was intrigued. This book was incredibly interesting, read very fast and easy and had an allure as a thriller would. I'm still left guessing!

[Rachel]

Read this in a day because I know one of the people involved. Can't understand how Monroe was exonerated. Page turning true crime.

[Marguerite Hargreaves]

This work of non-fiction is interesting, and it happened just up the road so some of the geography and players are familiar. It's about a bogus nobleman, art collector and overall scalawag and the circumstances of his life and death. After his death, thought at first to be a suicide, his longtime companion is charged with murder, following a baffling confession she says she was pressured to make and sign. There are heavy-handed tactics by the police, but also basic ineptitude on their part and that of the forensic experts who are a staple of court cases. (It can be read as a cautionary tale for folks who are law-abiding.)

At the heart is Beverly Monroe, then in her 50s, who comes across as one of the oddest, sense- and emotion-deprived beings ever. Taylor makes a (weak) case that she's a well-brought up Southern gal who goes along with authority figures rather than make waves, even if it sends her to prison. The count is a self-absorbed womanizer who lies, cheats and commissions counterfeit art as a matter of course and terrorizes his adult children and others.

John Taylor re-creates events with painstaking detail, maybe more than is needed. (He does get the name of Medical College of Virginia wrong.) He tends to pontificate on finer points of the law, and his level of detail is tiresome. I'd recommend skimming portions. When it comes to portraying the cast of characters, he favors black-and-white archetypes over dimensional, nuanced grays. He seems to categorize the players as villains or victims, and lets journalistic impartiality slip and slide at times. (That may be because one "side" stopped talking to him.) While there is dramatic resolution in the book, there is still mystery, too, which seems to nettle Taylor more than it will readers.

A little more followup, like whether the police pursued other suspects, would be welcome, and it might have been nice to revisit jurors, some of whom did speak to Taylor. In the end, Powhatan will not seem as tranquil and sleepy as it might when passing through.

[Sandy]

Amazing!!! I didn't want to put this book down. Not even sure where to begin. Never read a non-fiction book that left me with so many emotions. The author did an exceptional job telling the story that had such a major affect on so many peoples lives. This wasn't an one side story but one that presented all the information and left the reader with the ability to draw its own conclusion, no matter the final verdict. My personal view, without a spoiler, the Justice system is not perfect, mistakes can and will be made. We should trust in it but also stand up when we believe there is injustice. I look forward to reading other works by John Taylor.

[M J James]

The interesting twist about this story is that it is real. I found a lot of things in this book that made it virtually impossible for me to put it down. The mystery surrounding the Count's death, the interesting lifestyle in which the Count lived all added to this book. You do not really come across people like this anymore, which made it extremely fascinating.

[Jaime]

I like the occasional true crime story, and if you saw how often I’m watching A&E, you would know how true this is. I found this one especially interesting, because it takes place in an area I’m familiar with. You can pretty much tell which way the book is slanted within the first few chapters, but I found that both sides were treated pretty fairly.

[Kirsti]

I've always liked John Taylor's writing since he came out with Circus of Ambition in the 1980s. He's written many articles for Esquire, and his beautiful but very depressing Falling is a memoir about his divorce. The Count and the Confession is a true-crime story, and I found myself changing my mind again and again about whether I thought the prime suspect was guilty.

[Donna Humble]

An interesting read with a look into the aftermath of a guilty plea for an innocent person. The details of the tunnel vision and botched investigation of the police are interesting and frightening. This book takes you from the crime to her release from prison and everything in between. You also get a glimpse of the impact her guilty verdict has on her friends and family.

[Angie Sechler]

I totally read this story thinking it was a work of fiction. To realize this actually happened and to a woman most of us can identify with demonstrates the serious flaws of our current justice system.

[Paula]

A true story/mystery about Beverly Monroe who was convicted of murder. Did she do it?

[Bronagh]

Fascinating mystery tale.

[Celia]

this is exactly what i need to read right this minute!

almost as good as getting it, but i'll just have to wait.

Thanks again!

[Katherine]

I have read this book three times--once on my own and twice in book clubs because I thought it was a great cautionary tale and it generates lots of discussion.

[Mary]

lots of deatils tons of research, how easily getting involved w/ the wrong people can screw up your life...and the justice system? A goodread, but somtimes a hard read

[Mj]

A local true story with a take away lesson!