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Sallow Bend

A Haunted Town and a Janitor Who Knows All Author: Alan Baxter In the small town of Sallow Bend two teenagers go missing just as the carnival rolls into town. The locals suspect the carnies, but the truth is far worse, mired in the history of the town itself. Two teenage girls went missing, but three come back. One of the girls has long black hair with a white streak, and everyone claims to remember her, except the school janitor, Caleb, an isolated man with a haunting past and an extreme sensitivity to people’s emotions and their lies. Caleb teams up [...]

Frances Carden2023-06-25T10:37:47-07:00June 25th, 2023|Tags: book review, horror, read, reading|

In the Name of the Children

A So-So Vignette Into Tracking Child Predators Author: Jeffrey L. Rinek Jeff Rinek always wanted to be part of the FBI, even as a child. To him it was a real way to get involved, to be a hero, to help people. He thrived on FBI stories growing up. But it didn’t look like it was ever meant to be. For one thing, Jeff was Jewish, and in the 70s the FBI was mostly comprised of white Christians. Not a place for a Jewish man, especially one with physical disabilities. Passing the physical tests alone was a nearly insurmountable challenge. But [...]

Frances Carden2023-06-24T11:31:14-07:00June 24th, 2023|Tags: book review, read, reading, true crime|

Have At It, Sister

Murderer or Battered Woman? Author: Bill Griffeth One late night in April 1991, the abuse was finally too much for Gloria Burtzlaff. She walked down the stairs, loaded the gun, walked back, said “Larry, I’m going to kill you,” and shot her husband dead. From there, the trial spooled out, but South Dakota did not allow expert witnesses to offer a diagnosis of “battered woman syndrome.” Besides, Gloria had had an affair, one that lasted years. She had options. She showed calm forethought. It was enough to put her away, but was it all really true? What is battered woman [...]

Frances Carden2023-06-20T16:58:54-07:00June 20th, 2023|Tags: Audible, Audible Original, book review, read, reading, true crime|