Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves (Thorndike Large Print Crime Scene) - Hardcover

Velez-Mitchell, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 078629857X ISBN 13: 9780786298570

Publisher: Thorndike Pr, 2007

Synopsis

Sensational crimes have become a national pastime. We're obsessed with O.J. Simpson, Scott Peterson, Robert Blake and the like. Why? Because unlike the private realms of psychiatrist's offices, lawyer's offices, or bedrooms, in a public trial we are allowed to see what's really going on beneath appearances. Secrets spill out about the criminals: secrets like adultery, violence, gambling. Secrets spill out about suspects and friends and family on the periphery of these cases. Think about the Gary Condit and all of his secrets that were exposed during the Chandra Levy investigation. And as these secrets come to the surface, on a very deep level, we recognize what we see. These sensational trials mirror the darkest corners of our interior lives.

In Secrets Can Be Murder, TV news journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell delves into the secrets that led to the sensational crimes by which we've all been fascinated. Through these cases, Velez-Mitchell details how our culture encourages double lives by demanding rigid conformity to pre-fabricated social structures that don't really fit anybody and how America's addiction to "family values" is creating a "pressure cooker family" that's ready to explode.

Jane Velez-Mitchell offers her unique view from inside some of America's most volatile courtrooms. With private photos provided by victim's families and friends, and official court documents, search warrants, and transcripts, Secrets Can Be Murdermoves beyond convenient explanations and easy labels like psychopath and sociopath to find the truth within these terrible crimes.

Recent discoveries and new debates surrounding the cases discussed in the hardcover edition - along with shocking new hidden secrets - are only included in the paperback edition.

About this title

Review:

"This is a book that reveals our most intimate fears and secrets. You will not be able to put it down once you have begun to read it." -- Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D., and chairman, Department of Forensic Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

"Bone chilling, challenging us to face the dark recesses of our own mind." -- Judy Kuriansky, clinical psychologist

"A provocative look at crime that reveals the inherent toxicity of secrets we hold and the power available if we choose to free ourselves from their bondage." -- Cynthia Kersey, author of Unstoppable Women

"Most authors who write about murder begin and end with the carnage. Jane begins with the carnage and ends with the psychology behind it all. Utterly fascinating." -- Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com and legal reporter for The People's Court

"There are important lessons to be learned in the pages of this book...a captivating must-read." -- Diane Dimond, journalist and author of Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case

"Jane's keen eye on the nature of the human condition cuts through the criminal veneer like a hot knife through butter." -- Wendy J. Murphy, J.D., author of And Justice for Some

"A fascinating look into recent high-profile cases and the secrets behind them." -- Dr. Henry C. Lee, distinguished professor of forensic science, University of New Haven

"Criminals like Scott Peterson think they're smart, but hardworking crime reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell is smarter. She's exposed the double lives of rapists and killers who have nothing in common with us...or do they?" -- Lisa Bloom, Court TV news anchor

"Americans are addicted to high-profile crime, and anyone who wants to know the secrets behind the criminal mind will not be able to put this book down. Veteran TV news reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell has managed to reveal things about our culture that connect each of us to sensational crimes." -- Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Sacrifice

"Like a literary pit bull, the author digs deep into each crime...an intriguing book" -- Tucson Citizen

About the Author:

Jane Velez-Mitchell frequently guest hosts for Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News and has reported for the nationally syndicated Warner Brothers/Telepictures show Celebrity Justice. A former reporter/anchor for WCBS-TV in New York City and KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, Velez-Mitchell has won numerous awards, including two Emmys for her work in New York City and Los Angeles. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit her website at www.secretscanbemurder.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thorndike Pr
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 078629857X
• ISBN 13: 9780786298570
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 635