Thoroughly Interesting!!

I enjoyed this book so much that I fully intend to listen again. Next time I will listen more carefully to the background of the story, as I am sure I have skirted over and missed important facts. On my first listen I find myself disagreeing with Vincent Bugliosi and feel he was so wrong to defend this woman, I feel he was fooled by her. Let's see if another listen draws me to the same conclusion!!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fabulous

I'll be honest, I was a bit sceptical after reading perhaps the longest audible review review on this book (I marked it helpful just in the time taken to have written it). However, it couldn't be further from the truth. This is a recording made in 2019 and the narration is wonderful.
Perhaps the family behind this book read that review and updated the audio?

Incredible story. Incredibly sad to piece together the murders.

I can't help but feel Jenifer was rather ungrateful towards her lawyers, almost as if she took them (and their hard work) for granted.

Was she really innocent though?

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent Book. Horrible Audio.

If you assume that since this book is a new Audible release, then it must also be a new recording, don't sweat it. I made the exact same mistake. The audio is old. It's REALLY old, and couldn't have been great quality when it was first released because it's almost impossible to listen to it for an appreciable length.

After several hours spent with audio mixing software, I managed to get it to a vaguely acceptable state. This involved speeding it up by about ten percent, offsetting the subsequent pitch increase, adjusting the bass and treble levels to draw the narrators voice out of the background, singling out and removing the incessant background noise that echos throughout the entire book and amplifying the resultant product. It was a lot of effort and I wouldn't blame you if you felt it wasn't worth bothering.

The book, however, is excellent. It's long at almost twenty-nine hours, less with the increase in speed, but comprehensive, just the same, and weaves an exciting murder mystery tale about a mysterious pacific island atoll called Palmyra and the tragic and nefarious events that took place there, as well as the subsequent investigations, fortuitous findings and court proceedings that follow.

It's told in such a way as to keep the reader/listener on the edge of their seat through the initial sections, at least, and spawns a deep and ingrained interest in following the outcome of the proceedings. I won't spoil anything, as other commentators have shamefully done, just to say that you will find yourself lurching from one position to another as the events unfold and may even find sympathy for the defendant, having arrived at an entirely different position quite early on.

One thing I will criticize is the author and defense attorney, Vincent Bugliosi's descent into sanctimony and arrogance as the trial progresses is very disappointing. Having arrived at the conclusion that his client is innocent of the charges levied at her and determined to offer the best defense possible, he starts out portraying an objective and fascinating insight into the events that unfold and the tactics and interests of the prosecution, defense attorneys and even the presiding judge, but finally careers into a childish and insufferable dismissal of the opinions of anyone but himself.

"I found it impossible to believe that these supposedly intelligent and reasonable jurors, who held my client's life in their hands, could be swayed by any argument other than mine."

OK. Not an exact quote, in truth, but not a significant exaggeration, and essentially the essence of the final five hours or so of the book. The entire closing argument, which literally takes up over three hours is woefully arrogant and serve only to inflate the ego of Bugliosi, whom I had previously as a fan of his other books, highly respected, both as an author and attorney. The whole book starts out brilliantly and slowly descends in quality to a disappointing climax.

Great book, but you should definitely buy a better copy elsewhere.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

great true story. listen to book one then delete.

first section is interesting, second is boring and monotonous. there are no new facts brought out in book 2

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Too long sadly

I really enjoyed the bits about the island and how the bad eggs were caught but when I realised that I’d have too listen to 21 hours of court procedures I lost interest. Would have been better for me if it had been heavily edited…by the way I think she was as guilty as he was…

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

first book great second book awful

It felt like the 2 books were written by different people. The first was thoroughly interesting and I couldn't stop listening. The second was so dull and was basicslly a very detailed story about the court case. The author comes across as unbelievably arrogant, going on and on about what a great lawyer he is. Plus the reader speaks all the women's voices in what sounds like a Mrs Doubtfire voice - they could havd just paid an actual woman.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A fascinating story

Sadly after listening to the whole sorry tail i believe that the defendant was guilty to some degree, I believe an exceptional lawyer got her off.
The defendants behavior after the case speaks volumes about her state of mind.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A true murder mystery

This true story is so incredibly mysterious that after watching the 2 hour movie, and listening to the 26 hour audiobook written on the case, I’m still no closed in my verdict of the guilt or innocent of the defendant. Bugliosi was a phenomenal lawyer who only defended people whom he believed are innocent so I trust his judgment.

This is the third book is listened to from Bugliosi and as usual it is incredibly well researched. This is another case that wouldn’t tire of reading about.

The book itself is in 3 parts:
The journey to Palmyra for each boat
The island experience
The trial as seen from the defence’s perspective

Each section is thoroughly detailed. I feel like at the end there’s a big twist regarding how Jennifer reacted to the verdict with Bugliosi. This for me casts huge doubts on her innocence.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Disappointing

Lots of holes in his seemingly blind defence of a woman who is depicted as involved in many parts of the book, is clearly a pathological liar until caught out! After reading others by the author i felt he was far less balanced in this book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!