A Clockwork Murder: The Night a Twisted Fantasy Became a Demented Reality

A brilliantly written book - which is more complete and emotionally compelling than any true crime book I've ever read (over 100 books). Steve Jackson weaves the tale of the lives of two truly depraved killers, their victim, all their families and friends in such an engaging way that I read the book in one sitting after I had already been awake for over 24 hours. After the murder, Jackson writes about the trial - which is a large portion of the story. The pain and emotion of the victim's family is almost overwhelming. The defense strategies are maddening. I oftentimes felt as if I was sitting in the court room with the victim's family. I give this book my absolute highest recommendation, which I have never done before.

By all accounts, the victim in this case was a shining star, a young woman with a kind heart, great personality, bright smile, athletic, the only child of a good, loving family, popular and adored by her many friends and within her community. She had dreams and goals -- but they were horrifically and brutally cut short one evening when she was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed and eventually killed by two monsters masquerading as young men. Jacine suffered greatly. This book covers the odd friendship between George Woldt and Lucas Salmon and their growing obsession with committing rape and murder of an attractive female. Jacine was literally in the wrong place at the wrong time. The book is well written though very hard to get through at times due to the crime itself and the pain of the victim's parents as well as one of the perpetrators parents. There are a few spelling mistakes but it doesn't take away from one's ability to understand and follow the story.

This was a well written and easy to follow true crime book, it’s not my first by this author and I enjoyed it as much as I did the others. Although I will say if there was ever a perfect use for the kindle X-ray function, then true crime books with their mixed myriad of ‘cast members’ is most certainly it.I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting a little older, as this crime was no worse than many others I’ve read, (and that’s not to say it wasn’t violent !) but I did find that the utter heartlessness these 2 meted out on poor Jacine really turned my stomach. However the way the defense lawyers acted (and a judge) made sure anything that wasn’t already turned was rolled over into all the rest.The problem with crime I’m coming to believe is not the crime & the criminals, it’s the court and legal system that have become a show, a great big spectacle, and during the show the lies run amok, the jurors who are supposed to be able to give a rightful verdict have 95% of the facts withheld as it may penalize the defendant/s.It’s just a sad disgrace of a legal system. Sorry if I ranted, but I was reading this book and listening to the Serial podcast at the same time which made me realize that it’s not just 1 side or the other, both sides play dirty.So yes the books great, it’s pulled at my heart, it’s made me angry, it’s driven me to tears, it’s made me think about our laws and our courts. And if I could change one solitary thing, it would be this, for every trial where there is a victim who cannot be at court, for any reason, then a nice big color photo of them is put where everyone can see them, from the beginning of the trial until the very end, day on, day out, after all it is all about them, not the defendants, jurors need to be reminded of that every time they take their seats.

Fair disclosure, the author is also one of my publishers. I paid for my copy of my book and no influence was applied for my review. WildBlue Press has been exploding as of late, releasing four or five true crime books in the last three weeks alone. I encourage you to go to their website and follow them on Facebook. They often offer books at discounts upon their release.If reading true crime is a guilty pleasure than I plead such your honor. I write true crime because I like reading true crime. I like the gambit of topics too. This book caught my attention because Jackson wrote it and I liked his book Bogeyman.Jackson has peeled a page from Truman Capote in setting up this book’s flow. Most true crime stories are formulaic. There’s a brutal crime (or the body is found), then there is the background of the victim, the investigation, the arrest and profile of the killer, and justice is served. Some true crime books are like watching the Dukes of Hazzard that way. You know that at least one commercial break will be the General Lee mid-jump. The pattern is so embedded in most true crime books they can have a cookie cutter feeling.Steve Jackson tossed out that formula, much like Capote did with In Cold Blood. Instead Jackson takes us on a journey, starting with a pair of killers. One dominant and demented, the other just bizarre. They live in a world right next to our own, a dark one filled with blackened minds and souls. Whenever our world of light and theirs of the darkness touch, death often follows.Much like In Cold Blood, these men alone would not have been a risk to society. Together though, they became a single killer. The reader is drawn into their dark and depraved world twisted around the movie A Clockwork Orange. The way the killers play off of each other, feed each other’s strange fantasies, takes a long hard left down Highway Crazy. In doing so, Jackson builds a tension. You know a crime is coming…it is only a matter of time.When it does happen you are stunned as a reader by the quick resolution about 48% of the way through the book. How can that be? Where is the dogged investigation, the pursuit of leads and misdeeds? As an author I found myself wondering, “where is the author going to go from here?”Jackson subtly and slyly turns the case and his narrative on its edge. This is about the victim’s family and the gnarled and contentious death penalty. The trial is something that leaves even the most ardent law-lover hating the defense lawyers in this case.I refuse to ruin the book for you the reader. To do so would be a crime in and of itself. This is a wonderful and dark summer read not for the light of heart. It is a journey into the minds of two men who together become one killer. It is an unpaved roadway through the legal system and what the survivors of such crimes are forced to endure. A solid five out of five stars.

An excellent read. Have read books by this author and enjoyed them all. Hope he keeps writing true crime look forward to new books.

A fascinating and well written True Crime read

This review refers to the re-release 2017 book.This is the most biased true crime book I have ever bought or read.(and i've read a lot) A few examples will suffice. The author gives some space to a, sometimes critical, piece about defence lawyers, He omits to give a similar description about prosecution lawyers. Some of whom won't admit to a mistake even when DNA proves the accused innocent, after years spent in prison. No mention of this. Nor about the purpose of a prosecution. IE To achieve justice not a conviction.Worse than this is the sheer amount of space he dedicates to the views of the mother of the unfortunate victim. In particular her views on capital punishment. (Yes, the murder was ghastly, the worse confession I have ever read.) At times the story seemed like the mothers biography. Her views are given excessive prominence at the expense of everyone else involved. Moreover, the authors view on the death sentence permeate throughout the book, including the epilogue in which he is explicit about it. Regardless of whether the author is for or against the death sentence it should not become apparent to the reader. Intelligent readers are capable of thinking for themselves. They have their own views on the issue. The author should not use his book to publish his own view. He should be objective and impartial throughout.The critical issue for a true crime writer is the crime he choses to write about. There's not a lot of point in writing about a crime that is easily solved. As most crimes are. Far more interesting to cover a crime that is hard to investigate. That takes work, time and dedication to solve. A Clockwork Murder fails to do thisThis is the second book I have bought written by Mr Jackson. It will be the last.