I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. It is a curious book, filled with two stories that seem ridiculously farfetched, yet both apparently happened in real life; the Discovery Channel confirms it, and ran a corresponding show highlighting the supposedly true events. It’s hard to believe they are real events because the murders within are so foul, so – for lack of a better word – wrong. Thankfully, the stories end happily, as positive as they can, but it doesn’t make these terrifying stories any less unpleasant. Strap yourselves in for this one, maybe hold your favorite teddy bear for this nonfictional story.
Murder Thy Neighbor is a grim book, not for the faint of stomach. It details the events leading up to grisly murders, as though they just happened yesterday, and everything surrounding. The intrigue was the persistent thought of not knowing why/when the murder occurred, but knowing it was inevitable. However, it became transparently clear in not much time, which tamed the intrigue a bit. It was too obvious which ones were the cold-bloodied crazies.
I am no stranger to murder stories, and this one hit all the right notes, which made it even more unsettling. It was especially interesting watching seemingly ordinary people do unthinkably awful acts. The author fittingly asked the question: did something change them to act this way, or were they always monsters? The lack of clarity on the subject was truly disturbing, and makes the audience further wonder what could have happened to cause such insanity. When the book was finished my mind was still reeling, going over the information.
The writing was fantastic throughout, and it did not get boring. The chapters were astoundingly short, which kept the flow circling. Most pleasing of all was the author’s writing style, which managed to make every quote and scene build its world effortlessly. The ordinary was palpable and tangible, and though the murders were bizarre, it felt as though I was part of the neighborhood, hearing about the news as it was happening. I was entirely brought into the world of the story.
I read this book from cover to cover in a matter of days – that’s rare for me. Admittedly, it was a fairly short book and thus easy to do, but this was a special book. It was well-written, an entirely engaging read, a page turner. That’s commendable considering how commonplace murder stories are. Perhaps it was the fascination with knowing this was a nonfictional story that kept me invested, but invested I was, nonetheless. If you’re looking for a quick, easy to read book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is one. Just expect to come away from it a bit shaken.