This is a very interesting true crime story in which a grandmother is savagely murdered
in a crime of rage. The case itself and how the murderer is finally brought to justice
is very interesting, and different from most, due to the overkill of the victim.

However, I felt the book would have been more solid in another, more experienced, author's hands. Authors Mary Kinney Branson and Jack Branson were personally related to the victim and seemed to fill the book with too many personal details and characters that didn't affect the story in any way. The cast of characters seemed endless and required extra time for me to stop and mentally place who this individual was in the
overall picture. Perhaps, because it's a personal story to them, they didn't want to offend anyone that knew the victim, or leave out the tiniest detail.
Very distracting to the reader, though...

Good book - interesting case - but it requires more than the average patience to read.

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The murder of an elderly lady and the circumstances surrounding it are quite interesting. The fact that one of her closest relatives had FBI connections and was skilled in researching and solving crimes is also interesting. However, even with practically all the facts at their disposal, the couple who wrote this book may have done a disservice to their aunt's story. Their love and admiration for her show on every page and their remembrances of her kindness and strong personality shine through. There's no doubt of their devotion to her. However, the story becomes one-sided (even though the actual killer is a pretty unsympathetic character). Every detail is displayed and the idea that the crime might not have been solved without their efforts is highlighted again and again. For me, it was too much. I do think the book has all the info and an inside look at what a crime like this can do to a formerly close family. And my sympathy to Ann Branson's family grew as I read. What this book does really well is to personalize the victim - something all too rare in true crime books.

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Well written and gripping!! Loved it!

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When town native Ann Branson was found murdered in her basement in Madisonville, Kentucky townspeople were shocked. Crimes like murder just didn't happen in Madisonville. It was unheard of. A retired federal agent, Ann's nephew Jack Branson will not let his aunt's case die; and it is unheard of to Jack that all clues in his aunt's murder start to point to a member of his own family.

I have to say that the plot of this true crime book was a little slow for me and even though the crime was horrible, the writing was somewhat fanciful in parts. I give this story a B+!

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