Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 1/22/2021 + 1474 more book reviews

The cover blurb -- "a true story of sex, murder, and a Texas millionaire" -- pretty well says it all.

The main character, Celeste Johnson, already had a long history of marriage, divorce, infidelity, and child neglect when she bagged her biggest prize yet -- the much older Steven Beard, a recent widower with lots of money and a yen for the sexy blond waitress at his country club. The new Mrs. Beard, not content with making a substantial dent in her husband's multi-million-dollar fortune, decided she would be better off as a grieving widow, and enlisted the help of her latest lover, a woman she had met in a psychiatric hospital, to achieve that goal.

Author Casey cuts Celeste no slack as she chronicles the woman's history, which is replete with narcissistic and irresponsible actions and various convenient allegations of medical issues, usually arising when she was trying to wriggle out of a tight spot or to convince someone to give in to her demands. The only real suspense here is generated during the investigation and trial, as prosecuting and defense attorneys fight it out in the courtroom.

True-crime fans will relish this one.

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