Alan G. GauthreauxRecensioni

A very well-researched collection of murder in Louisiana. Some bits seem a little manufactured or imagined, but I would have no way of knowing. The background of each case is explored thoroughly (sometimes to excess, particularly in the case of the crooked politician Huey Long, which is my reason for three stars instead of four.) If your interest is in crimes of the past and you enjoy detail, you'll definitely like this book.

I had a difficult time getting through this book. Normally, I am intrigued by old crimes, and I'm fascinated by Louisiana's history. But I kept putting this book down and didn't have a lot of desire to pick it back up.

The homicide cases chosen are interesting enough, though some are only "infamous" because the murder was tied to local politics, and many don't differ much from any of the countless 'typical' murders committed in the nation.

My lackluster feeling comes mainly from the writing style. These accounts feel like straightforward news articles, like something you might read in the newspaper. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that style, but I personally find it too drab. I wanted more color and atmosphere, more of an engaging narrative.

One thing I found odd was the treatment of swear words. When the author quoted something from a resource, if there was a swear used in that quote, the author used an underline instead. So it looked like this: "You French ____, I..." This is a true crime book, with details of bloody murders, read by adults. I just felt that if an author is going to quote something in a book of this nature, he (or she) does not need to treat us like children and eliminate "bad words". I've never seen this done, and I thought it was weird.

These tales do offer a snapshot of Louisiana's politics and the workings of the police force there. It's a good read for anyone looking to learn more about the states history and/or the evolution of their police department.

*I received a copy of this book via LibraryThing, in exchange for my honest review.*

Didn't much care for the dry delivery. My fault I guess, I was hoping for something Southern Gothic along the lines of True Detective or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. This just wasn't my style.

A collection of case studies of murders, from the 1891 case of a mob-connected businessman to the 2006 murder of a woman who was divorcing a well-known local sportscaster. There is a chapter on the career and murder of former Governor Huey P. Long in the 30's, but for me, the most interesting were the chapters about the two young female serial killers I'd never heard of before. One young woman named Annie Crawford poisoned her parents, two sisters and attempted to poison an aunt before she was caught. Overlapping that time, a series of multiple murders, whole families brutally killed with an axe throughout Southern Louisiana and into Texas, were committed by seventeen year old Clementine Barnabet, and then by her followers, as she turned out to be a leader in a religious cult.

I won this through LT (thanks!) and it's really interesting. I'm not sure if it's an ER or ARC, but there are plenty of editing mistakes, with a paragraph of actions being followed by another paragraph that says the opposite happened and names changed in a paragraph.
I have to mention that Southerners have a talent for wonderfully quirky names, something that I see in my own older relatives. "Clementine Barnabet" sounds so sweet (though she was evil), then there's "Troisville Sykes", who was apparently a witness to a murder and also a murderer himself, and a lawyer named "Wiley Beevers".

A collection of murder cases presented in a dry and academic style, without much sensationalism. The cases, often from crime through to punishment and aftermath, are well researched and presented clearly. Still, it's not terribly interesting reading. There's very little analysis or commentary and it's not terrible clear why these cases were chosen.

A collection of short stories of murders that took place in Louisiana over the years. Appears to be well researched with much detail. .If a volume 2 comes out I'll read it too, .as I'm sure there are plenty more interesting homicides. If I had a complaint it would be that the book wasn't long enough!

DARK BAYOU is a more serious book than its paperback cover conveys. At first glance, one would think that the book was a poorly updated jacket for an old Nancy Drew story or perhaps a good ghost or voodoo tale. Actually, DARK BAYOU is a series of short but well-researched re-caps of murders that took place in the state of Louisiana over the years. The authors - Alan G. Gauthreaux and D.G. Hippensteel are both on the faculty of colleges in New Orleans and have a common interest in criminal justice and Louisiana history.

The book would be improved by one more rewriting. Although presentable in its current form, much of the writing seems rushed, and the reader may find him or herself mentally rewriting some of the sentences while reading the book. It is not clear whether some of the entries were written by Gauthreaux and some by Hippensteel, but if that were the case, it could explain some of the unevenness in the pieces. A good editor could make a few quick fixes and improve the readability of the book greatly.

As for the history in DARK BAYOU, no one can dispute that the authors did their research and chose interesting cases to put forward in the public eye. Some, such as the assassination of the infamous Louisiana politician, Huey Long, are better known stores, but for those too young to remember or for those who are not well-acquainted with the politics of Louisiana, the sixth entry in the book will prove eye-opening. It may just be the best piece in DARK BAYOU and it might be because it was a "big name" case and there was more material available for research.

"The Madam's Last Will" and "A Respectable Poisoner" are also good reads. For the most part, the book sets out what it intends to do: highlight various and diverse Louisiana murders. Kudos to the authors for bringing many of these long-forgotten cases to light. Now, if the book could just get a more serious cover and go through one more editing, it could actually get some reasonable attention.

I have always enjoyed reading books about real crimes and this book did not disappoint me. The description says mysterious and bizarre and they weren't kidding. If you are looking for a book to just sit and read for pure enjoyment then this is the book for you. I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an honest review.

I'm a bit torn on what to think about this book. On the one hand, I found the cases in the book intriguing. On the other hand, I found the authors' style a bit too dry and scholarly. I think that while this isn't the best true crime book that I've read, it's far from the worst. If you're looking for sensationalism in your true crime, this isn't for you. Otherwise, if you like true crime or are interested in the history of Louisiana, you might enjoy this.

http://www.examiner.com/article/murder-between-friends-true-story-of-janet-myers...

Errata:

p.93, last paragraph: February 8, 1935 instead of September 8, 1935

p.114, 2nd full paragraph: Delos Wood's name is spelled 'Dalos'.

p.116, 3rd full paragraph: beating of prisoner's head until he remained motionless is described as happening after prisoner was killed instantly by gunfire. The autopsy results described as death from gunshot wounds and massive head trauma. Wouldn't poor Mr. Wilson have been dead before the hammering if killed instantly?

p.117, 2nd paragraph from the bottom, the Voting Rights Act (1965) is given the date of the Civil Rights Act (1964).