In his third literary foray into the dark territory of violent crime, Walsh (Tears of Rage) once again invites readers behind the scenes of America's Most Wanted.
But this is hardly 1998's No Mercy
redux.
The stories are fresh, and the depictions are not as grisly as those of the earlier book. The crimes and their perpetrators are no less monstrous, however, in chronicles that are as compelling as they are disturbing. From the media-popular "Railroad Killer" to a remorseless member of the Symbionese Liberation Army with 25 years on the lam, to '70s iconoclast Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and hid her body for 18 months in a steamer trunk, this title captures the television show's highlights. More importantly, in a genre where the reader is commonly a voyeur, Walsh goes to great lengths to avoid revictimizing survivors of violent crime and relatives of those whose lives have been lost. Over and over, Walsh renders sincere, indelible portraits of victims and their families, both before and in the aftermath of these crimes, exploring the labyrinth of disbelief, bottomless grief, rage and, sometimes, the strength they have mustered to endure the everyday. Their emotional turbulence is both stunning and provocative. At once gallant and crusading, this
is Walsh's most tempered and clearly written work. Photos not seen by PW. (Aug. 14)
Forecast:
Tears of Rage did a stint on
PW's bestseller list, and this book's first printing of 75,000 should fly out of stores, given the huge publicity it will receive: bookings on the
Today show,
Rivera Live, CNN, MSNBC and F ox just for starters, followed by a four-city tour and TV and radio satellite tours.
