Thursday, August 12, 2010

Scary Book Share

My latest read was Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, by Vincent Bugliosi.


Warning: This book is not for the faint-of-heart!  
I can guarantee you that this book will scare the hell out of you.  

This is the #1 best selling true crime story of all time and for good reason.  This book gives the reader an inside view into the mind of one of the most frightening serial killers ever.  Charles Manson is a name known by many, however the details of his terrifying activities are not as well known.  The author of this book was the prosecuting district attorney when Charles Manson and his followers were on trial in the early 1970s.  Bugliosi tells the tale so vividly that nothing is left to the imagination.  Perhaps the scariest part of this book is that the murders described were so random that it makes you feel as though any minute someone could come into your house and brutally murder you.  Simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Terrifying!!

One reason I find this book intriguing is the cult-like behavior that took place.  People who chose to go into or are born into lifestyles where they are entranced by someone else are really interesting.  I don't like to be told what to do by anyone so it's truly amazing to me how much power one person can have over so many others.  For example, how does one get to the point of being able to order others to kill for him?  All that and more is explained in this book.

I also enjoyed reading this book because it is a true story.  I like picturing what life was like in the early 70s and how terrifying it must have been for the people of LA knowing a killer was on the loose.  The people whose lives were taken happened to be wealthy younger white people and the Family's (the given name for the Manson followers) activities left the rich and famous scared for their lives.

Much to the chagrin of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, it took quite awhile for even a single suspect to be charged.  There are some very interesting points made regarding the lack of cooperation between the LAPD and LASD.  Makes you wonder what else is being missed simply due to a communication breakdown between departments.  The second portion of the book outlines the lengthy trial.  (Spoiler alert!!!) This book makes me eternally grateful for the justice system of the US that these monsters, although still alive, are behind bars.

This book will keep you up at night whether you live alone or not.  If you don't like being scared, don't read it!

No comments:

Post a Comment