PUBLISHING INFO: VP Publication, 5/2015GENRE: Nonfiction/true crime/serial killers
PURCHASE: link
PAUL WIKI: link
KARLA WIKI: link
MY GRADE: B
FROM PUBLISHER: Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were so perfectly iconic as a newlywed couple that they were dubbed "Ken and Barbie". But their marriage had a dark side involving sex, death, and videotape. The 'perfect couple' first raped and murdered Karla's little sister and then kidnapped teenage schoolgirls whom they enslaved, raped, tortured and killed while gleefully recording themselves on video doing it. Vronsky will take you on the journey from the Scarborough Rapist (Bernardo) to Bordelais (Homolka's current last name) and her return to Canada in October, 2014 from the island of Gaudeloupe where she lived for several years with her husband and three children.
MY THOUGHTS: Though this book is condensed, just 161 pages, I feel like all the pertinent information was given and I don't really feel like I missed out on much. Though I know what Karla's been up to since her release from prison in July 2005, I think a bit more information should have been given about it. It wasn't even mentioned that she'd had an online children's clothing line until 2012/13.
The author is very unprofessional in his language. He used the word 'shit' to describe something, called another female serial killer 'stupid', called three other female killers 'trolls' when talking about how he doesn't think they're as attractive as Karla. He said Karla was a Facebook 'slut' before there was a Facebook. He called something a 'cluster-fuck', talked about 'blow jobs', 'licking ass', and 'sick, horrific shit'. Said Karla's husband was 'troll-like' and called Karla a 'homicidal bitch'.
He incorrectly stated that the three murdered girls would be 'in their forties'. Wrong. Only Karla's sister Tammy would be 40 this year, the other two, 39.
I've read many a nonfiction book, have since 1995, and have never seen an author sound so unprofessional. That would never have been allowed in a book being published by a major publisher. I'm embarrassed for him and don't know why the publisher allowed it. That's the type of language you read on blogs, forums, ect., not in professionally published books.
I think the book is well written, though lacking a bit in information in some areas. For someone who's never read about this case before, I don't recommend that you start with this. I think you need to start with one that has more information, such as Deadly Innocence (which has interviews with their friends), Invisible Darkness, or Lethal Marriage. I'd never read anything by this author again because of his lack of professionalism.
Other books about Paul and Karla:
Karla's Web by Frank Davies (published before Paul's trial in '95, I bought this in 2002 but never finished it)
Deadly Innocence (My favorite. I've read it three times and even wrote to Alan Cairns in 2002.)
Lethal Marriage by Nick Pron (read once)
Invisible Darkness by Stephen Williams (read twice)
Paul's Case: The Kingston Letters by Lynn Crosbie (not interested in reading)
Karla: A Pact with the Devil by Stephen Williams (read once)
Finding Karla by Paula Todd (not interested in reading)
Behind Every Successful Psychopath by Patricia Pearson (not interested in reading)
The Masks of Karla Homolka: My Interviews with Karla Homolka - The Ken and Barbie Sex Killer! by Dr. Paul Dawson (I bought this the other day. It's a gigantic paperback.)
Lori (now married and goes by Logan Tanner) Homolka's Facebook page is here.
Anything you want to know about Paul, Karla, and the trial can be found on the Watching Karla Homolka forum.
I've been reading about Paul and Karla since February 2001 and have seen three or four documentaries on them. My favorite is MSNBC Investigates 'To Have and to Kill' episode from 2000.
I purchased this book myself.
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