M. William PhelpsCritiques

This is the true story of the Archer Home in Windsor, Connecticut, run by Amy Archer in the early 1900s. Billed as a home for the elderly and invalid, Amy charged $1000 for total care for the rest of a person's life, a business plan that only worked out for her if she kept bodies coming in with money and going out in body bags. Because of her saintly persona in the small town, and her constant letters telling relatives and officials how "hurt" she was whenever someone pointed out how high the death rates were in her house, she was able to hold off a real inspection of her house for too many years.
This is the basis for Arsenic and Old Lace, but there is a psycho, dead husbands, and a lot more dead people in the real story.

I wasn't aware of this case at all before I picked up this book. Even with my not being familiar with any aspect of the case, I still felt this book was too long. Had the author not repeated over and over how obsessed Nicole was with Billy and how in love they thought they were, the book could've easily been a 100 pages shorter. It also threw me off having to see the author overuse quotation marks. Seems like every other word, he felt the need to put quotes around, even if it wasn't dialogue.

Crime

Psychological

Thriller

True Crime

The horrible murder of Heather Strong by her husband and his girlfriend. Well written , kept me wanting to find out more and more.as to the outcome. The only thing I had a lilttle trouble with was the author seems to have a dislike of people with 'southern' accents, and not perfect grammar...

Historical novel about a female serial killer, whose actions spurred a government change on how nursing homes are monitored. The writing style could've been better, but the story came through, if a little dry. Exhaustive research was done for this story.

A true crime story that takes place in a VAMC. This one hit close to home since I'm a nurse.

I don't have words for this installment. It's soooo good!

It went by so quick, yet so much plot was covered, and I am questioning if this is the last we'll hear from these characters.

The character arcs for Jack & Jill are shocking yet not. I mean we knew all along who the real monsters of the moor were right? I loved the development of all of the other children waiting for doors. We get more insight into their personal struggles, and the worlds they are waiting for.

Seanan Mcguire reads this audiobook and it has mean wondering if Jack and Jill are her favorite characters. The emotion she gives the words is fantastic. If you are able, it's worth hunting down the audiobooks.

Can't wait to read the next installment, excited to find out where it takes us next. Another door? The school? A new character? The way this series is laid out, makes it all the more magical.

Notes: LGBT characters

Loved this story. I read it with my daughter (6) who has cystic fibrosis, and she loved that the story has a character she could relate to. The message of "take a breath" is a wonderful one.

I struggled with this book. The case was interesting but it took me a good third of the book to get into it. Honestly, I think the narrator was the problem. His voice just grated on me. I mean, he added some emotion to the reading but I think I would have enjoyed the book much more had I read it with my eyeballs.

I'm a huge fan of true crime books and documentaries but I don't think I'd recommend this one. At least not the audiobook.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to give an author I'd not heard of a try.

I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the publisher and Bookish First Impressions in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first true crime book I’ve read by this author but won’t be the last. He has a unique manner of presenting all the facts from every perspective. It is obvious that extensive research has been done to write such a compelling book.

As Mark Twain is noted for stating: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”

Since this is true crime there really are no “spoilers” as the case has been followed and reported by the media outlets. I will add my review regarding my personal comments and opinions.

The author goes to great lengths to make the story about the victim Mary Yoder and not the sensationalized media attention or conspiracy theories. I admire the presentation of the facts and evidence as they are and not what some would like them to be. Just because people “can’t imagine” someone being capable of such heinous acts doesn’t mean she didn’t commit them!

It is obvious that Kaitlyn “Katie” Conley is a person with deep rooted psychological issues. An example of a sociopath with whom we should all take note as there are many people in world just like her. The conniving and manipulative mastermind of those people should not be underscored.

Another appalling aspect was that regarding Dateline and their coverage of the case. I don’t recall whether I watched that episode. The author is respectful but does share information that he received from several reliable sources. As much as we hope that media presentation will be accurate we must always remember that people are human. The human spirit is strong and wants to believe the best of people and shun the possibility of such evil. The most difficult task is to put all feelings aside and examine facts without emotion or judgment. I believe that M William Phelps possess that ability.

Another great true crime book by M . William Phelps.. Mary and Bill were married for many years and had a chiroprctor business. Mary suddenly became ill and died.. a few weeks after her death it was discovered she'd been poisoned.. Lots of detail and questions about the 'suspects' in the poisoning. A really good. book !

This is a factual account of the cold blooded murder of Cherry Walker, and the trial and conviction of Kim Cargill for that murder. Cherry was mentally handicapped and although she was in her late 30s, she had only recently begun to live on her own with the help of an aid who would check in on her and help her with her daily living skills. Cherry was so proud of her little apartment, and everyone who knew her loved her, and was proud of her accomplishments. Everyone but Kim Cargill that is, who saw her as an easy target to be used and manipulated. Kim had 4 children by 4 failed relationships, often telling her various men that she could not get pregnant and then "surprising" them with a pregnancy in order to manipulate them further. She did not seem to want any of her children or get any joy from motherhood. Her children were an outlet for her anger, something to bully and beat on and take out her rage. But after already having lost custody of one child she was willing to kill to keep from losing custody of another. Not because she wanted him, or cared about him, or loved the child, but mainly because she did not want to have to pay child support. I am not a violent person but honestly this book made me want to throttle Kim Cargill myself. It was satisfying to learn how her lies caught up with her and ultimately landed her on death row. I would have liked to see pictures of her trial but the version I received did not contain any.

I received an advance copy for review

I had never heard of Cherry Walker or Kim Cargill. This was a heartbreaking story of a woman with learning disabilities who is just starting a life on her own. Sadly, that life is cut short when she meets Kim Cargill and begins to babysit her son. When Kim begins to lost control over her life, losing custody of her sons one by one, and finds out that Cherry has been subpoenaed to testify in the custody hearing for the little boy she had been sitting for. The manner in which this gentle soul loses her life is horrific and the punishment her murderer receives in just.

Very long

Jack Sundance Cooper, a detective with the Boston PD, is in a bad place after failing to get a child killer convicted when his case is thrown out of court. Plagued by doubts about his abilities and the lack of confidence from his superiors, Jake contemplates hanging up his badge until a new serial killer goes to work, killing and mutilating young girls. As Jake and his partner, Dickey, take on the case, the killer makes it personal by kidnapping Jake’s wife and son. Written in a no-nonsense, straightforward manner, M. William Phelps takes the reader on a suspenseful, terrifying journey of brutal child abuse and a victim’s need for revenge. After reading this page-turner, I will cautiously be looking over my shoulder for predators every time I leave the house from now on—you should too.

Good writing, but the story just didn't grab me. Ended up returning it 25% of the way through.

I'm a huge fan of anything true crime, so I was excited to receive this one! It's my first book by Phelps and won't be my last.

The murder of Mary Yoder is one I hadn't heard of before reading this. The entire story just left me at a loss of words. How can someone who looks like such a normal, young girl do something as horrific as this?

Phelps did a phenomenal job researching the case. It may seem a little one-sided, but the author does explain why. Phelps tried to get the other side of the story, but Katie's family refused to talk. In my opinion, that's because they know deep in their hearts that Katie is guilty.

(I promise I'm not spoiling anything. This one isn't about figuring out who did it, necessarily. It's all about WHY she did it.)

I noticed some readers didn't like the transition between each chapter or the flashbacks, but I think both are essential to any true crime story.

5 huge stars for this one!!

Unfortunately it didn't take me long to realise that I didn't like the style of writing, but I read on to the end. For me there was just too much over explanation. This is a version of the true story of Kim Cargill, and her trial for the murder of her son's childminder Cherry Walker.
A NetGalley Book

We Thought We Knew you: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder by M. William Phelps is a 2020 Kensington publication.

An unreal, twisty, very sad, true crime saga...

This book is about the murder of Mary Yoder, a vibrant, active person, who, along with her husband, Bill, ran a chiropractor clinic.

The couple had hired their son Adam's girlfriend, Kaitlyn Conley, to work in the office, and never allowed the couple's on/off turbulence to affect the work relationship they had with Kaitlyn. In fact, it seemed Mary and Kaitlyn got on quite well... Until one day...

Mary came home from work presenting with symptoms of a violent gastrointestinal illness. The initial consensus was that she had a bug, just as Adam had endured a short time ago, but it soon became clear that Mary needed medical attention.

Once admitted into the hospital, the staff also felt her illness was due to what was most likely a short- lived stomach bug. But, Mary's condition quickly deteriorated, taking a serious turn for the worse. She coded, then rallied several times before finally succumbing to death.

Because it did seem very unusual that a woman in perfect health had died so suddenly, an autopsy was performed, where it was eventually discovered that Mary had been poisoned with colchicine, a substance normally used to treat gout- a condition she did not have.

The investigators, as is usually the case, zeroed in on Bill, but an anonymous letter pointing the finger at Adam changed their focus, leading them to conclude that Adam might be the victim of a frame-up.

Who wrote that letter? Who stood the most to gain from Mary’s death? Did Adam kill his mother… or was there a more sinister plot afoot?

Well, this was one strange story. By all accounts, Mary was a wonderful, beautiful, spirited woman. Why on earth were there SO MANY suspects???

My goodness- Mary’s husband, her son, her friend and employee, Kaitlyn-

They were All primary suspects. Mary’s daughters, and law enforcement say all the evidence points to Kaitlyn, but three of Mary’s sisters think it was Bill, while Adam also faced damning evidence and accusations against him, as well.

What did the jury say? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out the shocking way this case came to a close!

I have my own opinion, and because of remarks made by the author about the Dateline coverage of the case, I looked it up online. Mary’s daughters had interview time, as did Mary’s sisters. I didn’t really pick up on a strong slant. Still, I was disappointed to learn those involved in the Dateline production, seemed to have favored one side over the other. No matter, though, because I’m still with the author on this one.

This is just a horribly sad case. Mary seemed to live life with gusto, with so much more to give, it's just tragic that her life was cut short in such a cold, ruthless way, and that her death has torn her family apart.

As for the organization and presentation of the facts, the author uses multiple timelines, outlining Adam and Kaitlin’s relationship, Bill and Mary’s history, the gathering of evidence and the trial.

For the most part, this approach works well, and prevents the book from becoming too dry, the way a more traditional, chronological approach might have. The downside to this method is that it led to some repetitiveness.

One should also be aware that this book is focused Kaitlyn, who was the person arrested, and who was placed on trial for Mary's murder.

The book, I think, sets out to remove all doubt about who killed Mary Yoder. From that standpoint, it might seem one sided- but in my personal opinion, the evidence bears the burden and law enforcement got this one right.

Overall, true crime fans will find a great deal to puzzle over with this case. The courtroom drama was unbelievable, and the author lays out his case admirably and convincingly. I hope the Yoder family finds some comfort and peace moving forward.

4 stars

I’ve been a huge fan of M. William Phelps for years. I had picked up one of his true crime books and was hooked. I quickly read anything I could find with his name on it. Years later, while watching my favorite crime station, I started seeing advertisements for an upcoming series starring Mr. Phelps. Thrilled is an understatement. So when I saw this book available for review, I knew I had to get it! And I wasn’t disappointed.

I was surprised to read that this was a fiction book. However, it did not feel like fiction as I read. The story takes place in present day. A young girl, Cassie, goes missing and the local detective, Linda Kane, is called to investigate. This also parallels an event that occurred when she was a young girl.

As the book progresses, there are several side storylines occurring as well with almost each major character. This all leads back to how each person is a suspect. In my opinion, this is done extremely well for a debut fiction book.

There are also references to current day events that are still happening all over. This contributes to giving the story a sense of reality. This was not overdone and did not take away anything from the main storyline.

My biggest surprise was that I was kept guessing until almost the last page as to what actually happened to Cassie. It’s not often that an author manages to keep me guessing so long.

Thank you to BookSirens for providing an e-copy of this book for my voluntary review.

#booksirens #mwilliamphelps

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for a free e-ARC copy of the book. I live in Rochester, NY and my daughter attended Utica College so I am familiar with the area and was very intrigued by this book.

What a tragedy that didn't need to happen and it always seems to be the best people it happens too. I enjoyed the book but at times with the timeline going back and forth it did get a bit confusing but not enough that I would downgrade the book.

I liked the way the author presented the court case - it was concise and to the point and not dragged out like so many true crime books are.

A definite recommend to all true crime lovers.

Crimes of the Presidents
By: M. William Phelps
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
This was very informative and presented in an interesting way. Phelps hammers any and all equally! He goes after six Presidents and what made them criminals. It was a short book considering the six he was covering.
Lyndon Johnson
Richard Nixon
Grover Cleveland
Andrew Johnson and
Woodrow Wilson.
The narrator was great too!