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Merissa (13854 KP) rated The Murderess Must Die in Books

Sep 3, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2023)  
The Murderess Must Die
The Murderess Must Die
Marlie Parker Wasserman | 2021 | Crime
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE MURDERESS MUST DIE is a fictional telling of a true crime. Most of the main characters are from newspaper articles of the time and pieced together to make a story.

Was Mattie Place insane? Or a madly jealous stepmother? Or was she someone who had just reached her limit? We will never know for sure, but the author brings her to life and raises questions. As the first woman to be killed by the electric chair, she has some notoriety but has never had a voice.

Told from multiple perspectives, I wasn't sure, to begin with just who was who, apart from Mattie, but as the story continued, the other players slotted into place and showed how a story can be changed by the omission of facts, or just by being told a certain way.

I found this story to be absolutely captivating and loved the last entry by Mr Knittle. The questions 'he' raised were good ones and it does make you wonder if it had been any different if those answers had been found.

I love true crime and I love stories based upon true crime. This one kept my attention and got me thinking, which is always a good thing in my book. A fascinating read that kept me turning the pages and one I definitely recommend.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 3, 2021
  
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groundedGeek (4 KP) rated This American Life in Podcasts

Jan 10, 2018  
This American Life
This American Life
Society & Culture
8
7.9 (25 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Stories (0 more)
Almost always great
The topics on this show are sometimes hit-or-miss, but often you will come across an absolute gem of a theme and the stories shared are fascinating. I rated it higher because more often than not I find the topics really interesting. On occasion there will be a dud where the host isn't as engaging or the stories just aren't my taste, but the great thing about the show is that even those episodes hit home for someone most likely. There really is something for everyone in this series... if the current episode doesn't float your boat, it's likely a previous one will be fascinating or maybe the next topic will be right up your alley.

The episodes are "investigative" in nature where the host has interviewed people and tells the true story as they go, but like many "documentary" style features in this day and age... they can sometimes be driven to tell the story they want you to hear, guiding you to the conclusion that fits their narrative rather than simply providing the facts and letting the listener draw their own conclusions. To be fair, this makes it more entertaining... because simple fact-finding would likely be boring in podcast form. It's not necessarily a criticism... Michael Moore is an example of the worst purveyor of this kind of "documentary" style... generate a conclusion, craft the clips, audio and narrative to support that conclusion... voila... Michael Moore movie. While I don't prefer that style of "documentary" because it is obviously biased, there is no doubt that Michael Moore knows how to sell his story and makes entertaining films. TAL is not quite the same, it's probably unfair to put them in that category, but there is with some of the hosts, a definite feel that they have the conclusion they want you to draw firm in their mind when they provide the accompanying stories...

Other times there isn't any agenda, they simply want to provide you with fascinating stories about fascinating people in this fascinating country... and when they do that, they do it spectacularly. I feel like my criticism above could possibly be misconstrued as a knock on the show, but discerning listeners likely recognize when this is sometimes happening and it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the journey the show takes you on. It's not a knock, it's a fun show.