Published by Citadel Press Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime
Format: ARC, eBook
Two days after Christmas in 2011
Russell Faria returned home to find his wife’s dead body on the floor -stabbed 55 times with a knife still wedged in her neck. First responders concluded that Betsy had been dead for hours. There was no blood on his clothing, friend’s testimony, receipts, and surveillance video showed that he was nowhere near his home when she was viciously murdered.
And yet, the police officers involved in the investigation didn’t feel he was crying real tears, his grief was not enough at times and other times too over the top for them. There must be some secret “how to cry when you find your loved one butchered” book out there that only these police officers in Troy, Michigan knew about. Gesh. Along with the prosecuting attorney, they decided he was guilty, ignoring the evidence and his alibis. In their minds they had their man, and the truth was not going to get in their way!
Talk about a mess and total devastation for Russ. He lost his wife first and then his freedom when he is tried and convicted for killing her. Can you even imagine?
Thankfully prominent defense attorney Joel J. Schwartz saw things differently. He saw the truth, the evidence, and the path to the real killer.
Don’t confuse this book with fiction. This is a True Crime, and you may have even watched this case being told on Dateline. The author tells readers in the author’s note that “Nearly all of the dialogue and conversation among sources in this book are taken verbatim from court transcripts, deposition transcripts, and video and/or audio recordings of police or attorney interviews.”
This book shows what happens when those in power fail the innocent. It also shows how diabolical the real killer was.
This was a gripping and riveting book. The author’s attention to detail, research, and telling of this case was outstanding. I thought he did a tremendous job in presenting what happened, the evidence, and input from Russ himself. True crime fans will love this book. It reads like an episode of Dateline or 20/20. It is very easy to follow, engaging and if you do not know about this murder case, you will be very educated on it by the end of the book.
**This book was written with Russell Faria’s cooperation
Thank you to Citadel Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
***There is also going to be a limited series titled “The Thing about Pam” about Betsy’s murder and the conviction of the killer coming out in March.