I first learned about this book via Parcast’s podcast series Solved Murders: True Crime Mystries. This story was one of the most fascinating. I checked out the book here on Apple. It's a totally different experience from listening to a two part episode. This book has a peculiar organization: Author Joe made List’s crime known at the beginning, yet this approach allowed him to craft a unique story line. The middle chapters (e.g. Chapter 8) were my favorites. They were gruesome, intriguing and fraught with vivid scenes. I look forward to reading Author Joe’s other works.

Always enjoy the writing style of Joe Sharkey

Well researched. I remember hearing about this terrible incident when it happened. I was 3 years older than Pat and was married in June if 1971. I’m sorry Mr List was caught sooner; he didn’t deserve one second of freedom to start a new life when he had so callously taken the lives of his family. He seems to have chosen certain commandments to follow and ignored those other ones that didn’t suit his outlook. He was like the devil in thinking that no one else had free will to decide their life choices. Only List could decide what anyone could do. So ending their lives ended his responsibility for them. Although he wasn’t very good at providing for them anyway. He wasn’t even in prison 20 years but he’s sure going to be surprised on ‘Judgement Day’. I’ve always wondered what these crazies are going to say to God. Somehow I think they’ll try. But probably not going to go well for them. Good!

I’m giving this 5*s because I did not want to put it down after starting it. I read true crime because I want to know what was going through the murderer’s mind to know why they did it. I think the author tried to answer that question for me. He was very thorough in delving into the whys. The thing is, murder does not make sense.