The Best 10 True Crime Books of 2011

Each January, I ask readers of True Crime Book Reviews to nominate their favorite true crime books and authors from the previous year. True crime books from all over the world are eligible for nomination.

In a second round, the top thirty nominees are voted on by readers to choose the Top Ten Best True Crime Books of the year.

The following ten books (in no particular order) were chosen at the best true crime books of 2011.

Visit www.ronfranscell.com for more information but, in the meantime, enjoy this short summary -

We read the stories and watch the movies about the horrible mass killings that take lives of many innocent victims. But what happens to those who survive? How were there lives changed?

Award winning journalist Ron Franscell goes "behind the scenes" to tell you about those who survived the worst nightmares and lived to tell about - but no one was really listening until now.

Get up close and personal with Suzanna Gratia Hupp, who was dining with her parents in Luby's Cafeteria on that fateful day in 1991; 12-year-old Charles Cohen watched in horror from a closet as father, mother, and grandmother was murdered by a man who had just returned home from serving in World War II; Keith Thomas, 12, was enjoying a meal at McDonald's with a friend and his family in San Ysidro, California, when James Huberty open fired; former fireman Tim Ursin lost his arm when Mark Essex declared war on "honkies" but he never lost his spirit; and 11-year-old Terry Jo Dupperault was left to die in the middle of the ocean when the hired skipped brutally slayed her family.

This is just a small example of the ten amazing, gut-wrenching stories of people who faced off with the devil and didn't let him win.

"In Ron Franscell's captivating account of the darkest chapters of our history, the author skillfully reminds all of us the meaning of grace and the triumph of the human spirit." - Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author

Where is this former Power Ranger? On California's death row. Why?

Tom and Jackie Hawks had worked hard and now they were playing hard, living life to the fullest in southern California.

The couple was ready to upgrade their yacht before they set out on a cruise around the world; so they were excited when former child star Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer said they wanted to purchase the Hawks' 55-feet yacht The Well Deserved.

Agreeing to go for a test sail, the Hawkses had no idea just exactly how the Deleons planned to "pay" for the boat of their dreams: murder. In the middle of the ocean, with no one around, the wealthy couple was forced to sign all documents necessary for the boat transfer then tied to the ships anchor and tossed overboard...alive!

Dead Reckoning is a riveting and stomach-churning tale that will enrage you with each turn of the page as you read how one man and his greed fueled by a demanding wife can turn deadly and leave a trail of broken hearts in its wake.

"[T]he authoritative story behind the high-profile murder of Tom and Jackie Hawks by a clan of outlaws led by Skylar and Jennifer Deleon. Skylar Deleon, a charming conman and hermaphrodite wanna-be, tied the Hawkses to the anchor of their yacht and threw them overboard -- alive -- near Newport Beach, California, to steal their boat and pillage their bank accounts." (Kensington/Pinnacle, February 2011)

Visit Caitlin Rother's website at www.caitlinrother.com.

If you loved the Lifetime movie by the same title, you'll definitely want to read the book -

Jayne Garcia Valseca thought she'd fought the battle of her life when she received a report of remission on her breast cancer. That battle would pale in comparison to what was in her future.

Along with her husband Eduardo Garcia Valseca had moved their family to a picturesque community in the mountains of Guanajuato, Mexico. They were living a charmed life.

Then one morning in the summer of 2007, the couple was ambushed and Eduardo was kidnapped. It was the beginning of seven months of hell.

As Jayne bent to the kidnappers' every demand, Eduardo was held captive in a dark, seven-by-six-by-two box and survived on the meager diet of eggshells and chicken bones provided to him.

Growing tired of the games, Jayne decided to go against the advice of Mexican authorities and turn the tables on the men who holding Eduardo. Summing the strength she'd used to battle cancer, Jayne turned into a kidnappers' cold, calculating, and cunning adversary.

Absolutely, hands-down, no contest, does We Have Your Husband deserve a spot on this list. Need I say more?

For more information visit Jayne Rager Valseca's blog or Mark Ebner's at www.hollywoodinterrupted.com.

Visit author Mark Seal's website for more information about this great book -

Clark Rockefeller is proof that all it takes is a famous name to be accepted in to America's elite circles - even if you just made it up.

Germany native Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter came to study in America, but decided to take a shortcut to wealth and fame by creating the alias with one of the most recognized names in the world.

One would assume that claiming to be a member of this wealth-and-power family would be a risky move, but it was a risk Gerhartsreiter was willing to take. The ease with with which he moved among the upper-crust while peddling his stories of life as a Rockefeller for nearly three decades is, well, outstanding! Fantastic! Absolutely un-freakin'-believable!

And who knows how long he would have gotten away with it if it hadn't have been for a divorce and the bitter custody battle that ensued?

Even if you watched the Lifetime movie Who Is Clark Rockefeller, read The Man In The Rockefeller Suit because it's much, much more detailed.

From the author dubbed the "Queen of True Crime" by her fans comes another crime files collection -

From Amazon.com: Walking home on a dark night, you hear footsteps coming up behind you. As they get closer, your heart pounds harder. Who is closing in with dangerous intent—a total stranger? Or someone you know and trust? The answer is as simple as turning around, but don’t look behind you . . . run.

We've all had that feeling. The feeling someone is watching, waiting. It's a fear that's all-consuming and heart-stopping...literally for some.

The first story begins with the uncovering of bones on the site razed house. Investigators soon learn that the bones belong to missing man Joe Tarricone, a traveling salesman who had lived with his girlfriend and her mother at the house which formerly sat on the property. The investigation will lead detectives on a twisting path from Washington to Alaska and back to Washington again.

When millionaire Robert Hansen committed suicide in his Washington home, he took the location of his missing wife's body with him. Her three young children grew up abused by their father and believing their mother had abandoned them. A mysterious note found among his belongings would confirm what one son had later come to suspect: his father had killed his mother.

As a grand finale, Ann Rule recounts the case of seven-foot giant who most deemed shy and harmless, but a violent psychopath was lurking within.

For more information visit Ann Rule's website at www.annrules.com.

From award winning authors Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie -

Vicki Lynn Buzby had long suffered depression that often led to suicide attempts. But life seemed to finally be smiling down upon her when she met Seth Baber, a New Hampshire attorney.

Seth was well aware of Vicki's rocky past with depression, but he loved her and proposed; she readily accepted.

While things began with a fairy tale life, after the couple adopted the children of one of Seth's cousins who struggled with drug addiction, things began to sour. When Vicki became pregnant with a biological child, she hoped it would be a new beginning.

It wasn't. If anything, it was one more step toward the end. Seth had difficulty remaining faithful and Vicki's depression returned with full force and then some. She knew the best thing she could do was exit the poisonous relationship.

Not long after Vicki's departure, Seth moved in his gold-digging princess, Mary Jean Martin, and this is when things got really out of hand.

Seth and Mary Jean began cutting Vicki out of the boys' life by encouraging the oldest (adopted) two to send hateful letters telling Vicki to kill herself, that they didn't love her, and never wanted to see her again. Mary Jean and Seth also recruited the boys to do things such as breaking into Vicki's apartment and putting one of her cats into a hot stove; leaving the cat to burn alive and Vicki to find it on her return home.

Although at times she almost gave in and attempted suicide, with the help of therapist and the encouraging reports of the children's Guardian Ad Litem, Vicki was growing stronger. She was fighting back. And things, for the first time in a long time, were turning to her favor.

Seth Bader knew it was time to play the ultimate trump card: murder. And he used his oldest son to help him carry it out.

Legally Dead is one more story of an attorney who thinks he can work the system to his favor. But this legal eagle ended up a wounded bird behind bars.

"Bestselling true crime authors Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie vividly recount the fatal divorce case of Bader v. Bader with it’s twisted cast of characters: the crazy little man, his demanding princess mistress, brainwashed children, and Italian mobster-wannabes. A lethal combination that in any other would be downright comical." - Kim Cantrell, True Crime Book Reviews

A fantastic book about cases you may never have heard about!

Author Barbara Kemm Highton knows first hand the effects of violence on family. She lost her own precious daughter to murder. Police dismissed her daughter's death as a random act of violence, but Barbara and her husband learned that Kaitlyn had gained knowledge from her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend of criminal activities by police officers. Her death was an obvious attempt to keep the young lady quiet.

After writing about the case as a means of healing as well as exposing the corruption, Barbara was astounded at the outpouring of sympathy and tales of similar stories she received from her readers.

Today, Barbara has more than 50 books to her credit; including several true crimes. She also hosts the website www.realcrimes.com that discusses real cases, solved or unsolved, and works to expose political and criminal corruption that leads to the loss of life. Real Crimes is also used as a resources for professional writers such Ann Rule, investigative journalists and television producers, private investigators, and police officials looking to solve missing persons and homicide cases.

From Simon & Schuster comes a story you'll never forget!-

Marcus Delon Wesson controlled his wife Elizabeth and their seventeen children with an iron fist. He sequestered them in a social and emotion prison and they were forced to endure his physical, mental, and sexual abuse.

In March 2004, it all came to head when a family dispute erupted into a harrowing standoff with police. As SWAT teams descended on the Wessom home, Marcus mu

Author and television reporter Alysia Sofios was the first to receive a tip about Wesson's arrest and, in turn, witnessed every twist and turn of this horrific case - from Wesson's arrest to his trial.

Putting her job and life on the line, Sofios reached out to the traumatized surviving family members; offering them friendship and support and helped them to overcome their feelings of guilt and hopelessness. Now Sofios puts their astounding stories of these outstanding survivors who continue to heal from the imaginable acts of an evil and twisted a man; a man they called father.

Alysia Sofios co-authored this book with Caitlin Rother, who is the writer of the second book on this list: Dead Reckoning.

Sometimes you think you know someone -

Michael Roseboro and his wife Jan seemed to have it all; three beautiful children, a dream home, and a successful business. But for Mike, it just wasn't enough.

Mike Roseboro had many flings during the almost two decades he'd been married to Jan. But when he hooked up with Angela Funk, things went from casual sex to serious relationship.

Angela, a married woman herself, and Mike began discussing wedding plans and honeymoon destinations; oddly, they never discussed how they were going to get out of their current marriages.

When Jan is found at the bottom of the family's backyard pool, it was supposed to appear an accident. But a little investigating led detectives to believe this was Mike's plan of escape to be with his mistress.

But the twists aren't over just yet -

On the day Mike Roseboro is arrested for Jan's murder, his mistress steps into the spotlight to announce she's pregnant - with the defendant's baby!

A horrifying true story of illicit passion, deadly deceit, and cold-blooded murder from Pennsylvania Dutch country.

"The arrogance, deceitfulness, and outright narcissism of Mike Roseboro really pops in M. William Phelps’ new book. Detailing the life of the Roseboro family as well as the insidious secret lifestyle of Mike and his mistress Angela Funk while not bogging down the book with continuous repetition or trial segment that’s better at putting one to sleep than counting sheep, makes Love Her To Death a first rate pick of this genre." - Kim Cantrell, True Crime Book Reviews

Listen to an interview with M. William Phelps on True Murder Radio hosted by Dan Zupansky.

This one will evokes so many emotions -

Jaynce Hansen had taken the modeling job to get out of the house, but she got more than she bargained for.

Richard Hansen had his sites on Janny from the moment she walked into his office and he used his wealth and charm, as well as a few manipulation tactics, pull Jaynce from her marriage - even if he was a married man himself.

It was a volatile relationship filled with screaming matches and physical violence fueled by drugs and alcohol, with gambling and prostitution rings being operated out of their home. But Jaynce liked her upscale life and couldn't let go - even when she suspected her daughters were being sexually abused by the man who was now her husband.

On September 21, 1984, Richard returned home to discover his wife's lifeless body in his Mercedes convertible parked in the home's garage. Police chalk it up to suicide but Janny's family isn't so certain.

Twenty-five years after her death, Janny's daughter and son delve into the past, trying to determine whether their mother's death was actually a suicide or murder at the hands of her husband; a man rumored to have strong ties to corrupt city officials and organized crime.

But wait! This year there was a tie, so there is an eleventh book to enjoy!

From St. Martin's Press -

In May 2005, Alabama teen Natalee Holloway disappeared while on a senior class trip in Aruba; and the name Joran van der Sloot became a household synonymous with the case.

Joran was under intense scrutiny from journalist and the public alike all around the world. There seemed there was no where he could go that people weren't watching his every move.

It seemed he found a reprieve, however, when he landed in Peru; that is, five years to the date of Natalee's disappearance, the body of 21-year-old Stefany Flores was murdered in a Limu, Peru, and security cameras revealed Joran leaving the hotel room which was also rented under his name.

This time Joran wouldn't be able to escape justice.

New York Times bestselling authors Lisa Pulitzer and Cole Thompson follow the trail of the one of the most reviled criminals in the world as he skirts the law in a young American girl's disappearance and suspected murder to his arrest and conviction in the Peruvian justice system; and now spends his days not as a spoiled rich boy but just another common criminal living in filthy prison.

The movies and books written about the Natalee Holloway case can't even hold a candle to the thoroughly researched, richly detailed Portrait of a Monster.