Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz that I read and reviewed.
I can honestly say when I stated this book my mind was made up that Avery was innocent and should be freed from jail because of what I had seen on Making a Murder. I only wanted to read this book to see if Kratz really was the cocky jerk he was in that television series. Boy did this book give me different view of the crime and Kratz as a man.
After reading this book and having more of the case laid out I realize how biased the TV version of the crime was and now I question a lot of my beliefs that were made after I watched that show. I is really sad how if what Kratz laid out in this book is true how him and the officers have been disgraced and threatened again all these years later because of editing and how evidence was shown and spun to help a murder get freed by a Netfix TV show and looking at what Kratz had and the actual parts of the trial he uses in the book that was not in the TV series I am starting to believe that that is what is happening.
The book also change my opinion of Kratz as a man. He is not afraid to admit he made mistakes in his life. He is not going to blame them on others and hide. He is man enough to admit he messes up and that says a lot about his true grit. He may not be the kind of man you what to hang out with but he would be the kind of guy you would want to fight for you in the courtroom because he knows about mistakes and second chances.
Did Steven Avery kill Teresa Halbach? Probably. There really is no one else who could have done it as Kratz points out in this book. Did his nephew get a raw deal? Yes but he took part in the crime so he is not innocent either. There are only three people who know what really took place that day and one of them is dead. We will never know what happened that October day on the Avery Land but I can honestly say that Ken Kratz's book opened my eyes to the problems with the Making a Murder TV Series. I was ready to jump on the Free Steven Avery Bandwagon until I read this book and was reminded that people with a camera can do whatever they want to make you see what they want. All it takes is some great editing editing and some really good cliffhangers and you are eating out of their hands and maybe just maybe you are starting to believe a man really did not rape, murder and burn and woman in a pit to get rid of her body just because he was mad at women because he spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong gets five out of five stars from me.

I did enjoy this book that told the Avery story from the other perspective not provided by the popular Netflix documentary. I will say that while some of the findings are hard to dismiss Kratz's tone throughout the book is not one of neutrality which is what I would have preferred. His experience in law seems to make it easy for him to use an authoritative tone which was at times irritating as he clearly brushes over other possibilities because  it doesn't fit into his conclusion.

Ken Kratz's book is meant as a counterargument to what was presented in Netflix's Making a Murderer series.  As such, I expected it to take the point of view that Steven Avery is guilty.  For the record, after watching the series I was not convinced regarding either Avery's guilt or innocence.  I was, however, convinced that the man did not receive a fair trial.  After reading Kratz's book, I'm more convinced of that than ever.  The class bias that permeates the TV series comes through here as well; the Avery family is characterized as white trash, who must be guilty of something.  Just as worrying for me was Kratz's inclusion of material that was not part of the trial record.  He presents ad hominem attacks on Avery and his supporters in a forum they cannot respond to while attempting to justify his own history of sexual abuse (which we're to accept as a sexual addiction and "just texting").  

I have to admit as well that the introduction by Nancy Grace turned me off from the start.  We're to believe that Avery is guilty because she "has a feeling" that he lied to her in a telephone interview?  Hardly evidence that would be admissible in a court of law!  

In conclusion, I'm still not convinced about either Avery's guilt or his innocence.  I am, on the other hand, more convinced than ever that Kratz is an opportunist who hopes to restore his reputation by making the talk show rounds with his new book.

I do find Avery's case fascinating. I think that the system is mishandling all kinds of crimes and getting many things wrong. I almost feel like Avery's time for a crime he didn't commit may have turned him into something worse then he was to begin with. I feel most sorry for Halbach's family who is now caught up in all of this media frenzy and probably will never feel a real sense of justice. Ken Kratz is just not a likable person. There is not much new information here that is not addressed on Making a Murderer.

I received this book from Netgalley and BenBella Books to read and review just yesterday, the first day it was published. 

First, let me state that I have NOT watched "Making a Murderer" and have not been influenced by it. I went into this book with an open mind. What I don't care for are all of the people who have left feedback and did not even purchase the book. So how likely is it that they read it, and formed an opinion, to have gone on sites like Amazon the day the book comes out? Hardly. I've seen this before on books that were highly contested. All it does is skew the feedback, which is what they are after. 

I'm writing as someone who actually read the book, just finished it. From where I sit, it tells the real story about the facts of what happened to Teresa Halbach, as much as it can be known. It includes the many things that were left out or edited out, of the MAM series, which swayed so many people that Avery was railroaded. Many even took up his cause and signed petitions.

This book by ex special prosecutor Ken Krantz tells the rest of the story, and once you know it, it's impossible to believe that Avery is innocent. It would require removing your brain to buy into such a huge conspiracy that would be beyond miraculous to pull off. It's downright impossible. 

Kratz's book is interesting since it goes over the whole case and tells so many things about the entire story. Kratz doesn't hold back from telling about his own personal demons that later took him down after the Avery trial, and tells matter of factly what he did and what the results were of that. A very relevant book and I hope more people get the story straight now. But that would probably require a TV series to be made for them to watch. May I suggest trying the book on audio for those who are too busy or don't like to read? 

For those who are so rabidly sure that Steven Avery is innocent...why don't we parole him to your home, to live with your family, and we'll see if he's a killer or not?

Like many television viewers, I was astonished by the Steven Avery story as portrayed in Making A Murderer. As many know, the program strongly suggested that investigators planted evidence, pressed co-defendant Brendan Dassey to make a false confession, and otherwise framed Avery for the murder of a young woman. The show left me with the impression that Avery was probably guilty, but that, at least in some ways, he had indeed been set up.
My opinion is now completely different. Author Katz carefully reviews every accusation and answers it with clear, compelling information and evidence. It's truly unfortunate that he succumbed to addiction during this time, leading to the loss of  his marriage, his career, and his reputation. He says he's working hard to make a comeback--yet he never expresses self-pity or makes excuses for his actions and behavior. 
I highly recommend this book to those who are now sympathetic to Avery. Whether it changes your mind about his guilt or it doesn't, it will let you see this murder case and conviction in a new light. I think it's a persuasive one. The book is well-written, the author displays striking honesty and courage, and I hope people will re-consider signing petitions for Avery's release before they look at this case again.

If you haven’t watched the Netflix documentary Making A Murder yet, I would definitely recommend it. Like ever. In Avery, the prosecutorial attorney on Steven Avery’s trial, Ken Kratz, attempts to argue against some of the allegations made during the documentary about Steven Avery being framed for Teresa Halbach’s murder. There’s something just naturally unlikable about Kratz, and it definitely comes through in both the documentary and his writing. I have to be honest though that his book did make me think twice about some of the aspects of the Making The Murder claims that were instrumental in convincing me of Steven Avery’s innocence. However, nothing anyone said or wrote could convince me to believe the confessions of Brendan Dassey, Steven Avery’s teenage nephew. He was a minor, clearly with some comprehension issues, who was ambushed by investigators and policemen without the presence of his parents or lawyer, and transparently coached through his confession statements by the people interrogating him. That alone is troubling enough when considering that Brendan’s confessions were instrumental in his and Steven’s convictions. If you’re a Making A Murderer fan like me, it may be interesting for you to read Ken Kratz’s account of the prosecutions side of the story, straight from his mouth.

It was a good read, but very close to the hit series from Netflix. This is a good recommendation for an avid reader who likes true crime. If you are a TV watcher and reader, like me you would not have had new information.

Overall this book is good, it handles the facts, tells you how things where handelnd and in which order and at what timeline, so exactly what a non fiction book should do! 
The writing is mostly nicely done as well, not too dry or in any way making this book hard to read and I personally appreciated that pictures of the crime were included so that the reader gets a feel of the actual case. So all that was good.

What I didn't like so much was the constant pointers towards the tv show. I think this book would have worked way better if the author wouldn't have focused so much on pointing all the little things out that the tv show did "wrong" or showcased in a different view point and instead focused on simply showing his side of how this crime went down, the evidence and what happened. 

I personally thing everyone is allowed their own opinion, and let's be honest if a tv show I still made about the side of the murderer the chances are pretty high that the production people will try to at least give the audience the doubt if the guy really did what he has been convicted of doing. We all know that going into a show like "making a murderer" right? And if we don't we certainly will not be interested to read the ither side of the story!

So to me, I would have liked this book a good amount better if the author would have not constantly be pointing fingers and basically doing the same thing as he was complaining about the tv show doing: pressing his own option and slight spin in how he saw the events go down unto the reader! 

I am not saying that Kratz is right or wrong, because honestly I don't think any of us outsiders can actually really ever get a real understanding of what happens during those investigations and within the mind if the murderer, and while I can understand why a book written from the investigations/prosecutors side will definelty tend more towards  " look how guilty he is!" I would have  still appreacted if Kratz could have kept a bit more natural in the "presentation" of the case so that the reader can a read least try and build their own option with "all" the evidence they get.


And after all that, let me end this and say this:

This book is good, 
it could have been better in my option if the author could have kept a bit of a more natural tone and not focused so extremely in building this book around the tv show 

BUT if you enjoy non fiction true crime books I am sure you will have an intersting time reading this.


And if you are someone that loves the show? 
You might want to read this just to get the other side of the story, since let's not forget that every story has at least two versions and both side deserve to be heard if you listen to one of them!

Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong

OK, True Crime IS my guilty pleasure genre. And I am particularly fascinated by stories of  “justice gone wrong,” and am a strong advocate for fairness in the justice system and a believer in the need for judicial reform. So, the whole phenomenon around Steven Avery and the Netflix series “Making a Murderer” would seem to be right up my alley. After all, I was obsessed worth Serial, so a story about a wrongful conviction should be my thing, right?

But here is the thing: it’s easy to advocate for justice for an intelligent, articulate young man (Serial’s Adnan Syed). It’s a lot harder when the accused murderer is a man like Steven Avery: a crude, uneducated man whose family business is an auto salvage yard where he lives in a trailer among rusted out wrecked cars and indulges himself fathering children, harassing people, and torturing animals. Truly. 

Some years ago, Avery was accused and convicted of raping a woman, and sent to prison where he stayed until the case was overturned, as his innocence was proven. Just when his case against the County was moving toward what looked like a huge cash award for wrongful imprisonment, he was accused of murdering a young female photographer who came to the salvage yard to take photos for Auto Trader. 

Making a Murderer presented a compelling argument for what looked like at best inept police work and at worst a totally corrupt judicial system that went after him because his case for the prior improper conviction was about to bankrupt the County. He settled for $400,000, which he used for his defense in the murder trial. 
I admit, I couldn’t watch all of Making a Murderer. They actually lost me fairly early on with the animal torture, and while I thought there had likely been some significant errors in the prosecution of the case (especially the way Avery’s nephew Brendan Dassey was used), I wasn’t convinced he was innocent. 

This book, written by the prosecutor, reinforced my opinion that Avery is a disgusting creep. It also gave me a TON of facts that were not part of Making a Murderer. It’s well written, and Kratz is open with his own story and the mistakes he made along the way (unrelated to Avery’s case). Anyone who watched the series and thinks Avery is innocent should really read this book, and it would be a good choice for true crime fans, especially if they can handle reading about a disgusting man. 

Really, if I hadn’t committed to review it, I might not have finished it. I knew the status of the legal case, and I felt like I didn’t care if he had been wrongly convicted. Saying that goes against my personal beliefs, and I do think there are huge problems with our system of “justice” – but this man should be locked away forever, IMHO. 

Four stars. I still hate Avery, and am not a big fan of Kratz, but the book is well done.

A well-balanced counter-argument to the Steven Avery case from someone who actually worked on the case.  It answers many of the questions raised, but overlooked in the documentary Making a Murderer.  It makes one re-think and re-evaluate everything he/she might have thought about the case from just having seen the documentary.  I will be purchasing this book to use with my Seniors as a counterpoint to Making a Murderer.  So glad that someone published a different opinion about the case.  This book will make my students re-think everything they thought about the case from having seen the documentary.

First, this review is in exchange for an ARC given by NetGalley. That said, the review is unbiased.

I'm actually surprised by what I'm going to write here--I liked Ken Kratz's book. The writing is highly engaging and intelligent, and the case he makes is compelling. (For the record, I am of the "sympathetic but suspicious" camp when it comes to Steven Avery, and the "free poor Brendan" camp on his nephew). While he disputes the "Making a Murderer" points, he does so typically with specific evidence, which I appreciate. And he is open about his own failings, as a sex addict. (It seems he should have specified drug addict, too, but I'll give him credit for what he does discuss.) You can actually see him fighting his own temptations to dismiss, minimize, or gloss over what he's done--and still very clearly articulating his own responsibility, his own victimization of others. I appreciate that honesty.

My only criticisms would be to reign in some of the more speculative/excessive language (persuade by argument, not by volume), and to give credit to the "Making a Murderer" team--maybe they *do* believe Avery is innocent, even if they're off-base on that. I would also urge him to rework the defense of Brendan's interviews without his parent--in a single paragraph, Kratz says 16 year olds don't have the right to have a lawyer/adult present, Brendan can tell right from wrong, and that if his mother were present, she'd just sell out Brendan to save her brother, so having her present wasn't in the interests of justice. The first point is legal--if that's the law in that state, so be it. The second point requires evidence (any psychologist reports?) that isn't provided, and the third point is a conflict of interest between Kratz's desire to succeed in a case and protecting the rights of a suspect. 

Overall, I actually came out of this thinking that Kratz would do well to consider writing more true crime books. He's thoughtful, he writes well (or his ghost writer does--I'm not sure what his set-up is), and he manages to synthesize a lot of information in a compelling way.