This is a new book about the Manson murders by Lis Wiehl and Caitlin Rother. An updated look, It does cover much of the same ground as many other books have, but I was pleased to find new material. It covers things like Manson’s children and grandchildren's lives, his death and the fight for his body and estate, and also things like ATWA and his near-marriage to Star, along with much more. Definitely worth a read, for sure if you are curious about the whole topic, into true crime and have read many of the other books on the crimes as I have. I also found things I didn’t remember hearing about that had happened, like when Manson had been lit on fire and badly burned by another prisoner back in 1984. Which was understandable, as I'd been rather busy in '84 having moved twice and having my only child at the end of it. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, authors Lis Wiehl with Caitlin Rother, and the publisher for my unbiased review.

Thomas Nelson Books Published June 5th, 2018

I am 16% through this book and I am going to have to dnf (did not finish) it. I had very high hopes for this book. When I read the description I knew I needed to read it. Charles Manson has always fascinated me. I've always had a morbid obsession with true crime so I was ecstatic when I was approved for this book. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I found the timeline in the book to be weird and a little hard to follow. I've only read Helter Skelter so maybe I needed to have more of a background on Charles Manson to be able to fully follow the story. The other thing that I didn't like was how graphic the details were. Lis Wiehl & Caitlin Rother have a way with putting you in the story. Unfortunately with how graphic this book was, I had to put it down.

I have been fascinated by the Manson family since in first read Helter Skelter over fifteen years ago. It is a classic study in how if just one thing had gone differently, the entire thing could have been blown open long before it did. It is also nothing short of incredible how this one man was able to warp the minds of so many young people to the point they would murder for him.

When it comes to this version of events, I found the timeline to be laid out in a way that may be a bit confusing to anyone who is reading about these crimes for the first time. For example, the authors detailed the crimes before they detailed Manson's early years. I would have thought it would be more helpful to discuss the man himself before delving into all that he was accused of.

I also found it enlightening how close law enforcement came to actually capturing them, had they only been a bit more forthcoming with one another. The intriguing counter arguments explored in this book were also something that I had not known about before, and therefore had not considered (for example, I did not know that two of the people murdered alongside Sharon Tate had been well known to the drug scene).

Overall, I believe this story presents a well-rounded, and deeply research account of events (not only including the murder and trial, but also the subsequent parole hearings as well). This is a great read for anyone who is interested in not only the Manson murders, but also in true crime novels.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is a thoroughly creepy book that will keep you up at night, with lots of information that updates readers on the commonly held knowledge about the case and all of the participants. Read at your own risk. Very well researched and written.