I had the very good fortune to read this book when it was in Galleys, and it is wonderful. It's one of the earliest books written in the USA, and was written by a woman. Set in Fall River, Massachussetts in the 18th century, it tells the tale of a young girl who is seduced, impregnated, and then abandoned and defamed by an scoundrel of a minister. What was truely striking (apart from the quality of the writing), was how little things had changed in the intervening period. As I was reading the galleys, a very similar case was being tried in the same area. Well worth reading, not only for its style, but also for its content, and for its depiction of life in New England in that time.

Fall River is well known for its Lizzie Borden murders but these murders in 1978 were so much more gruesome than the Bordens. The scary part was that I knew some of these people including Carl Drew. This book is worth reading because it tells you how cults operate and how dangerous they are.

When I bought this book, I thought I was buying a history of Fall River, Massachusetts. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's a reference book, comprised of everyone who was ever involved personally in the Lizzie Borden murder case. Bios are listed alphabetically and I can't think of anyone Mr. Hoffman's left out. I gave this book 4 stars because there are some errors here and there, and more photos of those we don't usually see would have been fantastic. Still, it's a good piece of work and fascinating whether you're looking up a person or if you just want to sit and read it cover to cover. Don't miss it before it becomes unavailable, as many Lizzie Borden books do.

William L. Masterton has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and retired as a full Professor from the University of Connecticut in 1987. He had a long standing interest in this case, and began research after he retired (p.8). Chapters 1 to 8 give his short history of this crime, chapters 9 to 16 give his "solution". Many books have been written on the Borden Murders; the Sources on page 7 do not list those by E. Pearson and F. Spiering. Only two people were alive in that house after 11am. Lizzie was the likeliest suspect, but she couldn't have done it, and the jury agreed.

"Early accounts of the crime were loaded with factual errors" (p.18). This is a warning against using unverified newspaper records (p.8). Did Andrew Borden prosper handsomely (p.24)? The truth is that Andrew induced grieving customers to sign up for loans, then called these loans to foreclose on the homes. Andrew got rich by swindling widows and orphans! He became richer by buying into banks and factories, and real estate in growing Fall River. If one of his tenants received a higher salary, Andrew raised his rent. Andrew sold products from his home (p.25); he bought spoiled apple cider and sold it as vinegar. Page 34 quotes Bridget on the murders: "I'd be afraid to say anything at all. If I did, that terrible man that killed poor Mrs Borden might come back and kill me too." What did she know and when did she know it?

Page 94 asks why Lizzie didn't burn that dress before the police searched the house. That would have left a residue in the stove. Page 107 talks about the three doors, but says nothing about cellar windows being used to get into the house. Page 124 says the assassin could go upstairs to the guest room to hide, but be discovered by Abby. The jury found Lizzie not guilty. The same lack of evidence also applies to Bridget, and Lizzie said "it wasn't Bridget ...." Robert Pinkerton says "an innocent person is more likely to make conflicting statements than is a guilty on." (His firm was hired by Lizzie.)

Chapter 21 discusses the missing note. Could this explain why Abby went to the second floor guest room? AR Brown has a better explanation for this note. Her discovery of "Nemesis" led to her unplanned murder. Then this rage must have been directed to Andrew after he turned over that white box. The opinion of Dr Abbot (pp.200-1) seems to be political, not medical. JV Morse's answer (p.202) seems like a way to answer without saying anything. Chapter 14 questions the time of death for Abby. The fact is that Abby was last seen alive about 9:15am, her body was discovered around noon. Since she had been killed earlier than Andrew, the 90 minute estimate is dead accurate. The charts on page 205 are meaningless without indexes for time and temperature. The unscientific studies on page 206 are contradicted by Dr. Dolan's tests on the bodies. The trial testimony quoted on page 210 really means that if a stomach empties between "two or three hours" there is no estimate possible after this time. Nicole's empty stomach would put her death 3 hours after her 8pm supper. Ron's stomach should show eating between 10:30pm and 11pm (my estimate).

Chapter 16 has one of his solutions: an embezzling bank clerk who played the stock market But a white collar crime like this rules out a double murder? Was it JW Carpenter, who embezzled from Andrew's funeral business? Or maybe J Clegg? Masterton didn't solve the crime! Arnold R Brown's book provided the final solution in theory, because no one has come up with a better one.

I thought that this was a very interesting book. At first, I was put off by the cover, which has the title smeared in blood-covered ink. (They could've been a little more subtle.) I also thought the book could've used tighter editing. Nonetheless, the further I got into the book, the more intrigued I got. The writer brings out certain information -- regarding the note that Lizzie claimed was delivered that morning, and the possible purchase of prussic acid -- that I'd never come across before (and I've read a lot about this case). He also mentions other suspects that people haven't considered. At the very least, he makes it less likely that indeed Lizzie did it.

Central to his thesis, though, is the belief that the Bordens were actually killed at about the same time and Mr. Borden first. This goes against a hundred years of tradition. I've actually wondered myself whether the doctors may have been wrong at the time -- but it still seems to me that the likelihood is that they were killed some time apart, with Mrs. Borden having been killed first.

It's interesting that practically all the books that have come out in the past ten years about the case have pointed at people other than Lizzie. That may be a good thing. Despite the legend about the case, there were plenty of people at the time of the trial who thought Lizzie was innocent. Her notoriety may not be deserved.

Of all the books on this case, the one I've thought best-written (though not without its flaws) is Edward Radin's 1961 book Lizzie Borden: The Untold Story. Radin's theory is that the maid, Bridget Sullivan, did it. Radin points out that there have been many cases when servants killed employers, and Bridget did have opportunity. (She also may have had it in for Mrs. Borden.) Masterson doesn't buy into this theory. But I've always wondered why people have not considered Bridget more seriously as a suspect. The fact that we don't know a motive may just be a red herring that people have been staring at for a hundred years.

This was an excellent book! I have always been interested in this case and it was thorough in examining all of the evidence and testimony presented at the inquest and trial. The books leaves you with several suspects to choose from that could have committed the crime, none of them Lizzie or her immediate family members. There are plenty of newspaper clippings and excerpts from historical documents to substantiate Masterston's findings. Definitely an enjoyable read.

For more recent information on this topic, the Pocono Record recently did a 3-day, multi part story on this topic. Sunday,Monday & Tuesday, August 12,13, and 14, 2001.

You can also read it online at www.poconorecord.com You can probably view it in the archives section or by doing searches on the archives there. Just search on items like Tocks Island or just Tocks, PEEC, Honeymoon Haven, dam, etc.. and you'll get the recent stories and other stories they've done on this topic.

The paper interviews both those whose families owned homes in the area, the people who rented those homes later, squatters, and other nearby locals. It also goes over what was originally planned (the dam and the surrounding park) and what happened later (the park and 209 becoming a 35mph road, leasing land and homes, PEEC environmental camp, etc.) Very worth reading if you're interested in this topic.

I don't know what stirred this topic in the paper recently. My husband and I stumbled upon it by chance, on the way home from my brother's wedding. We'd stopped in Sunday to ask a ranger at the Rec Area if they had a book or anything on the topic, and he happened to have a copy of the Sunday paper & a book with a chapter on the topic, which he kindly let us read while we were there.

This topic has touched many people's lives. It's good to see there's some info out there for those of us who are interested, but also to keep the history alive and those people's memories around..and to explain what happened to places you can't find anymore.

As a new resident of northern New Jersey I have heard many tales from long time residents regarding the land acquisition for the Tocks Island Dam. When I first found this book I expected a 'story' about what has occured over the last 100+ years in this area, and intead I found an extreme example of the government's ability to waste money.

This was a very extensive explanation of the Tocks Island Dam project as well as the development of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. It went into great detail regarding the rise and fall of, and the details of this project.

This book is not for everyone to read and it requires alot of concentration to read, however I enjoyed it thoroughly. I wish I had kept notes throughout to total how much money has been spent on a dam that has yet to be and hopefully will not be built. The countryside is beautiful as a National Recreation Area and a project such as the Tocks Island Dam would be devastating to the whole surrounding area. This valley should be kept as a treasure for generations to enjoy.

Okay, this book isn't for everyone. The price alone tells you that. But if you are a policy maker or an environmentalist interested in a success story, it could be a great investment. It is the tale of how one river remained damless, despite an authorized Army Corps of Engineers project. I liked the book because I am a canoer who has paddled the Delaware and a river activist who can use lots of tips.

The author, Richard Albert, provides an insider's perspective. Most recently, he was a supervising engineer and basin planner for the Delaware River Basin Commission. He's been involved in river studies for three decades.

The Delaware is a fairly small river, draining only four-tenths of one percent of the continental U.S. Yet almost ten percent of the nation's population relies on its basin for water, and Delaware Bay is within a day's drive of about 40 percent of the entire U.S. population. Various groups have wanted dams on the Delaware to provide water, electrical power and flood control. As Albert explains, no dams have been built because New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware could never fully agree on a project. At the top end of the river, New York City wants to protect its drinking water supply, which is based on huge reservoirs near the headwaters of the Delaware in upstate New York. At the bottom end, fishermen and others want to assure clean, regular water flow, something that could be diminished by one or more dams. In between, there are many opinions about the potential impact of one or more dams on the river.

Albert provides a long historical perspective, beginning in the colonial era, when navigation was the primary use of the river. States along the river agreed to prohibit dams, and this perspective ruled until the early twentieth century. Water supply, hydrological power, flood control and recreation became important issues in the twentieth century, and Albert gives them detailed treatment.

His description of the 1960s and 1970s includes some bizarre twists to the story. Two examples stand out for me. First, there's eutrophication. That's the overproduction of algae and plants caused by too much phosphorus or nitrogen in water. It stinks, too. Environmental studies suggested that the large number of poultry farms upstream of the proposed Tock's Island Dam would turn the new reservoir into "one gigantic cesspool." I call this segment of the story, "How Chicken Poop Saved the Delaware." Second, the whole land acquisition process went sour. The Corps of Engineers began acquiring land for a huge National Recreation Area above and below the Delaware Water Gap in 1964. By 1970 the project was still on hold, and "hippy" squatters began settling on the new public lands. Local residents were already concerned about the impact of tens of thousands of visitors on their roads, water supply, power supply, etc., and they were none too happy to see Haight-Ashbury move its act into rural New Jersey. In the end, unpaid local activists played an important role in helping to achieve the 1982 "Good Faith Agreement" among the mayor of New York and the governors of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Everyone agreed to leave the river free-running until after the year 2000 - and then reconsider the dam as a water supply source.

A friend and I canoed from Port Jervis, New York to the Delaware Water Gap in August 1999, and we camped right where the dam was proposed. Those who want to enjoy the Delaware as a free-flowing river after 2001 might want to pick up a copy of this book.

The author investigated the unsolved mystery of the Borden Murders by reading the trial transcripts, newspapers, interviews, and the statements of witnesses. He invented a surprise solution: Emma did it! I can't believe his conclusion.

His book is worth reading because of all the background information he provides about the case, including some pictures not seen in earlier books. It provides more information on Emma and the aftermath of the trial than in previous books. It tells of the vicious campaign by the Fall River GLOBE against Lizzie, altho the Providence JOURNAL's editorial after the trial was more damning: "if she knows who did it, why doesn't she speak out?". Spieing (p.197) repeats the story of the 1897 confession altho E. Radin's book exposed it as a forgery in 1961, which he admits in his Notes (p.237).

The best books are still Arnold R. Brown's masterpiece (which solved the crime), and David Kent's book of background material. Edmund Pearson's book is not generally available, nor is Edward Radin's (a crime reporter for a major NYC newspaper).

Residing in Fall River, Massachusetts, makes you curious as to whether the house is haunted. If that is true, what kind of recount would the walls tell? No one knows for sure what happened that hot morning of August 4, 1892 in the home of Andrew and Abbie Borden, with the exception of those who were there, but no is alive from that time in history, to tell us. The city of Fall River was divided in half, supporting Lizzie's innocence and those who firmly believed in her guilt. We, are only left to speculate and to judge Lizzie for ourselves. A true American "Unsolved Mystery".

Lizzies father was asleep on the couch downstairs. Lizzies step mother was asleep upstairs in her room. The maid was also resting upsatirs. Lizzie was outside in the hayloft eating pears. It was a hot Massachusetts summers day. This book attempts to discover who really hacked to death the sleeping Borden's on that hot afternoon in Fall River. Was it Lizzie, or was it...? A great deal of historical research has gone into this book, supplemented with actual photographs of the case. Well worth reading...

This book is terrible. The action is totally unexciting and unrealistic. David Robbins knows nothing about real fighting.

Not the best series ever written, but it is fun to read if you don't take it seriously. A bit far-fetched. But the jokes are funny and the culture is interesting. I recommend this for anyone.

...
THIEF RIVER FALLS run is the second in the 27-book ENDWORLD
series, which was so popular there was a spin-off series
that ran at the same time, entitled BLADE. (No, not the vampire hunter.) It details the adventures of a group of survivalists
struggling to find answers in an apocalyptic world gone mad.
Vivid characterizations, continual humor, and major action make this a fun series for anyone.

The book over all was interesting yet it talked too much of the characters I felt no suspense or thrill throughout the book, I feel it didn't get to the main points in the book