Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Great Read, 17 Nov 2008
I found this book difficult to put down, it was an interesting and extraordinary read. I found myself feeling sorry for Jason, yet, there is no way one can condone what he did. But feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

The only negative comment about this book was the 8 pages of alarming photos were not in the book?



excellent from start to finish, 16 Jul 2008
This book was fantastic. It was written in such a way that it was uncomplicated but it really got the story over. It was very difficult not to feel sorry for the boys - nobody did anything to help them. This book really made me think about what both the mother suffered and the boys and I feel that the older brother thought he had ran out of options. This is a well written book and definitely worth reading - I read it within two days - I just could not put it down.

MOMMY DEAREST..., 15 Jun 2008
This is a well-written, gripping true crime tale. I simply could not put the book down! It is a tragic story that is profoundly sad, as it deals with the murder of a woman, Jane Bautista, by her older son, Jason Bautista, with the knowledge and blessing of the younger one, Matt Montejo. Jane Bautista was mentally ill, and they simply could no longer deal with her erratic and frightening behavior. Jason's regrettable act was one that he deluded himself into thinking would restore normalcy into his and his brother's lives, only to find that his young life would never be normal as a result.

The book lays out the pattern of the children's lives over the years, living with a mother that had, undoubtedly, developed paranoid schizophrenia in her early adulthood. Her behavior was erratic, frightening, and totally paranoid. Although she came into contact with adults, including her own family, displaying frightening, irrational, and peculiar behavior, no one did anything or notified anyone to intervene in what certainly must have been a very difficult situation with which to cope for her poor children. Their life was anything but normal.

The Deputy District Attorney who tried the case seemed to be totally without compassion, seeking the maximum penalty for this murder. He saw it simply in black and white terms. It is true, however, that Jason, who was about twenty years old at the time of the murder, could have sought outside help or simply left the household instead of murdering his mother in cold blood. Instead, he not only killed her but chose to dispose of her remains in a way that shocks the conscience. Although given his home life, it is difficult to expect him to have been totally rational. Yet, there is simply no way one can condone what he did. Still, one cannot help but feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

This is an excellent true crime book, three dimensional in the telling and well-researched. It is certainly one that aficionados of the genre will greatly enjoy reading.

Really well written book, 02 Dec 2007
I have read loads of true crime books but this is one of the most well written ones I have ever come across. I could not put it down. I think the author did a fantastic job of putting across everyone's side and I finished the book feeling sad for the whole family.
The only criticism I have was being disappointed not be able to find anything else by the same writer!

Subtitled "A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words," this is a remarkable account of the life of W.C. Minor. Not a famous name, but a quite extraordinary man. Minor was an American Army surgeon and millionaire who contributed enormously by post to the first, epic edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) while hidden away in obscurity in Berkshire, England. As the author points out, the OED is the most important work of reference ever created, and, given the globalisation of the English language, is likely to remain so for centuries. But when in 1896 Sir James Murray, the formidable editor of the OED, at last travelled down to Berkshire to find this elusive lexicographer and thank him for all his work, he found Minor in Broadmoor: patient Number 742.

Minor was educated, gentlemanly, industrious, and a psychopathic killer, who had gunned down a man at random in the London streets because he believed his victim was an Irish terrorist after his blood.

Simon Winchester won't win any prizes for the elegance of his prose style, but he has dug up a strange and extraordinary life story and turned it into a compelling piece of historical detective work. He never really penetrates into the central mystery of Minor's madness, because no one can. The mystery remains, inviolable, and makes his tale all the more darkly compelling. --Christopher Hart

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Great Read, 17 Nov 2008
I found this book difficult to put down, it was an interesting and extraordinary read. I found myself feeling sorry for Jason, yet, there is no way one can condone what he did. But feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

The only negative comment about this book was the 8 pages of alarming photos were not in the book?



excellent from start to finish, 16 Jul 2008
This book was fantastic. It was written in such a way that it was uncomplicated but it really got the story over. It was very difficult not to feel sorry for the boys - nobody did anything to help them. This book really made me think about what both the mother suffered and the boys and I feel that the older brother thought he had ran out of options. This is a well written book and definitely worth reading - I read it within two days - I just could not put it down.

MOMMY DEAREST..., 15 Jun 2008
This is a well-written, gripping true crime tale. I simply could not put the book down! It is a tragic story that is profoundly sad, as it deals with the murder of a woman, Jane Bautista, by her older son, Jason Bautista, with the knowledge and blessing of the younger one, Matt Montejo. Jane Bautista was mentally ill, and they simply could no longer deal with her erratic and frightening behavior. Jason's regrettable act was one that he deluded himself into thinking would restore normalcy into his and his brother's lives, only to find that his young life would never be normal as a result.

The book lays out the pattern of the children's lives over the years, living with a mother that had, undoubtedly, developed paranoid schizophrenia in her early adulthood. Her behavior was erratic, frightening, and totally paranoid. Although she came into contact with adults, including her own family, displaying frightening, irrational, and peculiar behavior, no one did anything or notified anyone to intervene in what certainly must have been a very difficult situation with which to cope for her poor children. Their life was anything but normal.

The Deputy District Attorney who tried the case seemed to be totally without compassion, seeking the maximum penalty for this murder. He saw it simply in black and white terms. It is true, however, that Jason, who was about twenty years old at the time of the murder, could have sought outside help or simply left the household instead of murdering his mother in cold blood. Instead, he not only killed her but chose to dispose of her remains in a way that shocks the conscience. Although given his home life, it is difficult to expect him to have been totally rational. Yet, there is simply no way one can condone what he did. Still, one cannot help but feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

This is an excellent true crime book, three dimensional in the telling and well-researched. It is certainly one that aficionados of the genre will greatly enjoy reading.

Really well written book, 02 Dec 2007
I have read loads of true crime books but this is one of the most well written ones I have ever come across. I could not put it down. I think the author did a fantastic job of putting across everyone's side and I finished the book feeling sad for the whole family.
The only criticism I have was being disappointed not be able to find anything else by the same writer!

Delve into a world of polysyllabic sesquipedalianism, 22 Jan 2008
The subject of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary might seem to some as interesting as plowing through the subject text itself. Some might be more intrigued, the bibliophile, amateur lexicographer or philologist taking interest in the heritage of one of the greatest works in the English language. But those who are interested in biography or narrative history may discern a more exciting prospect. This is the story of two men, both central and devoted to the OED, and sharing as many similarities as they shared stark differences.

Some reviewers have commented that the story set out in this book would be dismissed as fantasy if it masqueraded as fiction. That it is a true story makes it quite remarkable. This is a tale from Victorian England in a world of European competition, supreme British confidence and `great' men. Just as the Victorians transformed and tamed their physical surroundings with majestic bridges, overbearing edifices and engineering feats they sought to do the same in the realm of learning. The Oxford English Dictionary was one of the high points of this academic adventure, deserving of greater recognition and understanding.

Winchester's book is an entertaining narrative of the dictionary's difficult gestation, birth and development. It is largely told through two protagonists (having pondered within the debate between the OED and Fowler's English Grammar on whether it was even possible to have plural protagonists) - the OED's long serving and dedicated editor, James Murray, and one of his keenest volunteers, William Minor.

And it is in Minor's story that the book finds its central intrigue. The surgeon of Crowthorne was indeed a surgeon, graduating from Yale and serving as a doctor in the US army of the civil war. And he was a resident of the Berkshire village of Crowthorne. But rather than occupying a manorial pile or a quaint, donnish cottage W. C. Minor was committed to Broadmoor, the secure hospital, or asylum, for the criminally insane.

Winchester develops the story well, plunging into the pasts of the two men to discern both their intellectual powers and how they found themselves in very different, yet at times strangely similar, circumstances. This story is intriguing, a tale of genius, dedication, madness and monomania. But for me the real joy was the remaining central character, the dictionary itself. It is in the love of the words, of the precise, magisterial definitions and the history of dictionaries that Winchester's passion shines. He writes with a passionate verve that sees the enthusiasm leap from the page.

The pre-Oxford English Dictionary world of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and a world of "anachronistic polysyllabic sesquipedalian", inkhorn terms designed to impress others is a ridiculous treat. The clergyman quoted writing from Lincolnshire begging for promotion as "sacerdotal dignity in my native country contiguate to me ... which your worshipful benignity could some inpenetrate for me" is a wonderful find.

If you find joy in the admittedly obsolete existence of abequitate, bubulcitate and comatrix (they mean, and I did have to look them up, to ride away, to cry like a cowherd and a joint womb) then I believe you will enjoy this book. A few annoying traits unfortunately dragged this great book from a full five star review. Winchester has a rather annoying tendency to repeat the facts he has mentioned in previous chapters. A couple of times I noticed the repetition of ideas that contradicts himself, and a couple of things, such as the wailing of Broadmoor sirens in the Victorian age - they were only operational from 1952, at points disappointed an otherwise fantastic read.

A criminally insane man and the Oxford English Dictionary, 12 Jun 2006
The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the largest and most encompassing dictionaries in the world. It took almost 70 years to complete and during those years thousands of volunteers scrutinized newspapers, journals and new and old books for new words, new meanings of words and sentences that would clarify the meanings. One of the most active volunteers was the American doctor William Chester Minor. During the 20 years that the doctor collaborated he developed a friendship with the editor, James Murray. When Murray decided to visit doctor Minor, he found that the latter served a lifetime sentence in the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane after he had killed an innocent worker. The intellectual doctor Minor was found to be mad as a hatter: at night he heard voices, he claimed he was kidnapped, tortured and abused and under the floor of his cell there would live a bunch of Pygmees. The biographies of Murray, Minor and the Oxford English Dictionary are nicely interrelated in this well-written book.

Surprisingly interesting read, 16 Oct 2005
A copy of this book was left behind by a previous holiday maker in an apartment I spent two weeks on holiday in Portugal this summer. I did not expect much from this book discarded by someone else with a less that exciting subject matter - the creation of the OED, but the "Tale of Murder........" caught my eye and I decided to give it a go.

While not exactly exhilarated by this read, I was not disappointed either. You will find the tale of W C Minor a fascinating one in itself - he was clearly a mad genius. What Winchester does to add more interest is to catalog his involvement in the creation of the OED.

For me, the real tale of the book is the dedication of OED Editor James Murray to the cause of the dictionary over most of his life. I can't think of a more boring job than editor of a dictionary - yet Winchester makes it sound like a blast!

Don't let the subject matter of the creation of the OED turn you off this book. It is an easy and enjoyable read.

Stranger than Fiction, 08 Oct 2004
This book recounts a tale so improbable that as fiction it would have been hard to believe. Two Victorian lives become entwined. On the one hand, a great scholar who has bettered himself through learning, a man of towering reputation and influence; on the other, a millionaire madman whose delusional grip on reality has failed him and left him isolated in a lunatic asylum, a continent away from his family, with only his books for company.

Somehow their paths collide, and for years they work at a distance to create together the greatest reference book in the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary.

Eventually they meet, and their rapport blossoms into true friendship. A strange story unfolds, of gothic madness, violence, improbable love and eventual disintegration.

At times uplifting, at others rather muted, this book can at times be unevenly paced; but overall it is a very rewarding read.

A Dictionary will never be the same again ………….., 25 May 2004
This is a well-told tale that leads the audience through some of the politics involved in the production of the Oxford English Dictionary. The author has fictionalised the account at times through necessity, but made it clear that this is what he has done, in a story that combines murder most foul with the troubled life of the murdered.

The dictionary (“OED”) was a product of the Victorian ‘we can do anything’ optimism, and was undoubtedly a hugely ambitious project. The task would probably have been finished without the help of Dr William Chester Minor, a resident of a large country house in Berkshire (and better known as Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane). However, the work was enormously advanced by the surgeon / murderer. Minor grasped the vast amount of work involved, and had the tiem and source material to contribute freely. He also had a wonderful method in his searching out quotations for the normal and abnormal use of words. His method enabled the editorial team, led by Dr James Murray, to request help from Minor and know thay would receive an enlightening and quality answer.

Minor died in 1920, back in his native America, more that 7 years before the completion of the OED. In the completed work there are 414835 words defined, and 1,827,306 illustrative quotations. Minor alone had contributed scores of thousands.

The English speaking world is indebted to the contributions of William Minor. We are also grateful to Simon Winchester for telling the tale with clarity and humour. Winchester also debunks the mythical account of the first meeting between Dr Murray and Minor. I got the feeling that the author liked the fabled account, even though he knew it not to be true (and clearly states that fact).

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Great Read, 17 Nov 2008
I found this book difficult to put down, it was an interesting and extraordinary read. I found myself feeling sorry for Jason, yet, there is no way one can condone what he did. But feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

The only negative comment about this book was the 8 pages of alarming photos were not in the book?



excellent from start to finish, 16 Jul 2008
This book was fantastic. It was written in such a way that it was uncomplicated but it really got the story over. It was very difficult not to feel sorry for the boys - nobody did anything to help them. This book really made me think about what both the mother suffered and the boys and I feel that the older brother thought he had ran out of options. This is a well written book and definitely worth reading - I read it within two days - I just could not put it down.

MOMMY DEAREST..., 15 Jun 2008
This is a well-written, gripping true crime tale. I simply could not put the book down! It is a tragic story that is profoundly sad, as it deals with the murder of a woman, Jane Bautista, by her older son, Jason Bautista, with the knowledge and blessing of the younger one, Matt Montejo. Jane Bautista was mentally ill, and they simply could no longer deal with her erratic and frightening behavior. Jason's regrettable act was one that he deluded himself into thinking would restore normalcy into his and his brother's lives, only to find that his young life would never be normal as a result.

The book lays out the pattern of the children's lives over the years, living with a mother that had, undoubtedly, developed paranoid schizophrenia in her early adulthood. Her behavior was erratic, frightening, and totally paranoid. Although she came into contact with adults, including her own family, displaying frightening, irrational, and peculiar behavior, no one did anything or notified anyone to intervene in what certainly must have been a very difficult situation with which to cope for her poor children. Their life was anything but normal.

The Deputy District Attorney who tried the case seemed to be totally without compassion, seeking the maximum penalty for this murder. He saw it simply in black and white terms. It is true, however, that Jason, who was about twenty years old at the time of the murder, could have sought outside help or simply left the household instead of murdering his mother in cold blood. Instead, he not only killed her but chose to dispose of her remains in a way that shocks the conscience. Although given his home life, it is difficult to expect him to have been totally rational. Yet, there is simply no way one can condone what he did. Still, one cannot help but feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

This is an excellent true crime book, three dimensional in the telling and well-researched. It is certainly one that aficionados of the genre will greatly enjoy reading.

Really well written book, 02 Dec 2007
I have read loads of true crime books but this is one of the most well written ones I have ever come across. I could not put it down. I think the author did a fantastic job of putting across everyone's side and I finished the book feeling sad for the whole family.
The only criticism I have was being disappointed not be able to find anything else by the same writer!

Delve into a world of polysyllabic sesquipedalianism, 22 Jan 2008
The subject of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary might seem to some as interesting as plowing through the subject text itself. Some might be more intrigued, the bibliophile, amateur lexicographer or philologist taking interest in the heritage of one of the greatest works in the English language. But those who are interested in biography or narrative history may discern a more exciting prospect. This is the story of two men, both central and devoted to the OED, and sharing as many similarities as they shared stark differences.

Some reviewers have commented that the story set out in this book would be dismissed as fantasy if it masqueraded as fiction. That it is a true story makes it quite remarkable. This is a tale from Victorian England in a world of European competition, supreme British confidence and `great' men. Just as the Victorians transformed and tamed their physical surroundings with majestic bridges, overbearing edifices and engineering feats they sought to do the same in the realm of learning. The Oxford English Dictionary was one of the high points of this academic adventure, deserving of greater recognition and understanding.

Winchester's book is an entertaining narrative of the dictionary's difficult gestation, birth and development. It is largely told through two protagonists (having pondered within the debate between the OED and Fowler's English Grammar on whether it was even possible to have plural protagonists) - the OED's long serving and dedicated editor, James Murray, and one of his keenest volunteers, William Minor.

And it is in Minor's story that the book finds its central intrigue. The surgeon of Crowthorne was indeed a surgeon, graduating from Yale and serving as a doctor in the US army of the civil war. And he was a resident of the Berkshire village of Crowthorne. But rather than occupying a manorial pile or a quaint, donnish cottage W. C. Minor was committed to Broadmoor, the secure hospital, or asylum, for the criminally insane.

Winchester develops the story well, plunging into the pasts of the two men to discern both their intellectual powers and how they found themselves in very different, yet at times strangely similar, circumstances. This story is intriguing, a tale of genius, dedication, madness and monomania. But for me the real joy was the remaining central character, the dictionary itself. It is in the love of the words, of the precise, magisterial definitions and the history of dictionaries that Winchester's passion shines. He writes with a passionate verve that sees the enthusiasm leap from the page.

The pre-Oxford English Dictionary world of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and a world of "anachronistic polysyllabic sesquipedalian", inkhorn terms designed to impress others is a ridiculous treat. The clergyman quoted writing from Lincolnshire begging for promotion as "sacerdotal dignity in my native country contiguate to me ... which your worshipful benignity could some inpenetrate for me" is a wonderful find.

If you find joy in the admittedly obsolete existence of abequitate, bubulcitate and comatrix (they mean, and I did have to look them up, to ride away, to cry like a cowherd and a joint womb) then I believe you will enjoy this book. A few annoying traits unfortunately dragged this great book from a full five star review. Winchester has a rather annoying tendency to repeat the facts he has mentioned in previous chapters. A couple of times I noticed the repetition of ideas that contradicts himself, and a couple of things, such as the wailing of Broadmoor sirens in the Victorian age - they were only operational from 1952, at points disappointed an otherwise fantastic read.

A criminally insane man and the Oxford English Dictionary, 12 Jun 2006
The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the largest and most encompassing dictionaries in the world. It took almost 70 years to complete and during those years thousands of volunteers scrutinized newspapers, journals and new and old books for new words, new meanings of words and sentences that would clarify the meanings. One of the most active volunteers was the American doctor William Chester Minor. During the 20 years that the doctor collaborated he developed a friendship with the editor, James Murray. When Murray decided to visit doctor Minor, he found that the latter served a lifetime sentence in the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane after he had killed an innocent worker. The intellectual doctor Minor was found to be mad as a hatter: at night he heard voices, he claimed he was kidnapped, tortured and abused and under the floor of his cell there would live a bunch of Pygmees. The biographies of Murray, Minor and the Oxford English Dictionary are nicely interrelated in this well-written book.

Surprisingly interesting read, 16 Oct 2005
A copy of this book was left behind by a previous holiday maker in an apartment I spent two weeks on holiday in Portugal this summer. I did not expect much from this book discarded by someone else with a less that exciting subject matter - the creation of the OED, but the "Tale of Murder........" caught my eye and I decided to give it a go.

While not exactly exhilarated by this read, I was not disappointed either. You will find the tale of W C Minor a fascinating one in itself - he was clearly a mad genius. What Winchester does to add more interest is to catalog his involvement in the creation of the OED.

For me, the real tale of the book is the dedication of OED Editor James Murray to the cause of the dictionary over most of his life. I can't think of a more boring job than editor of a dictionary - yet Winchester makes it sound like a blast!

Don't let the subject matter of the creation of the OED turn you off this book. It is an easy and enjoyable read.

Stranger than Fiction, 08 Oct 2004
This book recounts a tale so improbable that as fiction it would have been hard to believe. Two Victorian lives become entwined. On the one hand, a great scholar who has bettered himself through learning, a man of towering reputation and influence; on the other, a millionaire madman whose delusional grip on reality has failed him and left him isolated in a lunatic asylum, a continent away from his family, with only his books for company.

Somehow their paths collide, and for years they work at a distance to create together the greatest reference book in the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary.

Eventually they meet, and their rapport blossoms into true friendship. A strange story unfolds, of gothic madness, violence, improbable love and eventual disintegration.

At times uplifting, at others rather muted, this book can at times be unevenly paced; but overall it is a very rewarding read.

A Dictionary will never be the same again ………….., 25 May 2004
This is a well-told tale that leads the audience through some of the politics involved in the production of the Oxford English Dictionary. The author has fictionalised the account at times through necessity, but made it clear that this is what he has done, in a story that combines murder most foul with the troubled life of the murdered.

The dictionary (“OED”) was a product of the Victorian ‘we can do anything’ optimism, and was undoubtedly a hugely ambitious project. The task would probably have been finished without the help of Dr William Chester Minor, a resident of a large country house in Berkshire (and better known as Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane). However, the work was enormously advanced by the surgeon / murderer. Minor grasped the vast amount of work involved, and had the tiem and source material to contribute freely. He also had a wonderful method in his searching out quotations for the normal and abnormal use of words. His method enabled the editorial team, led by Dr James Murray, to request help from Minor and know thay would receive an enlightening and quality answer.

Minor died in 1920, back in his native America, more that 7 years before the completion of the OED. In the completed work there are 414835 words defined, and 1,827,306 illustrative quotations. Minor alone had contributed scores of thousands.

The English speaking world is indebted to the contributions of William Minor. We are also grateful to Simon Winchester for telling the tale with clarity and humour. Winchester also debunks the mythical account of the first meeting between Dr Murray and Minor. I got the feeling that the author liked the fabled account, even though he knew it not to be true (and clearly states that fact).

Gripping book, 30 Oct 2008
I loved this book, I couldnt put it down. I don't agree with the negative reviews this book has been given. Tracie was possibly bruised by a man fighting for his life !
I feel very sorry for Maureen, as she does come across bitter. I think it's easy for people to judge her, when they have not suffered at the hands of a crime like this. If it was badly written .. i didnt notice !


I'd Give this No Stars If I Could!, , 30 Aug 2008
This book is full of typos and bad grammar, but more that that, it is full of lies. It was my dearest friend whose daughter heard all the screaming in the road and at whose house Tracie Andrews turned up and spun her lies. It was my friend, who is ex-police, that alerted the police officers to the knife shaped blood stain on Andrew's leg. She also said that Tracie had been badly beaten up (so much for the "gentle" son Harvey tries to depict). My friend is a solicitor and said that Andrews would have got a much lighter sentence if she'd admitted it was a domestic row that got out of hand. What she and I will never forgive Maureen Harvey for is revealing my friend's daughters' name. She is still on a protected list of witness and Harvey has blown it. Apart from anything else, it is badly written and and full of hatred - do yourself a favour, save your money and don't buy the book!











Very sad, heartbreaking book, 14 Jul 2008


This book-written by the victims mother was always going to be slightly one-sided. Of course she painted her son in a glowing light-Lee was her son!!! What else would she do?
However, the book was well written and in parts had me in tears.

A heartbreaking read, 21 Feb 2008
Having read some of the reviews on here i was dubious of reading this book. However, i decided to when i saw it on the shelf at the library.
No one can understand what the family and friends of Lee went through. The only people that know the real Lee are those closes to him. All i know is that i would never believe a word that comes out of Tracie Andrews mouth. Some people are under the impression that they were both as bad as each other, i personally do not believe this. I cant say i enjoyed reading this book but it was nice to hear the story from Maureen. I had forgotten a lot of the information, reading it again i just hope she stays behind bars for as long as possible!

A heartbreaking story , 10 Jan 2008
I was worried about writing a review for this book as i didnt want to appear insenstive, however i dont think Maureen comes across very well in the book. Yes she has lost her son and that is completely devestating but i believe the story to contain many inacurracies, that even a reader who knows nothing but the media version can see.

In the beginning of the book, she actually turns on the well wishers and supporters, people who genuinely wanted to help and give her a listening ear instead she vilifies these well wishes and is almost to a point vindictive about them.

The book is not that well written but the story is as others have said "unputdownable" it just irks me that she has used the book to have a pop at people she doesnt like, i appreciate the book would be biased but some of the things in there seem so far fetched.

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Great Read, 17 Nov 2008
I found this book difficult to put down, it was an interesting and extraordinary read. I found myself feeling sorry for Jason, yet, there is no way one can condone what he did. But feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

The only negative comment about this book was the 8 pages of alarming photos were not in the book?



excellent from start to finish, 16 Jul 2008
This book was fantastic. It was written in such a way that it was uncomplicated but it really got the story over. It was very difficult not to feel sorry for the boys - nobody did anything to help them. This book really made me think about what both the mother suffered and the boys and I feel that the older brother thought he had ran out of options. This is a well written book and definitely worth reading - I read it within two days - I just could not put it down.

MOMMY DEAREST..., 15 Jun 2008
This is a well-written, gripping true crime tale. I simply could not put the book down! It is a tragic story that is profoundly sad, as it deals with the murder of a woman, Jane Bautista, by her older son, Jason Bautista, with the knowledge and blessing of the younger one, Matt Montejo. Jane Bautista was mentally ill, and they simply could no longer deal with her erratic and frightening behavior. Jason's regrettable act was one that he deluded himself into thinking would restore normalcy into his and his brother's lives, only to find that his young life would never be normal as a result.

The book lays out the pattern of the children's lives over the years, living with a mother that had, undoubtedly, developed paranoid schizophrenia in her early adulthood. Her behavior was erratic, frightening, and totally paranoid. Although she came into contact with adults, including her own family, displaying frightening, irrational, and peculiar behavior, no one did anything or notified anyone to intervene in what certainly must have been a very difficult situation with which to cope for her poor children. Their life was anything but normal.

The Deputy District Attorney who tried the case seemed to be totally without compassion, seeking the maximum penalty for this murder. He saw it simply in black and white terms. It is true, however, that Jason, who was about twenty years old at the time of the murder, could have sought outside help or simply left the household instead of murdering his mother in cold blood. Instead, he not only killed her but chose to dispose of her remains in a way that shocks the conscience. Although given his home life, it is difficult to expect him to have been totally rational. Yet, there is simply no way one can condone what he did. Still, one cannot help but feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

This is an excellent true crime book, three dimensional in the telling and well-researched. It is certainly one that aficionados of the genre will greatly enjoy reading.

Really well written book, 02 Dec 2007
I have read loads of true crime books but this is one of the most well written ones I have ever come across. I could not put it down. I think the author did a fantastic job of putting across everyone's side and I finished the book feeling sad for the whole family.
The only criticism I have was being disappointed not be able to find anything else by the same writer!

Delve into a world of polysyllabic sesquipedalianism, 22 Jan 2008
The subject of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary might seem to some as interesting as plowing through the subject text itself. Some might be more intrigued, the bibliophile, amateur lexicographer or philologist taking interest in the heritage of one of the greatest works in the English language. But those who are interested in biography or narrative history may discern a more exciting prospect. This is the story of two men, both central and devoted to the OED, and sharing as many similarities as they shared stark differences.

Some reviewers have commented that the story set out in this book would be dismissed as fantasy if it masqueraded as fiction. That it is a true story makes it quite remarkable. This is a tale from Victorian England in a world of European competition, supreme British confidence and `great' men. Just as the Victorians transformed and tamed their physical surroundings with majestic bridges, overbearing edifices and engineering feats they sought to do the same in the realm of learning. The Oxford English Dictionary was one of the high points of this academic adventure, deserving of greater recognition and understanding.

Winchester's book is an entertaining narrative of the dictionary's difficult gestation, birth and development. It is largely told through two protagonists (having pondered within the debate between the OED and Fowler's English Grammar on whether it was even possible to have plural protagonists) - the OED's long serving and dedicated editor, James Murray, and one of his keenest volunteers, William Minor.

And it is in Minor's story that the book finds its central intrigue. The surgeon of Crowthorne was indeed a surgeon, graduating from Yale and serving as a doctor in the US army of the civil war. And he was a resident of the Berkshire village of Crowthorne. But rather than occupying a manorial pile or a quaint, donnish cottage W. C. Minor was committed to Broadmoor, the secure hospital, or asylum, for the criminally insane.

Winchester develops the story well, plunging into the pasts of the two men to discern both their intellectual powers and how they found themselves in very different, yet at times strangely similar, circumstances. This story is intriguing, a tale of genius, dedication, madness and monomania. But for me the real joy was the remaining central character, the dictionary itself. It is in the love of the words, of the precise, magisterial definitions and the history of dictionaries that Winchester's passion shines. He writes with a passionate verve that sees the enthusiasm leap from the page.

The pre-Oxford English Dictionary world of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and a world of "anachronistic polysyllabic sesquipedalian", inkhorn terms designed to impress others is a ridiculous treat. The clergyman quoted writing from Lincolnshire begging for promotion as "sacerdotal dignity in my native country contiguate to me ... which your worshipful benignity could some inpenetrate for me" is a wonderful find.

If you find joy in the admittedly obsolete existence of abequitate, bubulcitate and comatrix (they mean, and I did have to look them up, to ride away, to cry like a cowherd and a joint womb) then I believe you will enjoy this book. A few annoying traits unfortunately dragged this great book from a full five star review. Winchester has a rather annoying tendency to repeat the facts he has mentioned in previous chapters. A couple of times I noticed the repetition of ideas that contradicts himself, and a couple of things, such as the wailing of Broadmoor sirens in the Victorian age - they were only operational from 1952, at points disappointed an otherwise fantastic read.

A criminally insane man and the Oxford English Dictionary, 12 Jun 2006
The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the largest and most encompassing dictionaries in the world. It took almost 70 years to complete and during those years thousands of volunteers scrutinized newspapers, journals and new and old books for new words, new meanings of words and sentences that would clarify the meanings. One of the most active volunteers was the American doctor William Chester Minor. During the 20 years that the doctor collaborated he developed a friendship with the editor, James Murray. When Murray decided to visit doctor Minor, he found that the latter served a lifetime sentence in the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane after he had killed an innocent worker. The intellectual doctor Minor was found to be mad as a hatter: at night he heard voices, he claimed he was kidnapped, tortured and abused and under the floor of his cell there would live a bunch of Pygmees. The biographies of Murray, Minor and the Oxford English Dictionary are nicely interrelated in this well-written book.

Surprisingly interesting read, 16 Oct 2005
A copy of this book was left behind by a previous holiday maker in an apartment I spent two weeks on holiday in Portugal this summer. I did not expect much from this book discarded by someone else with a less that exciting subject matter - the creation of the OED, but the "Tale of Murder........" caught my eye and I decided to give it a go.

While not exactly exhilarated by this read, I was not disappointed either. You will find the tale of W C Minor a fascinating one in itself - he was clearly a mad genius. What Winchester does to add more interest is to catalog his involvement in the creation of the OED.

For me, the real tale of the book is the dedication of OED Editor James Murray to the cause of the dictionary over most of his life. I can't think of a more boring job than editor of a dictionary - yet Winchester makes it sound like a blast!

Don't let the subject matter of the creation of the OED turn you off this book. It is an easy and enjoyable read.

Stranger than Fiction, 08 Oct 2004
This book recounts a tale so improbable that as fiction it would have been hard to believe. Two Victorian lives become entwined. On the one hand, a great scholar who has bettered himself through learning, a man of towering reputation and influence; on the other, a millionaire madman whose delusional grip on reality has failed him and left him isolated in a lunatic asylum, a continent away from his family, with only his books for company.

Somehow their paths collide, and for years they work at a distance to create together the greatest reference book in the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary.

Eventually they meet, and their rapport blossoms into true friendship. A strange story unfolds, of gothic madness, violence, improbable love and eventual disintegration.

At times uplifting, at others rather muted, this book can at times be unevenly paced; but overall it is a very rewarding read.

A Dictionary will never be the same again ………….., 25 May 2004
This is a well-told tale that leads the audience through some of the politics involved in the production of the Oxford English Dictionary. The author has fictionalised the account at times through necessity, but made it clear that this is what he has done, in a story that combines murder most foul with the troubled life of the murdered.

The dictionary (“OED”) was a product of the Victorian ‘we can do anything’ optimism, and was undoubtedly a hugely ambitious project. The task would probably have been finished without the help of Dr William Chester Minor, a resident of a large country house in Berkshire (and better known as Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane). However, the work was enormously advanced by the surgeon / murderer. Minor grasped the vast amount of work involved, and had the tiem and source material to contribute freely. He also had a wonderful method in his searching out quotations for the normal and abnormal use of words. His method enabled the editorial team, led by Dr James Murray, to request help from Minor and know thay would receive an enlightening and quality answer.

Minor died in 1920, back in his native America, more that 7 years before the completion of the OED. In the completed work there are 414835 words defined, and 1,827,306 illustrative quotations. Minor alone had contributed scores of thousands.

The English speaking world is indebted to the contributions of William Minor. We are also grateful to Simon Winchester for telling the tale with clarity and humour. Winchester also debunks the mythical account of the first meeting between Dr Murray and Minor. I got the feeling that the author liked the fabled account, even though he knew it not to be true (and clearly states that fact).

Gripping book, 30 Oct 2008
I loved this book, I couldnt put it down. I don't agree with the negative reviews this book has been given. Tracie was possibly bruised by a man fighting for his life !
I feel very sorry for Maureen, as she does come across bitter. I think it's easy for people to judge her, when they have not suffered at the hands of a crime like this. If it was badly written .. i didnt notice !


I'd Give this No Stars If I Could!, , 30 Aug 2008
This book is full of typos and bad grammar, but more that that, it is full of lies. It was my dearest friend whose daughter heard all the screaming in the road and at whose house Tracie Andrews turned up and spun her lies. It was my friend, who is ex-police, that alerted the police officers to the knife shaped blood stain on Andrew's leg. She also said that Tracie had been badly beaten up (so much for the "gentle" son Harvey tries to depict). My friend is a solicitor and said that Andrews would have got a much lighter sentence if she'd admitted it was a domestic row that got out of hand. What she and I will never forgive Maureen Harvey for is revealing my friend's daughters' name. She is still on a protected list of witness and Harvey has blown it. Apart from anything else, it is badly written and and full of hatred - do yourself a favour, save your money and don't buy the book!











Very sad, heartbreaking book, 14 Jul 2008


This book-written by the victims mother was always going to be slightly one-sided. Of course she painted her son in a glowing light-Lee was her son!!! What else would she do?
However, the book was well written and in parts had me in tears.

A heartbreaking read, 21 Feb 2008
Having read some of the reviews on here i was dubious of reading this book. However, i decided to when i saw it on the shelf at the library.
No one can understand what the family and friends of Lee went through. The only people that know the real Lee are those closes to him. All i know is that i would never believe a word that comes out of Tracie Andrews mouth. Some people are under the impression that they were both as bad as each other, i personally do not believe this. I cant say i enjoyed reading this book but it was nice to hear the story from Maureen. I had forgotten a lot of the information, reading it again i just hope she stays behind bars for as long as possible!

A heartbreaking story , 10 Jan 2008
I was worried about writing a review for this book as i didnt want to appear insenstive, however i dont think Maureen comes across very well in the book. Yes she has lost her son and that is completely devestating but i believe the story to contain many inacurracies, that even a reader who knows nothing but the media version can see.

In the beginning of the book, she actually turns on the well wishers and supporters, people who genuinely wanted to help and give her a listening ear instead she vilifies these well wishes and is almost to a point vindictive about them.

The book is not that well written but the story is as others have said "unputdownable" it just irks me that she has used the book to have a pop at people she doesnt like, i appreciate the book would be biased but some of the things in there seem so far fetched.


Spellbound, 02 Sep 2008
As said so often through these reviews this is a book you just can't put down. I read it from cover to cover the day I opened the first page.

Deeply moving and totally captivating.

Thank you for having the courage to share your story Richard.

Tim Downes - Rising Talent's Success Coach

MAKES YOU THINK....., 29 Mar 2008
When a murder is committed very few of us stop to think about the effect it will have on the victim`s family-and if we do, it`s not for very long.It has a knock-on effect, and down the line everyone suffers in some way. Richard and his siblings live with the after effects of their mother`s murder to this day, and i`m not going to say too much as i know it caused his sister to kill herself not too long ago. Richard`s story is extremely well written, well told,and it must have been absolutely heartbreaking to re-live. I wish him and his family all the happiness in the world. x

Absolutely Riveting., 21 Feb 2007
The subject matter is very sad but this book is really well written and you will be gripped from the first paragraph. Richard has an awful life and he and his family go through so much, but the book ends on a positive note which is quite uplifting. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in this genre. Excellent.

Touching, inspiring and a great read., 06 Dec 2006
Absolutly fantastic read. such a touching story and so very well written, easy to read, couldnt put this book down and finished it within two days.

such an inspiration of the human spirit and the strenth one can find to overcome such truama in ones life.

a MUST read!

BRILLIANT READ, 30 Aug 2006
This book is an excellent read and written with such passion.

As Richard's Mum was murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper the subject matter is disturbing but it is told from a child's point of view and gives us a valuable insight into how the family coped in the aftermath.

I have actually heard Richard speak publically about his life and he truly is an inspiration to all ages.

GOOD LUCK IH THE FUTURE RICHARD

RECOMMENDED.

Ms Calman does it again!, 24 Sep 2008
Ms Calman hits the jackpot once more with How 'not' to murder your mother! Having nodded in agreement all the way through Confessions of a Bad Mother and Failed Grown up I wasn't sure if, given my own wonderful relationship with my mother, How 'not' to Murder Your Mother would ring true. My goodness me! I laughed, I cried and I did nod along! A very honest and heartfelt book that anyone who has ever had a mother should read!

Edge of the seat stuff, 17 Jan 2008
Actually, having read quite a few of these types of books I was expecting a bit of exaggeration, however it was well written and chillingly disturbing in it's honesty. It leaves you questioning the so-called 'born evil' and wondering just how much we are responsbile for these 'child killers.' Definitly recommended.

An eye opener., 15 Jan 2008
If you can get past the out of control crowds, all screaming for `them to be locked up and the key thrown away` - there is, in every case, a heart rending story to be told. Whether or not you`re prepared to take the time to listen to it is up to you - but i would highly recommend this book either way.

Serious research, serious insight, 01 Feb 2005
Despite the gaudy title this is not a sensationalist work. On the contrary, the author has taken one of the most emotive subjects on earth, researched it thoroughly and written a work of real psychological insight without ever raising his authorial voice. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in criminal psychology, this book helps us to understand that demonizing children is not merely unethical but utterly unhelpful, and also raises the question of whether the adult should be punished for the crimes of the child. Excellent throughout.

Sick, 15 Feb 2008
There is nothing compelling or amazing about this book not because of the author or his style but for the content. I struggle to find the benefit of reading about these horrific events. Don't get me wrong I am not sensitive; I enjoy watching and reading horror but I got half way through this and I've decided to burn the book. If you enjoy reading this book then there is something wrong with you. It's not fiction, these two characters deserve to rot in hell

Compelling Shocking and Fascinating for True Crime Fans, 04 Feb 2008
Just Finished this book, it is incredibly well written and informative, author Howard Sounes has really shown a insight to Fred and Rose's childhood and why they may have done what they done. I am a big reader of murder cases,especially serial killers, but nothing prepared me for the this book and the effect it had on me. It left me feeling emotionally drained and exhausted but wanting to read more ,I dont recommend you read at night as you will argue with yourself to why how and what if, as to the outcomes of what happened and went on at Cromwell Road.

What made the book more daunting to me as a mother was the scale of Rose's involvement as the most vile,vicious and dominant one of the two and i agree with previous reviews that in fact,it seems from this account that it was Rose's sadistic lust for violent and bizarre sex that was the motivation for most of these murders.
After reading this book I too found myself feeling more disgust for Rose West than for Fred, as i said before as a mother she too was a woman and a mother so it made it impossible to comprehend just how evil she was.One thing i will say i found the sexual abuse hardest to deal with in this book. Recommended and now reading John Bennetts book as to a Police officers side to the murders.



Probably the most comprehensive account of these terrible crimes you will read., 19 Nov 2007
Having just read this book and being left totally shellshocked, it`s strange to find yourself wholeheartily recommending it to anyone wishing to try and understand these two un-believable people. It is a fascinating and gripping account of shattered lives. The author does not shy away from providing full details but does not glorify them, presenting facts in a very honest and moving way. This book will grip you until the final pages. it is however, very easy to read and certainly does not drag, even the early years before the attrocities were carried out are extremely interesting and you begin to wonder whether the terrible course they took was set back then. Highly recommended!!

Fred and Rose - Howard Scounes, 12 Nov 2007
OMG this book was amazing, i couldn't put it down. It was very well written and the detail was fantastic. I esp like the fact that we found out about there parents and things that could of contributed to them becoming so evil.
Highly recommended read!!

Fred and Rose, 02 Apr 2007
You have to read this book if you are interseted in true crime. An upsetting and emotionally difficult book to read at times but a detailed account of the horrors at Cromwell Street and the lives of Fred and Rose.

Great Read, 17 Nov 2008
I found this book difficult to put down, it was an interesting and extraordinary read. I found myself feeling sorry for Jason, yet, there is no way one can condone what he did. But feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

The only negative comment about this book was the 8 pages of alarming photos were not in the book?



excellent from start to finish, 16 Jul 2008
This book was fantastic. It was written in such a way that it was uncomplicated but it really got the story over. It was very difficult not to feel sorry for the boys - nobody did anything to help them. This book really made me think about what both the mother suffered and the boys and I feel that the older brother thought he had ran out of options. This is a well written book and definitely worth reading - I read it within two days - I just could not put it down.

MOMMY DEAREST..., 15 Jun 2008
This is a well-written, gripping true crime tale. I simply could not put the book down! It is a tragic story that is profoundly sad, as it deals with the murder of a woman, Jane Bautista, by her older son, Jason Bautista, with the knowledge and blessing of the younger one, Matt Montejo. Jane Bautista was mentally ill, and they simply could no longer deal with her erratic and frightening behavior. Jason's regrettable act was one that he deluded himself into thinking would restore normalcy into his and his brother's lives, only to find that his young life would never be normal as a result.

The book lays out the pattern of the children's lives over the years, living with a mother that had, undoubtedly, developed paranoid schizophrenia in her early adulthood. Her behavior was erratic, frightening, and totally paranoid. Although she came into contact with adults, including her own family, displaying frightening, irrational, and peculiar behavior, no one did anything or notified anyone to intervene in what certainly must have been a very difficult situation with which to cope for her poor children. Their life was anything but normal.

The Deputy District Attorney who tried the case seemed to be totally without compassion, seeking the maximum penalty for this murder. He saw it simply in black and white terms. It is true, however, that Jason, who was about twenty years old at the time of the murder, could have sought outside help or simply left the household instead of murdering his mother in cold blood. Instead, he not only killed her but chose to dispose of her remains in a way that shocks the conscience. Although given his home life, it is difficult to expect him to have been totally rational. Yet, there is simply no way one can condone what he did. Still, one cannot help but feel that the criminal justice system dealt with Jason over harshly, given the context out of which his actions arose.

This is an excellent true crime book, three dimensional in the telling and well-researched. It is certainly one that aficionados of the genre will greatly enjoy reading.

Really well written book, 02 Dec 2007
I have read loads of true crime books but this is one of the most well written ones I have ever come across. I could not put it down. I think the author did a fantastic job of putting across everyone's side and I finished the book feeling sad for the whole family.
The only criticism I have was being disappointed not be able to find anything else by the same writer!

Delve into a world of polysyllabic sesquipedalianism, 22 Jan 2008
The subject of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary might seem to some as interesting as plowing through the subject text itself. Some might be more intrigued, the bibliophile, amateur lexicographer or philologist taking interest in the heritage of one of the greatest works in the English language. But those who are interested in biography or narrative history may discern a more exciting prospect. This is the story of two men, both central and devoted to the OED, and sharing as many similarities as they shared stark differences.

Some reviewers have commented that the story set out in this book would be dismissed as fantasy if it masqueraded as fiction. That it is a true story makes it quite remarkable. This is a tale from Victorian England in a world of European competition, supreme British confidence and `great' men. Just as the Victorians transformed and tamed their physical surroundings with majestic bridges, overbearing edifices and engineering feats they sought to do the same in the realm of learning. The Oxford English Dictionary was one of the high points of this academic adventure, deserving of greater recognition and understanding.

Winchester's book is an entertaining narrative of the dictionary's difficult gestation, birth and development. It is largely told through two protagonists (having pondered within the debate between the OED and Fowler's English Grammar on whether it was even possible to have plural protagonists) - the OED's long serving and dedicated editor, James Murray, and one of his keenest volunteers, William Minor.

And it is in Minor's story that the book finds its central intrigue. The surgeon of Crowthorne was indeed a surgeon, graduating from Yale and serving as a doctor in the US army of the civil war. And he was a resident of the Berkshire village of Crowthorne. But rather than occupying a manorial pile or a quaint, donnish cottage W. C. Minor was committed to Broadmoor, the secure hospital, or asylum, for the criminally insane.

Winchester develops the story well, plunging into the pasts of the two men to discern both their intellectual powers and how they found themselves in very different, yet at times strangely similar, circumstances. This story is intriguing, a tale of genius, dedication, madness and monomania. But for me the real joy was the remaining central character, the dictionary itself. It is in the love of the words, of the precise, magisterial definitions and the history of dictionaries that Winchester's passion shines. He writes with a passionate verve that sees the enthusiasm leap from the page.

The pre-Oxford English Dictionary world of Samuel Johnson's dictionary, and a world of "anachronistic polysyllabic sesquipedalian", inkhorn terms designed to impress others is a ridiculous treat. The clergyman quoted writing from Lincolnshire begging for promotion as "sacerdotal dignity in my native country contiguate to me ... which your worshipful benignity could some inpenetrate for me" is a wonderful find.

If you find joy in the admittedly obsolete existence of abequitate, bubulcitate and comatrix (they mean, and I did have to look them up, to ride away, to cry like a cowherd and a joint womb) then I believe you will enjoy this book. A few annoying traits unfortunately dragged this great book from a full five star review. Winchester has a rather annoying tendency to repeat the facts he has mentioned in previous chapters. A couple of times I noticed the repetition of ideas that contradicts himself, and a couple of things, such as the wailing of Broadmoor sirens in the Victorian age - they were only operational from 1952, at points disappointed an otherwise fantastic read.

A criminally insane man and the Oxford English Dictionary, 12 Jun 2006
The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the largest and most encompassing dictionaries in the world. It took almost 70 years to complete and during those years thousands of volunteers scrutinized newspapers, journals and new and old books for new words, new meanings of words and sentences that would clarify the meanings. One of the most active volunteers was the American doctor William Chester Minor. During the 20 years that the doctor collaborated he developed a friendship with the editor, James Murray. When Murray decided to visit doctor Minor, he found that the latter served a lifetime sentence in the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane after he had killed an innocent worker. The intellectual doctor Minor was found to be mad as a hatter: at night he heard voices, he claimed he was kidnapped, tortured and abused an