And the Sea Will Tell

As a fan of mystery stories, both real and fictional, I was drawn to the premise of "And The See Will Tell" by Vincent Bugliosi. It is the tale of two couples living on a supposedly deserted South Pacific atoll that ends with two people losing their lives with very little evidence as to how it happened. Bugliosi not only serves as the author, but also the defense attorney in a case that sought to bring justice to one of the accused killers over a decade after the grisly murders took place in 1974. Jennifer Jenkins and Buck Walker couldn't have been a better example of opposites attract: Buck was a convicted felon while Jennifer, not exactly spotless in her record, was certainly peaceful and nonviolent. Yet she fell in love with Buck and would do anything for him, even aid him in his flight from the law. It was Buck's idea to sail to Palmyra Island, a deserted atoll in the South Seas, where they could live off the land and no one would be the wiser. Jennifer went along with Buck, never dreaming of the nightmare they would encounter there. For Palmyra, far from deserted, was a place of interest and stopping point of many travelers, including Malcolm and Eleanor Graham, experienced sea travelers who planned to spend at least a year at Palmyra, having sailed form Hawaii on their beautiful boat the Sea Wind. The two couples who found themselves living upon Palmyra couldn't have been more opposite: the Grahams were conservative and extremely prepared for their voyage, while Buck and Jennifer were certified hippies, inexperienced at sea and surprisingly unprepared to deal with life on the atoll, which gave almost every visitor a discomforting vibe. When Buck and Jennifer return to Hawaii aboard the Sea Wind, the reader knows that something horrible has happened to the Grahams, but Bugliosi chooses to keep those details for the second part of the book. The first part is told through third-person narrative, recounting the events that unfolded on the island, and Buck and Jennifer's subsequent arrest when they return to Hawaii: with the Grahams no where in sight, murder is the immediate conclusion. The second part of the book is told through Bugliosi's first-person narration, a recounting of how he became acquainted with the case and served as a defense lawyer in the murder trial, evidence existing in the bones of Eleanor Graham being divugled by the sea several years after that fateful trip. "And The Sea Will Tell" is a riveting case and a very thorough examination of the murder trial, perhaps almost too thorough at times. There are numerous footnotes to expound upon testimony and court procedures, which can slow down the narrative. Vincent Bugliosi certainly knows that he is a good lawyer and lets this be known, which can read as rather pompous at times, but his attitude only enhances the story in the end rather than distract from it. And while justice may have been served in this trial, the truth as to what actually happend on Palmyra with

It's going on four years since I read "And The Sea Will Tell" & it's the haunting sense of Palmyra that's stayed with me--the setting is brilliantly evoked. I loved the deliberate slow pacing (appropriate to how things might have felt for the couples staying at Palmyra), rich detail & strong sense of the characters. It's amazing how rich a sense of people & place can be developed by completely immersing yourself in the facts of one case & that's why the best true crime works so well--because you CAN know so much, including details you wouldn't at first expect to know, such as what people likely were thinking, within reasonable doubt-- & this is certainly among the very best true crime. If it weren't for another of Bugliosi's books ("Helter Skelter") this would be on my true crime top ten list. Bugliosi's books are ALL a must-read for criminal justice enthusiasts, each outstanding in its own way, despite his ego. This one is everything other positive reviews have said and also a case study in how to convey an excellent sense of place in writing.

Half murder mystery, half courtroom drama, "And the Sea Will Tell" makes for brisk reading. Part One tells the story of two couples--the murder victims and their suspected killers--who land on Palmyra Island around the same time in 1974. By including descriptions of the island's geography and history, the authors set the scene for the drama quite well. (Note: Interested readers should see the March 2001 issue of National Geographic Magazine, which features a color feature on Palmyra to commemorate its recent acquisition and designation as a nature preserve.) Part Two, which begins after both suspects are apprehended, describes four trials--first each is tried for theft, then for murder. As one might expect, Bugliosi's client is last to bat in a trial which makes for the climax of the book. The division between the two parts is pretty clunky: it's a good guess that Henderson wrote Part One and Bugliosi Part Two, with obvious, major differences in style. In criticism, it must be said that Bugliosi has an ego to match his courtroom reputation, and many readers may well be turned off by his apparent self-promotion, which at times jumps right off the page. Also, those who read Bugliosi's "Outrage" will find much that's familiar here, since his later book borrowed heavily from this one in discussions of legal doctrine and strategy. Overall, however, I highly recommend the book for both true-crime mystery buffs and trial lawyers, who will find many gems in Bugliosi's blow-by-blow analysis of trial testimony.

Although this book is based on one of Bugliosi's actual cases, it is far more riveting and spellbinding than any fiction thriller could ever be. (No doubt many writers of fiction wish they could come up with something this good--I know I do!) Bugliosi is a fine writer and does a wonderful job of characterization as well as weaving a haunting spell of mystery around the events portrayed. I did not agree with Bugliosi that Jennifer was not guilty, but that didn't take away from my overall fascination with the book. A sad book, but one with a haunting end that readers will find hard to forget.

When I began reading this book, I felt very little fondness or compassion for the "hippie" couple, Jennifer and Buck. However, the story never ceased to hold my interest and kept me wanting to know more about the two couples who unwittingly found each other on this desolute island. By the time Vince Bugliosi took on the case of Jennifer Jenkins, I was spellbound by his inexhaustible and brilliant pursuit of a "not guilty" verdict for this woman who seemed to be as guilty of murder as anyone could be. Yet, by the time he presented his summation at the trial, I was praying that Jennifer would be found innocent because Vincent Bugliosi proved to me, beyond a reasonable doubt, that she was, in fact, innocent. This is one book I will never forget.