Blood Trail

Steve Walker, with the input of Detective Rick Reed, has written a true crime book that reads like a novel. His experience as a reporter shines as he weaves the story of Joe Brown, a convicted killer, throughout the book. The book goes into great detail into the mind of Joe Brown and shows how this very disturbed person became a killer. The book was very easy to read and I would reccommend it to anyone who enjoys these kinds of books.

Riveting from beginning to end. A fascinating and disturbing look into the mind of a killer, co-written by the detective who first suspected that something bad had happened to Ginger Gassaway of Evansville, IN, and finally helped bring justice to her family by forming a bond with her twisted murderer. I couldn't put it down.

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (06/06) A page turner from the beginning! Both true crime fans and non true crime fans will be completely amazed by the unfolding of this true tale of horrific murder in America's Heartland. "Blood Trail" opens with the August, 2000 brutal murder of Ginger Gasaway in Indiana, a death that shocked the nation when her cold, calculated killer took investigators to three different counties to recover her dismembered body parts. The authors lay out in great detail convicted murderer Joseph Brown's childhood, gambling addiction, early incarcerations and other crimes that lead up to the grisly murder of his ex-girlfriend Ginger Gasaway. In 2003, after being incarcerated for a couple of years, Joe Brown contacts Rick Reed, the detective with whom he developed a connection during the first case. As the lead investigator and co-author of "Blood Trail", Reed gives a unique and very disturbing perspective on this case. Throughout this book, Joe Brown continually leads Reed back into his world of violence, addiction and murder by confessing in great detail his 5 year multi-state rampage where he claims to have murdered 13 other women. This well-written and highly detailed book contains a great deal of information, some of it quite personal due to Joe Brown's bond with Reed and personal family information that was obtained during the case. Reed and Walker are able to paint an intriguing, intimate portrait of a true sociopath, one that is three dimensional and complex. It leaves you with the question, was Joseph Brown a delusional sick man with many addictions whose rage culminated in the gruesome murder of Ginger Gasaway? Or was he driven by his internal demons into becoming the prolific serial killer that he claims to be? Of one thing this reader can be sure of, I am certainly glad that he is in prison for life without the possibility of parole!!!

If you're not ready to read a book at one setting don't buy this book. The story was so well written you will feel as if you are working with the detective every step of the way. This book follows the investigation by Sergeant Rick Reed of confessed serial killer Joseph Brown. Reed gives you an insiders view of law enforcement and a complicated legal system but somehow makes it easy to understand. The story details a series of gruesome murders from beginning to end. Compelling work! A must read!