The Helter Skelter Murders

In this novel, it is revealed that a young Columbo was one of the detectives who put Charles Manson behind bars. Now, he's back investigating the murder of a cheating wife and her lover. Her husband and his model lover were the murderers, who have cleverly framed one of his employees, a Manson girl once pregnant by Charles, with overwheliming evidence. As Columbo later comments, if they hadn't made so much evidence against her and left some work to do, they might have gotten away with it. Charles Manson himself appears in one chilling scene behind bars. Recomended to fans of Columbo, but a slight warning: Harrington added a few modern elements: sex (the pair are murdered in bed), language (seriously, it's a bit excessive!), and gore (described in detail the Manson murders and Khoury murders).

This book is not quite as good as "The Hoover Files" but it is definetely worth getting. For all of the Columbo fans, this is a worthwhile book to purchase. It first takes you all the way back to the Tate-LaBianca murders and then jumps to the present when an astoundingly simlilar murder occurs, or at least made to look that way. The Murderer in the story has a perfect framing operation. Since one of his workers was one of the original Manson girls(who was not tried in that case), everyone will undoubtably suspect her; that is, everybody but one certain leiutenint.

This book was extremely mesmerizing. It was THE most twisted and terrifying book I've ever read, fiction or non-fiction. As long as your not squeamish, you will love it.

as a long time columbo fan, i have missed looking forward to new television episodes. the books fill the void. helter skelter murders is worthwhile reading