Cruel Games: A Brilliant Professor, a Loving Mother, a Brutal Killing

The author provides a fascinating read that places you in the middle of the investigation of this cruel crime, one that received a lot of media attention in the Philadelphia area. Enjoyed Ciotta's smooth story-telling of hard facts - not something that is easy to do. You won't be disappointed.

I enjoy mysteries but never expected such an engaging and fast read. A married couple, Ellen, wife/mother/friend a woman just like women in my social circle, and Robb, an arrogant man who felt he could control not only his wife, his child but authorities, the DA, detectives, his attorneys, prosecutors, co-workers, no one was beyond his control, hopefully like no one in my social circle. The author captures the personalities and lives of all involved without boring details. I felt an intimacy with each personality in this book. I knew little of the story only that it is based on fact which made me feel I must read it. The reality is overwhelming and engaging - this is a horror story of what goes on behind closed doors. You cannot help but become emotionally involved. Cruel Games (perfect title) is exactly what this is all about. And to think there are victims that live in situations like this everyday and the accused can get away with it. To read that the defending lawyer indicates that the victim must have done something to deserve it is beyond my comprehension! This is not just another mystery but demands an awareness to continue to help all victims in a dangerous marriage.

A match of wits between a determined District Attorney and an accomplished economics professor makes compelling reading. The analytical minds of both prosecutor and economist gives insight into details of police work and behavior of a culprit caught in a web of lies. That the academic was renowned in the field of game theory only adds to the intrigue. Tension builds as the author scrupulously describes the minutiae of life that places us in the moment, capturing our interest. The wife becomes the victim of her husband's humiliation, leading her into spiraling depression. The cadre of women friends who support her never has the full story to enable them to help, leaving us with the hope that reading about these experiences will help women find a way out of abusive situations.

Everyone in the Philadelphia area will remember this story about the brilliant Penn professor (Rafael Robb) who murdered his wife in late 2006. This book has all the ingredients of a great read: unforgettable characters, high emotion, and an intriguing cat-and-mouse game between the murderer and the DA (Bruce Castor) who is determined to see professor behind bars. This tragic story is about a young woman who married the wrong man, how that man psychologically manipulated her until she became deeply depressed, how she finally screwed up the courage to get a divorce, and how he butchered her just before she could leave him and start a new life with their daughter. The author tells the story in a fast-paced style that gives readers the inside story of how smart police work and a dedicated prosecutor outsmarted the brilliant game theorist and "forced" him to confess to this crime. We can only wish that some physical evidence like the weapon, his bloody clothing, etc.) could have been found so that this creep could have been put away for life without parole. Finally, this book also offers wonderful advice to women who might find themselves in a similar situation - domestic violence is real and can be lethal. If Ellen Robb had read a book like this before she planned to leave her husband, she might still be alive.

the author writes a fascinating true detective story which is a must read for anyone involved in a loveless relationship her style is methodically fast paced sensitive and true to the facts as presented in this case I look forward to the screen play staring Anthony Hopkins and Clint Eastwood