Paul's Case

Certain other reviewers are upset because this book is listed as "true crime," and offended because it isn't. It's presumably in "true crime" with his face on the cover because the publisher decided that was how they'd reach the largest audience. Authors don't decide these things, and it's not reasonable to hold them responsible.As to whether it's "fictional" or not -- the author wrote the letters and collected the clippings, so no, it's not really. The book is an exploration of a woman's reaction to these crimes...if you're expecting a movie-of-the-week true crime pulp, this isn't it.

Brilliantly written. Ms. Crosbie's "turning the tables" on Paul in her letters and adressing him as he treated his female victims - very amusing and satisfying. Anyone who has followed this case has probably had the same thoughs, ideas, and formed some of the same opinions as the author. A very entertaining read.

Before I say anything, I must confess that Lynn Crosbie is a dear and valued friend. However, that does not prejudice my response to this book. Dealing with perhaps the most sensational pair of murderers in Canada's history, Lynn has created a series of 52 fictional "letters" that address every conceivable issue and character involved in the crimes. A poet, her language is spare and elegant; her narrative, amazingly, contains snippets of humor that startle the reader. It also contains powerful insights into the minds of both the victims and their killers. For sheer inventiveness, for its remarkable use of language, and for its potent insights, I applaud this book. Charlotte Vale Allen