Savage Son

There are only a small handful of modern true crime authors that can grab my attention, hold it tight, and keep me there until the end. Corey Mitchell is at the top of that list and, once again, he as at the top of his game with Savage Son. Mitchell is easily the best author to dissect serial killers and mass murders, so I was eagerly anticipating his new venture into something different, a family killing, especially as it occurred near my relatives' home in Sugar Land, Texas. I was already familiar with the case of Bart Whitaker so I hoped Mitchell could enlighten me with even more information. Obviously, I was rewarded with a plethora of new information that was never released to the press, especially Bart's formative murderous planning days in college, the absurdity of the the failures leading up to the actual murder, and also an examination of Bart's overall psyche. Mitchell has always been excellent at research and examination of serial killers, and he is able to translate a similar method to helping explain why Bart would be responsible for such a henious crime against such a loving family. Finally, I am not a fan of police procedurals and trials in true crime books. While there is just enough of the former here, Savage Son does not dwell on the gumshoe work. The trial portion is simply perfect as it is not a rehash of the story like most modern true crime books, but rather an expert attempt at displaying how some people would want to see Bart Whitaker escape the death penalty. Fascinating presentation. Excellent research, perfect writing, dark humor, strong character development, lack of boring parts, and one wicked killer "mastermind" easily make Savage Son the best true crime book of this year.

I've been eagerly awaiting "Savage Son" since Corey Mitchell announced on his website "In cold blog" that he was working on a book about the Whitaker case in Texas. This case has fascinated me since I first heard about it two years ago. The Whitakers-Kent, Bart, Kevin and Tricia-were gunned down in cold blood after a dinner celebrating their oldest sons upcoming graduation from college. Only Bart and Kent survived the massacre, and eventually evidence points to Bart, the oldest son as the mastermind behind the killings of his family members. Kent, Bart's Father, decision to forgive his son and argue for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty is startling but understandable due to Kent's Christianity. Kent Whitaker emerges as the hero behind this story, and I am glad to find out through this book that he has remarried and is moving on with his life. Corey Mitchell is a master of telling a true crime story. As he discusses the case, you feel that you are there, hearing what the characters in the story are saying. He also goes over events in chronological order, and has few flashbacks to previous events that reflect on the current story; which makes the story easy to read and follow. The pictures of the Whitaker family, the criminals, and the scene of the crime/items used in the crime are upsetting but necessary to tell the tale. I had previously read "Murder by Family" by Kent Whitaker on this crime. Whitaker's story is more of redemption and forgiveness of his son Bart for his part in the heinous act of killing Whitaker's other family members. His book is excellent, and I highly recommend it in addition to this one for a portrait of what the Whitaker family was like. I was extremely moved by the acknowledgement section of this book. I had no idea that Mr. Mitchell had gone through so much in researching this book and in dealing with bad press as a result of a video on his website "In cold blog." Researching this book apparently took its toll on Mitchell-he himself writes that for a time, after researching Bart's callous disregard for human life; he wanted to give up the true crime genre. Mitchell has written about many serial killers and pedophiles, and was more disgusted by Bart's narcissism/sociopathy/arrogance than any of the other killers he has profiled. Mitchell discusses in this acknowledgement that he was moved to forgive others who have spoken against him and his web site due to the influence of Kent Whitaker, and I commend him for that.

Corey Mitchell does it again! I am very familiar with the Bart Whitaker case as I have seen all of the television shows about this young man and also read his father's book on the case. I even followed the case online back during the trial as I was intrigued to understand why someone who had everything would throw it all away. SAVAGE SON answers all of many questions and poses even more that I had never considered. The thought that a nice young man like Bart could hire people to kill his entire family, who all loved him very much, simply baffles me. Mitchell does an excellent job detailing Bart's background which seems to be ideal. It also became clearer to me why Bart did what he did. Mitchell does not so say in the book, but I believe it was not because of money, but simply boredom. The comparison to infamous thrill killers leopod and Loeb helped drive this point home. bart has always been portrayed as a poor young man who didn't know what he was doing. I believe this book portrays Bart Whitaker for what he truly is -- a bonafide, full-blown sociopath who doesn't care a lick about anyone around him. He is truly a despicable human being. I also like how the book skips the traditional trial histrionics and settles in on why the prosecution opted for the death penalty even though one of Bart's victims begged for life. Spotlighting bart's testmony was a brilliant way to show that the state made the right call. Excellent research, excellent writing with just the right amount of sensitivity, and a dash of dark humor (see Bart's earlier failed attempts at murder), SAVAGE SON, is easily the best true crime book of 2010 and Mitchell's best since, well, his last book!

If you haven't done so, you want to order Savage Son now so you can read this excellent book hot off the presses. Bart Whitaker had it all. Parents who loved him, a nice home (at Mom and Dad's expense), a brother who looked up to him. And all the opportunities of a lifetime. But that wasn't good enough for Bart. And he was willing to kill those who loved him most to get everything he wanted. Corey Mitchell doesn't end on the typical note of a lengthy trial, courtroom theatrics, and the good guys victory. For the Whitaker case, it just isn't that simple. Kent Whitaker, Bart's father, survived his son's murderous intent. And when the State of Texas wants to sentence Bart to death for his crimes, Kent becomes a double victim. What does a father do when he loves those who died but also loves the one responsible for their deaths? The last few chapters of Savage Son details how Kent makes a decision and carries forward with his life. And you may very well be surprised at his choice. I'm going to declare that this book will be one of the 2010's best true crimes. It has all the ingredients for an intriguing true crime book, but also deals with the emotional issue surrounding the ones often forgotten; the other "victims,": those who love the one the State wants to kill.