Under the Knife

I'm half way through this book and I can't put the book down. These 2 people are my idea of really dysfunctional. Great read if one likes true crime. One of the better true crime books.

Brilliantly researched true crime story on two bizarre people who made the unfortunate mistake of meeting and marrying. His fourth wife and her sixth or seven husband. You really get an inside look at 2 incredibly dysfunctional people and the effect they have on themselves and others.

John Christ was a plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas. He had a history of a violent temper and spousal abuse when he entered his third marriage. His new wife, Carol, was a divorced nurse with two children. This was her sixth marriage. From the early months of their marriage, he tried to make her over, performing multiple cosmetic surgeries on her and even piercing her most private parts in front of several of his colleagues. Their relationship became stormier over time until they were fighting constantly. On May 9, 1992, Dr. Christ shot Carol with a .45 caliber pistol. The bullet entered her face just in front of her ear. It traveled through her sinuses and nasal cavity, ruptured her left eye, and exited her left cheek just below the cheekbone. She received multiple fractures from the bullet throughout much of her face. The temporal and inferior frontal lobes of the brain were bruised, leaving permanent damage. When Christ tried to fire a second shot, her managed to get his forefinger and missed Carol completely. He went to the kitchen, threw the clip in the garbage, and began making telephone calls. He reported to 911 that they had shot each other. Then he called his ex-wife to say he could not pick up their daughter. A series of trials followed that are unbelievable. The jury deadlocked in the first trial. It was ruled a mistrial and another trial started. That time he was convicted of attempted manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years. The jury expressed regret that they could not give him more time. Twenty years was the maximum penalty allowed.At the time of the writing, Carol had undergone 20 surgeries. She will need frequent surgeries for the remainder of her life due to bone reabsorption, tissue atrophy, and prosthetics wearing out. She was unable to perform her duties as a nurse and is receiving disability compensation.This is a good book containing 445 pages. I recommend it, but prepare to be absolutely enraged when you begin reading it.

This book has everything, sex, violence, medical and legal issues. Interesting look into the psyche of a survivor - and the arrogance of a perpetrator. It also has an amazing amount of detail. Hard to believe that all this could happen to one woman. Great Book!

I thought this book was absolutely incredible! As for the reviewer who has no sympathy for (the former) Carol O'Keiff, Christ did not know she was married 6 times. (NO, I am not siding with him.) She unfortunately was attracted to the wrong type of man - she didn't believe accounts that he had abused his former wife (or accounts of any of her other husbands' reckless and/or abusive behavior). I have complete sympathy for her, she is truly a survivor. I was appalled that Christ could be so heartless, he truly does not deserve to be called a man. I felt sick to my stomach as I read through the court proceedings, the lies that he told. Carol's victory was in a sense, a victory for all women. Once again this is a great book.