Surprisingly disappointing

What disappointed you about Devil’s Knot?

Having greatly enjoyed, and been strongly affected by, all 3 HBO documentaries about this disturbing case, I was expecting the book to shed new light. Instead, it largely recapitulates what we already now from the documentaries (perhaps inevitable, since together they span 9+ hours), and trots out the same kind of baseless speculation and nearly libellous "maybe X did it," or "maybe Y did it," kinds of claims, without offering any compelling evidence for those accusations. I would watch the movies rather than read this book -- they're much more illuminating.

Final footnote: the performance left a great deal to be desired. Why do female narrators so often feel compelled to deepen their voices in a patently ridiculous fashion whenever a man is talking? (Given the fact that virtually everyone in this book is male, this is a *big* liability).

Also: I'm not entirely sure why the narrator also felt the need to do extremely unconvincing Arkansas accents for every single player in this story -- virtually all of whom are from Arkansas. Either find a narrator with an appropriate accent, or JUST READ NORMALLY. I beg you.

26 people found this helpful

Justice's devil's knot

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book should be read by everyone to understand how arbitrary at best and corrupt at worst our criminal judicial system is. It was eye opening to see how far the prosecutors went to convict their chosen parties and to be right and how a case can be built from the top down.

What other book might you compare Devil’s Knot to and why?

I can not think of one I have heard that I would compare this book to. But I am certain the legal system is ripe with similar tales of corruption and lies.

What three words best describe Lorna Raver’s voice?

That wouldn't be nice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the young men would not turn on the other boys in order to gain their freedom. They had more integrity than the educated idiots prosecuting them! Shows how intelligence does not correlate with character!

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book and you will know that justice is ofttimes a four letter word! Also, narrator voice is better suited for sing songy books of love and poetry not for a book so powerful.

9 people found this helpful

Humane Manevolence

This is a highly detailed account of the disturbing 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. As well as the subsequent trials of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr, Jason Baldwin. The tragedy of this case is that no thorough investigation was taken at the time of the crime, further compounded by the judicial system which failed to render a just outcome.
These three teenage boys were railroaded, condemned and convicted without any real evidence. The West Memphis Three reached a deal with prosecutors, on August 19, 2011, they entered Alford pleas, which allow them to assert their innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them. Judge David Laser accepted the pleas and sentenced the three to time served. They were released with ten-year suspended sentences, having served 18 years and 78 days in prison. To this day they are fighting to exonerate their names.
The most chilling aspect of this case is that the real murderer is still out there.
No justice for the children no justice for the West Memphis three.

8 people found this helpful

Fascinating True Story; Fair-to-Midling Book

This is a fascinating story, and I had followed it over the past 10 years or so via the series of 3 excellent film documentaries (i.e. "Paradist Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills"). I was hoping this book would fill in some of the missing details that a short-form filmed documentary simply can't cover, or at least retell the story in a more nuanced way. But I'm 3 hours into the audiobook and it just hasn't given me a reason to keep listening.

If you have never heard the story of the West Memphis 3 you might find this book fascinating because the story and characters are so compelling. It's a mind-blowing human drama, to say the least. But for someone who has seen the documentaries this audiobook had very little to offer, at least for me. The narration was pretty good, although her voice sometimes got grating. To be honest, I can't tell if the narration suffered a bit because of the storytelling or if the story suffered because of the narration, but the net effect was to cause an interested reader to walk away from the audiobook halfway through.

8 people found this helpful

Best true crime/wrongful conviction book I've read

Phenomenal book which must be read by anyone concerned about the flaws of the criminal justice system in our country.

This book is about the West Memphis Three, who were teenagers at the time of their wrongful interrogations, wrongful trial, and wrongful convictions! Law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys, and even the judge broke every cardinal rule. All they cared about was getting a conviction for a horrendous crime, but it would have been nice if they had not sacrificed the lives of three innocent teenage boys in the process.

The three were released from prison in 2011 under a bizarre "prosecution covers their ass" deal where the three admit guilt, but are still released. They are currently fighting for a complete exoneration.

There is a movie in production based on the book, but I recommend reading the book FIRST so that you are prepared for this shocking and graphic story!

8 people found this helpful

Detailed account; narrator tonally off

This book gives an in depth, though not particularly objective or nuanced account of the police investigation and various legal proceedings concerning the Memphis Three. Lorna Raver is a good narrator, but I think she was the wrong pick for this book as she has a bemused, perky, down-home tone, whereas the material in the book is quite serious. It’s like if Dateline hired Rachel Ray instead of Keith Morrison to report about grisly crimes.

6 people found this helpful

Excellent

If your at all interested in this case, this is truly the best and most unbiased presentation I have come across. A methodical, well-ordered presentation of both the events, “evidence” and persons involved. No stone is left un-turned. Regardless of your beliefs about the case, this is a “must-listen”. Bravo !

4 people found this helpful

Law Corruption in plain sight

This case has fascinated me for years. I made the mistake in googling the crime scene photos, I shouldn’t have. They are horrifying and burned into my memory forever. These crimes were done by an organized criminal with experience, not 3 “satanic” teens. Im not sure what law enforcement might have been covering up, but it’s obvious someone in power was connected and involved. It’s damn sick. Even FBI profiler John Douglas agrees. Small town power has a huge impact on their citizens and the jury. If these trials were moved to a different jurisdiction, these teens would have been released, and the guilty found. Law enforcement, the detectives, the judge, the prosecutor and jury should serve time for their incompetence. These children murdered received no justice, and only proves that Arkansas has ignorant, incompetent law enforcers and uneducated residents who are easily manipulated by small town politics.

3 people found this helpful

Fantastic

Great breakdown and look into The West Memphis 3. My only wish is that it had a more in-depth update at the end discussing other potential suspects. I disagree with the other reviews about Lorna Raver's performance, I thought it was good

1 person found this helpful

Unbelievable!

I couldn't believe tge court got away with such injustice. I had to rewind several times to make sure I heard it right .

1 person found this helpful