The Doomsday Mother: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family

Title: The Doomsday Mother: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
Author: John Glatt
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Page Count: 304
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

If you thought, as I did, that you knew a great deal about this convoluted case involving the disappearance and murder of two children, the murder of two husbands and one wife, and the disturbing doomsday cult that drew Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell together, this revelatory book is a must-read.

Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell's first meeting was like gasoline and fire, a perfect storm of religious fervor and the belief that they were destined to be together and deliver the select 144,000 after the apocalyptic end of the world in July of 2020.  Author John Glatt provides details I have not read elsewhere. He met and interviewed numerous people from both Lori and Chad's life (and he names names) as well as law enforcement officers. Also, his interviews with family members and family background provides a solid foundation for understanding just how Lori and Chad ended up believing their hybrid religious fantasy. 

The book is very enlightening and I appreciated Glatt's solid research and careful analysis of this case.  4.5 stars and I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Bone Deep : Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case

Title: Bone Deep : Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case

Author: Charles Bosworth Jr., Joel J. Schwartz 

Publisher: Citadel Press

Release Date: February 22, 2022

Genre(s): True Crime

Page Count: 320

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

If you watch Dateline NBC, you probably saw one of their five episodes about Pam Hupp and the Betsy Faria murder, and are somewhat familiar with this bizarre case.  Co-author Joel J. Schwartz was Russell Faria's defense attorney and he and Charles Bosworth, Jr. presents all the aspects of the case for both the newcomer as well as the true-crime aficionado.

The authors present their evidence clearly and concisely about the initial case, the police and prosecutor's singular focus on Russell Faria, the first trial, the retrial and Pam Hupp's murder of Louis Gumpenberger. It's a gut-wrenching ten (10) year period of time and the case continues, with Pam Hupp finally charged with the murder of Betsy Faria in July of 2021.

Reading this account, it is unimaginable that the police and the prosecutor made up their minds almost immediately that Russ Faria was guilty and Pam Hupp had nothing to do with Betsy' s murder .... despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  And even more disturbing is the growing evidence that the police lied, convinced others to lie, and sought to cover up the truth. 

If you are interested in an insider's viewpoint of this case, I would highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.