God'll cut you down

This was a great read and a great glimpse in how things work in parts of the US. After reading some of the other reviews and thoughts I have a few thoughts.Some have complained that the author's take is predatory and he is taking advantage of the players in this story. The reality is that in order to get people to tell you there story, it takes money. Criminals in particular are often self-involved and sometimes there has to be a motivator beyond their ego alone. I find this story fascinating where others found it boring. The author shows the dramas and mundane nature of real people. He does not focus on caricatures of people, but instead describes his perception. Many of the characters are flawed and are seen the story shifting their statements or beliefs to paint themselves in a better light.The story does not have a definitive ending. While some have seen this as a weakness and accused the author of simply stopping and failing to look farther, I do not believe this is the case. The case in the book is typical in many ways. There is often not a clear cut explanation from the accused as to what exactly happened and why it happened. People's perceptions of events are wildly different. There was also no great trial and no great escaped. The suspect plead and was sentenced. The facts of the case were only examined after the sentencing. The author did what he could and looked where he could to find out the truth. He never found evidence of the truth. Here in lies the point. From what I read, hard facts are hard to come by in Mississippi. The reality is that there is only so much that he could find out about two unhappy people's lives. I suppose you could say the story was sad, but at the same time this was a story of murder. I think that the author's ending was fitting for a story that happened in real life. He did a great job showing that people are messy and nothing is certain.So in closing, if you are looking for a story like [b:The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story 15654 The Stranger Beside Me Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story Ann Rule https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330072383s/15654.jpg 1353958], then this is not the right piece for you. However, if you want a look into what most murders look like and a glimpse into the disfunction of real people, then this book is a good read.