A Stranger in the Family: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and Unconditional Love

by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

Book Overview

Who would ever connect this handsome, charming, straight-arrow son of a perfect all-American family with the gruesome crimes of a serial killer? Richard Daniel Starrett was the dangerous visitor for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451406222
• ISBN13: 9780451406224
• Release Date: May 1996
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Sad, strange, powerful book!

This was a very sad book, you got the view of the family of the criminal in this book, how they feel about the crime of their son. It's very sad and odd, why Danny Starrett had become like that when he had a loving family??? When his mother talked about how he was when he was a kid and we see his baby and kid picutures you think how a little boy who look so nice and sweet can become like that? It's was very well wrote and a very powerful book.

He ate my Mom's brownies in College!

...I think in places the authors attempt to imply that there were warning signs where there were none. For example, I think it was a little silly to talk about his having a difficult time at a lecture because of a girl in his class or his following girls on campus as though this was a sign of things to come. If this were a factor, most of the male students at Ga. Tech in the late 70's would be locked up now. Although these were Dan's own words, the flavor throughout the book is that somehow the people in his life should have been able to see this coming. I never would have. I do not understand it to this day.I was shocked and disturbed by many of the details presented in the book. The thing that gives me the most pause is how someone can share a part of your life, but what is in their head be so unknown. We all just thought he was a great guy. For those who dismiss Dan as simply an evil person, I'm afraid it's not quite that easy. The Dan I knew was idealistic and always wanted to do the "right" thing. Dan did not live up to his own ideals; could not live up to his own ideals.It gets five stars because it is the only book written about anyone that I actually know. It is a book I wish never had to be written. So tragic for so many lives.

Engrossing

I always find the opposing view interesting. This isn't the first I've read about Richard Daniel Starrett and I did find it interesting and worth a few hours of reading time if you are a true crime fan.

The voices of the criminals family needs to be heard

I read the book because I know Danny and his parents personally due to the fact that Danny is doing time with my husband and I found the book to be somewhat true to life. I gave the book 5 stars because the other side of the story needs to be told and I believe that it was in this book. Victims of crime have plenty of outlets and people to hear their voice but so often the other victims, the families of the criminals are ignored or subjected to scorn and are tried, convicted and sentenced for a crime they did not commit simply because they choose to stand beside their loved one.

one of the saddest books i have ever read

I have read almost every true crime book available but never have I felt the sadness I felt when i read this book.Every mother who has a son should read this book.Like Gerry Starrett if my son did what Danny did I would find it impossible to believe. I found the book very interesting in that it focused mainly on Danny, his family and their feelings. Of course one would find it almost impossible to imagine the depth of horror and grief felt by the victims and their families but the author has given the book a unique feel by focusing on the "bad guys" feelings. Perhaps the most meaningful and saddest part of the whole very sorry story of Danny Starrett was when his parents Richard and Gerry went to the movies and mistakenly went to a blow em up shoot em dead action film.Richards words filled me with a fear that as a mother will always be with me. He said to his wife that the bad guys always gets blown away in movies but nobody ever stops to think about the parents behind the bad guy,how they loved him and thought they did everything right.Richard said maybe the parents didnt understand why their son became a bad guy but think of the agony they will go through when they find out the good guy killed their son, the son they love, their pride and joy, their son who will always be the bad guy,when they always believed like almost every parent, hey, my son's the good guy. That must be an almost unbearable cross to bear. Their son,forever the bad guy.