Daddy's Girl: The Campbell Murder Case: A True Tale of

by Clifford Irving

Book Overview

In 1982, a successful lawyer and his wife were found brutally shot to death in their own bed. From an investigative reporter comes the shocking story of one of Texas's most complex murders--the story of a tortured and bitter woman driven to kill her own parents. of photos.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671614584
• ISBN13: 9780671614584
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Summit Books
• Length: 516 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great Book

Daddy's Girl is a dark morality play set against the back drop of Houston in the eighties. All the people involved come across as real. Irving made me feel like I knew everyone involved in this horrible crime, while at the same time, filling me with relief that I had nothing to do with those involved. He describes Houston vividly and perfectly. The ultimate lesson of this book was that the best revenge is no revenge at all.

A Dark Vision

Judging from the online reviews of DADDY'S GIRL, you either love it or hate. Put me in the camp of those who love it. It's the best "true crime" book I've ever read, because you get so deep into the minds of not only the murderers but also the lawyers and the investigative journalist, author Clifford Irving. It could be a Shakespearean tragedy, but it's not: it's a gritty prose rendition of love and revenge set in Houston, Texas in the 1980s. Irving is there as a spectator (and witness, which is a remarkable story in itself) at the trial, and you're there with him. The characters are bizarre yet real. Moral dilemmas abound. Irving, who is a fine novelist, writes the story like a personal novel, with a dark vision of human nature, but there is a clear ring of truth to the way he describes incidents, thoughts, and renders dialogue. I went from this book to Irving's novels and enjoyed all of them. One fault: it's a bit long, but I can bear with that, because it's fascinating all the way. A five-star book, no doubt of it.

Death to the Lawyers! (Shakespeare)

First of all, I admit to being a fan of Clifford Irving's novels, most of which are, sadly, out of print. This is the only nonfiction book of his that I've read, and it's a winner. It tells of how a young woman and her Marine Corps boyfriend murdered her parents, but I won't spoil the story by discussing their motives. It's highly detailed, and I think that's a plus, since for the first time I understood the complexities and absurdities of jury selection, as well as the hidden motives of prosecutors and defense attorneys. Irving is involved in his own story -- he knew so much about the dramatis personae that he became, against his will, a witness at the trial! That makesa this a unique book, and one not to be missed by all who read "courtroom" fiction.

Good, but I wanted more info.

I could not put this book down. I am from near Houston and I have travled many of the places thst this book spoke of. A great "True-Crime" novel. However, as much as I liked it, I have already been on the net trying to find out what is going on with these people now. A follow up would be nice, especially since the 2000 possible parole date is near.

convoluted-what really happened/

Where is Cindy ray Campell today and David West? This was one of the best true crime stories I have read and beleive me -I read almost all of them but I am left with an uncertainty as to what really happened. Has there been any more positive eveidence since the trial as to what really happened