Echoes in the Darkness

by Joseph Wambaugh

Book Overview

On June 25, 1989, the naked corpse of schoolteacher Susan Reinert was found wedged into her hatchback car in a hotel parking lot near Philadelphia's "Main Line."Her two children had vanished.The Main Line Murder Case burst upon the headlines--and wasn't resolved for seven years.Now, master crime writer Joseph Wambaugh reconstructs the case from its roots, recounting the details, drama, players and pawns in this bizarre crime that shocked the nation...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553269321
• ISBN13: 9780553269321
• Release Date: September 1987
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Echoes of Deceit

"Echoes in the Darkness," has got to be one of the creepiest and haunting true crime books ever written. Joseph Wambaugh has described the psychotic characters of "The Main Line Murders," so well, you can almost feel their breathing on your neck. Smith and Bradfield and the entire cast of tragic characters would scare the hell out of me if I was a collegue. This story is truly sick without being gory, Wambaugh has done a masterful job, despite the rebuttal in Jay Smith's book about Wambaugh. This read will haunt you forever

I go to Upper Merion

I go to upper merion and mr. velatis is still there... many old teachers that still teach there never talk about it.. they dont want any of the students reading this book.. but i did anyway.. maybe i like it better then some people cuz my dad went to UMHS when this all happened and i go to it now.. weird stuff..

A wonderful thriller!!!!

Echoes in the Darkness by Joseph Wambaugh is a book about a true story of murder and betrayal. The main character Bill Bradfield portrays many characteristics and becomes a friendly person to everyone in the story. He's a person that they can rely on. Bill Bradfield a high school English teacher becomes very unfaithful to many women in the story. He has more than one girlfriend and promises each one that he will marry her, when he's just lying to them. He's introduced to his new school principle, which he later becomes very close to him, and finds out his deepest secrets of murders that he's done. The main story was about trying to keep one of the other teachers Susan Reinhert protected from Jay Smith because she was on his list to die next. Bill lies to Susan and tells her that he loves her and wants to marry her, when he doesn't. Bill decides to "help" Jay Smith by hiding evidence that will get Jay in trouble. But in reality Bill is keeping this evidence to use against Jay in court to keep him locked up for good. What I most enjoyed about this book was that it's a thriller! If you're the type of a person who likes books dealing with murders and such things, this is the book for you! " The menace gun has to look like a gun," refers to Jay Smith because all he talks about is guns, and how to use them from experience in the Army. (121) The theme of this book is about killing and blood cold murder. I personally do not agree with it. This theme does not in my opinion relate to my life, but it may in many others. There are those who have family members in jail for killing or loved ones who were victims of such crimes. This is a book that I would definitely recommend for any mystery novel fans. This book keeps you in suspense at all times. It's not like your typical book. This book never gets boring and just gets more interesting by the second that you can't put the book down. Joseph Wambaugh truly is a talented writer. All of his books have received either a four star or a five star. This should indicate something about the writer. What also fascinates me is that Wambaugh created this story thru a real life tragedy of various murders in Main Line Pennsylvania in 1979. If you read this book you will love it. All in all it was an enjoyable book.

Echoes in the Darkness

This is a true story of a mother and her children. My biggest interest, was that they came from here where I grew up. I haveseen a book, with the same name once a long while ago, that contained thier pictures. This is not that one, but it is stillthe same story. Women should consider reading this book, it can teach you many things.

Trust me--this is the greatest true crime book.

Yes, I've read those other customer comments, but trust me, this is the best true crime book ever. First of all, Wambaugh has incredible access to all of the participants, which I believe is the most important ingredient of great true crime. (Haven't you ever read any of those cheapie true crime paperbacks and had the feeling that the author relied soley on the newspaper accounts and the trial transcript--there is a complete dearth of detail and character development? This book is the polar opposite--it's teeming with detail and fully realized characters.) Wambaugh tells you exactly what the characters were thinking and feeling, which allows you to understand how such educated people could get involved in such a horrific crime. Instead of feeling scorn for their gullibility you end up having great empathy for them. Secondly, the villians are FABULOUS--Dr. Smith in particular is so fiendishly sardonic I almost found myself cheering him on, despite the fact that he's (probably) done so many evil things. It's almost a Hannibal Lecter-ish effect--you know he's bad, yet there's something almost charming about his combination of intelligence and darkness. Finally, and most importantly, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. The author's metaphors comparing Dr. Smith to the Prince of Darkness make me howl, and his use of irony is truly sublime. I know it's incongruous to find such humour in a book about a terrible murder; please read it, and you'll understand.