Fear No Evil

by Thomas Henry Jones

Book Overview

They were the golden boys of Huntington, Indiana: Jarrod Wall, a 17-year-old Sunday school teacher, track star, top student,a and local heartthrob, and his friends Erick Esch, a high school football hero, and John Jesus Valasquez. They were well-liked, all-American teens. Until one night when Jarrod and Erick entered the house of a local car collector Eldon Anson and burglarized the bachelor's home--and Jarrod murdered him with repeated hatchet blows...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312983670
• ISBN13: 9780312983673
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 259 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Top notch true crime

Yet again, you can't judge a book by its (lurid) cover or dumb sales pitches ("8 pages of startling photos"). This is an excellent, quick read. Jarrod Wall is very well portrayed. His suggested motivation for the murder is very interesting and quite convincing. However, Wall has all the classic traits of a sociopath & I came away from the book feeling that was equally important in his crime as the suggested motive. Many, many boys have experienced something along the lines of the trauma Jarrod went through without resorting to murder. My impression of Wall from the book made me glad he remains in prison. On the other hand, the author's portrayal of Erick Esch was also good, and I left convinced that he should not be in prison & deserved a second chance. Overall, this was a good, solid read & well worth the money & time for true crime fans.

An Excellent Treatment & Great Read

I don't know what some of the other reviewers were expecting when they picked up Thomas Henry Jones' book, poetry, Shakespeare? Though it is the author's first time out he never claims to be a word craftsman creating beautiful and wonderous prose, it is after all a 'True Crime' book about murder in a small town. I suggest ignoring the harsh reviewers, Jones takes an even handed and sometimes even gentle approach to reveal the story behind the grisly and seemingly motiveless murder in a small Indiana town by the most unlikely perpetrators...All Star Jock High School kids. Jones not only gives the chilling details of the murder but manages to untangle the mystery behind the brutal crime as well as give the reader a glimpse into the lives of those involved. I think Jones has done a superb job of delivering a well-written and carefully investigated true-crime book, go ahead, buy it, read it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I couldn't put it down!

I felt this book was well written and I finished it in less than 48 hours. I have been reading true crime for 19 years now, and trust me, I have read my share of flops, those of which I wont mention here. This story kept my interests, and as usual I wanted to learn more about what went so wrong in these boys lives for them to commit such a horrendous act. I couldn't put it down... really.I guess if you are from Indiana, or have personal knowledge or connections with the people involved or about the crime itself, you might be disappointed in not learning any new facts. It is for that reason I don't choose to read books about things I already know, such as the O.J story, what more do I need to know? I have all the details and facts I need, reading a book on the subject would not enlighten me any further, and would most likely bore me. So I can understand why the people (From Huntington) who gave a bad review, were disappointed. They had the facts, what more did they need to know? If they want further details maybe they should pay a visit to Jarrod Wall. I do think their criticism was a little harsh, but they are entitled to their opinion. For those who don't know this story however, it is a fast paced, easy read, and I would personally recommend it and rank it with some of the better true crime writers out there today. It's on my re-read list for sure. If you're a true crime reader, who doesn't know this story, buy it, you wont be disappointed. The only complaint I would have, is that I would have liked to know more about Jarrod's family and what kind of support they showed him during his incarceration.

Powerful Lessons

The last two reviewers -- both connected to people in the book -- must have had axes to grind. (Pardon the pun.) I agree with the reviewer from California. The book was a page-turner with far more to it than the average true crime story. It contains powerful lessons for teenagers and parents. For the rest of us, it holds lessons in redemption, resilience, charity, and justice. Get the book. It's a wonderful read by a skillful author.

OUTSTANDING

I picked this book up yesterday at noon and literally could not put it down until I finished it last night. What a fantastic author! So well written. My favorite true crime author up until this book was Ann Rule. Now I have two favorites. The writing makes you watch a "mind movie" of all that is happening. This was such good writing and such a compelling story that I will be first in line to buy more books by this author. I cannot say enough good things about the talent this author has for making you see things that are happening. The story comes alive and it is almost as if you are there. The characters are so well developed and the story is just incredible. The only thing I would have liked more about this book is to have learned more about the victim. My heart goes out to his family. This story should be discussed with all teenagers as a good lesson in how the law works and how much you risk by doing incredibly stupid things. An awesome read!