Echoes in the Darkness

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Summary: It's amazing how clueless and idealistic you can be at 17...
Review: As a graduate of Upper Merion--with Jay Smith's signature on my diploma and Bill Bradfield's loopy enthusiasm whenever I successfully translated Catullus still ringing in my head--this book was a "must-read." I CAN say that Wambaugh does his usual good job of capturing certain facets of the main characters and presenting the case, particularly from the viewpoint of the investigators, whom he lionizes. (Unfortunately, the intervening years have led to revelations about their mishandling of evidence and own character failings...which tarnishes their victory somewhat.) He also succeeds in pointing out the inverse relationship between intelligence and common sense that often exists among academics, and definitely existed here. I found his description of sociopathic behavior and how it forged the bizarro bond between these two men especially illuminating. However, it's what I usually like best about Wambaugh's books that forms the basis for my only criticism: there's no mistaking the fact he's an ex-cop. That means he forms his judgments about the perpetrators, followers, and even the victim early on and sticks to them. These people weren't quite so black and white. That being said, it's a good read that captures the gothic feel it strives for, and makes me extremely sad for the mother and children who were lost...and angry at people I respected who had so much potential.

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Summary: PART 1 OF TWO PART SAGA
Review: I cannot be too critical of Mr. Wambaugh's book because the movie based on the book drew my attention to the murder mystery. The case is interesting because so many questions are still unanswered and there is no clearcut version of what really happened to Reinhart and her children.

The real failing of the book is not telling the whole story, which is not Mr. Wambaugh's fault because it took another ten years after the trials of Smith and Bradford for the final act to hit the stage.

If you become interested in the story, read Echoes, watch the TV-movie which appears on Lifetime several times a year. Finally, you must read the final chapter of the story: Principal Suspect.

Both books and the movie are worth the time spent on them.

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Summary: Unbelievable . . . creepy . . . but true -- very disturbing!
Review: The tale of Susan Reinert is one of the most riveting true crime books I have ever read. Certainly the story -- details about Bill Bradfield, Dr. Jay Smith, Vince Valaitis, Sue Myers, etc. -- was convoluted . . . and difficult to follow at best. But it just proves Bradfield's manipulation of everyone around him. The story becomes difficult to follow and almost unbelievable because the story itself is practically unbelievable. Bradfield told so many tales and lied to so many people that even he had trouble keeping up with it and remembering what he told and who he told it to. Dr. Smith proves to be a pretty sinister character himself -- someone who did a lot of terrible things (and was possibly involved in the disappearance of his own daughter and her husband! Frightening!). It is hard to believe that these people are real -- that they live(d) and breathe(d) and exist(ed) in Upper Merion -- it certainly makes for an entertaining and unbelievable cast of characters. But they are not just characters in a book -- they are REAL PEOPLE -- and that is the scary thing. It makes you stop and think and look around at your friends and neighbors and coworkers and wonder what is going on in their heads. Creepy!

What is most disturbing is the fact that Reinert's young children were unfortunately involved in this horrible situation, and that their bodies have never been found. Even more frightening is that Susan Reinert's body may have disappeared in much the same way -- except that there was life insurance money to be gained (by Bradfield) and therefore a body had to be found. The sad thing is that everyone seemed to be under someone else's "spell" -- for the most part, all these seemingly intelligent teachers (molding the minds of Upper Merion's youth, no less!) were so enthralled and entrenched in Bradfield's life, so willing to believe him, so willing to participate in his "cloak and dagger" games, so prepared to believe him until too many suspicions and too much evidence mounted against him. And Bradfield! His relationship with Dr. Smith -- whatever the extent of it -- was certainly not on the up-and-up. A frightening look at this disturbed group of people and the lengths someone will go to attain something (in this case, money). All I can say is, you have to read it to believe it. I was too young to remember the case when it happened, so I can't compare the book to any newspaper headlines or stories or actual experiences . . . but I was engrossed in the book, totally interested. Wambaugh does an excellent job pulling the reader into the lives of these people. The situations are chaotic and elaborate -- at times almost ridiculous and laughable, because everyone was so blind to the "charms" of Bradfield and Smith for so long. I only wish there had been pictures of the principle characters, so I could have put faces to the names.

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Summary: Trust me--this is the greatest true crime book.
Review: 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.

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Summary: Masterpiece
Review: You're in love. He promises to marry you - once he sheds his live-in lover. Do you name him the beneficiary on your life insurance policy?

You wouldn't even consider doing that if you'd read Echoes in the Darkness by Joseph Wambaugh, the lurid tale of the longest homicide investigation in U.S. history, sparked by the baffling murder of Pennsylvania schoolteacher Susan Reinert. It is a masterpiece of true crime.

Reading Echoes in the Darkness, you come to despise Reinert's intended. You feel like screaming at the foolish women who vie for his favors. You're shocked by the principal of the school where they teach. You weep for the victims. You root for police and prosecutors, struggling to solve the crime, and put away the culprits. They are frighteningly evil.

At the same time, the book engages your mind. You struggle along with the police to interpret the clues. You experiment with various theories. You're fascinated by the legal issues and proceedings. You want to know more about the case. (And if you look into it, you discover that a lot more has happened since the book came out, some of it quite troubling.)

No, Joseph Wambaugh isn't Truman Capote, so Echoes in the Darkness isn't as beautifully written as In Cold Blood. And Wambaugh lays on the creepy gothic theme a bit too heavily. But he's a brilliant reporter and storyteller, and this is a remarkable tale. You won't be able to put it down.