Murder in Sin City : The Death of a Las Vegas Casino Boss

Rating:
Summary: Gold digger & con man murder casino boss
Review: A solid account of the murder of casino boss Ted Binion by his gold digger lover & the con she was having an affair with. Highlights include the ambiguity over Binion's exact cause of death & description of Binion & the gold digger. German nicely portrays the killers' initial belief they'll get away with it & their growing realization they won't. The use of forensic pathologist experts Michael Baden & Cyril Wecht on opposing sides in the same trial is well done, as is the background politics to their appearances. German intimates possible wider ties (was the Mob involved?) without overstating the case. He also does a good job of showing how the case is an entirely circumstantial one. Weaknesses include insufficient characterization of Las Vegas as a place (I believe German assumes we know what it's like--it's a shame he doesn't use his descriptive powers to conjure up this unique place better, especially as he's a reporter there & could probably do a fine job of this). There also are tiresome references to the Las Vegas Sun's coverage of the story, the media in general & the alleged fame of the trial. Only journalists care who covered a story & how ... only the media cares which TV shows broadcast what, especially after the fact ... & the trial's fame is best judged by the reader, who either has or has not heard of the case prior to reading the book. Less "insider" description & names of relevance only to a small circle of Las Vegas law enforcement/justice officials & more geographical description, perhaps even more characterization of the victim & his killers, would've helped. But a solid, quick, unconfusing read.

Rating:
Summary: A poor effort.
Review: A very poor effort, especially given the wrniter's background. It's a sensationalization of a case when the reader simply needs to know what happened. German failed badly at that.

Rating:
Summary: hard to put down!
Review: Binion's unfortunate demise is illustrated in extremely user-friendly writing here. I'm not sure if it's accidental or not, but German lays the whole sordid story down for even the most intellectually-challenged to be able to grasp. I'll not be shy in saying I perused this title through the graces of our public libraries...........at a 14-day limit checkout.......but was pleased to find it so hard to put down that I was able to return it 12 days early.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet German Chocolate
Review: Binion's unfortunate demise is illustrated in extremely user-friendly writing here. I'm not sure if it's accidental or not, but German lays the whole sordid story down for even the most intellectually-challenged to be able to grasp. I'll not be shy in saying I perused this title through the graces of our public libraries...........at a 14-day limit checkout.......but was pleased to find it so hard to put down that I was able to return it 12 days early.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely awsome book!
Review: Everyone in my club and website has said "this book is absolutely awsome!" After the first page your hooked and will not be able to put it down! Judetrialwatchers.com

Rating:
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: German would do better to stick with reporting and leave writing to writers. This book is a poor attempt at sensationalism, some of which cannot even be believed (i.e., the "BJ" in the lawyer's office).

Rating:
Summary: long, tedious and boring
Review: I didn't enjoy reading this book. Although the story was interesting, it continued to drag on at a slow pace, as the author continued heaping fact upon fact without any action. For a really, fast moving paced book with strong characters and
a good plot, try reading Hudson and Hills new novel, A Reason
To Live. After the first page, you can't put this one down.

Rating:
Summary: A great inside look
Review: I live in Las Vegas and tracked this case in the local news media including Jeff German's articles. The book however gives a great insider's look into the murder and the criminal trial. German relates details from private conversations and discussions from the judge's chambers that give a whole new perspective to the case. I found it absolutely fascinating!

Rating:
Summary: A great inside look
Review: I live in Las Vegas and tracked this case in the local news media including Jeff German's articles. The book however gives a great insider's look into the murder and the criminal trial. German relates details from private conversations and discussions from the judge's chambers that give a whole new perspective to the case. I found it absolutely fascinating!

Rating:
Summary: Poor writing, boring account
Review: If you can stay awake while reading this boring tome of Ted Binion's demise, you will learn that the writer did little more than write what the prosecutors spoonfed to him. Also, the writer did not attend the trial, which is painfully obvious. He did no independent research. Instead, read Cathy Scott's colorful, in-depth account of the trial and events surrounding it in "Death in the Desert: The Ted Binion Homicide Case." There, you will get the true story of exactly what went down.