Rating: 
Summary: Crime without Punishment
Review: Irene Pence is a fine True Crime investigator and writer. She's so good at what she does that the reader forgets the writer's there - none of the over-written stuff that pulls the reader out of the story to focus on the raconteur. Ms. Pence artfully lets the Tale do the Talking and her words don't get in the way. And what a tale she tells. John Battaglia Jr's unpunished stalking and physical abuses of his ex-wives is a ringing indictment of a judicial system that winks at the Good Ole Boy Defendant and says: Now don't do that again, OK? A system that didn't quite get around to revoking John's slap-on-the-wrist probation until after he had murdered his two young daughters, with whom he had court-ordered unsupervised visitation, at point-blank range, with their momma on the phone to them as they screamed: "No, Daddy, Don't!"Finally, and way late, the system did something. Reviewed by Tundra Vision
Rating:
Summary: Family Law Lawyers and ALL Judges MUST read this!
Review: Man abuses wife, wife tries to deal and justify it. Man abuses wife, woman tries to get away. Man abuses wife, woman files protective orders. Man violates orders, woman pays high price. Man remarries and starts over. New wife files protective order, man violates them. Man beats wife, man gets out of jail free. Again and again. Man teaches new wife lesson: takes away the two things she lives for. Forever. Even his first severely beaten wife, Michelle Ghetti, thought he was a good father. So who would have thought notorious accountant, John Battaglia, would have committed the most devestating and horrendous act possbile? Worse still, little Faith and Liberty, his daughters, KNEW what was coming. Mary Jean Pearle and Michelle Ghetti, with all their might, share their story with master true crime writer, Irene Pence, of domestic violence, injustices of the so-called-legal system (in place to protect them) and heartbreak. During the story, if there is a time you are not terrified for Battaglia's wives, you are ensconced in Pence's terrific use of imagry. She shows you the story in such a way, it's as if you are there and living it--yet at a safe distance. As incredible as the crimes Battaglia committed, is the American "justice" system. Many times, after making bail for one offense or another, the very place meant to keep the public safe--the jail--would actually ASSIST Battaglia stalk and taunt both Michelle and Mary Jean by allowing him to use the phone to taunt and threaten them! Liberty, Faith, and Laura are the three children in the story. Laura is the lucky one; she survived her dad. But the horror will haunt her forever. Thanks to the courage of Mary Jean to come forward, Michelle for diligently working at changing the laws, and Pence, for making the story known, we just may be able to prevent another true crime from happening. Don't read this story if you don't like domestic violence stories, because I guarantee, it's a shocker.
Rating:
Summary: Well-Written and Compelling
Review: Ms. Pence does a wonderful job of bringing a horrifying and unbelievable story to life. The characters are vividly depicted, and readers are given a deep understanding of the tragic and inevitable result of Battaglia's insane need to control and subjugate the women in his life. This is a difficult story to read, and I almost didn't buy the book, because I knew how horrific and unbelievable the crime was. I live in the area, and will never forget the first news reports of this crime and the search for the killer. It may seem difficult to understand why two intelligent, successful, and attractive women would marry this man and endure his abuse. But as an attorney, I can attest that I have seen many such situations, although none as extreme as this. Ms. Pence's book takes the reader a long way toward reaching some understanding of this too-common situation, and provides a chilling and instructive look at our flawed justice system.
Rating:
Summary: A Sickening View of Reality
Review: Rarely does one experience the first hand version of man's inhumanity to woman as written here by Irene Pence! The details of these "crimes" are accurately portrayed, and it makes one wonder about the countless number of marriages that shield this type of male cruelty to protect self-image with nothing done until it's too late. This book contains fact -- not fiction, and it is a truthful but sad picture of reality. Read it and weep!
Rating: 
Summary: To previous reviewer
Review: Sure, women do get abused, and it is wrong and terrible.
The fact is, men who do this just don't start out beating the crap out of someone. It starts with a shove, slap, etc.
THE FIRST time it happens the woman should leave. I absolutely would. People treat you however badly you allow them to. I've been treated poorly in my life by men, I left 'em!
I think it is insulting when people think that the law and the courts are failing women. That implies that I need the court and the law to protect ME because I am weak and helpless.
Any man who hits a woman should be locked up for a long, long time.
I do know that sometimes when women leave these losers, they have actually been killed.
I would rather be dead and take my chances than live a life with some idiot who was abusing me.
I wasn't commenting on the women in the book, I was commenting on the other reviewers who were portraying spousal abuse as something "normal" and women as "victims."
Every single time that women portray themselves that way, we are only perpetuating the stereotype that we are, in fact, victims.
I am not. I have a wonderful husband. However, if he ever had a psychotic break and hit me, I would need to bring in law enforcement: to protect HIM from ME.
Rating: 
Summary: Hey, my husband isn't so bad after all!
Review: They Chose to Breed. It's very difficult to have any sympathy or respect for Michelle Ghetti, Battaglia's first wife. The author characterizes her as "brilliant" which I find offensive. She dates a man who shows off his violent temper towards strangers. She is delighted to become pregnant by him, even though she is "diligently" taking the pill. She marries him because her mother tells her to. She is then further surprised to find out (when he leaves her for a couple of days) that all while seeing her, he's been dating an old girlfriend and promised to leave his wife and take his child and raise the child with the girlfriend. Apparently Michelle failed to notice these absences while they were dating, and it was a surprise to her, but his infidelity didn't bother her enough to leave him. She continues to stay married to him, even though he abuses her son from her first marriage, and hits her and knocks her down while she's holding his baby daughter. Yes, this is quite a brilliant woman. Even though she is an attorney and makes "great money" she does not do what she should have done long before - pick up and move back to LA to her "supportive" family - until he beats the crap out of her in public. Somehow, the brilliant attorney was outsmarted at every turn - if she even tried, which it appears she did not. She could have moved out of the house they rented (since he kept getting locksmiths to give him the new keys to the locks she changed repeatedly) and moved into a gated community. But no. She didn't want an unlisted number either. His second wife, Mary Jean, knows full well that he abused his first wife, because he told her. She happily marries him anyway, since this was an isolated incident after all, and produces two little girls. She gets sick of his verbal abuse and kicks him out. She has a protective order against him, however she lets him in her house on Christmas day, because she's afraid if she doesn't, he'll pitch a fit. He proceeds to pummel her black and blue in front of their two kids and Laurie, his daughter by Michelle. Guess Mary Jean didn't take the protective order very seriously, so why should Battaglia? The fatal night, she makes the kids go on their visitation, even though they don't want to, and he's about to be arrested the next day, and he's 25 minutes late anyway. No, they must go. This book made me sick. And I've worked in a women's shelter. The vast majority of the women there are very poor and uneducated. They do not work. They have low self-esteem. They are dependent on the abuser. They literally have no where else to go. Family will not take them in because they are afraid or because they know that the woman will simply go back the abuser, so why bother risking involvement? And many, many times, the women go from the shelter straight back to the abuser. Because he promises them new clothes, a new TV. Things will be great, for awhile anyway. The women in this book had money, resources and family support. For them to not use their brains and let this man do as he pleased makes me ill. The background on John Battaglia was skimpy. His mother killed herself when John was a child. Okay, that's it. The prosecutor brings up the fact that John pulled a gun on his brother. What about that? Who knows? His own father says that John inherited bi-polar and anti-social personality disorder from his mother. Perhaps if the author had done more interviews with the people from John's childhood and adolescence, we would have a better understanding of why Battaglia did the things he did. As the book stands, he's basically a blank. A very bad man, but what made him that way? How can we prevent this? How can we spot this? Women, you need to watch out! Choose the father of your children carefully! Don't play foolish games with the parenting and protection of your children.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Stupid Women And The Vengeful, Violent Idiot With Whom
Review: They Chose to Breed. It's very difficult to have any sympathy or respect for Michelle Ghetti, Battaglia's first wife. The author characterizes her as "brilliant" which I find offensive. She dates a man who shows off his violent temper towards strangers. She is delighted to become pregnant by him, even though she is "diligently" taking the pill. She marries him because her mother tells her to. She is then further surprised to find out (when he leaves her for a couple of days) that he's been dating an old girlfriend and promised to leave his wife and take his child and raise the child with the girlfriend. Guess Michelle failed to notice all the time they were dating, it was a surprise to her. She continues to stay married to him, even though he abuses her son from her first marriage, and hits her and knocks her down while she's holding his baby daughter. Yes, this is quite a brilliant woman. Even though she is an attorney and makes "great money" she does not do what she should have done long before - pick up and move back to LA to her "supportive" family - until he beats the crap out of her in public. Somehow, the brilliant attorney was outsmarted at every turn - if she even tried, which it appears she did not. She could have moved out of the house they rented (since he kept getting locksmiths to give him the new keys to the locks she changed repeatedly) and moved into a gated community. But no. She didn't want an unlisted number either. His second wife, Mary Jean, knows full well that he abused his first wife, because he told her. She happily marries him anyway, since this was an isolated incident after all, and produces two little girls. She gets sick of his verbal abuse and kicks him out. She has a protective order against him, however she lets him in her house on Christmas day, because she's afraid if she doesn't, he'll pitch a fit. He proceeds to pummel her black and blue in front of their two kids and Laurie, his daughter by Michelle. Guess Mary Jean didn't take the protective order very seriously, so why should Battaglia? The fatal night, she makes the kids go on their visitation, even though they don't want to, and he's about to be arrested the next day, and he's 25 minutes late anyway. No, they must go. This book made me sick. And I've worked in a women's shelter. The vast majority of the women there are very poor and uneducated. They do not work. They have low self-esteem. They are dependent on the abuser. They literally have no where else to go. Family will not take them in because they are afraid or because they know that the woman will simply go back the abuser, so why bother risking involvement? And many, many times, the women go from the shelter straight back to the abuser. Because he promises them new clothes, a new TV. Things will be great, for awhile anyway. The women in this book had money, resources and family support. For them to not use their brains and let this man do as he pleased makes me ill. The background on John Battaglia was skimpy. His mother killed herself when John was a child. Okay, that's it. The prosecutor brings up the fact that John pulled a gun on his brother. What about that? Who knows? His own father says that John inherited bi-polar and anti-social personality disorder from his mother. Perhaps if the author had done more interviews with the people from John's childhood and adolescence, we would have a better understanding of why Battaglia did the things he did. As the book stands, he's basically a blank. A very bad man, but what made him that way? How can we prevent this? How can we spot this? Women, you need to watch out! Choose the father of your children carefully! This is not a game.
Rating:
Summary: Two Stupid Women And The Vengeful, Violent Idiot With Whom
Review: They Chose to Breed. It's very difficult to have any sympathy or respect for Michelle Ghetti, Battaglia's first wife. The author characterizes her as "brilliant" which I find offensive. She dates a man who shows off his violent temper towards strangers. She is delighted to become pregnant by him, even though she is "diligently" taking the pill. She marries him because her mother tells her to. She is then further surprised to find out (when he leaves her for a couple of days) that he's been dating an old girlfriend and promised to leave his wife and take his child and raise the child with the girlfriend. Guess Michelle failed to notice all the time they were dating, it was a surprise to her. She continues to stay married to him, even though he abuses her son from her first marriage, and hits her and knocks her down while she's holding his baby daughter. Yes, this is quite a brilliant woman. Even though she is an attorney and makes "great money" she does not do what she should have done long before - pick up and move back to LA to her "supportive" family - until he beats the crap out of her in public. Somehow, the brilliant attorney was outsmarted at every turn - if she even tried, which it appears she did not. She could have moved out of the house they rented (since he kept getting locksmiths to give him the new keys to the locks she changed repeatedly) and moved into a gated community. But no. She didn't want an unlisted number either. His second wife, Mary Jean, knows full well that he abused his first wife, because he told her. She happily marries him anyway, since this was an isolated incident after all, and produces two little girls. She gets sick of his verbal abuse and kicks him out. She has a protective order against him, however she lets him in her house on Christmas day, because she's afraid if she doesn't, he'll pitch a fit. He proceeds to pummel her black and blue in front of their two kids and Laurie, his daughter by Michelle. Guess Mary Jean didn't take the protective order very seriously, so why should Battaglia? The fatal night, she makes the kids go on their visitation, even though they don't want to, and he's about to be arrested the next day, and he's 25 minutes late anyway. No, they must go. This book made me sick. And I've worked in a women's shelter. The vast majority of the women there are very poor and uneducated. They do not work. They have low self-esteem. They are dependent on the abuser. They literally have no where else to go. Family will not take them in because they are afraid or because they know that the woman will simply go back the abuser, so why bother risking involvement? And many, many times, the women go from the shelter straight back to the abuser. Because he promises them new clothes, a new TV. Things will be great, for awhile anyway. The women in this book had money, resources and family support. For them to not use their brains and let this man do as he pleased makes me ill. The background on John Battaglia was skimpy. His mother killed herself when John was a child. Okay, that's it. The prosecutor brings up the fact that John pulled a gun on his brother. What about that? Who knows? His own father says that John inherited bi-polar and anti-social personality disorder from his mother. Perhaps if the author had done more interviews with the people from John's childhood and adolescence, we would have a better understanding of why Battaglia did the things he did. As the book stands, he's basically a blank. A very bad man, but what made him that way? How can we prevent this? How can we spot this? Women, you need to watch out! Choose the father of your children carefully! This is not a game.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Was Hard to Put Down
Review: This book was very hard to put down. I will never forget Faith's last screams. I can only imagine what it was like to be her mother and hear those screams. I absolutely loved this book.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling
Review: This book was well written and very chilling in detail. Domestic abuse is not limited to uneducated, poor women with no resources. It happens in every walk in life, every station. I hope that this book will open the eyes of anyone who may be in a like situation.
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