Everybody’s Best Friend by Ken Englade – (Audiobook ~ Tantor Audio)

Craig Rabinowitz was everybody’s best friend, and then he wasn’t. Deception, betrayal, lies and then the ultimate confession severed the ties he worked so hard to establish. His apparent loyalty to his wife and baby daughter was so convincing that his network of friends supported him until they finally saw him for what he was, a dishonest man who took advantage of them and committed the ultimate crime.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫- 4.5 stars

Craig and Stephanie Rabinowitz seemed like an odd pairing from the start. Stephanie was interested in obtaining higher education and went on to become an attorney. Craig had little to no aspirations to become anything. After Stephanie gave birth to their daughter she began working part time while Craig made money with his latex glove “business.” From outward appearances Craig and Stephanie had a great life. Craig was solicitous towards his wife and seemed to adore their little girl. The couple shared a small network of friends who supported and loved them even when Craig’s behavior was at times a little peculiar or immature. Things were normal in the Pennsylvania town where they lived until tragedy struck. Stephanie, at only twenty nine years of age, drowned in her bathtub while her husband was at home. No one in Craig’s close circle of friends believed he had anything to do with it, but detectives and prosecuting attorneys disagreed. Of course, Craig adamantly denied having anything to do with his wife’s death, and his friends supported him in every way possible, including financially, until digging into his past unearthed secrets and lies that cast doubt on his innocence. Craig was quickly going from everybody’s best friend to no one’s.

This story was told in a format that was easy to follow and understand. It was sad to see how greed and the lack of industriousness on the part of Craig Rabinowitz led to the obliteration of his family’s assets, and the desperation that resulted in an unthinkable criminal act.  A good portion of the book was devoted to building a case against Craig Rabinowitz by the prosecution.  It was interesting learning how that’s done. The audio narrator brought the book to life. If you’re a fan of shows like Dateline or  Investigation Discovery (ID), you’ll appreciate this story.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for a complimentary download of Everybody’s Best Friend. All opinions stated about it in this review are my own.

Advertisement

The Perfect Father by John Glatt – (Audiobook – Tantor Audio)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

This book tells the true story of Chris Watts and what happened leading up to that infamous day when he ended the lives of his family.

Chris Watts’ family seemed ideal from the outside looking in. He had a beautiful wife who was expecting their third child, and two adorable little girls, Bella and Celeste, who loved their father dearly. Chris’s wife, Shanann, appeared ecstatic about her relationship with her husband. Her Thrive business was successful and her constant social media presence portrayed a family that was the envy of those who knew her, as well as those who followed her online. So what went wrong? Why did Chris Watts end the lives of his beloved family? Sometimes things aren’t what they appear to be. People are known to hide the negative aspects of their life from those around them. In the Watts’s case, there was debt, control, in-law problems, illness, infidelity and other stresses that apparently contributed to the devastating outcome that shocked their family, friends and an entire nation.

When I saw this story on the news I was shocked and dismayed by what happened to pregnant Shanann and her two little girls. This book gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the not-so-perfect Watts family, including the introverted, anti-social Chris Watts, who went from intensely loving his wife and children, to wanting nothing more than to be free of them.

This is how I felt while listening to this book…

Still many unanswered questions, but I suppose Chris Watts will take the absolute truth with him to his grave.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for a complimentary download of The Perfect Father. All opinions expressed about it are my own.

Are you familiar with the Chris Watts story? What did you think of it? Were you in disbelief like I was?

Love Lies by Amanda Lamb (Audiobook – Tantor Audio)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 – 3.5 stars

According to Brad Cooper, Nancy Cooper’s husband, Nancy went out for a jog one morning and didn’t come back. The Cary, NC mother of two beautiful little girls was in the process of divorcing her husband. This was no secret. Nevertheless, Nancy, according to her associates and friends, didn’t seem depressed or sad. So what happened to her and why didn’t her husband report her missing when she didn’t return home from jogging? Nancy’s identical twin sister, Krista, believed something sinister happened, and her suspicions were aimed at Nancy’s husband, Brad. “What happened to Nancy?!” she pointedly asked him. But he denied any involvement in her disappearance. Krista never understood what her sister saw in Brad. They were so different. Nancy was vivacious and outgoing, and Brad is reserved and antisocial. So what really did happen to the beautiful young housewife?

I’ve always been fascinated by true crime stories. To me it’s like reading an episode of Investigation Discovery (I.D.). And while Love Lies drew me in initially I can’t say it kept me glued to its pages like some other true crime stories, particularly those written by one of my favorite true crime writers, Ann Rule. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think the structure of this story wasn’t as appealing. At times I felt like it pattered on and that I wasn’t getting anything of substance to keep me fully invested. Perhaps it was partly due to the characters. From what was revealed about them I had a bit of a hard time relating to them on some levels. I asked myself, based on the information that was relayed in the book, why the couple got married in the first place. They didn’t seem in the least bit compatible. And while the book had its moments, I also think it could have been shorter in length. The conclusion of the story left me feeling more curious about what really happened to Nancy than when I started the book. So ultimately I was left somewhat unfulfilled. I did feel sad that Nancy’s life was cut short.

This was an audiobook read by Chloe Cannon. Admittedly, since this wasn’t one of my favorite true crime stories, I’ve thought about whether or not it had something to do with the narrator. Chloe Cannon’s voice was steady and clear, but I think I would rather hear her reading a romance novel than a true crime book. I found that her audio interpretation of Nancy’s sister, Krista, could get a bit cloying after a while, and this detracted from my listening pleasure since Krista took up a good amount of dialog in the book.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for a complimentary download of Love Lies. The opinions stated in this review are all my own.