Customer Reviews

Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menendez Murders (Onyx True Crime ; Je 547)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Soble and Johnson are both reporters for the Los Angeles Times. The latter fact shines through in this book, which is nothing more than an extended newspaper article on the tragic and wildly infamous Menendez murders. There is no new information here: it was all dragged out at the trial, which was covered in it's entirety by Court TV ("Gavel to Gavel coverage" is, after all, their motto). What's more, the menendez trial was one of the first truly sensational ones COURT TV ever covered. It is clear that almost all of the information, from the beginning to the end of the book, was taken from the trial transcript. All of the background information on the Menendez family, the anecdotes including the Menendez children and Jose Menendez's much publicized infidelities are all a result of a careful reading of the trial transcript. The only significant background information provided is that of Jose's rise to the top of his business (whichever it may have been: car rentals, music publishing or video sales) and a detailed accounting of the Menendez's boys travels through the ranks of competitive tennis (as well as the fact that Kitty was "Miss Oak Lawn"). For people who did not follow the trial and are hungry for Menendez information, this can be a good book to read, because it is a fuller portrait of the trial and the family than, say, "Bad Blood" by Don Davis. But do not expect an original analysis of the boy's motivation. This book is purely reporting: facts, facts, facts. The only scenarios you will get here are those that were presented at the trial and surfaced during the police investigation (which is also amply covered): both of which were interesting enough in the first place to keep this book afloat. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that most fans of the true crime genre will appreciate this book, but it will be more out of a desire to learn more about the case and because of the dynamics of this genre, than out of an intensity for the story developed by the book.

This book deals with the first trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were accused of murdering their rich parents. It examines very well the background of both the father and mother, and describes very detailed what happened when the brothers shotgunned their parents. One thing the book fails to do, is give an answer as to why it happened. This would also be nearly impossible to do, but it does provide several key facts that might help one to reach a conclusion.

Blood Brothers is a 1994 look at the then-current Menendez brothers murder trial. It is an easy book to read with a lot of "hooks" to keep you going - even if you know how the story ends.

One of the best things about the book is the cast of characters. If you created these people as fictional characters no one would believe you. People simply would assume that these people were too fantastic to be real:
* Jose Menendez, the domineering Cuban immigrant determined to build a Kennedy-like family empire,
* Lyle & Eric, the privileged, murderous sons,
* Leslie Abramson, the fiery, confrontational defense attorney with the unkempt hair
* Dr. Oziel, Erik's psychologist and his paramour, Judalon Smyth

Aside from the characters, there are plenty of other things to keep you going: sex, burglary, Beverly Hills, & murder. The authors do a great job of keeping the pages turning. They even manage to keep your interest when they describe the trial. I find that true crime books often bog down in too much minutiae when they get to the trial.

My complaint about the book is the ending. The authors published their book between the two trials, so you are left hanging by the end. It would be great to have an update with the second trial & the dozen years since the case and its characters faded from view.

Soble & Johnson are fabulous writers, leaving one "chilled" after a brief read of the Preface alone. In addition to their powerful prose, the authors provide a very equalized, thorough discussion of Erik and Lyle Menendez and the events leading up to their parents' slaying. Though one gets the feeling that they harbored little sympathy for the brothers, the authors' portrayal of "both sides of the story" -- from Erik's recounted sexual abuse to Lyle's statement that it was not about "manslaughter or life sentences" but about "winning or losing" -- allows the reader to do what in the end 3 juries had to do: decide just which story one believes.

The book takes you through the lives of both the victims and the victimizers. To anyone interested in "understanding" murder, one has to try to put themselves in the shoes of the criminal to get a grasp of their view of the world at the time of the crime. This book lets the reader do just that. Unfortunately, the author was a little too anxious to be the first one to write a book about the Menendez murders and trial, and in his haste, he fails to cover the second trial. This basically leaves the reading hanging. It was as if someone tore out the last page of a book.

When reading one of the reviews, I almost did not order the book; however, I had not watched the trial on tv and so was interested in the details. This book provided what I was looking for. The story of two materially wealthy brothers who murdered their parents and are now spending the rest of their lives in prison, made for a very fascinating read.
There is much for thought for those who, like myself, tend to put themselves in the jury box while reading the book. The authors, I felt, presented both sides very well and though there is no way anyone but the brothers can know the real reason for this murder, there is ample information given to make the reader feel that he can make a pretty good stab at guessing why it occurred.

Good, more information then 'Bad Blood: The true story behind the Menendez killings'. Informative if looking for more of an inside view of the first trial and Jose Menendezes' rise to the top. But, like another reviewer stated, its just a drawn out version of the trial transcript. Leaves you with enough facts to decide for yourself if you believe these boys defense. When you read it, it sounds like a script version of the movie, 'Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills'. If you saw Court TV's live coverage of the trial, and the movie's they made you'll basically have read the book.