Blood Games (Signet) [Paperback]

Jerry Bledsoe (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet | Publication Date: April 7, 1992

An account of the murder of wealthy North Carolinian Lieth von Stein describes how von Stein's stepson, a young man obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons, attacked his mother and stepfather in their beds while they slept. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On the surface this is an account of the plot conceived by Chris Pritchard to murder his mother and stepfather, Bonnie and Lieth Von Stein, to inherit a large sum of money; the crime involved two of his friends, James Upchurch, the actual killer of the stepfather and wounder of the mother, and Neal Henderson, the driver of the car which took them to the Von Stein home in Washington, N.C., on July 25, 1988. All three, from middle-class families, were college students of exceptionally high intelligence. They were also players of Dungeons and Dragons, a game which, according to Bledsoe, teaches the philosophy of selfishness. The book is far more than a true-crime study: it is a devastating and profounly disturbing portrait of a certain kind of family life. Here people marry casually, have children, move on to another incompatible marriage. The children of these broken homes are adversely affected, often find school no challenge and squander their youth on addiction, whether to alcohol, drugs, sex or fantasy games, until the groundwork is laid for tragedy. Bledsoe ( Bitter Blood ) brilliantly points up the terrible waste of human potential. Photos not seen by PW. BOMC selection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

On July 25, 1988, in the early morning hours, the Von Stein house in Washington, North Carolina was invaded and the Von Steins brutally attacked. Lieth was murdered, and Bonnie, severely injured, barely survived. Their son Chris was away at college, but suspicion quickly focused on him and his friends. Chris, a very bright but totally unmotivated student, had become immersed in a world of drugs, alcohol, and the game Dungeons and Dragons. With a tenuous grasp on reality, and perhaps playing out a version of Dungeons and Dragons, he had convinced two friends, Neal Henderson and James Upchurch III, to kill his parents so that he could claim his very sizable inheritance. Ultimately, Henderson confessed. All three young men are now in prison, with Upchurch on death row. Although well written, this book is about a third too long, with too much emphasis on Upchurch's attempts to evade the police. Still, it makes a worthwhile addition to true crime collections.
- Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (April 7, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451403444
• ISBN-13: 978-0451403445
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of Jerry's best, June 27, 2000

By 

Becky - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Games (Signet) (Paperback)

Having read "Cruel Doubt" and being an avid fan of Jerry's books, I ordered this book from America as it is unavailable in Australia. It took six weeks to arrive, and when I read it, I was disappointed, as the boring, repetitive narrative is extremely irritating, and unlike his other stories, in this book, Jerry's writing style is poor and he fails (for the first time in his true crime writing career) to draw the reader into the story. I am still a loyal fan of Jerry's, but I would recommend to anyone who wants to read about the Von Stein case to skip this book and instead purchase "Cruel Doubt" by Joe McGinniss, which is far superior in its portrayal of the facts.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning depiction of horror, June 12, 2004

By 

Andrea Egger, author of Grave Accusations (Gallup, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Games (Signet) (Paperback)

Bledsoe should take a bow for this chilling description of the murder of Lieth Von Stein and near murder of Bonnie Von Stein, with her 19-year-old son, Chris Pritchard, the one who planned it all to inherit millions. That's not giving away the book, as he's mentioned as the killer on the back cover! I was ecstatic that this book was out after I read Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss, another awesome depiction of this bloody crime. Joe apparently couldn't get the defendants' families to cooperate, and Bledsoe did. It was great to see into the minds of the killers and to learn about what their family lives were like growing up that might have affected their choices as young men.

Through the literary trick of imagery, Bledsoe makes the reader see the crime occur and understand the feelings of the defendants and their family members. Bledsoe gets to the very heart of the American family and how even the best and most doting parents can have children who become criminals. Of course, no parent is perfect, as Neal's and Bart's were not, but these young men had the background that many people have who later become doctors, lawyers and successful businessmen. If only these men hadn't chosen drugs, they could be among the successful. They had so much promise. Bledsoe brings home, through interviews with these teens and their parents, the reality of evil, as it can strike anyone, and how one rash decision has such dire, final consequences.

Also worth mention was the care and concern of the teacher who discovered Neal's genius and Bart's exceptional talents. Even to the end, he was defending them, making it clear he didn't agree with and couldn't condone their actions. A truly caring person this teacher must be!

As a true crime author myself, I can only say I hope I can someday climb into the caliber of Mr. Bledsoe, and I thank him for a terrific edition to America's true crime genre!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bledsoe is the best!, December 30, 1998

By 

Chandra, [e-mail] (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Games (Signet) (Paperback)

Bledsoe is wonderful at detailing true crimes in NC. As with his other books, he gives in depth background on everyone involved and what is known about the case. It never comes across as opinionated or biased - simply told from every aspect. Information is given by law enforcement officers, family members, friends and lawyers. It almost reads more like a work of fiction rather than a the story of a true crime. I would highly recommend his other books as well.