Customer Reviews

The Cheaters: The Walter Scott Murder

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I enjoyed this book very much. It combines celebrity biography with murder mystery. It was very well written and captured the characters well. Walter Scott as lead singer with the band Bob Kuban and the In Men had a big hit in the 1960's with a song called "The Cheater". It is ironic that his hit was about a no good cheating man who ends up alone and broken hearted, because in real life Walter Scott had affairs that not only ruined his marriages but cost him his life. Its a good read for most baby boomers.

Priesmeyer's careful rendering of the tale that ultimately ended Scott's life and career is an engaging read, even for those of us who do not regularly choose true-crime books. If it is true that there are really only ten stories and that we tell them over and over again--then this is the story of crime not paying, and it is told well.
Reading Priesmeyer's detailed depictions of those she interviewed, one has the suspicion that she'd rather be writing poems, but that this story came her way and she was compelled to tell it. And tell it she does.
Dick Clark has said that music is the soundtrack of our lives, and for those of us who came of age during Scott's heyday, it is impossible to read this book without the song playing, haunting the pages.

Scottie Priesmeyer's true crime on the Walter Scott murder reads like a novel but with the added impact of reality. She thoroughly researched all aspects of the case and presents the facts clearly, so the reader may draw his or her own conclusion about the verdict. The question of why it took so long to come to trial is answered by the numerous errors and omissions committed by the investigators. Due to the tenacity of Scott's parents, the case was finally tried three years after the murder was committed. An excellent first literary accomplishment.

This was my first true crime book and it took place in my own backyard. This book was well researched and the photos helped to connect to the story line. From cover to cover, Priesmeyer unfolds the story with gripping after gripping chapter. This book was hard to put down. A definite must read for any true crime aficionado.

Compelling, and tautly written by Scottie Priesmeyer, this true-life crime story explores the nature of human evil and takes the reader on a chilling journey into the darkest, most sinister corners of the human mind. Highly recommended. I read it cover to cover in one sitting.

This book was well researched. The author really delved into the character and motives of the people involved in this case. There were many photos of the characters in the book which helped them come alive for me. I normally do not read this kind of book but I found it to be gripping. The author allowed you to draw your own conclusions based upon the evidence presented in the book. A good read!

This book was as truthful as one could get without all parties together in one room being interviewed. It shows that a crime of passion does not always go the way the villians wants it to. I wonder if JoAnn Williams, even though shes not in jail anymore, has a good life knowing she was involved in the murder.
I read this book when it first came out in the mid 1990s. Since it happened in my own neighborhood, while I was living there in the subdivision, I have read it again in 2007.

I liked this book for the fact that the author didn't try to portray the victim as perfect, as so many true crime authors tend to do.

I can't understand why a prior poster called the book "one sided." Just the opposite!

Even Walter Scott's parents didn't come off as completely blameless. His mother, after all, did spoil her son shamelessly. No wonder he thought he could do anything he wanted to any woman he wanted whenever he wanted.

JoAnn Williams helped to break up a marriage. She got a man who cheated on his first wife. Did she expect him to magically change? And why didn't she just go ahead and get a divorce from Walter? This is still America - a wife doesn't need permission from her husband to divorce him, particularly if he is committing adultery. Jim Williams should have done the same: gone the divorce route instead of murdering his wife, Sharon.

All in all, Scottie Priesmeyer does a good job of story-telling.

Scottie Priesmeyer's true crime about the Walter Scott murder reads like a novel but with the added impact of reality. She has thoroughly researched all aspects of this case and given ample background so that the reader may draw his or her own conclusions about the verdict. The question of why this case took three years to come to trial is answered in the many errors and omissions committed by the investigators. It was only because of the tenacity of Scott's parents that the case was finally brought to trial. An excellent first literary accomplishment.

This is the first true crime book I ever read. It was of a murder that occurred in my home area. The victim was a national celebrity.The author,Scottie Priesmeyer, also a resident of the area, probed into every facet of the lives surrounding the murder and solidly presented the facts. The story presented exciting, challenging questions without superficial sensationalism. Priesmeyer's organized her two-year search for truth into a highly provocative tale. An absolute must for true crime buffs, and great reading, even for a "first timer."