The true story of Leslie Douglas Ashley/Leslie Elaine Perez recounts the life of the Death Row inmate who received a last-minute reprieve and went on to have a sex change operation.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this unusual story, engagingly told by screenwriter Bentley, Leslie Douglas Ashley met Carolyn Lima at a lesbian bar in Houston. In February 1961, soon after moving in together, the pair, who had turned to prostitution, were charged with fatally shooting a customer named Fred A. Tones, leaving his burned body in a vacant lot. A legal battle and media circus ensued. Ashley was sentenced to death; Lima was imprisoned and eventually released. Ashley's verdict was overturned because the prosecutor improperly hid psychiatric records. Ashley was sent to a mental hospital, escaped and was captured six months later. After serving five years in prison, he was released and underwent a sex-change operation, becoming Leslie Elaine Perez. In a stranger than fiction twist, she became politically active in Houston's chapter of ACT-UP. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A startling portrayal of life at the frayed edges of the American Dream--of drag shows, transvestite hustlers, teenage hookers, flophouses--and murder most foul. Free-lance writer Bentley centers his narrative on Leslie Douglas Ashley, a flamboyant drag performer who in the early 80's fled Houston for Manhattan. Failing to make it in the Gotham clubs, Ashley, still in drag, took to the streets as a prostitute. Returning to Texas, he encountered Carolyn Ann Lima, a slightly retarded 17-year-old hooker. The two joined forces, servicing clients from schoolboys to traveling salesmen. One of the pair's johns was a local real-estate agent who--according to their later testimony--became threatening during an assignation. Lima pumped six rounds into the man, then helped Ashley drag the body to a nearby vacant lot, where they set it on fire. Taking their victim's car, the two set out for Manhattan, pausing briefly in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Picked up in N.Y.C. on a minor charge, Ashley and Lima were returned to Texas on murder charges. Ashley was condemned to death, despite an insanity defense; Lima plea- bargained and received time. During an appeal, it became clear that the prosecution had withheld evidence regarding Ashley's mental condition, and, after a new sanity hearing, the transvestite was put in a mental institution. Ashley was eventually pardoned; today, after a sex-change operation, she's politically active as a spokesperson for ACT UP--although Bentley indicates that her abrasive personality goes unappreciated even by that organization. An engrossing look at a shadowy area of American life--and the dark underbelly of the Reagan years. (Eight pages of photographs) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!,
By
This review is from: Dangerous Games: The True Story of a Convicted Murderer on Death Row Who Changed His Sex and Won Her Freedom (Hardcover)
I could not put this book down. I live just outside of Houston and the history of the city included along with the history of this crime was just incredible. This is one of those bizzare stories that pretty much defies description, but amazingly enough, it's all true! I have actually met Leslie Perez in passing, and the author has really captured her (and her mother) here. Entertaining (and scary) for everyone but those from Houston will especially appreciate it!
3.0 out of 5 stars
This can be dull and boring....,
By Dee-Lated (Lousy-ana U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dangerous Games: The True Story of a Convicted Murderer on Death Row Who Changed His Sex and Won Her Freedom (Hardcover)
I first heard about Leslie Perez when she was interviewed in the gay magazine, The Advocate. I was not around when the crime had actually happened (I would be very curious if she is still alive). Reading about the court room trials was at times so boring I could barely get through it. I did put the book down several times, then go back to it later on: days or months later. Also, and to be blunt, Leslie was not a very likeable person. At times she was so annoying if I had been in the same room with her I think I would have walked out. I did like her no guff attitude, though, and her willingness to make enemies for something she believed in, especially for her atheism. I still have to give this book a 3-star rating.
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