Dark Son [Mass Market Paperback]

Denise Lang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1995

Follows the case of Matthew Heikkila, a young man who was tried for killing his adoptive parents Richard and Dawn and who pleaded not guilty by reason of the ""Adopted Child Syndrome.""

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DENISE LANG is the author of The Dark Son and a former award-winning investigative reporter. She is currently a senior producer for the Judge Mills Lane television show. Ms. Lang lives in Warren, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Avon (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380775956
• ISBN-13: 978-0380775958
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #932,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and interesting, June 25, 2000

By 

Crystal J. Morton (El Paso, TX (United States)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dark Son (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book and found it well written and detailed. I personally don't buy the "Adopted Child Syndrome" as an excuse for murder, nor do I think most readers will, but it was the last resort of a desperate defense team. Some of the trial scenes toward the end got a bit dry, but all in all, this book is worth reading.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scary, October 11, 2010

By 

crimestories - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Son (Mass Market Paperback)

I met Matthew before I read the book and after I read it I was really scared to persue the friendship any longer. I carefully removed myself from his life and had nightmares. I think to go visit him after reading and knowing this is a death wish! The book was great but I was distracted by my shock about it's details. Great crime story if that's your thing.

6 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Dark Son", November 24, 2004

By 

J. Mellow (New London, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dark Son (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read the Book "The Dark Son". I have also personally written to, spoken to, and visited the famed Matthew Heikkila. In my opinion, the book does not do Matthew justice, as it is written from a point of view that wasnt very well informed. The author "forgot" key points of the crime, making Matthew out to be a cold blooded, heartless murderer. Today, he is a man regretting his past, and only looking for someone to accept him for who he is now, and not who he was on a cold January day in 1991.