Customer Reviews

A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance Of Kathie Durst (Berkley True Crime)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is NOT just another true crime book. Matt Birkbeck can really tell a story and his writing style is excellent. He skillfully portrays a cast of real life characters who are affected by Robert Durst, a super wealthy, eccentric and evil man. Kathie Durst, his pretty wife went missing in 1981. Her body was never found. Ironically, she was planning to divorce her husband when she vanished. Some 20 years later, a raggedy-looking Durst was picked up for shoplifting in Pennsylvania, and detained mainly because a shrewd cop followed his intuition about the strange man. It turned out that Durst was wanted for the grisly murder of an elderly man in another state.
But what else did Robert Durst do, and whatever happened to his wife? We may never know.
Meet some great detectives, a cool private investigator, and Kathie's friends. Like 'em or not, you'll be turning the pages to find out what happens next.
This is a current case so take the time to read it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
There are so many plots and sub-plots to the story it's almost Shakespearean.

Matt Birkbeck's writing style is not your usual 'whodoneit'. He writes with passion and grace, putting you right in the driver's seat on every page. I became aware of the Kathie Durst case through the ABC special "Vanished" and Cynthia McFadden's excellent reporting. I was one of the people who transcribed the interviews at the time and became totally caught up in the story. I would have never dreamed a few years later that the central character in the case, Bobby Durst, would end up going on trial in Texas for a totally different murder, and then found innocent! As I write this, he is now out of jail and living in a highrise apartment a free man. No one could make this up!

The book offered me valuable information that I had not heard before. Until tonight, after reading it in one sitting, I did not know Kathie Durst's best friend Gilberte, had a secret life of her own. I remember being reduced to floods of tears during her interview on the ABC special, and wishing I had a friend who cared that much about me. After reading this book, I now feel thankful I don't have such friends. Read the book and you'll understand what I mean.

Each person connected with the case (Police, family, friends, etc) are well-defined and sympathetic. It would be so easy to point fingers and say: If the Police had handled this case right from the onset, someone would have been arrested and tried for her disappearance and/or murder. But you can't point fingers. Based on the information at the time of Kathie's disappearance, the Police were under the false impression she had returned to Manhattan and had been seen alive after she left her home with Bobby that night. Then there is Susan Berman, his close friend. There are books out on her life and murder well worth reading. She's a whole other story. Another sad child of wealth.

This is one of those incredibly sad stories of pretty girl marries rich boy and does not live happily ever after. You think; If they had only kept the little store upstate everything would have worked out. Who is to blame? A young boy who is traumatized seeing his mother kill herself? A rich family who enables him in everything he does, even though they know he needs help? It reminds me of the Ira Einhorn murder case where he kills his pretty, bright girlfriend and almost gets away with it for years and years. He, too, is enabled by a member of a wealthy family who sends him money to live in Europe, knowing full well he killed her.

The book was written before the trial in Texas and before he was found innocent, so if you are not familiar with the case to-date, you're left hanging. Somehow I have a feeling we have not heard the last of Robert Durst. He will either live out the rest of his life in seclusion or will jump off a roof somewhere like his mother did. This story is not going to have a happy ending. It's an excellent read. Mr. Birkbeck is quite a writer.

True Crime books are, by genre, usual rehashes of police blotter and factoids. In "A Deadly Secret" author Matt Birkbeck carves a gripping narrative that takes us deep into the psyche of Robert Durst and the events surround the disappearance of his wife Kathie and the murders of Morris Black and Susan Berman. Along the way he shows us the stark reality of the ugly politics behind such a high profile investigation and the equally repulsive actions of a supposed friend of Kathie Durst.
It's investigative journalism at its best..hard hitting, interesting, and dead on believable. Birkbeck has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Reader's DIgest, and his work is gutsy. This book has served as a guidline for investigators, and is a must for any true crime collection, or any book collection.

I'm the type of person that doesn't read fiction, so this book caught my eye and kept it throughout. If you really love reading "True story" stuff.. you'll really love this book. The author, though it is his first book did an amazing job in that he kept all the details clear and made the book very readable and easy to follow. I never once had to go back and check a name to see who the characters were in the book, he made sure to describe them in such a way that they stood out in your mind. In many parts of the book I felt like I was right there on the scene, and that is very important to me. When I got this book, I sat down and started reading it, and from the beginning felt like I was watching one of those news shows on Americas Most Wanted, or Unsolved Mysteries, it was so fullfilling and entertaining not just a boring article on factual events. It was really great... and really clears up the truth on what really happened. Will you like the ending? Yes.. of course you will.. since it's not fiction, it's fact and you'll be sitting there just as he does wondering a lot of the same things, and thinking back on all the events that lead up to the writing of this book with a different look on it.

Perhaps Mr. Birkbeck can unleash his considerable investigative talents on several other prominent unsolved murders. "A Deadly Secret" simply explodes off the pages, from the prologue through the last chapter. I couldn't put it down. Even though it's a true story, Birkbeck masterfully develops the characters, giving them real life. I rooted heavily for some, and detested others to the point I was screaming out loud as the story unfolded. The new information on the Robert Durst case as told by Birkbeck is simply mind boggling. You can bet I'm now looking forward to the Durst trial. I really enjoyed this, so much I'm reading it again. Highly recommended.

What I enjoyed most about his book was how the story flowed, and how the author turned a true story into a very enjoyable novel.
What's truly remarkable about this book, aside from the strange and chilling story, is the characters, and how the author manages to weave them in and out of the narrative. It works to perfection, leaving the reader with strong emotions towards the major figures in this case. The authors ability to get behind the scenes, including his use of the actual police files from 1982, gives us delicious new details about Durst and the case, and leads us up to the murders of Susan Berman in 2000 and Morris Black in 2001. Add in the political machinations, particulary the questionable-at-best actions of the Westchester, NY district attorney, and you have one heck of a story. The Durst trial for the Black murder is next spring, and anyone even remotely interested in this case must read this thoroughly engrossing book.

First, the bad news. There is no ending. Now, all the good news. This is a book written for people who have the capacity to put all the facts together and figure the ending themselves. Author Matt Birkbeck does something few journalists have the guts to do...he takes a case, and twenty years worth of facts, and puts together a cohesive, well written and gripping story that all but slams the door on Robert Durst. Birkbeck's storytelling is to be admired as he takes us through the complicated, twenty two year old Kathie Durst investigation, and leaves us emotionally spent wondering why law enforcement either won't or can't do anything with one of New York City's favorite sons. Their failure ultimately led to two more murders, and Birkbeck manages to piece it all together to where there can be only one result.
It's Birkbeck's investigative skills that are to be admired, and that he reveals all the dirty laundry behind such a high profile investigation. This is a must read for any true crime collection and for those interested in battered or abused women issues, given the abuse heaped on the long missing Mrs. Durst.
If you are a reader who needs someone to spell it all out and tie it neatly together with a nice ribbon, then don't buy this book. If you are a reader who can follow a great story then make his/her own determination as to guilt or innocence, then by all means A Deadly Secret is a must read.

Looks like the author has not only uncovered the reasons behind a murder, but may have stumbled upon A World Class Serial Killer, like none the world has known before. Just as Jack the Ripper brought in the 20th century. Durst rings in the 21st Century. The book reads much like a novel and is a easy read and easy to understand, considering the complexity of the characters and the case. This would make a great movie.

SPOILER ALERT: If you are (by some cruel twist of fate) in the midst of reading this book, my review cannot properly convey my opinion without revealing the final denouement of this travesty.

This Book made me angry. The front and back covers of the book seem to suggest that it will offer insights into the disappearance of Kathleen ("Kathie") Durst and some possible resolution as to what really happened to her. The book basically starts out by covering most of what has been already publicized in the news (TV and Print). Apart from some background on Robert Durst's childhood there really aren't any surprises there. The subsequent story of Morris Black's murder and dismemberment is also mentioned but the Court TV Crime Library web page covers that quite extensively (again, using local and national newspaper reports to disseminate the tale).

The books' greatest goal and final ending seems to be to indict one of "Kathie's" friends, Gilberte Najamy, as a PREDATORY LESBIAN (GASP) who was practically stalking Kathleen in a desperate attempt to claim her as her own. Another woman who was supposedly a mutual friend to both Kathleen and Gilberte also claims that Gilberte "lied in her statements to police". (Upon this startling discovery she exclaims "Oh, Gilberte, how could you?") I've seen the TV interviews that Gilberte Najamy has done along with other women who all came forward because of their mutual love and concern for Kathleen. Miss. Najamy appears to be nothing more than a friend who wants to help, like they all do.

This book boils down to homophobic histrionics. I'm probably going to donate it to a local thrift store. I don't even want it in my house anymore.

I have never met Robert Durst in person and do not have any desire to do so, but last year NY State was looking for a murder - in Brooklyn I believe and the man looked so much like Robert Durst I contacted the detective on the current case. He really questioned me and asked how I met Robert - I assured him I had never met him and didn't have any desire to do so. The detective was very nice, but it turned out Robert wasn't his man. Sure hope the one he was looking for has been caught.

I have also read about Robert's friend, Susan Berman. Susan was getting ready to blow the whistle on something 'big' and she was murdered. I hope some day her murderer is found and it wouldn't surprise me if it is Robert. Robert's wife has also been missing for many years and I have read that many of Susan's friends believed that Susas was getting ready to blow the whistle on Robert. We may never know.