Customer Reviews

Death of a Little Princess : The Tragic Story of the Murder of JonBenet Ramsey

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Carlton Smith and St. Martin's Press had this book printed and ready less than nine months after the death of JonBenét Ramsey, the six-year-old beauty pageant contestant who was found dead inside her parents' Boulder, Colorado, home on the morning after Christmas, 1996. It should therefore come as little surprise, then, that the book is of truly abysmal quality. From the second page, Smith makes it very clear that Patsy Ramsey, the child's mother, is entirely innocent of the crimes--despite the fact that the police seem to consider her a suspect. Yet nowhere in the book does Smith do anything to support his repeated claims that she is innocent. Smith also makes it clear that John Ramsey, JonBenét's father, is innocent and offers no evidence for this claim, either.

What is probably to be expected from such a hastily published book is the utter lack of information that is contained. Though Smith does provide some background on the various people in the drama, the majority of the book seems to be devoted to repeating newspaper accounts and press conferences. Smith does offer editorial comments along the way, condemning feminists, for example, or the media (of which he fails to realize he is a member). But Smith's insight is at times egregiously misguided as, for example, when he states that the "murder" of a six-year-old child would not have generated such nationwide interest a generation ago (p. 167). Apparently, Smith is unaware of the Lindbergh kidnaping, to cite but a single example of a well-publicized murder case involving a child.

Finally, "Death of a Little Princess" is factually wrong in spots. Smith states as fact, for example, that the "ransom note" demanded the ransom to be paid entirely in $100 bills. The truth (as anyone who has seen a photo of the note can say) is different. While this fact may not be of the greatest significance, it is indicative of the shoddy product that this book is, the result of a race to publish, a sacrifice of accuracy! for time.

Smith rather whipped this book out without much research on the matter. There is a good interview with Robert Ressler, however, that is quite useful. His take on the homicide is fairly reasonable and his thinking-out-loud style can acquaint readers with some of the methods of crime scene reconstruction. Pat Brown, Director/Investigative Criminal Profiler/The Sexual Homicide Exchange of Washington DC and Vicinity

This book is more about the press and the police than it is about JonBenet Ramsey

I think that this book is very interesting. The book will encourage the mothers and fathers to not get there young ones into modeling. I also believe that the brother could have done it to because he was down stairs where the body of JonBenet was found. How come he didn't hear anything at all? I think that this book is a great book for readers that like to read mysterious books.

The book was not like i expected. i thought they were going to go a little more in detail about the lives of the Ramsey's. It was a little boring to me and it dragged a little. But there were a few interesting parts as well.

This book is very much a basic introduction to the case and it covers very little other than the immediate aftermath of the case. As such, it will be of interest only to complete a reader's Ramsey collection or as a basic primer for someone who really wants only to know the very basics of the case.

I remember when this book came out because I was fascinated by the case and bought everything regarding the murder. I am a fan of true crime books and Carlton Smith who is one of the better crime writers today. Anyway, the case is still unsolved after 10 years. Sadly, Patsy Ramsey died of cancer last year. The Grand Jury decided that there was not enough evidence to convict the Ramseys. That means, they were not involved in her murder in my opinion. I think the book came out too soon and was cashing in on a murder case that remains unsolved about a beautiful, vivacious, beauty queen with her whole life ahead of her.

This book was a horrible waste of time! The author is obviously a neophyte and did not know very much about the JonBenet Ramsey case. They rambled on about unimportant issues, such as what she wore weeks before her death. If you care whatsoever for this innocent child, do not read this book!

I thought that Death of a Little Princess was a little tricky, but in a way it was also a good book to read. A couple chapters in the book were about the investigators talking. It was tricky to understand what they were talking about at times. Sometimes the investigators just rambled on about things that got confusing at times. In a way the book was good. The author, Carlton Smith, talked a little about the lives of JonBenet, John, and Patsy. In the book it talked about the many suspects they have. I thought that the author should've said more about her life. He should've told about her life instead of only talking about the murder that was commited.

A little girl into a wonderful christmas Eve sleep was disturbed and killed a a mysterious person. Who was is? Was it her brother,a stranger,maybe her father or mother the world may never no. I think that it ould be the father and mother togther or the brother. That was a cold case the book The Death of Little Princess:The Tragic Story of the Murder of JohnBenet Ramsey. That was a very interesting book.