Customer Reviews

Early Graves (Onyx)

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

 

 

I make it a habit to carry a book along with me whenever I go anywhere that may entail a long wait. In this case, I quickly grabbed a copy of this book, which I had purchased from my local library for twenty cents. It came in handy as the brake repair on my car took 4 hours. I started reading this book and time flew by.

In my opinion, it grabs the attention from the first page. I liked the author's quick paragraph by paragraph review of the backgrounds of the killers. Then he launches the reader into the terrifying actions of this "Boney and Claude", as the killers later termed themselves. Some may feel his writing lacks depth, but if you are a true crime fan you will find his descriptive abilities help one to visualize, for instance, the huge canyon where the first victim was discovered. I could almost see the steep sides and enveloping darkness that marked the young victim's disposal site. One indeed sympathizes with the recruit who had to spend a night down in its depths with the body of the murdered teenager.

Since I don't want to give away too much of the story, suffice it to say that if you are in the mood for a chilling and easily readable account of two sociopathic individuals, pick up a copy of this book. It emphasizes the sad truth that there are truly heartless monsters in our midst, and no one is truly "safe" in today's world.

But you'd never know that from this book. Cook focuses is almost entirely on their murder of the 13 y/o with mention of the another as well as attempted abductions and attempted murder. I had no idea there were 15 suspected until I did a web search.

Until I learned of the 15 I really could not understand the death penalty focus, the anger of the prosecuter, the attitude of the Judge to change the jury recommend of life to death. I mean you can serially torture & murder people and eat them and not get death.

I read this book because I saw a movie "Evidence of Blood" based on the Thomas H. Cook novel. I liked his writing style, so I read a few more of his books. Since Early Graves was published in 1990, Judith Neelly's death sentence was commuted after she was pardoned by the Alabama governor in the late 90s. I hope that means life in prison and not pardoned and released. These were two heinous crimes. This book is written very well, too bad I didn't read it sooner.

This book was a attention getter from start for me simply because alot of the crime is in GA & Tn (Southern States ) .

The detail in book is very graphic at times and it mostly does talk about the murder of 13 yr old McMillian girl , but there is so much MORE TO THIS BOOK . It also tells of the abuse that the killer went through with her husband or at least suppose to have went through , and for sure it gives the reader the feeling that Alvin was a controling husband but I am not sure to the point to where he drove the wife to kill . It also says that he (Alvin) had sex with the 13 yr old before his wife killed her , The wife cruises the street alone for her victims and when she picks up victim she gets on CB radio to her husband and they meet up .

This book in away takes you inside the mind of a true cold blooded killer and a woman that would kill by any means whether injecting her victim with liquid drain opener over and over again ,or by shooting a person in back , or pushing victims over a cliff to a floor canyon .

This is a well-written and disturbing book about Judith and Alvin Neelley. Judith grew up in a dysfunctional home, and Alvin, much older than Judith, was a petty criminal with no ambition or backbone. At first their offenses were, by comparison, minor - they stole money from their jobs or robbed gas stations, and were caught cashing stolen checks, for which Judith spent some time in a youth detention center. But Judith has a mean streak that seemed to escalate, and after her stint in the center, their crimes elevated to intimidation, homemade bombs, kidnapping, rape, torture and murder. They were partners, but it was Judith who masterminded and performed the crimes and cowed Alvin into participating. The murders were senseless and brutal and it's hard to think of the victims' last hours. The amazing part is the dramatic transformation Judith underwent after her capture - now she claimed she was the victim of her husband's controlling and violent temper and feared for her life if she didn't cooperate with him. I was engrossed in this story, and would recommend reading it.

...as did everyone else who read this book of Judith Neelley's vicious crimes against 13-year-old Lisa Ann Millican and 22-year-old Janice Kay Chapman. While focusing mainly on the rape, torture and horrific murder of Millican, it is easy to see why investigators and prosecutors were so intent on seeing this cold, calculating female put to death. And apparently the Judge agreed when he trumped a jury vote of 10 to 2 for life in prison without possibility of parole. (Readers should research Neelley after reading this book to see information on how this sentence was overturned in the late 90s and how she will soon be eligible for parole.)

Living within miles of Judith's hometown, I found this book to very interesting as I recognized many landmarks and some of the people involved at her arrest in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Amazingly, Murfreesboro is no longer the seedy little town the author described but a thriving metropolitan that has almost merged with Nashville, the country music capital just 30 miles North.

A bit outdated, but still an excellent read!

my name is judy millican and im the sister of lisa ann millican , i myself have read this book and i can tell u every thing in this book is not true!!!!the part about the family life of lisa that is!!!!the other i dont know but thats judiths part

GOOD JOB ON COLLECTING FACTS & REVEALING EVIDENCE. THE AURTHUR DONE A GOOD JOB OF TELLING BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY. HE DID NOT SUGAR COAT THE HORRIFIC ACTS THAT WERE COMMITED. HE STATED THE TRUE IDENTITIES OF THE MURDERERS' GREAT JOB ON TRACKING FROM CITY TO CITY & STATE TO STATE & GIVING THE TRUE REGIONS THEY WERE IN.

Chilling book about chilling N. GA trailer animals. Very representative of the natives and the culture. The people down there are capable of anything, and this book is a good tour of their psyche.

I was married to John Hancock and was shocked at the Neeley's gruesome fun.I read an article in our local paper Rome News Tribune a movie is going to be made,you really need to read this book.