Customer Reviews

Final Affair (Berkley True Crime)

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

 

 

This is literally the only police procedural true crime book I've ever read. The book begins with the strange death of Janet Overton, a popular school trustee, which was ultimately classified as a death from natural causes. The case was filed as an open coroner's case, and that was where it languished until Investigator Timothy Carney [one of the book's co-authors] opened a file in his desk drawer on the first day of his new job as a homicide investigator.

The remainder of the book details Carney and his partner's dogged, almost obsessive pursuit of what they are sure was a murder by cyanide and of Richard Overton, the victim's husband, who they become convinced is the murderer and who is also revealed to be a classic antisocial personality or sociopath. Carney and his partner meet and overcome each obstacle that arises during the investigation, knowing that if they fail at any step along the way, the case will be over. Carney becomes relentess in his research and preparation, and ultimately, the case must go before a homicide panel [a group of attorneys each with substantial experience trying homicide cases] before the District Attorney's office will proceed to a grand jury. Carney wins, the case goes before a grand jury, and Overton is arrested. The book ends with his arrest.

The ending of the books is one of its faults. Overton was tried twice [the first trial resulted in a hung jury] and the only information about the trials were two sentences in an Epilogue at the end of the book. This case is bizarre and the evidence is so strange I was curious for some details about what a jury thought or about how the case was tried. This book also needed more details about Richard Overton and the development of his sociopathy. The book is well organized and structured, but the writing is plodding.

Overall, this is a worthwhile book, but it could have been better.

I shared office space with Jan Overton while she was on the school board in Dana Point, California. We had many arguments about school funding.

Jan told me several times about having a key to a boat. At the time I didn't think much about it. Later events demonstrated the importance of those comments.

At an office picnic my wife and I met Jan's husband. Our instant reaction was comparable to meeting a character from Frankenstein.

While I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, Jan sent me a box of chocolates. They appeared as though they had partially melted in the summer heat, and then solidified again.

After reading the book you will understand why I feel lucky that my wife and I did not eat those chocolates!

Although this book is an fascinating look into the world of a homicide detective, it needed far more insight into Richard Overton's relationship with his wife. The book explains that early on in their marriage, Jan Overton knew her husband poisoned his first wife. She heard him confess to police. The book just glosses over this scene making no further mention of Jan's reaction to the disturbing information. The author gives no reason why Jan stayed with her husband many long years until her death. Was Jan Overton crippled by low self-esteem or mental illness? Why would she stay with a diabolic man? Was there more to the story? Like her husband, it seems she lived a double life. She was an outgoing school official with a terrible marital secret which tragically became her demise. Their relationship begs for more explanation and insight. This is where the book falls short.

What I like about this book is the perspective. "Final Affair" focuses almost entirely on the investigation into a potential murder, leaving the trial to just enough information to let the reader know what happened. I like this perspective, especially as one of the authors is one of the investigators. In fact, until it finally dawned on me that one of the authors worked the case, I was wondering how the book had so much detail.
A great strength of the book is that Timothy Carney resisted the temptation to glorify himself or wander off into some sort of ego trip. In this respect, he is more successful than the much more famous Vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi's books are very, very good, but his ego gets terribly irritating at times, and that doesn't happen here. "Final Affair" is not comparable with Bugliosi in other respects, but it's still very good in its own way.
The book is restrained, almost understated at times. Carney is well developed as a character, which he should be under the circumstances. Both his flaws & his strengths are shown. The book is well paced. It is a solid, quick read. A particularly interesting aspect is Richard Overton's arrogance.
Solid true crime that succeeds in being different from the standard fare because of the authors' unusual perspective and the portion of the story that is told. It might make a good movie.
A deployed Soldier, I got to read this book for free thanks to people's donations of free books for Soldiers, a great program.

One reviewer used the term "workmanlike" to describe the writing in this book, another describes it as "plodding". These are both good descriptions of how I felt about the reading experience. This is definitely not a sensational blood-and-guts type of true crime book. It is a detailed and methodical account of a police investigation. It left me wanting more insight into the psychological makeup of con-man, bigamist, and murderer Richard Overton. This is another book I wish had been written by my favorite true crime author, Ann Rule, because she delves into the criminal's past and psyche. This book is written from a cop's point of view, and saying repeatedly that Overton was a "piece of work" is about as psychologically complex as it gets. The book is, however, very clear and well-written in a very straightforward way.

The detective wrote this book of his own behind the scenes experiences working with a murder case. Previously working in narcotics, the book begins with an "edge of your seat" drama about the perils of being undercover. After being transfered to homicide, he then stumbles upon the unsolved death which the other detectives think nothing of. His explanation of this murderer's psyche is detailed and interesting. This book is less sensationalistic than many true crime novels. The objective tone gives it credibility.

Final Affair was not like anything I've ever read before. It's the story of a detective who opens the Overton 'cold case file'. There are a lot of people against him, people who don't think that a woman's death was suspicious. Slowly he unravels various clues that were missed before. It's shocking to see just how far one man will go. This was a great book, and a really quick read.

against all odds; picking up a cold case of a woman who appeared
to die of natural causes; going against even his peers who he worked with who hadn't done any investigation into this case; Well written, to the point and no sensationalism. I love true crime stories like this; it demonstrates what intelligence, caring and tenacity can accomplish. And pity Janet Overton's killer husband who always believed (wrongly I might add), that only a superior intellect mattered in life. I guess I was a little surprised that the first trial ended in mistrial- there was so much evidence-- oh well, in the end, Richard Overton went to jail for his act of murder.

I'd like to tell the reader from Shenendoah Valley and any other reader that there is a book called "The Twisted Badge" which profiles the financial corruption that Jan Overton and other school officials perpetrated while serving on the board. I happened upon it in a used bookstore and recognized the name. I'm not sure if the book is still in print.

KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE ALL THE WAY. TRUE STORY AND VERY REWARDING TO KNOW WE HAVE SUCH WONDER OFFICERS. TIM CARNEY IS RELENTLESS.