Customer Reviews

Gone Forever: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks))

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Very interesting read about a super smart, driven woman, Susan McFarland, who for reasons unknown to her family and friends marries loser Rick, who can never quite keep it together, can't hold a job, has ADD (but doesn't take his meds), and is a compulsive shopper. Susan has 3 kids with this guy. Rick is a not so great stay at home dad, who by some accounts is abusive and medicates his kids with various adhd meds, when the mood strikes. Finally Susan has had enough. When she starts plotting a divorce, and in turn, Rick starts plotting her murder. The psychology of Rick McFarland is truely mystifying, and this book leaves you asking many questions about this couple. Fanning managed to score interviews with friends and neighbors of the couple, who provide a disturbing look into the marriage of Rick and Susan, and how their 3 young sons fit into the picture. The actual murder of Susan and attempted cover up, left me wondering, is this guy crazy? an idiot? or a combination of both. Strange and intriguing story I recommend to true crime fans.

the cover says something to the affect no one knew what happened until he spoke... well he never spoke, i keep waiting and reading and nothing, the book ended and he never admitted anything it leaves you to read between the lines... i was very disappointed... to read the whole book and still not REALLY know what went on...

This is an excellent study in human behavior and why people stay in bad marriages. Even when the acts by a spouse are unacceptable, people look the other way or assume that the person is just "weird." People tend to think that there will be a change. As an abuse survivor, I can tell you that most often the bad behavior doesn't change. I'm sorry that Susan did not get out in time. I'm sorry for her children and family. Hats off to those who dared speak up. Fanning's writing is first rate. After I read Gone Forever I delved into her other books. Great job.

Diane Fanning just keeps getting better! In this most excellent written piece of true crime, Fanning tells the story of Richard McFarland and how he came to murder his wife, Susan. It is a very sad tale about a man with adult ADHD and other undiagnosed mental difficulties who out of a pure need to control kills his wife Susan, the breadwinner of the McFarland family and dearly loved by friends, in the presence of at least one of their three young boys. What keeps this story really interesting is some of the conversations Richard McFarland has with others during the time they are looking for Susan. Wow! Talk about crazy!

What is probably the most heartwrenching though is the end of the book wherein Ann Carr, sister of Susan, is attempting to find homes for the three boys but no one seems to want these emotionally bruised children. I cannot understand for the life of me why her own family, despite their ages, would not at least make the effort themselves, as would most families.

A very well written story. It is one more story of spousal murder, but it is a very interesting one and well worth reading. The conversations that McFarland has with officers and others alone are what keeps you reading.

The Good: The author obviously did her homework on this case. It is clear that she obtained in-depth information from all of those closely involved in the case and those that knew and loved Susan McFarland. The story is told in a comprehensive manner, leaving no questions as to what happened in the before, during, and after of the crime.

The Bad: The actual writing is a bit amateurish. The author attempts to end most chapters with a "shocking" cliff-hanger type statement, however, the story is compelling enough on its own to keep the readers turning pages. This use of techique is not warrented and slightly annoying.

The author's use of detailed descriptions of certain buildings, events, people, etc. is somewhat inconsistent and again unnecessary. They happen spottily and are mostly a distraction from the larger story.

The author makes grandiose statements regarding acquaintance's thoughts and feelings, which are rather over-stated and dramatic for drama's sake. They come across as cheesy and really do nothing to enhance an already dramatic story.

Finally, some of the conversations between characters could have been paraphrased for clarity, as they were slightly confusing and hard to understand at times. There are other inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and minor holes that a good editor should have caught before this book went to press.

The Ugly: I was shocked and angered that no one in Rick's or Susan's families took their children in after their horrible experience. This, to me, is almost as bad as the crime itself. Those children will be forever marred by this experience, and I only hope that their adoptive families can somehow help them salvage a somewhat normal life in adulthood.

I am an avid true crime fan, enjoyed the book immenseley. However, halfway through I wondered how such a smart successful woman did not recognize that her husband was mentally ill a bit sooner. The clues were there: sleeplessness, self medication, taking his son's meds, ADD (mis)--diagnosis, compulsive spending on things not needed or wanted, trouble concentrating, money management problems, etc. The neighbors, too--recognized the problems. Other than calling CPS, something needed to be done sooner. What about Richard McFarland being a danger to himself and others? Signs were there way before the murder. The McFarland's family religious fanaticism was also a BIG CLUE! My heart aches for everyone involved, and perhaps this book will help others recognize the need to reach out and get the help needed, just as the afterwood reads.

I felt the book was lacking in depth of background information regarding aspects of the numerous relationships discussed. Many unnecessary tidbits of info are given for no apparent reason. As written, the story could have been streamlined. I would have liked more insight to the reasons why this woman stayed with her husband for so long and why none of her devoted family or friends were willing to help her children in their time of need. The 'stayed for the kids' sake' type of explanations are hollow. That man was doing nothing good for the kids as everyone knew, he wasn't supporting the family financially-quite the opposite, and everyone watched the horrible tragedy play out in slow motion.
And why give fictitous names for the children of the deceased woman only to show a picture of her headstone with their real names on it?
Disappointing read...

I had high hopes for this book based on the Amazon reviews, but it didn't begin to live up to them. It's not badly written-- it just has the too-common flaws of the true-crime genre: superficiality, hero-worship, and an either/or mindset. After finishing the book, I know the facts of the case and the basic biographies of the victim and the murderer, but I still have no idea how he felt murder could solve his problems, or how she continued to reconcile herself to her marriage.

The best true-crime books, I think, are the ones that make us feel as if we know the subjects, and Fanning's book fails completely in this respect.

Luckily it was a Sunday and there was nothing to do when I started the book because it was impossible to put down until the entire story was told. In 278 pages there was so much information about the investigation, the family dynamics, relationships with the neighbors, an unraveling personality and the impact the crime had on all the people involved.

Diane Fanning sure can tell a true crime story.

I purchased this book and "Written In Blood" together, both written by Diane Fanning, an author new to me. "Written In Blood" was so poorly written that I wasn't interested in any more books by this author and put off reading "Gone Forever" for over a year.

I was impressed and surprised by Gone Forever. It was actually well-written. There were a few mistakes in grammar, etc. But, over all, it was a very good, interesting book.

One thing I disliked was that she changed the names of the McFarland children in the book and then included a photo of their mom's headstone with their (real) names on it. Either change their names and leave no reference to their true identity or don't.

As for the case, whatever boiled up inside Rick McFarland that caused him to kill his wife was so secretive that no one expected it. He didn't seem to have the cognitive skills to plan something such as this. His excessive shopping habits, increasing absent-mindedness, and other odd behavior plus sudden behavioral changes seemed to indicate a neurological problem. Not to excuse what he did, but I wonder if there was an underlying cause for it all.

Sue, a Joan Rivers look-a-like, seemed to be a sweet and caring person, but she didn't seem like too great of a mother. By her own admission, she preferred to have her hair done than take care of responsibilities to her children. Yes, she had to work hard because her deadbeat husband wouldn't and continuously created more debt for her. But, she seemed to live for her job, going to work earlier than necessary and staying late into the evening. This left precious little family time by her own choice. I can understand why she'd want to stay away from Rick, but her children should have been more important to her.

I was saddened that her boys weren't kept together and that no relatives would take them. At least they seem to be in stable homes and two of them are together. Hopefully, they will all be allowed to spend time together as brothers.