Irresistible Impulse: A True Story of Blood and Money [Hardcover]

Robert Lindsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

An account of the fairy tale marriage of California girl Monika Zumsteg to the scion of England's second-wealthiest family describes how Michael Vestey murdered his new bride shortly after their wedding. 60,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coverage in the British tabloids was wilder than usual when Michael Henry Maxwell Telling was tried and convicted for the 1983 killing of 26-year-old Monika Zumsteg, his American-born wife of only 15 months. Lindsey ( A Gathering of Saints ) recounts the major details of this doomed relationship, from the lovers' courtship to the discovery of Zumsteg's bullet-ridden, decapitated body. Telling--heir to the fortune of the Vesteys, England's second-wealthiest family--spent time in mental hospitals as a youngster, and as an adult became a chronic liar subject to violent fits of rage. On a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to buy a Harley-Davidson, while falsely claiming to be a British intelligence agent, he met Zumsteg, a junior executive; within the month he had proposed to her. But his "dark side" emerged shortly after the couple moved to England, and Zumsteg fell into alcoholism and despair. Lindsey covers Telling's six-day trial routinely, and does little more investigating into Zumsteg's American and British days than did the attorneys for the defense and the prosecution, both of whom were determined to blame Telling's murderous behavior on the victim herself. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A life of untold riches and splendor awaited Monika Zumstag, a Californian who was about to marry a quiet, handsome Englishman. Through a chance encounter, Michael Telling, an heir to the Vestey fortune, the second wealthiest family in England, had met Monika's father, who in turn introduced Michael to his daughter. What seemed like a fairy tale soon turned into a gothic nightmare. Upon Monika's arrival in England, Michael's quiet demeanor steadily gave way to wildly erratic behavior, culminating in wild tantrums, with Michael ripping their home apart and attacking Monika physically. Soon, Monika learned about Michael's long history of psychiatric hospitalizations. While trying to help him, she soon became an alcoholic. In one night of terror, Michael shot and killed Monika and then beheaded her. He was found guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Lindsey has written a fascinating tale of disturbed people and dashed dreams. Recommended for true crime collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/92.
- Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671680692
• ISBN-13: 978-0671680695
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,037,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth was Finally Told!, September 26, 2011

By 

Sammye R. Hynes (San Antonio, TX, US) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Irresistible Impulse: A True Story of Blood and Money (Hardcover)

This is a truly sad story and unless you lived it, it's easy to think "Why didn't she know"? In our early 20's in the 1980's was a more trusting time. If you met someone and they were polite, well spoken, seemed a little shy - your first thought was not "Wow he's feeding me a line of garbage". And that was how this entire saga between Monika and Michael began. This story is a real eye opener and Robert Lindsey did a wonderful job of telling the story.

Many thanks to him.

Sam (aka: Samantha in the book)

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, September 5, 2010

By 

Kristal Baker "kristal" (Omaha Ne) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Irresistible Impulse: A True Story of Blood and Money (Hardcover)

This book is a rare find. It will truly be one of the best books you will ever read.
The reason for that is it reads like fiction you will not believe it is true but it all is!!!!! Great true crime book. THe author does a great job!!

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read in a long time, December 14, 2007

By 

Jennifer Wellman "JenniferW" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irresistible Impulse (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book awhile back and it haunts me to this day. A modern fairy-tail princess story gone wrong. Is how I would describe this book. It grabs you from the first page till the last. I feel for Monika's family and all they had to endure. It's on my top ten books to read.