Lethal Friendship: A Mother's Battle to Put--and Keep--a Serial Killer Behind Bars [Paperback]

Sue Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2005

“Lethal Friendship will break your heart. Yet you will be encouraged—and educated—by Sue Young’s commitment to seeking justice. It’s a story told with difficulty, yet told well.”
—Zig Ziglar, Author and Motivational Teacher

“Sue Young endured one of the most profound tragedies and traumas a mother can face: the abduction and murder of her daughter and then, twenty years later, the specter of early release of her daughter’s killer. This book is her personal account of her ordeal and her faith and her effectiveness. Ms. Young helped mobilize the community and her state to keep a killer contained. And she did it in a way that encourages all of us to fight for justice and humanity. This is a riveting book that reads like a novel but is too, too true—a remarkable and inspirational work by a remarkable and inspirational woman.”
—Dr. Frank Ochberg, Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice and Journalism; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University; Former Director of Mental Health for the State of Michigan

“Sue has the facts dead bang accurate, and the telling of the story is done not only remarkably well, but with a degree of honesty that is almost like a reporter’s detachment.”
—Judge Peter Houk, Chief Judge 30th Judicial Circuit Court—retired

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michigan resident Sue Young won the Michigan Victim Advocate of the Year award, and is a participant in the Victims and the Media Program at Michigan State University’s School of Journalism. Sue holds a BA from the University of Texas and a master’s from Duke University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595344224
• ISBN-13: 978-0595344222
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, engrossing, inspirational. Couldn't put it down., July 1, 2005

By 

Karen Hall (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lethal Friendship: A Mother's Battle to Put--and Keep--a Serial Killer Behind Bars (Paperback)

A friend called me after she picked this book up and spent half the night reading. I couldn't put it down, either. This is the very personal story of a woman whose daughter was murdered by a serial killer. Even a single murder creates many victims. Author and mother Sue Young relates her experience in stunning detail. Her daughter Martha was just nineteen when she was murdered, a student at Michigan State University. Sue Young points out behaviors in Martha's boyfriend, who was Martha's murderer, that in hindsight were warning signs: he was not the trustworthy young man they had thought. She explains the understanding she gained of God as she went through this, and the role faith played in her survival. The author also shows how she regained control of her life after this devastating trauma, and how hard she worked to keep other parents from experiencing what she went through. Sue Young demonstrates the challenges of the criminal justice system; the agony politics can play in shaping it. And how caring, dedicated people can come together to change flaws in "the system." Ultimately, this book is a poignant tribute to Martha. Sue Young shows that "one person can make a difference" and inspires thoughtful action to better our world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Menace to East Lansing, July 20, 2005

By 

R. Turner (Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lethal Friendship: A Mother's Battle to Put--and Keep--a Serial Killer Behind Bars (Paperback)

Having grown up in East Lansing, MI, around the corner from the Young Family (my Dad is the guy mentioned who organized a neighborhood search), and graduated with Martha Sue, I lived in fear of Donald Miller for years. The community was sure he had committed the crimes, but he just couldn't be caught. When he was scheduled for release, it was just another reminder of the frustration of keeping this criminal where he belonged. The book clarified the misconceptions I had for all of these years. I'm glad to see Sue Young is complimentary of the people she dealt with in the justice system (especially since may of these folk are still involved in the system!) I'm gratified to see her experience so eloquently related in this book. Even without the direct experience of knowing the victim, and the neighborhoods, this book is a very good read. I read it in a day. Congratulations to Sue Young for sharing this experience, and once again living this tragedy so that others might benefit from her work and suffering.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down, August 12, 2005

By 

Evelyn (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lethal Friendship: A Mother's Battle to Put--and Keep--a Serial Killer Behind Bars (Paperback)

I knew bits and pieces of this true story before I picked the book up. Still, I was riveted by the story. I wanted to know the details of what happened and in what order. Sue Young has done a great job detaching herself and writing a difficult story. It gave me the creeps yet, by the time I finished the story, it gave me hope. Sue Young has stepped out to crusade for justice and has made a difference. The story warns me about danger signs in relationships and challenges me to fight for what it right.