Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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.

I don't know how you wrote it, but thank you, Sue.

Forensic Psychiatrist Park Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., called Miller a "bad actor, sane, and dangerous to society." Dietz saw through Miller's act, and so did Sue Young.

Miller is where he should spend the rest of his life--behind bars.

Thank you, Sue Young!

Sue Young expresses eloquently the anxiety and frustration of dealing with a system designed more to protect the perpetrator than the victim or the victim's family. She also provides us with the lonely feelings of a mother who knows that her daughter may have been killed by a person she knew but like any mother holds on to the belief that her daughter may still be alive. It is a heartbreaking story full of suspense and hope.
It is a tribute to Sue Young that she was even able to put down in words the tragic event that changed her life forever and that none of us who have children should ever have to experience.

James J. Pecora
Author: Dead End

This is a well written book with more details than could be aired on the 48 Hours: Hard Evidence episode surrounding my second cousin's death. I have not spoken with Sue Young since Martha was killed, but I was aware of the tragedy. This book faithfully describes the struggles to convict and to keep a serial killer in prison. It also depicts a life of faith both on the part of Sue and Martha which is refreshing in this day of irreligious living. I recommend this book to any parent or to any teenage girl who has a controlling boy friend. This book explains why one must get away from them as soon as possible.