Murder in Memphis [Hardcover]

Dorris Porch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997

A riveting true story of love, loyalty, betrayal and murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In 1977, Debbie Groseclose's body was found in the trunk of her car at a library in Memphis. What her family later found out was even more horrible: Debbie's husband had hired men to kill her. Three men, including Bill Groseclose, were convicted of murdering Debbie; yet 20 years later, they have yet to meet the death sentences imposed on them. Debbie's aunt and sister have detailed the heartbreaking effects of the crime on their close-knit family, from Debbie's grandparents to her young children. Their personal insight into the suffering that such a crime can bring to the survivors is stirring, and their frustration with the legal system, which has kept the killers alive through appeal after appeal, is sharply rendered. Some readers may wish for more detail about the killers and the actual crime, much of which is brought out only in verbatim trial transcripts. Less a conventional true-crime book than a personal account of murder's aftermath, this is recommended for general collections.?Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: New Horizon Press; F edition (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882821571
• ISBN-13: 978-0882821573
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,742,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will make your blood boil, February 6, 2001

By 

Leslie Dawson (Kennebunkport, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in Memphis (Hardcover)

I love true crime, but I approached this book with some misgivings after realizing the authors are close relatives of Debbie. I feared they might not be objective, might be overly emotional, and might not be very good writers. I need not have worried. Their prose is excellent and they stick to the facts of this brutal, horrifying crime. The writers do reveal the family's emotions from the time of Debbie's disappearance through the long quest for justice (just as we would wish them to do), but never with histrionics. The strongest emotions this book arouses will be those of the reader. You cannot help but feel tremendous sorrow and compassion for the victim and her family. Later, you will feel outrage as a Federal judge thwarts the administration of justice at every turn.

This is one of the best examples you will ever read of the infuriating imbalance in our justice system wherein the "rights" of convicted murderers are allowed to far outweigh the rights of their victims. Were it not for her courageous and determined family, Debbie would have been wholly depersonalized and forgotten--even as her cowardly and cruel killers were being fawned over and lavished with every excess of "rights" that our justice system can dream up. You will not be able to put this book down.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Memphis: The True Story of a Family's Quest for Justice, May 17, 2006

By 

B. L. Norton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in Memphis: The True Story of a Family's Quest for Justice (Paperback)

I've read many true crime books and this one is a favorite. I absolutely could not put it down. The crime was horrific but the book is very well written and your heart will bleed for the family.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent page turner, December 8, 2005

By 

L. Jonsson (Charleston, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in Memphis: The True Story of a Family's Quest for Justice (Paperback)

It breaks my heart to read what Debbie Groseclose's family went through after her murder. Beware, the court descriptions of what happened to her as she was killed are very graphic. A great read. It reads like a fictional mystery book but the fact that you know everything that happened in the book actually happened makes it chilling.