Over the Edge (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Michael Fleeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2004 | Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library

He Called It A Tragic Accident.
On a May evening in 1998, the idyllic marriage of wealthy Lake Tahoe couple Peter and Rinette Bergna ended in a crush of metal as their truck plunged 800 feet down a Sierra-Nevada mountainside. Peter was thrown from the vehicle and lived. Rinette, strapped in her seat, died on impact. In time, the grieving widower would meet a new woman, and put the tragic past behind him. Two-and-a-half years later, his life took another fateful turn...

Authorities Called It A Crime.
Bergna, esteemed art appraiser and son of one of California's most prominent attorneys, was indicted for the murder of his wife. Was Rinette's death really an accident-or deliberate homicide to free a controlling killer from a financially and emotionally trying marriage? The contradictory twists and turns of the case resulted in a hung jury. But it was the second trial that would yield even more surprises as a divided community waited for the final stunning verdict.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Fleeman covers show business for People magazine in Los Angeles. Before joining People, he worked for the Associated Press, covering such high-profile stories as the two O.J. Simpson trials and the Oklahoma City bombing trial of Timothy McVeigh. He lives in Altadena, California, with his wife Barbara, and their two children, Katherine and Scott. He is also the author of "If I Die...", The Stranger in My Bed, and Laci.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031298703X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312987039
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Over the edge with boredom!, September 12, 2005

By 

ihgr (Albany, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over the Edge (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

In the first few pages the crime is committed. The remaining 250 plus pages are devoted to rehashing the crime; over and over and over again. Although Peter Bergna was convicted of murdering his wife, the reader never finds out his true involvement in her death. Likewise, we're not given a definitive motive. The entire book is speculation, guess work, and accusation. Put together, it makes for a very dull book.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars YAWN ... Wake Me When It's Over, January 2, 2007

By 

E. J. Kennedy (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over the Edge (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you have trouble sleeping, this book is for YOU! The author rehashes the same facts of the crime over and over as if he was chewing on a tough steak. I never got a sense that I knew or even cared about the people involved and that includes Bergna, the victim, either family, their friends, the police officers or the attorneys. It was as dry as reading a deposition. And this is the first true crime book I've read in my entire 20+ years of being a devoted true crime fan in which, after finishing the book, I'm still not convinced the accused did it! The only thing that kept me plodding through it was the hope that nestled somewhere inside its sleepy pages was a sensational blockbuster that would blow the lid off the whole case and cause me to bolt upright in my armchair. Sadly, that moment never came and the book ended with more of a whimper than an explosion. My only regret (other than buying it) is that it's impossible for me to give it less than a one star rating.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Redundancy., December 8, 2005

By 

Upstate New Yorker (upstate New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Over the Edge (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

An interesting true crime story whose appeal is diminished by the author's unnecessary repetition of the facts. Story could have been told in half the book's length.