Customer Reviews

The Pastor's Wife: The True Story of a Minister and the Shocking Death that Divided a Family (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know Diane Fanning gets a lot of flack, especially since her book is to be the first released on the Casey Anthony story. I liked this one though. I felt it was interesting and moved at a fast pace. It is just so strange someone could be punished so little for taking a man's life (in the first degree--my opinion). As Laci Peterson's mother yelled in open court to Scott..."Divorce is always an option!" AMEN.

The Pastor's Wife
Diane Fanning
St Martins Press
St Martins True Crime Library
2008
Non Fiction/biography/true crime

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

The title of this book is what caught my eye, The Pastor's Wife, because as a pastor's wife, I was first attracted to the book, I had loosely followed Mary Winkler's story when it first came out, so I was familar with the story.
This book was very informative, and presented the facts of the case very clearly, but I came away with the feeling that I didnt hear the whole story, and in fact I felt like Ms. Fanning felt the same way, after reading her Afterword at the end of the book. Mary's side of the story was told, but with Matthew dead it was hard to know his side of the story. We did get a sense of his personality and who he was from the testimony of his family, and also the testimony of others. I did walk away with the feeling that he probably was emotionally and mentally abrasive, and abusive, I had real doubts about physical abuse. But my doubts do not matter. The book clearly explained the case and although it left doubts for me, and for the author too, it truly showed the life and what led up to Mary killing Matthew.
My son who is nearly 16 was really interested in what I thought, was she innocent? Did she have a reason to kill him? There were several questions he asked and I will answer those questions here, No she was not innocent, she was guilty of killing her husband, she killed him, in what frame of mind she did it, I do not know, only she knows, the courts have ruled how they intrepreted the evidence. Did she have a reason to kill her husband? In her mind she obviously did, but in my mind there is never a reason to kill another, life is precious and you cant take back killing someone. Was there reason enough to be afraid for her children's safety? Possibly so, but it was not really shown evidentually, just via her testimony. So the wrap up of this review and actually the case of Mary Winkler is IF you believe she was truthful, then the right thing happened in the court system, If you do not believe her story, I personally had doubts, then justice was not served for Matthew.
Ms Fanning did a wonderful job of presenting all the facts, clearly and precisely and I give this book a 4 star rating.

I read many true crime books. Found this writing to be captivating. Have seen this story covered on television. The book covered the truth in much more detail and answered many questions I had. Would recommend this book to those who enjoy true crime reading.

And really, it's all in the Afterword, as Diane Fanning so thoughtfully includes. It is in the afterword that you will find a short summary of the inconsistencies in Mary's story. The actual story of the crime, arrest, and trial is an intriguing read. We learn important facts about Mary's and Matthew's upbringing. A history of their parts of Tennessee and their denomination - church of Christ, is also included. My mind was playing out each page. I saw the three girls so vividly. I could see the victim and the crime scene. I could hear Mary's voice at her trial.

The Pastor's Wife was my third Diane Fanning book, and I will be starting my fourth one shortly.

Of all the cases regarding spousal murder, the Winklers were not that much different except the victim, Matthew Winkler, was a pastor from the Disciples of Christ church. This book offered more insight than Ann Rule's short story about the case.

Mary Freeman Winkler shoots her husband dead and fled with their three daughters. I felt that the moved slowly at times and the court aspects were pretty boring. Not that I watched this case all that much but I knew about it.

Whether Mary got a fair sentence or the custody the girls who not only lost their father but their mother and was mixed into a heated custody battle are also innocent victims.

The author helps build Mary's reasoning and rationale in understanding how this timid obedient wife could shoot her husband dead that you begin to sympathize with her. Unfortunately, Matthew Winkler is buried and his side can't be told. Except for that, this author did a decent job in examining and explaining the case to me.

I am a fan of Diane Fanning's other book Written in Blood. This book was just as well written, but it seems clear she did not have much insider information from the family....which would be required to get to the bottom of this case. The facts of this case are not in dispute (Mary shooting her husband), just the motivation and intentionality. If you read the headlines and want to know more, this would be a good book for you; however, if you watched the case on CourtTV, you're not likely to have any jaw-popping surprises here. The case is laid out including Mary's defense and the author's questions as to whether she really was abused. But there are no answers.

I've not read the book but I find it shocking that the author, who supposedly did quite a bit of research for this book, never found out that churches of Christ don't use the term "pastor" to refer to their ministers. Makes me question the book even before picking it up.

So where is any acknowledgement of input from Mary's family, her mother, father or sister? None. Where is there any acceptance or input from an expert on abuse, spousal or parental? Nowhere. this is a highly skewed book, as there are too many omissions. The NBC DateLine special indicated even further evidence of something very wrong, even now. The Stockholm Syndrome seems to still be at play, from the beginning when the catatonic widow spoke only highly of the abuser she had killed, till now when she has photos of him with flowers before them in her house. Those kids are being brought up to be highly schizoid: how can you love your mother who protected your from further abuse (e.g., suffocation), and also love the father who abused her and you?
Makes no sense.
And there are so many holes in this story you could drive a truck through. What is the IQ of this woman? She seemed in her interviews to be intellectually challenged, either from emotional trauma or through genetics. Of course, the environment in Selmer, Tenn. is not designed to bring the most from a human being in terms of analytical thinking. Having grown up in the South with a public health nurse who often had to deal with the superstitions of these primitives, I can see perfectly why Mary thought the only way out was to impulsively murder him, after a night of rape and abuse of her baby.
How about giving us a book that will examine Mary Winkler's background and what abuse she is suffering even NOW that her abuser's parents (who probably abused him) have 'forgiven' her.

I feel so sorry for her and those daughters. I only hope that the publicity can pull her out of that place, so she can help other abused women.

I liked this book but would have appreciated knowing a little more about the character.