Customer Reviews

Playing With Fire: The True Story of a Nurse, Her Husband, and a Marriage Turned Fatal (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John Glatt has written another intriguing true crime book. Shelly Michael is possibly the most calculating killer that I've ever read about and she almost got away with it! This excellent page turner kept me up several nights as I followed the riveting investigation by arson detectives that finally lead to her downfall. I highly recommend this book.

I have read all of John Glatt's book's. He is a great writer. This is a good story that is unbelievable you will be asking yourself why??? The whole crime is so sensless. I would of liked somemore background on some of the individual's in the story.
It's a good book but gave it 4 stars as it is not the best John Glatt book I've read.

I enjoyed this book very much. One of the best true crime books I've read. The book was well written and difficult to put down. I found the excellent investigative work of the police and fire officials very interesting and suspenseful. Shelly Michael is a true sociopath. It is almost unbelievable that she would have been drawn to nursing as a profession. It is frightening that someone with no conscience would be working with pediatric patients. The author provides an excellent history of the main characters and offers an explanation as to why Shelly Michael would have killed her husband. When you finish reading this book you won't have any question of the guilt of Shelly Michael.

I usually stay away from St. Martin's crime books because they are generally poorly written with plots that are underdeveloped and boring. However, this is an exception. I saw this story on "Snapped" and wanted to learn more. The author gets all the goods on this killer nurse (sort of reminiscent of the Melanie Mcguire story for all you real crime buffs). Is seems a similar personality of woman commits these crimes. They feel they are better than everyone, especially the men lucky enough to marry them. The feel they deserve to move up their station in life regardless of who it hurts...usually the father of their children! By the way, don't try and look up "Michelle Micheals" on an image search. Yikes. Loved the book.

"Playing with Fire" by John Glatt is an interesting account of nurse practitioner Shelly Michael and the murder of her husband Jimmy. The book provided a great overview of Ms. Michael and her life. Mr. Glatt did his research very effectively. If you like true crime books, then I think you'd like this one. It was absorbing, well-written, and had minimal repetition. This is the kind of true crime story that I like - a murder takes place wihin the family by an intelligent person, all evidence points to that person, and the trial results in the conviction of that person. So, all in all, I was satisfied with the book. I would even have to say that the 8 pages of "startling" photos were startling (not shocking!). I liked everything about this book. I do think that potential murderers should read more true crime books to see how difficult it is to get away with murder. The camera is always watching.

Also interesting. Even though many technical and scientific aspects of the case are introduced, the reading never becomes tedious.
This is a rather compelling story because it's hard to imagine how and why a brilliant. educated woman who really didn't need the insurance money could commit such a needless crime in such a stupid manner.
A real head scratcher.

I've read all of true crime author John Glatt`s books. His earlier books are outstanding works of the genre, while his later books seemed to be lacking.

Which is exactly why I put off reading his 2010 book titled Playing With Fire: The True Story of a Nurse, Her Husband, and a Marriage Turned Fatal until now.

And I regret it.

In this book, Glatt makes a strong comeback with a case out of West Virginia about a Pediatric Nurse Practioner turned murderess.

Michelle "Shelly" Gott Angus was a married mother of two young children working as a nurse at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown when she met James "Jimmy" Michael; also a married father of two young children.

Once Shelly had Jimmy in her sights, she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Following their respective divorces, the couple wed and blended their family in what appeared to be a fairytale setting to those outside looking in.

And it was. Jimmy had started his own business. Shelly had earned her master's degree and acquired the position of Pediatric Nurse Practioner. They had purchased their dream home.

But this fairytale marriage would not end with them living happily ever after. No, instead it would end with Jimmy's fiery death and Shelly behind bars.

Readers are lured in with an intense, very climatic prologue followed by strongly detailed chapters, written in chronological order, beginning with Shelly's and Jimmy's childhoods through his death; ending with Shelly's conviction and sentencing.

As I stated earlier, I wish I had read Playing With Fire much earlier than now. It's a very well written, thoroughly researched book that has landed John Glatt back on the list of my favorite true crime authors.

Saw this story on TV and still wanted to read the book to get more details. She is one frightening person and a huge liar who apparently thought anything she said, someone would believe. I think she did it and so did the jury. She's where she belongs. An interesting lesson about socipaths and trusting them. Poor guy fell for the wrong person. Probably wasn't a good idea to put her on the stand. She lied even in the face of concrete proof (like the video showing her leaving the hospital).

Even her own lawyer said she had eyes like a shark, scary eyes with no soul. I hope she never gets out.

Very interesting read, I recommend it. It always makes me wonder whether sociopaths are born or develop that trait.

John Glatt's true crime books are most always good and this one is no exception. The story of Shelly Michael really gives you an insight into what a horrible person she is and what she did to her husband is hard to believe. Good easy read and true crime folks will like this

Book was in new condition, arrived promptly, well packed, what can I say? what's to complain. I would highly recommend this vendor based on my experience.