Customer Reviews

A Poisoned Passion: A Young Mother, her War Hero Husband, and the Marriage that Ended in Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Wendi could not even bear to euthanize an animal that probably needed it...but yet she could commit murder casually? And for why? Those 2 bits of info are VERY conflicting pieces of info and the author contradicts herself."

This was written by a previous reviewer and I have to say - Sorry, but the author does NOT contradict herself by giving these two rather contrary behaviors in one person. I happen to know that my own wife would rather shoot a man who was beating a dog with a shovel than to shoot a dog that was biting a man. Me too, for that matter.
Also, yes - it is a bit frustrating because it is heavily sided against the defendant. But reason tells me that nobody from her side would ever talk to the author because they all know deep down inside that SHE DID IT, and their steadfast, noble defense of "family" took whatever integrity they had and flushed it down the toilet.
The writing of this case is rather bland, detached and redundant at times. Verbatim telephone conversations between a murder defendant and her family seems like it might be interesting, but these are not revealing much and tend to ramble on, just filling pages with dialogue. One or two would have been plenty.
I see that the author is usually well reviewed and I'll give her another chance.

This book only provides small details. Gaining information from the local police and the Texas Rangers is only the half of it. They didn't know anything and were willing to close the case after the first week of him going missing. The information provided by San Angelo PD and the Texas Rangers was provided to them.

Diane Fanning should be ashamed of herself. When she started out writing she was so good and did her research. Her last few book read like she copied the trial transcripts and published. This book is so repetitive it could of been a good read with all the players in the story but it was a really snooze. I hope this author will start writing like her earlier book because she is capable of writing a great true crime book.

Of the Diane Fanning true crime stories I have read I enjoyed them all except this one. About all you get in the second half of the book is verbatim letters written from the accused while in jail, word for word police interviews and letters from the accused's parents pleading for their son to get his job back. Most definitely not her best work and little effort to write rather than quote.

I agree with the previous reviewer that Diane Fanning has become an excellent true crime author.

I couldn't put A Poisoned Passion down! She is so right on target about Wendi, the vet from hell!

I usually HATE the trial section of true crime books, but would have loved a trial in this one! I would love to see prosecutors get Wendi or Judy on the stand! Her mother, Judy, is as bad, maybe worse than Wendi. Hope that I'm not spoiling the book for anyone by telling this fact, but you'll have to read it to find out why she had no real trial.

I appreciated the Air Force investigators pushing the investigation, and wonder if the small town police would have pursued Mike's disappearance as vigourously, if not for them!

I would love to find out who the father of Tristan (and maybe Shane???)is and Wendi's comment on this subject near the end really sent my suspicious mind into overdrive!

Don't pass this one up!

To begin this review I have to confess I really like Diane Fanning's true crime books. Unlike a lot of other true crime writers, Ms. Fanning does not merely spit out research she's done on a particular case. She's a talented writer which makes reading her work an interesting experience. That said, in this book, A Poisoned Passion, she gives us regular folk - a veterinarian married to an Air Force Sergeant, who get married, begin a life together. Sounds very small town, but believe me, once you get to know 'regular' vet Wendi Davidson you will see the end of poor Sgt. Severance's days rushing at you. Wendi, you see, is not what she seems. Actually she seems to be one of those dreaded 'borderline personality disordered' individuals, who simply can't have enough drama in her life. Poor Mike Severance becomes her victim only months after they marry. Ms. Fanning's handling of this sad tale is very well done. I won't write here what this small town vet does to her husband before and after his death, but I will say if you like true crime you will be satisfied by the way the material is handled. Yes, it's grisly, but not so that it can't be read.
I know I will be looking at my own vet a little differently after reading this. A good story, well told. I know Ms. Fanning is at work on a book about the Casey Anthony case, which is one I have been following. There are going to be a lot of books written about this case. I know Diane Fanning's will rise to the top of the pile. I have already pre-ordered it.

I personally thought this book was really good, part of that could be because I know Wendi and her family personallyand know a lot of details that were left out, which was a downfall about the book. I have a strong hunch that Wendi did.not kill Mike for so many reasons. Wendi is my dad's cousin and he always said she was the nicest sweetest young lady he knew and she would never do that. But who knows for sure. But all in all good book loved it!

Finished the book yesterday & I was angry. The ghoulish Davidson family makes the Casey Anthony clan look like the Cleavers. It was interesting to look at a family in full blown dysfunction mode. Until I realized that's how they are 24/7. Lloyd Davidson, killer Wendi's father belongs in a rubber room with a straight jacket. Judy
Davidson is one horrific evil beotch who egged Wendi on by her constant, unfounded criticism of Mike Severance. Marshall Davidson is almost as bad as his sister. Thought he could get away with tampering with evidence, lying to police. They are all narcissistic sociopaths, narrow minded, delusional, paranoid miscreants. Don't want to give away spoilers but I didn't like the outcome. To think she could be free to raise her kids & actually get her hands on veterinarian meds again & treat animals is a scary thought. I hope Les Severance stays on top of Wendi's status. It's like I was reading about a family in some parallel universe. But these people who trusted no one out of their small world in Texas & never left the state do unfortunately exist. Mike Severance was a 24 yr old war hero who tried to do right by Wendi. For his troubles his body was found weighted down in a stock pond. Terrible tragedy compounded by the Davidson's hideous treatment of the Severance family after the murder. There's a special place in hell for the hateful Davidson family.

Gina Meek

This text was a swift read and somewhat forgettable. I would have liked a more middle of the road approach rather than guilty by association of this young woman. I failed to see any professional diagnosis of mental disorders the writer continually insinuates. Just another sad story of the fragile human inability to solve problems without violence. I understand this author has done some better work without the flaws of this text and I agree it seems somewhat rushed to publication. More facts and less personal observations would have helped.

patrick

This book was the worst I have ever read!! Poorly written and lacked tons of information as it relates to Wendi and her motives. Don't bother wasting your money on this one.