Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Carlton Stowers (Author)

Book Description

Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library | Publication Date: August 3, 2004

An unsolved murder spree that left a town frozen in fear...
In rural Texas, just before Christmas in 1984, a young nurse was found raped and murdered in her Wichita Falls home. Within weeks, a second woman was found-her brutalized body dumped in the frozen Texas plains. Over the next seventeen months three more women would fall victim to a faceless evil, fueling the city's fears and baffling authorities whose every lead came to a dead end. For one haunted man the case would never die.

A fight for justice as cunning and relentless as the killer himself...
Almost fourteen years to the day of the first murder, ambitious investigator John Little reopened the cold-case files determined to deliver closure to the victims' friends and families, and bring a killer to justice. Working on his instincts, following every imaginable clue, Little embarked on an ingeniously clever and exhaustive cat-and-mouse game to trap an elusive serial killer whose sick fantasies would finally be silenced forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rural Texas endures a long-unsolved serial killing spree, in this grim suspenser by Edgar Award-winner Stowers (Open Secrets; etc.). The narrative begins in late 1984, when a young nurse is found raped and murdered in Wichita Falls; soon a second, equally brutal murder stokes the city's fears. One indictment ends in mistrial when a third murder occurs; eventually, there are five victims. Faryion Wardrip, a local eccentric with drug and money troubles, and an acquaintance of the third victim, readily confesses to her murder. Paroled after serving 11 years of his 35-year sentence for that one murder, Wardrip, purportedly a changed man, becomes active in a local church and remarries. In a classic instance of "murder will out," however, a hungry young district attorney's investigator named John Little begins working the long-unsolved murders in December 1999 and soon gleans a crucial clue from old reports that might tie Wardrip to the other murders. The book becomes increasingly suspenseful as Little quietly builds his case against the sanctimonious Wardrip, whose composure crumbles when he's finally confronted on his old misdeeds. Stowers demonstrates sensitivity toward the many survivors of Wardrip's crimes, yet at heart this is a gory, effective meditation on the evil sometimes committed by "ordinary" men and the great efforts necessary for justice. 8 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Only Truman Capote's In Cold Blood may match what Stowers accomplishes here." -Philadelphia Inquirer

"An utterly compelling account of outrage, travesty, and redemption. No one does true crime better than Carlton Stowers. No one."
-Jonathan Kellerman

"It cannot be recommended to the faint of heart...the author is as methodical and skillful as Little in the forensic reconstruction of an investigation and trial that provided closure for five families and judgment and a sentence for a killer who eluded justice for 15 years."
--Washington Post Book World

"Carlton Stowers gets it exactly right... Scream At the Sky offers compassion for the victims as well as a balanced, warts-and-all view of each...thanks to John Little, their murders were avenged. Thanks to Carlton Stowers, they will not be forgotten."
--Austin American Statesman

Stowers "deftly portrays investigators' increasing tenacity and Wardrip's trail of deceit and violence, elements contributing to the tension as readers wait for the law to catch up with a bizarre and maddeningly fortunate murderer."-Kirkus Reviews

"The book becomes increasingly suspenseful as Little quietly builds his case against the sanctimonious Wardrip, whose composure crumbles when he's finally confronted on his old misdeeds. Stowers demonstrates sensitivity toward the many survivors of Wardrip's crimes, yet at heart this is a gory, effective meditation on the evil sometimes committed by 'ordinary' men and the great efforts necessary for justice."--Publishers Weekly

"Stowers crams an incredible amount of detail into his narrative. He doesn't rehash the crimes as the prosecutors present new evidence to jurors. He gives readers credit for being able to
remember what they learned earlier in the book. Most important, Stowers presents the murderer as a multidimensional character. Forget 'investigative' TV series. Scream At the Sky is better than CSI or Law & Order, because it's about the real thing."
--Arizona Republic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312998198
• ISBN-13: 978-0312998196
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, March 6, 2006

By 

J. Wilson (Warrenton, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

Scream at the Sky is an extraordinarily well researched and put together book. This is an excellent account of the crimes, the victims, the investigation, and the families, with insight into each of the personalities involved. Wardrip, in addition to being a cold blooded killer is also a compulsive liar and, once in prison, had an ability to mold himself into what he thought others wanted to see. After serving a relatively short period of time, Wardrip supposedly turned to religion and was leading a model life as a valued employee, a respected Sunday School teacher, and a happily married man. The false stories he told others about why he was in prison and his wretched childhood made them sympathetic toward him. If not for the doggedness of DA Investigator John Little, Wardrip may be still out on the streets. Amazingly, Tina Kimbrew's parents decided to participate in the victim/offender mediation program and were sucked into the fairy tale he wove, so they left with feelings of sympathy and forgiveness for Wardrip. As the case unfolds, they, along with many others realize that beneath the mousey-faced milquetoast façade is a brutal serial killer. This is a book I'd definitely recommend.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Leave it to the bricklayer, November 19, 2003

By 

Dave Schwinghammer "Dave Schwinghammer" (Little Falls, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice (Hardcover)

There's not a whole lot of suspense in SCREAM AT THE SKY. If you're like me, you'll look at the pictures first and the first person you'll see is the murderer. This doesn't really ruin the story however because the people involved in these serial killings are so stimulating. Stowers takes us through each of the four Wichita Falls murders, introduces us to the suspects and the police officers involved, and occasionally lets us in on the killer's thoughts. We get to know Terry Sims, Toni Gibbs, Ellen Blau, and finally college student, Tina Kimbrew, whose murder is totally incomprehensible, since she treated the murderer better than any other woman had in his entire lifetime. Apparently he realized this, too, as he gave himself up after her murder (But never confessed to the other murders). Incredibly he only spends eleven years in jail due to good behavior.
This is where former bricklayer, John Little, enters the fray. He's an investigator for the Wichita County DA. It has been fourteen years since the murders and Little has been given the cold case by his boss, Barry Machak. Incredibly, he finds a telling clue immediately. This isn't so hard to believe since it was right there all along, and the other detectives just never followed up on it. And, of course, they didn't have DNA analysis.
Another riveting part of the book was when the Kimbrews agree to try to come to terms with the murderer of their daughter. They go to the prison to talk to him. He's become a Born Again Christian and he assures them that he never really meant to hurt their daughter, that he's never harmed anyone else before or since. The wife forgives him and the husband is about to until John Little begins to make connections between the four murders.
I was a little upset at first that Stowers spilled the beans so early but once I got to know the victims, their families and various law officers I was totally into this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You won't want to put it down, October 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice (Hardcover)

"Scream at the Sky" is the perfect book for true crime buffs. You have 5 young victims brutally murdered and remaining unsolved for years until a dedicated Investigator finds the killer. While I do believe giving the reader more insight into what made Faryion Wardrip tick, the book was nonetheless a page turner from start to finish. I don't believe however, that Wardrip just went off on these women. I believe he stalked them, knew their habits and when he could catch them off guard. It's a shame that the mousey faced Wardrip caused so much pain for so many people and was able to escape justice for so long. The world needs more people like Investigator Little. Read the book, you won't be disappointed.