Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves [Hardcover]

Jane Velez-Mitchell (Author), Nancy Grace (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The true-crime spectrum runs from lurid quickie paperbacks to insightful studies of human behavior. This book, by television commentator Velez-Mitchell, fits somewhere in between. Although its premise is intriguing (the author uses some recent high-profile cases to illuminate the reasons why people behave as they do), it's not developed with much depth. The cases she has chosen are, for the most part, familiar to readers who watch the TV news: Andrea Yates, who murdered her five children; Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his pregnant wife; Robert Durst, the wealthy eccentric accused of murder and dismemberment; Phil Spector, the music producer on trial for homicide; Robert Blake, the actor found not guilty of killing his wife. But her discussions of these cases aren't much more than recitations of the facts. Some readers might find the author's tone a little flippant, too: she may find it funny to call Andrea Yates "the mother of all baby killers," but it's doubtful many readers will. Still, for those who want a straightforward summary of recent celebrities on trial for and convicted of serious crimes, this volume will serve the purpose. Pitt, David

About the Author

Jane Velez-Mitchell frequently guest hosts for Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News and has reported for the nationally syndicated Warner Brothers/Telepictures show Celebrity Justice. A former reporter/anchor for WCBS-TV in New York City and KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, Velez-Mitchell has won numerous awards, including two Emmys for her work in New York City and Los Angeles. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit her website at www.secretscanbemurder.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743299361
• ISBN-13: 978-0743299367
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane Velez-Mitchell is a television journalist and author. She currently has her own show on HLN, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell.

She is often seen commenting on high-profile cases for CNN, TruTV, E! and other national cable TV shows. Velez-Mitchell frequently guest hosts for Nancy Grace on her Headline News show. Velez-Mitchell reported for the nationally syndicated Warner Brothers/Telepictures show Celebrity Justice.

Velez-Mitchell authored the non-fiction book, Secrets Can Be Murder: The Killer Next Door, which delves into the secrets unearthed in more than twenty of the most widely covered murder cases of recent times. The book's premise is that, by studying the secrecy and deceit embedded in these tragic scenarios, we can learn to opt for honesty in our own lives and avoid similar outcomes.

September 2009, Velez-Mitchell released her memoir on addiction recovery titled iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life. "iWant" became a New York Times Best Seller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important book, December 22, 2008

By 

S. E. Rowland "It's your birthright to be cre... (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves (Hardcover)

This is a book of case studies about crime, motivating factors, behavior, and family dynamics. The author does her homework on the psychological aspects of interpersonal relationships and social interaction. She looks at American values, the media, and double standards. Read it to find out more about childhood issues, parenting styles, deviance, and the secrets of what goes on behind closed doors. The truth is not pleasant. I think Valez-Mitchell has some important things to say and I respect her research.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let us hope "Secrets" can bring national change for the better, October 8, 2007

By 

Suzannah B. Troy "artist/writer/youtube Mayor... (New York City, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves (Hardcover)

This book and some details are just too much for me to absorb like "modern day movies" with too much gruesome detail but Jane Velez-Mitchell is just reporting the truth rather than providing mega-bucks hollywood slock aka "entertainment". This book is crucial to be read and for our law makers to make changes nationwide to better protect women from abuse and murder. What is clear are these murderers where giving off plenty of signals or even had criminal records that were neon signs. I hope her book brings change to people's awareness, safety and the "the system" which does not protect the victims. Velez-Mitchell points out that "economic abuse" plays a role in the abuse of women and it can be found at all socio-economic levels. Her point about the how women can be the harshest judges of fellow women blaming them for their own rapes and murders is right on. "Why was she out so late?" "What was she wearing?". I hope this book raises awareness and brings national changes in our legal system, in protecting women and children and state of the art technological warning systems to alert communities of the movements of repeat offenders that our on the outside and we need to ask ourselves how and why the legal system continues to set free people that are so violent. Why is so much hostility and rage towards women accepted in this culture. Read this book and find out Velez-Mithcell's answers and the sad truths about why so many women stay home in what I call "good girl prison" but as she points out men do not stay home because they are not afraid of being harmed. Read this book and I hope Jane Velez-Mitchell "Secrets can be Murder" helps to bring change and prevent unacceptable hostility and rage towards women that is very much accepted in America to successful reforms to protect the innocent and successfully prosecute the guilty. Jane Velez-Mitchell ends on a spiritual uplifting note and she has a list of important resources and she urges readers to get involved! Read this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Worst Crimes, August 13, 2007

By 

Susan Corbett (Keyport, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves (Hardcover)

I am a true crime story/psychology enthusiast and I have seen the author Jane Velez-Mitchell on t.v. many times.(Nancy Grace, Larry King, etc.) As an author, she really has the talent to keep the reader captivated in every detail of each crime and the possible psychological explanations for them. She did an outstanding job on this truly "can't put it down" type book. Bravo!