Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathryn Casey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2010

Hero, Husband, Father . . . Monster?

In Creekstone, Texas, a small, quiet suburb of Houston, football was king . . . and David Temple was a prince. A former high school and college gridiron star-turned-coach, he had a fairy-tale marriage to bright, vivacious Belinda Lucas, a teacher at the local high school who was so warm and popular her colleagues called her "The Sunshine Girl."

The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda's lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range. She was eight months pregnant.

There was no damning evidence directly linking the brutal murder to husband David, who stood by emotionless and dry-eyed as police searched the crime scene. But a dogged eight-year investigation would expose a shocking history of cruelty and domination, infidelity and rage—ultimately resulting in an epic courtroom battle for the ages—as the scandalous truth was revealed about love betrayed and innocent lives . . . shattered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kathryn Casey is one of the best in the true crime genre," --Ann Rule

"Casey's vivid writing and dogged research establish her as one of the very best true crime writers in the business," --two-time Edgar winner Carlton Stowers, author of Careless Whispers

"Casey stakes her claim as one of the best in the business," --M. William Phelps author of Love Her to Death

About the Author

     Kathryn Casey is an award-winning, Houston-based novelist and journalist, the author of six highly acclaimed true crime books. Ann Rule calls Casey: "one of the best in the true crime genre." Over two decades, Casey has chronicled sensational murder cases across Texas. In addition, Casey is the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. SINGULARITY, the first in the series, was included in Booklist's best crime novel debuts of 2009, and Library Journal named the third in the series, THE KILLING STORM, one of the best books of 2010. Casey's protagonist is a Texas Ranger/profiler headquartered in Company A, Houston.  
     Casey has appeared on Oprah, Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network, Court TV, Biography, Nancy Grace, E! Network, Investigation Discovery, and A&E.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper (June 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061582026
• ISBN-13: 978-0061582028
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > True Crime
  • #82 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem

More About the Author

Hello to Everyone:

Amazon's suggestion is that I use this space to tell you a little about myself. So, I'll try: I'm an immigrant to Texas from the upper Mid-west, but I moved here in the early eighties so I consider myself a naturalized Texan. Houston is an amazing place to live, exciting and full of life. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I ventured into true crime writing purely by accident. I was working at Houston City Magazine in the eighties when a fascinating murder took place in the Big Thicket, the wide expanse of pine forests that meld Texas and Louisiana. My editor suggested I cover the case. I did and, from that point on, I was hooked. I've never looked back.

Since then, I've written six true crime books: "A Warrant to Kill," is on Houston's Kent McGowen case, that of a murderous deputy and the woman he terrorized. Next came "She Wanted It All," on Austin's incredible Celeste Beard case. It's hard to beat that one for twists and turns!

2007 introduced "Die My Love." It's an account of the Piper Rountree case, that of a Houston attorney and her professor ex-husband, Fred Jablin. The book is a fascinating, in-depth look at a train-wreck marriage that ended in a tragic murder.

June 2008 debuted "A Descent into Hell," on Austin's bizarre Colton Pitonyak case. Then, that November, "Evil Beside Her," a rerelease of "The Rapist's Wife," my first book, with a new title, cover, photos and an update. Last year, "Shattered" hit bookstores, an account of the tragic case of Belinda Temple, a young mother murdered by her football star husband.

My foray into fiction began in 2009 with the birth of a mystery series featuring Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong, a single mom, investigator and profiler. The series started with "Singularity," followed by "Blood Lines," and "The Killing Storm." All the books have garnered stellar reviews, and the third was named a best book of 2010 by Library Journal.

There's been little publicity for any of my work, so it's all word-of-mouth. Yet that's carried "A Warrant to Kill" into a ninth printing and "She Wanted It All" into a seventh. "The Killing Storm" was only out for a few months when it went into a third printing. Truly remarkable!

The credit goes to all of you who read the books and recommend them to friends and family. Keep up the good work! Spread the word! It's appreciated!

I'm not sure how often I'll check in here, but you can always peruse my website: kathryncasey.com, to keep abreast of upcoming events and new books. And email me at [e-mail]. I'll look forward to it!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parental Denial Created a Time Bomb, July 6, 2010

By 

Jan Genovese (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Don't all of us wonder why some people cross the line and commit murder? As an avid True Crime reader, that is all that matters to me--WHY? And Kathryn Casey, the master of True Crime, never disappoints. David Temple seemed to be a cherished son of Texas and certainly the "All-American Boy" with his superb football skills. He had an intense and charming demeanor which was seemingly irrestible, especially to certain women. He was adored by his parents and brothers, to the extent that all of them seemed to overlook or simply ignore his dark side, and there were plenty of warnings that it existed. Casey lists all of them. Did the delightful Belinda Lucas fall so desperately in love with this overbearing man because of her equally overbearing father? Certainly that's one explanation, but fall she did, to her enormous peril. There are some who still question that David Temple marched his eight-months-pregnant wife upstairs while holding a shotgun to her head and executed her, but I have no doubt he committed this chilling crime because of all the family background supplied by Kathryn Casey. I'm sure his parents (who never chastised David for anything--BIG parental lesson here) still consider him innocent of killing their daughter-in-law and granddaughter, but in this case the jury got it dead right. It's a true cautionary tale, well worth the read.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Katherine Casey hits a home run with this story, August 27, 2010

By 

Mike Schrader (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

As a neighbor and trial witness for this case, I can say that Ms Casey does an outstanding job showing readers what a wonderful person Belinda was and what a monster David had become. I agree with many other reviews in my assessment that David was coddled and never had to take responsibility for his actions.
She shows the reader that the Temple family circled the wagons around David and acted like THEY were the victims. When Belinda and Erin were the true victims, as well as all of Belinda's family. How insulting that Belinda'a parents were not even contacted regarding their daughters funeral arrangements...unreal.

All of what is said about the Chow, Shaka, is true. One day my wife and I were sitting in Belinda's front yard with her, Evan and Shaka. I tried to befriend Shaka and even with Belinda beside me talking to calm Shaka, that dog would have torn into me if not restrained.

I have a sneaking suspicion that David is not held in such high esteem in the Texas Penitentiary system, and rightfully so.

I feel mostly for Evan and what he will be dealing with in the coming years.


This is a MUST read for all true crime readers.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Case That Proved Blood Is Thicker Than Water, July 2, 2010

By 

Kim Cantrell "Soap Box Bandit" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Belinda Temple was loved by all: her fellow teachers, students, her family, her husband's family.

Yet she was a troubled woman, suspecting her husband David of having an affair.

And her suspicions were right on target. David was sleeping with one of his fellow teachers, Heather Scott.

When Belinda, eight months pregnant, was found murdered in her home one afternoon by her husband, police were determined to catch the person who would commit such a cold, brutal crime.

David, of course, was their first suspect. As the evidence continued to mount, it was obvious he was the ONLY person who could have killed his wife and his unborn daughter.

But the Temple family wagons would circle and if not for the determination of one police investigator and a tough-as-nails prosecutor, David Temple might still be free today; free to live with his mistress-turned-wife and, possibly, kill again.

Kathryn Casey doesn't disappoint true crime fans with her latest book that grabbed many people's attention when it aired on 48 Hours Mystery. More in-depth than the hour long television show, Casey creates a book that's extremely difficult to put down.

Definitely add this one to your true crime reading list!