Customer Reviews

The Surgeon's Wife (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

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

 

 

This is a true chronicle of two very troubled people whose marriage ends in murder. It's been awhile since I've read a true crime novel. Most of the reading I engage in now is fiction, so Crowley's journalistic writing style took some getting used to. Early on, his writing seemed rather choppy and abrupt. Facts were bluntly stated with no follow up. It was left up to the reader to fill in the rest of the picture. It's not bad, just different than the narrative used in most fiction. It may have been Crowley's attempt to remain unbiased, because later in the book, when he was expressing his own opinions, the writing was smoother. I had trouble feeling any sympathy for the victim (Gail Katz Bierenbaum). She was portrayed, for the most part, as a self-centered, spoiled brat. Her husband, Bob, was more complicated...a socially inept genius in the beginning and then an evil psychopath later on. It seemed to me that Crowly was out of his depth when he was describing the psychological profiles of Gail and Bob. Apparently Bob was diagnosed with "untreatable psychopathy" after just one visit to a psychiatrist. Psychopathy is a very broad term that includes many forms of mental illness and it would be irresponsible for a doctor to determine untreatably after one visit. A turning point in the book occurred with the disappearance of Gail. The author seemed to be on firmer ground when discussing actual evidence. The courtroom scenes brought together a lot of loose ends. Despite a shaky start, Crowley delivers an interesting story and leaves the reader with several unanswered questions to ponder.

The Surgeon's Wife is an interesting case about domestic violence and murder. Crowley skillfully shows how tricky getting a murder conviction can be, especially when there is no body! Falsified flight documents, testimony by therapists, and tales of vicious fights told by friends, neighbors and angry ex-lovers help to bring a guilty verdict against Dr. Bob Bierenbaum, 15 years after he killed his wife, Gail. He had fooled many people, but was not cunning enough to evade the law or the jealous, violent side of his personality. Bierenbaum almost got away with murder. He had moved from Manhattan, remarried and was the father of a child when investigators finally get enough evidence to make an arrest. Doctor-patient privacy privelage is one of the highlights of the trial. Truly an intriguing story and a great read.

There are few books I can ever really be gripped by. I couldn't put The Surgeon's Wife down! The best part of the story was the way in which it was told; entirely unbiased. Crowley doesn't just tell a story; you become involved. He unfolds all the peices of the puzzle but never really puts them together for you; you have to do it. At the end during the trial, I felt I was really a part of the jury. I was provided with the facts, and at the same time had to decifer what I knew and what the jury was shown. Do you think you could have made a fair decision with the evidence that was presented to the jury??

It's rare to come across a story that is entertaining and yet invites the reader to participate. If you were a juror, how would you vote? Another aspect that was intriguing is the admission of the evidence. It gave a real account of how the the justice system protects the innocent...or not so innocent. In the end, I think the jury could see through any "coincidences" presented by the defense and made the right and true decision. It really tugs at your moral insides. Wonderful read!!

I am an avid true crime reader and found this story to be on
par with a lot of other true crime stories out there. Most of these follow the same pattern: a crime is committed, an investigation occurs pinpointing a suspect, an arrest is made,
followed by a trial and conviction of the guilty party. This story was no exception. For some unknown reason to me, Kieran appears to be reluctant to make some assumptions about this crime and draw conclusions about the psychopathology shared between Bob and Gail. It was almost as if he wasn't sure of himself or certain of his material. I have read his other book, Burned Alive, and thought he did a better job with that story than this one. Although I wouldn't want to read it again, it was a good story. One story I just finished reading and highly
recommend to true crime readers is A Reason To Live: The True Story of One Woman's Love, Courage and Determination To Survive. This is an awesome book.

This story is very interesting and would have become an excellent true crime book, provided another author had written it. There is a complete lack of background information on the victim as well as on the murderer: only the most basic, superficial facts are stated. We are left in the dark as to why Gail was so unhappy in life, or why Bob turned out the way he did. Imagine if Ann Rule had written this story! What a difference it would have made. Also, I dislike Crowleys way of portraying the victim as a person with almost no positive qualities. He is far from unbiased here, and he doesn't even hesitate to go inside Gails mind and relate what she felt and thought when she tried to commit suicide. In my opinion, this is a most unethical behaviour on part of the author.

Crowley takes an unusual tack for a true crime writer here -- he paints the victim as a VERY difficult person, and both the victim and the killer as psychologically unstable. Other reviewers here seem to think that makes the story unbiased; I'm not sure I agree, but it's certainly a lot less black-and-white than the typical Ann Rule account. I have to agree with what other posters are saying about not feeling as if we have all the facts & wondering if justice was carried out here, but IMO that was the author's point. I think there must have been a dearth of information about the case when Crowley was writing about it. Like another poster I would have liked more background information on these two people to get some idea of how they turned out this way. But overall I recommend it; the widely copied Ann Rule formula is not the only way to tell a story like this -- I liked this approach & would be very interested to read Crowley's next book, esp. if he can hone his story a bit.

In a style that reads like a gritty novel, Crowley has managed to write an outstanding book. He manages to convey a gripping tale, somewhat American Gothic in content, that feels its way through parts of three different decades. And although the publishers choose to indeed reveal the ultimate conclusion on the backcover (thus robbing it of the all-elusive 5 star rating), it was, nevertheless, a great pleasure to read.

What's the "problem"? It's that the author reveals the ENDING right on the back cover! This turned SW from a true crime nail biter into a scaled down arrest and prosecution tale. The result is still worthwhile, just not what it might have been. Read on: SW concerns the 1985 demise of Gail Bierenbaum. The prime suspect is husband Robert, a Manhattan doctor. (The couple lived in a "deluxe apartment in the sky" within the apartment building used on the old "Jeffersons" TV show.) Investigators had some obstacles: There was no body, no murder weapon, no witnesses, no true motive, no confession, no physical evidence, no time of murder and no crime scene! There was even a witness who allegedly saw Gail ALIVE after the supposed time of her death. With the right defense and some breaks from an even- handed judge, Bob Bierenbaum had an outstanding chance of walking free. Furthermore, Gail and Bob, for all their heavy baggage, were an interesting couple-especially the troubled and troubling wife. Add to the mix a touch of blackmail, a pinch of provocative "cheating", a choking of a cat, a little prior physical abuse, a previous suicide attempt and some highly (!) unprofessional behavior by at least one psychiatrist. (Does anybody remember "doctor-patient confidentiality?)? SW had all the trappings of a first rate potboiler. Why the author chose to reveal the ending at the outset is the biggest mystery in the whole episode. There is still hope! Buy SW but do not read the cover. Go directly to the text and skip the centerfold photos. Doing will so will keep the ending what it should have been-a mystery- and adds a star or two to the rating above. The author is one of his own reviewers: see below. Perhaps he can edit his entry and explain his decision to divulge.

I had not read Kieran Crowley before and now I probably won't again. After reading this book I felt somehow cheated. I have read countless true-crime and murder mystery books and the only reason I finished this one was because I really can't stand not finishing a book. The characters seemed completely undeveloped until the very end, when the author finally seems to come through and add what seemed to be lacking throughout the entire book. I would not recommend this book and would instead direct true-crime readers to Harold Schechter.

I have been a fan of the true crime genre for many years now, and can say that this is the first time I have felt that the victim actually played a part in their own death. This is the story of an obvious sociopath who happens to become an MD. The victim in this story appears more concerned about her status and bank account than she does about her safety or her husbands mental health. The victim knew her husband's rage and continued to stay with him so that he could finance her education and pay for her new lifestyle. I don't see how anyone who knew them would later be surprised that it ended in such a horrific manner.