Customer Reviews

Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read Ann Rule's latest offering within a few days, it is that riveting, and heartbreaking. Ann Rule, who has given us past works of true crime, does an amazing job of piecing together the story of two women who were killed in cold blood for being involved with a man who could not bear losing them. What is even more amazing is that the two women died fourteen years apart - the first, dental student Dolly Hearn was found shot to death and her death was ruled as a suicide, and the second, Jennifer Corbin, young mother of two sons, also found shot dead, and initially believed as a suicide. Only with the sleuthing and investigative skills of the officer presiding over the investigation does the sinister truth surface - that both women were the victims of a ruthless killer, Bart Corbin. Ann Rule manages to convey the victims sympathetically, and their stories are told with great empathy. We feel for these two women who died senseless deaths just because the man in their lives could not bear the thought of losing them. It is also a portrait of a marriage gone bad, of emotional and psychological abuse that drives a young mother to pursue an online affair, only to find out towards the end of her life that even that one refuge from her failing marriage is a lie. This true crime account reads like a work of fiction, but unfortunately, is based on actual events, and it will shock and sadden. Nevertheless, it is a story that deserves to be read, for the world needs to 'hear' the victims' stories, and find relief in justice being served.

Ann Rule's meticulous research means that, as with all her books, we get an insight into the various personalities involved in the case. She's very skilled at pointing out the small personal quirk or even decorating style that makes us feel we know the victims & their killer.

Where the book doesn't work for me is that despite this insight & compassion, she resolutely maintains a good/bad, black/white view of the world that doesn't quite jell with the facts she reveals.

The killer, Bart Corbin, is so bad tempered, nasty, anal, & just plain crazy that it's hard to believe the two murdered women had anything to do with him.

The author is so busy maintaining the "good girl" personae of the two unfortunate victims that we learn little of why they were happy to embark on relationships with him. This, for me, trivializes the tragedy of their deaths. Relying heavily on relatives of the victims for information on the killer's personality seems unwise. Who could be impartial in such circumstances?

Despite the length of the book I learned little of the character & motivations of the killer. On the other hand, the persistence of the investigators in bringing him to justice is detailed in a fascinating & enthralling part of the story.

I'd recommend this book, but with reservations as given above.

I live in the Atlanta area and was very much aware of the media coverage of the Corbin case. Jennifer's death, as you will discover from the book, was first reported as suicide, but no one I knew believed this. Bart Corbin's callousness, not only toward his victims, but toward his children, is truly chilling, and Anne Rule paints a great portrait of two families who are tarnished by that callousness. These were lovely, compassionate women, and Anne Rule helps to see what a great loss their deaths were to their friends and families. At least Jennifer's death caused authorities to re-open Dolly Hearn's case; who knows how many more victims may have been saved by this? This book is, as another poster said, a real page-turner.

Masterful storyteller Ann Rule has presented her millions of readers with another superb account from the true-crime annals, this one set in the burgeoning suburbs of Atlanta and the genteel, flowery city of Augusta. Victims Jenn Corbin and Dotty Hearn are brought to vivid, multi-dimensional life as we are drawn into this complex tale involving two murders more than a dozen years apart. The large cast of characters, including the extended families of both victims and killer, and the law enforcement officers and prosecuting team, are depicted with Rule's customary clarity, fairness, and depth.

Readers will find themselves turning pages deep into the wee hours, unable to put down this newest blockbuster from Ann Rule, the unrivaled best writer in her field.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy ALL of Ann Rule's books, but to me this is her best one yet. It is full of information and interviews, and by the end of the book you feel as if you knew Jenn Corbin & Dolly Hearn personally. Read this book, you will not be disppointed. It is well written and accurate.

Of course there will be be some that disagree with the title of my review but I'm sticking to it! I have every one of Ann's books, and I have not been dissapointed. The lady can tell a story. I purchased this book with seconds to spare before I had to board a plane from ATL to LAX. Oh what a sad story this is.. Bart Corbin(the villan) through his own admission, took two lives for absolutely no reason at all other than to satisfy his own pychotic, demented views: They were going to leave him, and he couldn't let that happen. Two families devasted, children left without a mother, and the senseless loss of a loved one, taken in an instant by a monster. This is a horrible story whether or not you like the way it was written. I wish I could give it 10 stars.

The parallels between Dr. Corbin and Ted Bundy jump out throughout this tale. Each was scorned by a college sweetheart, and that seems to have marked a pattern in their ominous approach to women going forward. While Corbin's was not nearly as murderous in terms of his numbers of victims, the callous way he seemed to walk away from each victim is equally as chilling.

While the media took sensational points of the investigation and made them into sound bites, Ann puts them into perspective for what they really are. And, she goes on to point out that any one of us in an equally untenable situation might find ourselves in such circumstances. She paints Jenn in a human light, and does so for Dolly as much as she can given the passage of so many years. Most importantly, Ann displays the victims families' grief and devout drive to move forward. It brings the circle of life to a complete close, or as close as it can ever get for a victim's family.

Throughout Ann's work, you see who she had the inside ear with. Even so, she does not mete out unfair assumptions to those who chose not to meet with her.

After works such as Never Let her Go, the Diane Downs story, and the story of Deborah Green, it is hard to top her previous work. This is made more difficult due to the intense media coverage of this affair.

However, Ann gives her usual fair and humane treatment in tellling a story that dearly needed clarification.

I read Ann Rule occasionally because I like true crime. This is not her best or her worst, but as usual I pick out a few errors. Here is the biggest faux pas: (pg 354) MOST MEN IN JAIL AND PRISON DON'T HURT WOMEN AND TAKE A HARSH VIEW OF PRISONERS ACCUSED OF KILLING THEM. INMATES CHARGE WITH CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN OR CHILDREN WHO ARE HOUSED IN THE GENERAL POPULATION ARE PRONE TO ACCIDENTS FOR WHICH NO WITNESSES COME FORWARD. Where was Ann's editor when she submitted this? I worked at Montana State Prison and it is full of domestic offenders who have repeatedly hurt, abused and/or killed women. No that is not correct, a very LARGE percentage of men in prison hurt women. Typically other inmates don't like child molesters and target them, but so many inmates are guilty/convicted of domestic violence that those people are not typically a target. Give me a break, you have been writing crime novels for years, how could you have made such an ignorant statement?

Reading anything by Ann Rule is like sitting down to tea with dear friend. Except this friend has tales to tell that are horrifying and true.

And at the end of each book, I can't wait for the next...I can, however think of appropriate punishment for Bart...it's just not printable.

Bart Corbin is one of the strangest individuals Rule has written about to date, and the tale is engrossing and compelling. Ms. Rule writes with her trademark empathy for the victims and attention to the details of the investigation. One of her best yet!