Customer Reviews

A Warrant to Kill: A True Story of Obsession, Lies and a Killer Cop

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have this friend who loves true crime books and after reading this I've decided to stick a copy of "A Warrant to Kill" in his Christmas present this year. It's a super book, so engaging. I got in trouble at work because I couldn't put it down. I wish there were more books like this. I love Ann Rule's books and I can see why she recommended this one. You have the same feeling you know the people and the places at the end that you do when you read one of her books. I'm from Houston and this book really has a sense of place.

I feel a short review of books like "Warrant to Kill" are best because no one, however unintentionally, should give away the ending of a true crime story. Set in Houston, WK is a first rate tale of murder of an innocent woman by a police officer. It is obvious early on that this cop never should have been issued a badge. I found WK personally disturbing because I believe there are more bad apples on most big city police forces than we care to admit. The resolution of the crime will definitely leave many readers dissatisfied. This is no fault of author Casey. Was justice done in this instance? One will just have to read WK to find out for themself. What I've always termed the "Ann Rule rule" is in effect! Do not read the centerfold pictures until the end! As in many true crime tales, they give away the ending. Why do editors permit this? WK is an absolutely safe choice for true crime fans, especially those that live in Texas. Recommended!

Casey has done an excellent job of putting the reader smack in the center of the action - clearly the result of exhaustive research and an understanding of the people involved. She's sympathetic toward her victim while at the same time acknowledging Susan's mistakes and misguided efforts, and she takes the reader step-by-step through the process that allowed Kent McGowan to retain his badge and plot his awful schemes. It's terrifying to think that such things happen in America today - cops can stalk and target the innocent and get away with it - but this book serves as both an eye-opener and a cautionary message: Power in the wrong hands can be lethal.

A must-read for true-crime fans - or just fans of good writing.

Sometimes I wonder if we're all reading the same book. I read Warrant to Kill a couple of months ago and still haven't been able to put it out of my mind. First, there's the bad cop, Kent McGowen. There's no way that guy should have been wearing a badge. What kind of a system not only lets him get one but, after he's been found to be unworthy, go blithely from one agency to another. Other officers knew this guy was a danger, but no one did anything. Two psychiatrists said this guy should never be a cop.

Secondly, there's the victim, Susan White. Sure, she wasn't the greatest mom, she had a lot of problems and had lived a tumultuous life, but she tried. Even at the end, she kept working to pull her life back together. She wanted what we all want, happiness. She just didn't know how to get it. Somehow, like a lot of people, she had money and love confused. No matter what she did, she certainly didn't deserve to die. What I found so intriguing about this book is that the author didn't gloss over White's human foibles. She treats both McGowen and White as real people, and that's precisely why this book is so powerful. It doesn't give a made for TV version of the story. This is real life at its most fascinating.

I couldn't put this book down. Ann Rule is right, it is an amazing story and wonderfully researched. I enjoyed it so much that now I'm sorry it's over. That it's a real story is very scary. I keep wondering what else this woman could have done. Where could she have gone for help? I haven't read a true crime book I've enjoyed this much since "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Any mother's vulnerable spot is her child, and any law-enforcement agency's vulnerable spot is an officer who sees his or her job as a string of heroic adventures, rather a series of often tedious, and occasionally rewarding, tasks of public service. In "Warrant to Kill," Kathryn Casey gives us an unblinking view into both. With a fine ear for dialogue and a keen sense of fairness, she presents this true-life tragedy set in an affluent suburb inhabited by people who think they've left big-city violence behind. Knowing Susan White's fate from the beginning of the book in no way lessens the net of suspense Casey weaves. Read it on a crowded plane and you won't even be aware of the kid kicking the back of your seat.

I don't have much time to read, although I love doing so, but when I started Kathryn Casey's book, I had a hard time putting it down. Her research is meticulous and detailed; she must have filing cabinets filled with her findings. Her portrayals of Kent and Susan are thoughtfully drawn and compelling.

Although I knew the outcome of the case, I found myself as interested as though I were hearing the story for the first time. Casey's careful, compassionate voice rarely falters, and she deals evenly with the various characters. Ultimately, she paints a frightening picture of law enforcement in Texas, and her book is thus a wake-up call to police departments everywhere to review their hiring policies and get rid of other potential Kent McGowans. A worthwhile read on several levels.

I have read just about every true crime book out there and haven't been able to find a good one in ages - this book was outstanding - Once I picked it up I was unable to put it down - the author captures your interest from the very start and keeps you wanting to find out more until the very end. I would most definitely recommend this book to everyone!

I found the book a pretty good read. The author is no Ann Rule, but then again, who is?

Kent McGowen is unbelievable. I cannot believe how this sexist pig of a sociopath was even allowed NEAR a badge and gun. His parents seemed to be a big part of his problem (anyone who had the temerity to criticize their boy were "liars" and "possessed by the devil").

Susan White has to be one of the unsympathetic victims I've ever read about. While I am NOT saying she deserved to be murdered, her behavior was appalling. This was a woman who was completely out of control, promiscuous and blind as far as her only child was concerned. All she thought of was money and how she could get ahead in the world, no matter what it took to get there.

That said, I am appalled that Kent McGowen was permitted to stalk this woman and her son with impunity for so long. Perhaps if he had been dealt with earlier in his "career", Susan White would still be alive today. That is, if she didn't kill herself with all the pills she'd been consuming.

I enjoyed the story of the "cop gone bad" in this book, but felt that it was rather poorly written. It also did not go into much detail or offer much insight into the true relationship between Kent McGowen and Susan. Did they ever have a physical relationship? Was Kent just obsessed with Susan? These are questions the author poses, but doesn't answer.

I feel more research should have been done before penning this book. For example, Ann Rule, perhaps the foremost true crime writer in the U.S., offers much more information about the backgrounds of the players in her books, conducts exhaustive research, and always includes extremely insightful psychological analyses.