When Evil Rules: Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Michele R. McPhee (Author)

Book Description

Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library | Publication Date: August 4, 2009

The Cape Cod beach town of Falmouth seemed like a lovely place to visit. But those who lived there year-round knew its other, darker side… Local businessman and infamous bully Melvin Reine had started setting the homes of his so-called enemies on fire. Few of his victims—or even the police—ever dared to implicate him. Because those who did would pay the price…

Mysterious events kept creeping up in Falmouth. The disappearance of Melvin’s wife, a dead man found in a cranberry bog, a teenager slated to testify against Melvin who boarded a ferry, never to be seen again—was Melvin somehow responsible? Only one police officer, John Busby, had the guts to press him for answers. One day he found himself on the wrong end of a sawed-off shotgun…but managed to survive the attack. This is the shocking true story about what can happen to an all-American town WHEN EVIL RULES.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A TOWN UNDER TERROR

The Cape Cod beach town of Falmouth seemed like a lovely place to visit. But those who lived there year-round knew its other, darker side… Local businessman and infamous bully Melvin Reine had started setting the homes of his so-called enemies on fire. Few of his victims—or even the police—ever dared to implicate him. Because those who did would pay the price…

A CRIMINAL PROTECTED BY CROOKED COPS

Mysterious events kept creeping up in Falmouth. The disappearance of Melvin’s wife, a dead man found in a cranberry bog, a teenager slated to testify against Melvin who boarded a ferry, never to be seen again—was Melvin somehow responsible? Only one police officer, John Busby, had the guts to press him for answers. One day he found himself on the wrong end of a sawed-off shotgun…but managed to survive the attack. This is the shocking true story about what can happen to an all-American town WHEN EVIL RULES.

With 8 pages of compelling photos!

About the Author

Michele R. McPhee is the bestselling author of A Professor's Rage, A Mob Story, A Date with Death, and Heartless—all available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks. The former award-winning Police Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News, she was the courts and crime reporter for the Boston Herald where she is now a columnist. Currently she is a New England correspondent for ABC News and a Fox 25 TV contributor. A Date With Death was the basis for a Lifetime TV movie that aired in January 2011. She was also story consultant for the Lifetime movie “Who Is Clark Rockefeller?” that aired in 2010.

 

McPhee’s true crime stories have appeared in more than a dozen national magazines, including Maxim, Stuff, Cosmopolitan, New York, ESPN the Magazine, Gotham, Manhattan File, and other international publications. She was the host of two Court TV Mugshot specials and her reporting is also featured in the A&E TV special Crime Ink, and the Discovery series called Rats. Her journalism has taken her to crime scenes across the country and has made her a commentator on breaking news for CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Network. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime; Original edition (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312947755
• ISBN-13: 978-0312947750
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unbelievable, October 29, 2010

By 

Rene Boulay "Rainman" (Middleborough, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When Evil Rules: Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

Excelent book. to use a cliche " a real page turner ". Very well written. Seems hard to believe that this can happen in this day and age. Have passed this book along to two friends and they feel the same way as I do.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When Evil Rules - A True Story of Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod, August 22, 2011

By 

Jim Smith (Beverly, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Evil Rules: Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

"When Evil Rules", written by Michele McPhee, describes the crimes committed by Melvin Reine in Falmouth Massachusetts. It also investigates the interactions between Melvin, and the local area police forces.
I have had an interest in New England crime and law enforcement for a long time. When I saw this, I was definitely interested in reading it. When Evil Rules followed a time line, had interesting photographs, and described Massachusetts well. It kept my interest throughout. Overall, A decent book which I would recommend.
Another Massachusetts crime book that I would recommend reading is "A Scream on the Water", written by Margaret Press. It describes the murder of Martha Brailsford in Salem Massachusetts.

16 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! liberal zen "liberal artist" - political agenda, September 7, 2009

By 

H. Walsh "hwalsh" (Cupertino, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Evil Rules: Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

There is an agenda here but it happens to be on the part of liberal zen "liberal artist" who it appears from his/her review didn't like the story because of who wrote it rather than the content. God forbid LZ ever read Liberal Fascism by Goldberg. But that's another story all together.


The book is short and well written. As far as I can tell it fits the facts available from the Cape Cod Times story of September 2005 and other news outlets. LZ's review appears to be an attempt at censorship through pear pressure, a tactic of wackos from all over the political spectrum who want others to believe(not think) as they do. I recommend the book to anyone interested in true crime and police corruption regardless of your feelings for the author.