Die, My Love
by Kathryn Casey
In DIE, MY LOVE,
Kathryn Casey examines the murder of college professor Fred
Jablin. After a short and chilling description of the crime
itself, Kathryn Casey describes the marriage between Fred Jablin and
his wife Piper, a pretty Texas lawyer who seemed to have several people
wrapped around her fingers. A bitter custody battle left her
determined to get her children back at any cost. The last half of
the book details the investigators' tireless painstaking efforts to
track down the murderer and unravel the lies and misdirection.
Was Piper indeed the murderer? How does her look-alike sister fit
into the scenario? Who was where and could the investigators
prove it?
In its presentation of the Jablin marriage, DIE, MY LOVE leaves no
doubt as to the impetus behind the murder. Whether or not Piper
or her sister did it, from the very beginning, the author reveals the
contradictions between Piper's image and the reality behind the image
and her ability to manipulate others. As this split between
fantasy and reality becomes more and more evident, the reader catches a
glimpse of her psychology. Most chilling is Piper's image of
herself as a loving mother who will do anything for her children while
her actions focus more on herself with an inability to see her children
outside the obsession. The investigation itself is perhaps the
most intriguing section for those interested in investigative
techniques. Texas and Virginia law enforcement join together in a
complex case that tracks phone records and all sorts of minute
details. Kathryn Casey does a very good job in tracking the
intricate details without bogging the reader down in tedious minutiae.
First published several years ago in 2007, DIE, MY LOVE has glimpses of
the writer a reader sees in Kathryn Casey's later works. In her
descriptions of the main parties involved, the author provokes an
emotional response, though not as strong as one sees in her later
works. Piper's conception of motherhood sends chills down a
reader. While I would recommend this book to true crime readers
based on the case itself, I would recommend one of Kathryn Casey's
newer books like SHATTERED more, particularly as an entry into her
writing. DIE, MY LOVE is written more in a journalistic style,
whereas, in SHATTERED, the author combines reporting with a more highly
developed writing style to produce a more powerful account in which
readers are taken more inside the crime and the people involved.
In SHATTERED, the victim of the crime stands out more, and the author
pinpoints the twistedness of the crime, not in gory details, but in
images of the small moments. While DIE, MY LOVE is fascinating
for its depiction of the dynamics within Piper's family and for the
details of this particular crime, quite simply, the writer's style has
clearly grown tremendously in the past few years. As such, at
this later date, I would recommend DIE, MY LOVE for readers already
acquainted with the author's work or readers interested in this
case. Newcomers to this author should start with her newest
works. While I enjoyed this book and plan to read more by this
author, the author's more developed writing style in SHATTERED makes
that book truly awesome. DIE, MY LOVE shows only the beginning
strokes of that style.
Publisher: Harper
True Crime
(April 24, 2007)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
|
|
