From Publishers Weekly
While no murder is inconsequential, readers have reason to expect that a book devoted to a killing will highlight some aspect that sets that crime apart, yet this account by St. Petersburg Times reporter French makes no such claim. Karen Gregory, a 36-year-old graphic artist from Gulfport, Fla,, was slain in 1984 as she was moving into the house she was to share with her lover. Stabbed 20 times, her one scream was ignored by neighbors; but French's suggestion of an analogy with the infamous 1964 Kitty Genovese case in New York City is tenuous. The police work was undistinguished; the sergeant who solved the case appears to have been doggedly persistent rather than brilliant. In 1987 local firefighter George Lewis was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. French's compassion for the family and friends of the victim is the most notable element here. Photos not seen by PW. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Who are the victims of violent crimes? Is it just the person who was killed, raped or otherwise brutalized, or is it also the friends and families of the victims? Of course, the answer is both, as revealed in this story of Karen Gregory, a 36-year-old graphic artist who, in May 1984, was brutally attacked, raped, and stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. The crime devastated her boyfriend, her family, and her close friends. As the search for the killer seemed to fall through the cracks for want of an answer, her friends and family became increasingly depressed, fearful, and unable to cope. When a close neighbor was arrested and put on trial, they were pushed aside, forbidden from entering the courtroom. All rights apparently belonged to the accused. This book goes beyond being a true crime and courtroom drama; by focusing on the rights of victims, it gives readers a perspective not often told. A worthwhile acquisition for public library collections.- Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"As through Raymond Carver or James M. Cain had moved into the true crime genre."--Jack Olsen, author of Hastened to the Grave

One of the those books that won't let go...I defy anyone to get halfway and put it down."--Darcy O'Brien, author of Murder in Little Egypt

"A story filled with dark truths about ourselves and our neighbors." --Carlton Stowers, author of Careless Whispers



Book Description
The fatal night

On a warm Florida evening, Karen Gregory saw a familiar face at her door. What the beautiful young woman could not know was that she was staring into the eyes of her killer--a savage monster who would rape her, stab her to death, and leave her battered body on the floor outside the bedroom.

The desperate search

Detectives frantically sifting through the evidence were tormented by one disturbing question after another: What did the strangely worded note from a friend mean? Why was the house so orderly, when it had been the scene of a frenzied struggle? Why were the bloody footprints on the carpet barefoot? What happened to the white lace teddy missing from Karen's drawer?

The shattering discovery

Police detective Larry Tosi stayed up nights watching the video of the grisly crime scene, looking for the one telltale clue that would lead him to Karen's killer--until slowly, and with growing horror, he realized that the maniac he was hunting was someone he knew...someone he called a friend.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

On a warm Florida evening, Karen Gregory saw a familiar face at her door. What the beautiful young woman could not know was that she was staring into the eyes of her killer—a savage monster who would rape her, stab her to death, and leave her battered body on the floor outside the bedroom.

Detectives frantically sifting through the evidence were tormented by one disturbing question after another: what did the strangely worded note from a friend mean? Why was the house so orderly, when it had been the scene of a frenzied struggle? Why were the bloody footprints on the carpet barefoot? What happened to the white lace teddy missing from Karen's drawer?