Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us about Ourselves

Respected television news journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell asks a probing, disturbing question: Are killers like Scott Peterson and Andrea Yates all that different from the rest of us? What kind of monster would do this? When journalists break the story of a child who's been kidnapped, a young woman who's been brutally raped, or a family who's been slaughtered, that's the question most of us ask. "Secrets Can Be Murder" exposes the hidden motivations behind the most sinister acts of recent times, with a behind-closed-doors look at these sensational crimes that will astound you. After weighing in on high-profile cases for CNN, Fox News, Court TV, and MSNBC, author Jane Velez-Mitchell helps us understand these infamous crimes by unmasking the deceptions that turned toxic, exploding in rage and violence. People lie every day to protect secrets, big and small. From desperate Hollywood personalities covering up their eccentric lifestyles to Bible Belt mothers who take the lives of their own children, "Secrets Can Be Murder" probes twenty-one separate cases. Each illustrates how leading a double life can land you in prison, and how failing to spot liars can get you killed. "Secrets Can Be Murder" offers the inside story on each horrific case, unlocking the jaw-dropping secrets of the accused and revealing the common, innocent mistakes of the victims. After all, many of us have gone out alone late at night like Imette St. Guillen, or partied while on vacation like George Smith and Natalee Holloway. From Dan Horowitz, the high-profile lawyer whose wife was brutally murdered by a teenage neighbor while Horowitz was defending a housewife accused of murder, to Neil Entwistle, theBritish husband who ran out of funds for an extravagant American lifestyle, Velez-Mitchell shows how each of these crimes has its own secrets to spill. Many of us possess the same trusting nature as victims and carry around the same secrets as criminals -- whether it's debt, infidelity, or fetishes. With fascinating new insights from investigators and psychologists plus the friends and family of both the victims and the perpetrators, Secrets Can Be Murder illustrates just how little separates our so-called normal lives from that of a sociopath -- and how you can stay out of harm's way.

Review :
"A fascinating look into recent high-profile cases and the secrets behind them."-- Dr. Henry C. Lee, distinguished professor of forensic science, University of New Haven "A provocative look at crime that reveals the inherent toxicity of secrets we hold and the power available if we choose to free ourselves from their bondage."-- Cynthia Kersey, author of "Unstoppable Women" "Americans are addicted to high-profile crime, and anyone who wants to know the secrets behind the criminal mind will not be able to put this book down. Veteran TV news reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell has managed to reveal things about our culture that connect each of us to sensational crimes."-- Aphrodite Jones, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Cruel Sacrifice" "Bone chilling, challenging us to face the dark recesses of our own mind."-- Judy Kuriansky, clinical psychologist "Criminals like Scott Peterson think they're smart, but hardworking crime reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell is smarter. She's exposed the double lives of rapists and killers who have nothing in common with us...or do they?"-- Lisa Bloom, Court TV news anchor "Jane's keen eye on the nature of the human condition cuts through the criminal veneer like a hot knife through butter."-- Wendy J. Murphy, J.D., author of "And Justice for Some" "Most authors who write about murder begin and end with the carnage. Jane begins with the carnage and ends with the psychology behind it all. Utterly fascinating."-- Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com and legal reporter for "The People's Court" "There are important lessons to be learned in the pages of this book...a captivating must-read."-- Diane Dimond, journalist and author of "Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case" "This is a book that reveals our most intimate fears and secrets. You will not be able to put it down once you have begun to read it."-- Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D., and chairman, Department of Forensic Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice