Deadly Innocence is my first non-publicly accepted foray into reading true crime. Sure I've done In Cold Blood, but that's a masterwork by Capote and I plowed through Helter Skelter, but really, who hasn't. Deadly Innocence one is more mass market paperback and the crime it documents is truly, truly heinous. Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka murdered several young girls after days of torture. One of their victims was Karla's younger sister, Tammy. It was a crime that horrified Ontario, Canada and the world. It was most disturbing because the monsters looked to be like any other young newlywed couple.
This book, for the most part is riveting because instead of focusing on the details of the crimes themselves, the story of Karla and Paul is told in fascinating detail by those that were close to them. Their friends reveal what it was like to know someone teetering on the edge, but still not know exactly what was going on. To read their friend's recounting of the darker and more normal side: eerie conversations, shocking party behavior, strange arguments, and less unusual side?like obsessions with Gordon Gekko and the pathetic attempts by Paul to start a rap career, are like reading the most spellbinding gossip. To say it's an enjoyable read is not quite accurate and a bit tasteless, but it is impossible to put down?for the first few hundred pages.
I want emphatically recommend that once the court case happens and the details of the crimes are brought to light, you stop reading. These two horrid people recorded their actions and reading about it is really disturbing and sickening. It really shook me up and messed up my day and I feel I would have been better off not having read it. So, seriously, once the video tapes come out as evidence, you read at your own risk. Until that point, seriously compelling stuff.
But what do you think?