taylorcali's review against another edition
2.0
One of the most disturbing cases of modern history. I just wish the author could have presented ALL sides of this story rather than one. Yes, Josh did the unthinkable, but what could have drawn Susan to him enough to marry him? There’s so many things unknown here that some interviewing and then presenting in the book could have answered.
aleeceylu's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this on Audible. Going into this, I was not familiar with the case. No spoilers, but this was crazy how everything unfolded. My only complaint is how long it was. Lowkey, I feel like it shouldn't have taken that long to reach that conclusion. But it was very interesting. I would recommend it.
biiaanccca's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This was a devastingly hard book to read. The red flags were consistently flying and the warning bells were constantly going off as I read about Susan’s abusive relationship with Josh Powell. I am absolutely distraught for Susan, her children and her entire family. Susan, Charlie, and Braden deserved so much better.
Spoiler
Debbie Caldwell is a true superhero in my book. If not for her persistence to get in touch with someone in the Powell household about the missing children never showing up to daycare, perhaps Josh might have gotten away with whatever he and his family had to do with Susan’s disappearance. Debbie had taken away hours of an advantage for Josh to hide evidence and simply make it look like Susan just walked out of her volition.It terrified me to read about the family from hell that Susan had unknowingly married into.
Spoiler
Steve Powell was a pervert who would become obsessed with Susan, his sons wife.Spoiler
Steve was 31 years older than Susan, but that did not stop him for sending nude pictures of himself to Susan in the mail./spoiler>Spoiler
Steve had spent years filling seventeen notebooks with his obsession over Susan.Spoiler
Steve admitted his actions were sociopathic, and that he masturbated to Susan day and night.Spoiler
Steve violated Susan’s privacy by secretly recording her around the clock, as she dressed, ate, and as she changed her tampon.
Spoiler
Steve’s son Michael, daughter Alina, as well as Josh, (for the most part), were very devoted, and supportive to their father. Alina described Susan as player, that she was leading Steve on. Johnny was no Saint either. Johnny’s bedroom had disturbing renderings of a woman with a knife running through her vagina and exiting her stomach. The Powell family was the ruin of the Cox family. What’s even scarier is perhaps Josh might have had the opportunity to go after another one of the Cox’s daughters, Mary, years earlier, if not for the no nonsense fashion of Chuck telling Josh to get out of their homeSpoiler
When wondering how Josh turned out the way he did, I learned it was because of how Steve raised him. But that left me wondering how Steve got to the way he is. When Steve was a child, his father made the decision to take all of his children and unilaterally seperate them from their mother. A failed custody battle left all of the Powell children under the influence of Steve. When they were all chicken, Josh and John would undress young Alina and examine her. Josh also killed Alina’s gerbil. Fast forward to most of the adult Powell children living together: Johnny, Josh, and Alina. Johnny would often answer the door naked or in a diaper. This was a family of three generations of parents using their children in ugly custody fights.Spoiler
Josh’s behavior as a person startled me. When his sister Alina came over after Susan was missing, all Josh wanted her to do was cook, clean, change diapers, and keep HIS kids company. Josh’s attitude towards woman was not normal. It is devastating because with all the warning signs he displayed, he was allowed to keep custody of his children which would end in another tragedy. Another weird thing was Josh’s infatuation with his parrot. He brought it everywhere with him, also unknowingly to their guests home when they visited. Josh treated his pet better than he treated his family. Perhaps the most alarming fact was that Josh had purchased life insurance policies for the entire family. Each adult had a 500,000 policy. Two years later, they took out another policy. That policy's payout was for $2.5 million, a quarter million dollars on each boy, and a million each on Josh and Susan. Josh was also Susan’s power of attorney. Josh told his father how he was not attracted to Susan, that he wanted to get rid of her and dreamt that she would be killed by a drunk driver. When Josh was given an ultimatum, if he would spend ten minutes a day giving Susan attention, and in return John Hellewell would give him free computer programming lessons, Josh said no, that he was too busy.Spoiler
I could not believe horror after horror I read about how Josh had treated his wife and children. It was no surprise to me that Charlie admitted to hating his father.Spoiler
Josh did not let Susan or the children go to the doctor.Spoiler
Josh often used sex as a weapon against Susan. If Susan did something wrong in Josh eyes, he withheld sex.Spoiler
Josh was extremely cheap. He would only give Susan a small amount of money to grocery shop, which always left everyone hungry. At one point Charlie was so malnourished he became sick. All Josh would let him eat was what was Susan grew in the garden.Spoiler
Susan actually cried while helping a friend unpack in her new home after seeing all the food she had.Spoiler
While on a trip with the Marinis’, when it was time to eat, Josh got himself a plate of food while he only allowed Susan to get one thing off the dollar menu.Spoiler
Josh would give himself unlimited money to buy whatever suited him.Spoiler
Josh made the decision to sell their second vehicle because he believed it cost too much money. This resulted in Susan having to bike to work. Josh tried it but soon quit as soon as it got cold. He then started to pick Susan and the kids up, but was often late and left them stranded.Spoiler
Josh did not let Susan drive their vehicle in fear of her taking the children and leaving him.Spoiler
Josh belittled Susan in front of their children.Spoiler
Josh did not let Susan buy presents for the children one Christmas.Spoiler
There was a prior incident where Josh wanted to go camping with Susan, and he wanted to leave their children with Steve. Susan denied the request (Perhaps the first time he wanted to try to get rid of Susan?).Spoiler
Susan felt nauseas for weeks, believing she was pregnant. The test came back negative but now Susan’s friend, Amber, wonders if Josh was poisoning Susan.Spoiler
Josh created a website slandering his missing wife and her entire family. On the website Josh liked to post the most unflattering pictures of Susan, and he had a description about himself as if it was a dating profile.Spoiler
Josh had computer generated incestous porn on his computer.Spoiler
Josh liked to photograph strangers legs.Spoiler
Josh slept naked with his sons, who were also naked. Also presumably how Braden got molluscum contagiosum.
Spoiler
I was shocked to read that Chuck Cox had gotten in contact with Elizabeth Smart’s dad, Ed Smart, to discuss how he could help find his daughter. The shocking part was that Josh Powell had hired Salt Lake City defense attorney Scott Williams. One of Williams's previous high profile defendants was Wanda Eileen Barzee, who had been convicted, with her husband Brian David Mitchell, of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. What is the coincidence?Spoiler
I was so happy when I read that Susan finally got into contact with a divorce attorney, and that this attorney avised Susan to take a video of the family’s assets. Susan ended up recording for 44 minutes and gave the video to a friend for safe keeping. The video showed that the family lived in a chaotic, hoarded home. I was happy to read that Susan had a diary she kept hidden from Josh, a will, and that she often wrote about her issues at home, and that if anything ever happened to her, IT WAS JOSH.Spoiler
Susan gave Josh so many chances, so many ultimatums, and yet he would not change. Little did Susan know how dangerous Josh became each new day. Susan was held captive by love, fear, and the church's promise that if she prayed harder, everything would get better. I fully put a big part of the blame on what happened to Susan, Charlie, and Braden on the church Susan and Josh attended. Susan had confided in counselors there and their advice involved fasting, praying, books on marriage, and counseling. They should have recognized an abusive relationship and helped Susan and her children leave Josh, or pointed her in the direction of someone who could, not reconcile whatever was left of their marriage. But Mormons believe that when you marry you are with that person for eternity, in this life and the next, so that was never an option for Susan.Spoiler
It is so upsetting that Chuck Cox knew all along that Josh would kill himself, Charlie, and Braden. But no one listened. I was so sad that Josh gave Chuck and Judy such a hard time in the boys last years in regards to visitiation with them. Another thing that was hard to read was Steve Powell not allowing Charlie and Braden to see their cousins. They were only seperated by a car door but Steve would not allow it. Yet another thing that was hard to stomach was how starved for attention the boys were. A house full of people and no one could pay attention to the two young boys? It absolutely devastates me that the boys spent the majority of the last years of their life alive being neglected. The detectives ended up being a happy presence in the boys life, more than anyone they lived with at the Powell residence.Spoiler
I was happy when I read that a resident in Steve Powell’s residence went door to door to hang up purple decorations to show support for Susan. Altough the HOA got involved in the end and took most of the decorations down, they could not touch the ones on private property. So everyone in “Fort Powell” had a constant reminder that not many were on their side. Fort Powell: “A household with an uncle on meds, a caregiver aunt who'd been thrust into the role without any training, and a grandfather who was obsessed with pornography.” Yet two minors were allowed to live there?Spoiler
I cannot stop thinking about all the people that failed Susan. She was not here to protect her children, and because of that Charlie and Braden were needlessly murdered. Dr. James Manley is responsible. Josh should not have had one day of supervision with his children, let alone two days. West Valley City police are even more responsible. If they had arrested Josh he could have never murdered his children. He should have never had custody if he was a suspect in his wife’s disappearance!!! I HATE that the goal in this case was reunification. Reunification is NOT the answer to every case. Some people DO NOT deserve to be reunited with their children.Spoiler
I actually did not want to read the rest of the book when I knew the boys deaths were coming. I wanted to stop reading when Braden kept saying he did not want to go see his daddy. It was like he knew. When Josh locked the door on Elizabeth Griffin-Hall and she overhead him saying to Charlie: “I have a big surprise for you”, I wanted to be sick. It is like Josh was taunting his seven year old son before he HIT HIM IN THE BACK OF THE NECK WITH AN AXE. HIS CHILD. What made me even angrier was the call Griffin-Hall had with David Lovrak, the 911 operator, of EIGHTEEN years. This man seemed like he had no idea what he was doing, focusing on all the wrong information. He was rude and wasted seven precious minutes. Perhaps Josh could have been stopped in time. My heart was aching when I read how this specific case affected Griffin-Hall. She never returned to work full time. She never again accepted the kinds of difficult custody cases she had specialized in throughout her career.Spoiler
I was actively crying as I read about the explosion and what Josh did to his children. Charlie and Braden were holding hands but it is not sure if it happened by accident, or if Charlie and Braden had reached for each other as they took their last breaths. The majority of Charlie’s clothing was burned off. A lot of his skin had burned away, and his left arm was mostly gone. The back of his skullcap was missing. Braden had chop marks on the back of his neck. Like Charlie, Braden was missing part of his skull. Charlie and Braden died of smoke inhalation, but the chop injuries also contributed to their deaths. Charlie was struck on his neck, and Braden was struck on both his head and neck. The boys were still alive when the fire began because soot was found in their lungs and esophagi. After striking the boys with the hatchet and laying them side by side on the mattress, Josh poured a mixture of gas and echanol on them. Since they were still breathing, some went down their throats. I cannot imagine what the boys were thinking and feeling as they watched their father douse them with gasoline. It makes me want to cry and scream.Spoiler
Spoiler
I hate that Josh escaped “earthly justice.” I wish he would have went to prison and died there. Though I was happy there was no mention or image of Josh at Charlie and Braden’s funeral. A local Crime Stoppers organization raised tens of thousands of dollars to buy the plots on eicher side of Charlie and Braden to ensure the boys murderer could not rest near them. More tear jerkers: Charlie and Braden’s family covered their casket with stickers. There is room in the burial plot for Susan when she is found.Spoiler
Questions I’m left with:
- Susan Powell is the largest missing person investigation in U.S. history. HOW IS SHE NOT FOUND?
- What part did Mike Powell have to do with Susan’s disappearance?
- Did Steve Powell know what his children did to his daughter in law?
- How much pain were Charlie and Braden in in their last moments?
Final thoughts:
Spoiler
I enjoyed the pictures in this book. I loved getting to see the Cox family. They were a beautiful family. Seeing pictures really helped visualize the case.Spoiler
I do wish the pictures were in color though. I also wish the pictures were at the end of the book. I did know somewhat about this case, but the pictures in the middle of the story gave away parts that had not come yet. My biggest gripe was that Josh was on the cover with Susan, Charlie, and Braden. He should not have been included, he did not deserve it. He should have had a lone picture of himself with the other pictures.Rest in eternal peace Susan, Charlie and Braden. An entire family gone. Gone but never forgotten.
kowalski2aa's review against another edition
4.0
Ugh, makes me sad. I mean the book was great, but just how Susan Powell never received justice and was never found infuriates me. Gregg Olsen has such a way of writing I absolutely love reading all his books, whether nonfiction or fiction. He puts so much research and work into all of his topics and is one of the best at what he does.
bookish_intentions's review against another edition
4.0
*If you’ve never heard this story, this review does contain spoilers…* This is such a sad story. Not only does he kill his wife, imo, but he kills these babies just because he couldn’t manipulate them for the rest of their lives. Josh was a disgusting human and his family is despicable. It breaks my heart that she’ll most likely not ever be found because Josh took the cowards way out. He deserved to die but he didn’t have to take the boys with him.
dreamboatannie's review against another edition
2.0
This book has two major flaws. First, there's just not enough material to make this book of this length interesting. We all know that poor Susan Powell is dead and we all know it was because of her husband, Josh, and an undetermined number of his creepy family members. But because Susan's body has never been found, her husband can never be brought to justice by a trial, and none of the remaining Powells are talking, there's not really too much to write about.
Second, what there is to write about isn't written about terribly well or objectively. Josh Powell is not a sympathetic figure in this story -- none of the Powells are -- and his actions clearly stand as awful on their own. Repeated remarks about how "evil" Josh or his father are feel like overkill. Similarly, I didn't need to be convinced that Susan *didn't* deserve to be murdered; I was already on the her side, and after a certain point, talking about how wonderful Susan was became boring.
The poor pacing, filler material, and lack of objectivity made reading this book feel like talking to Susan's gossipy neighbor. I gave the book two stars because the case is perversely interesting and I did have enough interest in the subject to finish the book.
Second, what there is to write about isn't written about terribly well or objectively. Josh Powell is not a sympathetic figure in this story -- none of the Powells are -- and his actions clearly stand as awful on their own. Repeated remarks about how "evil" Josh or his father are feel like overkill. Similarly, I didn't need to be convinced that Susan *didn't* deserve to be murdered; I was already on the her side, and after a certain point, talking about how wonderful Susan was became boring.
The poor pacing, filler material, and lack of objectivity made reading this book feel like talking to Susan's gossipy neighbor. I gave the book two stars because the case is perversely interesting and I did have enough interest in the subject to finish the book.
donnakaye64's review against another edition
5.0
A very detailed account of the disappearance of a wife and mother. Her parents and friends and family kept pushing the police to find her. In the end there was epic sorrow but, no real resolution for them. I would recommend this book to those who read true crime. Be sure to have tissues nearby.
brittanynmartin's review against another edition
5.0
I knew what was coming before I even started reading the book, yet this is one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever read. Hits too close to home, as I have a 6 year old. Reading the details surrounding the boys’ deaths, ugh, just ripped my heart out.