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A review by cornmaven
With One Shot: Family Murder and a Search for Justice by Dorothy Marcic
3.0
Interesting memoir-like true crime story, following a woman who tries to discover the truth regarding her uncle's murder in a small town near Madison, WI in 1971. There's the mysterious statement another aunt passes on, that the son of her uncle's second wife confesses, juxtaposed against the second wife's immediate confession at the time of the murder, with a very rapid disposition by the courts of insanity, with a short stint in a state institution.
Marcic has to delve into her entire family, the multiple marriages of his second wife (he was #3), the question of whether she had secrets about certain law enforcement persons that allowed the rapid decision. Suzanne, the "murderer", is clearly a highly intelligent sociopath, and her life is plumbed extensively. I really liked her analyses of sociopaths and narcissists based on her training and the science.
The story was fascinating, but I wish Marcic had included a "cast of characters" page with affiliations. The numerous marriages, divorces, and children had me confused at times, and I almost couldn't keep up with the relationships. In terms of the crime, I also think something was lost by having a someone connected to the event telling it. But this is offset by Marcic's story of how everyone in her family was permanently scarred by the murder in profound ways.
I thought the writing at times was so so, sometimes repetitive, and Marcic could have used a better editor for that. But all in all, a fascinating story.
Marcic has to delve into her entire family, the multiple marriages of his second wife (he was #3), the question of whether she had secrets about certain law enforcement persons that allowed the rapid decision. Suzanne, the "murderer", is clearly a highly intelligent sociopath, and her life is plumbed extensively. I really liked her analyses of sociopaths and narcissists based on her training and the science.
The story was fascinating, but I wish Marcic had included a "cast of characters" page with affiliations. The numerous marriages, divorces, and children had me confused at times, and I almost couldn't keep up with the relationships. In terms of the crime, I also think something was lost by having a someone connected to the event telling it. But this is offset by Marcic's story of how everyone in her family was permanently scarred by the murder in profound ways.
I thought the writing at times was so so, sometimes repetitive, and Marcic could have used a better editor for that. But all in all, a fascinating story.