Welcome to The Official Websleuths Investigative Book Club !

[Insightful1]

I just ordered my book so hopefully I can catch up before the second meeting.

I'm excited! The only true crime book I've ever read is Helter Skelter.

Oh wow!! Welcome to the club !

 

[NeilC]

Indiana court cases are available on mycase.in.gov, so I looked up some of the participants. There isn't a lot of detail, mostly just charges. The Larry Loveless case from 1/11/1993 does have a bit of detail. Newspapers.com of course has quite a few articles about the case. This is low-hanging fruit, and I'm sure Aphrodite Jones will have a lot to tell us about her deep dive research.
When reading the book became too much for me and I had to put it down for a time, these are the things I resorted to. My heart goes out to Melinda for what she suffered growing up. It may be the reason she acted out the way she did but it in no way excuses her behavior.

Thanks for this info. Really interesting.

 

[mickey2942]

I am up to chapter 10. I actually understand a lot about the dynamic of Larry and Margie, similar to my parents after my Dad came home from Vietnam. Lots of similarities between Larry and my father.

Fortunately, I left, or my mom sent me away. I went to live with my great grandparents.

 

[justcallmekim]

Does anyone think Melinda would have gone through with the murder without Laurie? I found Laurie to be especially disturbing.

I too wondered if Melinda would have gone through without Lori.

 

[justcallmekim]

I was up late a couple of nights, but I finished the book last night after watching Ping.
I had the advantage of seeing a video about this crime prior to reading the book.
While there is no excuse for the actions they committed, my heart goes out for the horrific abuse Laurie and Melinda endured while kids.
I grew up in house like Laurie’s minus the physical abuse. Mine was purely emotional abuse to the 10th degree. It just makes me wonder why people turn out the way they do.

 

[Insightful1]

I am up to chapter 10. I actually understand a lot about the dynamic of Larry and Margie, similar to my parents after my Dad came home from Vietnam. Lots of similarities between Larry and my father.

Fortunately, I left, or my mom sent me away. I went to live with my great grandparents.

Hello, I don’t believe I have your name on the club list. Can you please email me then I can add you to the book club so you receive the zoom invites and other information. Thank you !! [email protected]

 

[Insightful1]

Hello everyone! I love reading your posts. We are coming up on our first Zoom meeting soon. I need everyone who hasn’t sent me their user name to please do so. I need everyone’s info to send out the Zoom invites. Thanks again. Happy reading !!

Stacy
[email protected]

 

[justice4joe]

I totally agree about the younger girls but you would still have to be devoid of a conscience to go along with the brutality of this crime

 

[CatsCradle8]

I have to say, I think this story is one of the most horrific crime stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve been reading them for 50 years. I’m almost done with the book. Aphrodite did a great job of getting the back stories, and the book is mostly easy to follow along. I am not really good with names, so when an author writes about a person using just the first name, and then switches to the last name, I tend to get confused. But that’s just me…

I agree with you, one trick I’ve learned is to make a quick document with the names and a brief notation about them, then connect to other individuals (parents, siblings, etc.). It doesn’t need to be very detailed, just a brief memory aid.

 

[Insightful1]

I hope everyone had a great Holiday !!

 

[NeilC]

I hope everyone had a great Holiday !!

Grandkids, too much food, lots of sweets, laughter. Mine was perfect Hope yours was, too!

 

[purple turtle]

I was finally able to find time to start the book. I want to read all the psychological reports on Melinda. I see Melinda as Larry’s “son.” It’s not at all about her sexuality, but about everything else. He didn’t have a son, but she’s the one who was closest to him and who emulates him. Her behavior is seen in male perpetrators: the physical and sexual abuse of Amanda, for instance, and the brutality toward Shandra.
I am also intrigued by how Melinda is “stuck” at age four or five. Something very traumatic must have happened to her to leave her stuck at that age of maturity.
Ah, and I didn’t think when I started reading the messages that I’d have anything to add

 

[Salamandac]

What a great idea! I'll get organized here so I can participate in the near future.

 

[SensibleCrime]

I am almost done with the book. I'm surprised they didn't get into more trouble in prison or after they were released. If you had to live next door to Melinda or Laurie which would you choose? Why?

 

[SensibleCrime]

Does anyone think Melinda would have gone through with the murder without Laurie? I found Laurie to be especially disturbing.

I think Melinda could have been violent on impulse but she never could have planned a serious crime. I don't think Melinda could plan a birthday party without help.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I too wondered if Melinda would have gone through without Lori.

I wonder about the "power" of Amanda....back then.

These girls came together---hardly knowing each other at all beforehand---and just succumbed to the evil flow.

 

[tricia]

Hey Everyone.
We are changing a few things. Most of you are done or almost done with Cruel Sacrifice, so we decided to have our first Zoom with author Aphrodite Jones on Sunday, January 11th at 3 PM Eastern. You will be getting an email in the next few days with all the details.
As I said at the beginning, we will be adjusting things as we go along.
We will also announce our next book in the coming days.
Until then, please continue to post about Cruel Sacrifice on this thread. You all have some great thoughts and questions.
THANK You
Tricia

 

[tricia]

Hi all. Hope I’m doing this right. Is there anybody who having trouble, downloading the book from Australia.
Thanks

@Neigh Alexandra Did you ever get the book?

 

[Luna Blue]

I just ordered my book so hopefully I can catch up before the second meeting.

I'm excited! The only true crime book I've ever read is Helter Skelter.

It is actually a pretty fast read.

 

[Luna Blue]

I was up late a couple of nights, but I finished the book last night after watching Ping.
I had the advantage of seeing a video about this crime prior to reading the book.
While there is no excuse for the actions they committed, my heart goes out for the horrific abuse Laurie and Melinda endured while kids.
I grew up in house like Laurie’s minus the physical abuse. Mine was purely emotional abuse to the 10th degree. It just makes me wonder why people turn out the way they do.

I feel like Laurie and Melinda turned out the way they did because of their homelife.