Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Now that you have read the book, what did you think? Did you find the true crime story compelling?
SPOILERS WELCOME
The details and intersections that compelled the author to write this memoir / retelling of the murder of Jeremy Guillory and how the life of Ricky Langley had such impact on her career and reflections on her own life was chilling and haunting.

The section of the book, parts 1-3 are CRIME CONSEQUENCE and TRIAL.
The story that unfolds envelopes the childhood memories of the author along with the minutia and the bold strokes of the lives impacted when known pedophile Ricky Langley takes the life of the child Jeremy Guillory and is tried for the crime.
The details are often heartbreaking and while this begins with a death penalty case review it is more about the background and the setting, about the victims along with details of the events that seek answers.

This telling in such an interwoven manner defies an easy description but in my own experience after reading it weeks ago continues to haunt and resonate.

I finished the book last week and i have been thinking about what I want to say about it. I had a psychology minor when I received my second degree in Management so I am always interested in psychological aspects of a story. I have read true crime since the time I read HELTER SKELTER back in the 80s so I am a little more open to reading about sensitive issues than some people. I found THE FACT OF A BODY a fascinating read. I can't really say I enjoyed the book but I don't think its purpose was to entertain. I think the story was told as a self examination of Alexandria's life and the comparison of her abuse to that of Ricky and his victims. I congratulate Alexandria for bringing forward her story and that of Ricky and their respective families. People need to stop pushing this subject under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. Of curse it is not a pleasant topic but a lot of life is not pleasant for some people but they still need help especially children.

For the most part I think the book was well written but toward the end it seemed like the stories were becoming more jumbled together and I had a hard time distinguishing whether she was talking about herself or Ricky/Jeremy or something else. So it kind of fell apart for me. She seemed to repeat herself sometimes and as others have said maybe the book was a little too long and it suffered from repetition. I wold have also liked to know more about Lorelei's childhood because it seemed to me she was in high school and working on the school paper so was engaged in participating in life but what happened to her that she ended up a single mother without any real prospects a dead end job and having children with almost every guy she had a relationship with, even having to give one up for adoption because she couldn't take care of the baby. Was she pregnant with Jeremy in high school? Maybe i ,missed that part but i still would have liked to know more about her own young life than simply the irony of she and Ricky being at the same school. I am not judging her, I just always want the why of things, and perhaps if she had been in a better point in life after high school maybe Jeremy might still be alive. It is really tragic all the way round for everyone and to think what happened to Alexandria and Ricky as children could have brought on so much pain and heartache years later to many others.
I think if there was a "happy ending" it was the forgiveness Lorelei gave Ricky as she wanted to spare his life despite what he did to her son and when Alexandria stood at her grandparents' grave and gave them forgiveness when she said "I love you". Wow...powerful scene. Once you have forgiven, it opens up the door to becoming healed and stronger. The Fact of A Body is about the secrets we all hold in our bodies like physical scars, our thoughts, hopes, dreams, memories and experiences throughout our lives. Sometimes they are buried deep within but they are there and they influence how we think and feel and behave.

Ceelee: What a thoughtful post. I enjoyed reading your final impressions. You mentioned several powerful moments and how while the book was fascinating, it couldn't really be described as an enjoyable read. I agree wholeheartedly, I was fascinated the first time I read it and when I re-read it to write the summaries I found myself feeling quite disturbed.
And Helter Skelter still disturbs me decades later.

Thanks Ann! To me this book is a lot about fate and consequences beyond our control that affect our whole lives. It was a fascinsting and disturbing book and one of those books I will be thinking about for a long time.I think the reason Helter Skelter was so fascinating to me is because it was something I recall from my early life but never read much about and I really connected with the story on so many levels. I met a guy in the 90s who lived in LA when that happened who worked in the music business and knew Terry Melcher who was Msnson's original target because Melcher rejected his music. Melcher moved from that house and unfortunately Sharon Tate moved in and ended up beingvthe one murdered along with the others in the house. Another case of fate and consequences beyond their control. I find that idea fascinating.

Ceelee wrote: "I finished the book last week and i have been thinking about what I want to say about it. I had a psychology minor when I received my second degree in Management so I am always interested in psycho..."

Interesting review. I appreciate the in-depth view you took.

Thanks C J! . I owe it all to a graduate level research writing class I took at University of North Texas that taught me not to just say "I loved (or hated) that book" , but to say WHY. I write most of my reviews with that in mind, plus I usually get a little chatty anyway, and I personalize it too, not like an ego thing, , it just gives people a glimpse into who I am.

Oh, you and I have something in common. I'm a native Texan although I live in Tucson now and have for a long time. I think it's important to do just what you did. WHY is key because I want to know if I can connect to the reviewer's viewpoint or not. You had some good insights. I write a lot of reviews myself but mainly art. See my online arts journal SonoranArtsNetwork.net

Ceelee and CJ
I was listening to a podcast earlier today about grief; specifically the grief in a family from the death of a child or a sibling and I was struck by the parallel between Ricky and Alexandria's families. Both had a sibling who died and the impact on the parents and the surviving children was another similarity. Ricky was haunted by his brother Oscar and Alexandria had a childhood shrouded in secrecy over her triplet sister and "twin" brother who was also ill.
This colored their lives and permeates the book.

Just finished it and agree it was not very entertaining but a way for the author to have their say and make peace with their past. I didnt find her family's story that similar to ricky's and struggled to understand why she took so much from his story to relate to her own.
Rickys life was significantly harder and unbelievably haunting what his family went through.
The author had well to do parents that ignored the molesting grandfather and suffered depression and suicidal thoughts that made her upbringing very traumatic.
I think i misunderstood it and the story is meant to be a converging of lives story and how she ended up going to see Ricky.
So confused about whether she is helping ricky with his latest defence and why it didnt go further with their confrontation at the end of the book.

Jack: I see your point about the connections to the two families being mainly how Ricky’s life caused the author to study her own past. Her life was quite different, to be able to get a law degree and then apparently drop the idea of actually being a lawyer is certainly possible but not something that all people could afford to do.
As for helping Ricky, defending Ricky or being a part of his legal team; that part was glossed over wasn’t it; even though by meeting with him in prison or jail it seems her legal background was a factor in gaining entrance.