A Death in White Bear Lake
 First hardcover edition | |
| Author | Barry Siegel |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Crime, history |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
Publication date | 1990 |
A Death in White Bear Lake is a
Background
At the time Siegel worked for the Los Angeles Times as a journalist, with his focus being national news. His research included historic documents and interviews numbering in the hundreds. Andrew Vachss of The New York Times stated that the interviewees "speak more eloquently than any commentary."[1]
Content
Vachss stated that the book does not explain the rationale for Harold being passive, while it has sufficient information on Lois Jurgens.[1]
Vachss described the index as being useful for helping the reader with managing knowledge of the various people appearing in the book, describing it as "a professional touch".[1]
Reception
Vachss called it "fascinating, exhaustively documented", "a work of genuine journalism", and "a work of compelling narrative force and enduring value."[1] Vachss argued his preference for the narrative format focusing on known facts over the true crime "novelizations, where scenes and conversations are simply made up."[1] George Johnson, in the same publication, designated the book as one of several "New & Noteworthy" books.[2]
Carolyn Banks of The Washington Post called it "a distinguished entry in the annals of crime documentary."[3]
Kirkus Reviews wrote that the author "doesn't spare the reader" in regards to details about events, stating that they are "ugly, horrible detail, thus even more emphatically indicting a society that looks the other way."[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Vachss, Andrew (1990-07-29). "A Murderer Rocked the Cradle". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Johnson, George (1991-06-02). "New & Noteworthy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Banks, Carolyn (1990-08-10). "Book World: A Death in White Bear Lake". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Siegel, Bandy (1990-06-15). "A Death in White Bear Lake: The True Chronicle of an All-American Town". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2020-04-09.