Murder Beyond the Grave

Book: Murder Beyond the Grave
Author: James Patterson

Murder Beyond the Grave (with Andrew Bourelle): Stephen Small has it all: a Ferrari, fancy house, loving wife, and three boys. But the only thing he needs right now is enough air to breathe. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom, Stephen has forty-eight hours of oxygen. The clock is ticking . . .


Murder in Paradise (with Christopher Charles): High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernize this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate . . .-Goodreads

Review: Murder Beyond the Grave is two short stories based on true crimes. 

Murder Beyond the Grave is written from the perspective of Daniel Edwards, the murderer of Stephen Small. Edwards, a drug dealer trying to go straight, comes up with a botched kidnapping plot of a wealthy man which turns out badly. I found the most interesting part of this story relating to Nancy Rish, Edward's girlfriend. In this interpretation of the events, she was not an active participant but a naïve single mom who picked the wrong boyfriend. By researching this case afterwards, I saw she was also convicted and charged in the crime. 3/5

Murder in Paradise follows the murder of Bonnie Hood, a married mother of two who was restoring and running Camp Nelson Lodge, a place she loved as a child. Bonnie lived at the Lodge during the week and only saw her husband and kids on the weekends. I was really fascinated with this story and found myself researching everything about the crime after finishing this. 5/5

Grade: 4/5