A Rip in Heaven: A Memoir of Murder and Its Aftermath

Rating:
Summary: WOW - Cummins did a fantastic job
Review: A job well done for a first-time author. I know that it must have been extremely difficult to write about something so close to home and actually have to document some horribly graphic details about violations that happened to people she loved and loves. She's a very strong person for having the courage to write this book in efforts to tell readers about her cousins, be a voice for her brother, and describe how tragedies affect families, not just individuals. It's easy for us review-writers to sit back and say whether a book was great or it sucked or we think she's doing this for "fame and fortune" (directed to Alert Reviewer from Bridgton, MO). The fact (and "The Truth") is that we would never have the balls to do what she has done and I don't think any of us would want to go through what Julie, Robin, Tom or their families have gone through in exchange for any amount of fame or fortune. Anyone who thinks that this is the sole reason she went through five years of writing and research hell, ridiculous interview questions from dirty cops, and cold shoulders from some family members needs to put themselves in her shoes. Would you go through all that for what a first- author gets paid for their book?(Which is not much -- I can assure you.) No one with their right mind would. We would only do it to memorialize the ones we love, to help other families who have suffered tragedies themselves, and because our brother, who has to live with the memory of this incident for the rest of his life, asked us to. Just like Tink.

Rating:
Summary: Overall, a good book, but something still seems missing....
Review: At the end of the book, the author stresses how the purpose of the book was to focus on the victims, rather than the sensationalism of the crime. Yet, throughout the book, I found very little to help me to connect to the victims, whom I'm sure were wonderful girls. I think the book would have reached me more deeply had it been written from the first person voice, rather than the author referring to herself in the third person. I also wonder about her insights on scenes during which she was not present. Nevertheless, the book touched me and I pray for the victims and the families involved. I believe her portrayal of the media was right on target.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Composition
Review: Cummins invites the reader into her family as you take part in each event. She continues with a chronologic order of each happening as you take part by reading the in-depth view of all events, each persons thoughts and the unfortunate truth. This book gives us the knowledge and makes us aware of the tragedy that can happen in any family. Cummins reminds us that a family is ONE, no matter what occurrences take place in life. As a Gaithersburg resident, Volunteer Fire/Rescue worker and a friend of the Cummins family, I encourage all to revisit in the family's heartbreaking tragedy and uplifting story.

Rating:
Summary: Great Story!
Review: I read this book in one day. That's a big deal for me. I thought the author did a fantastic job.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: I too read this book quickly, staying up one night until 2 or 3 in the morning, and I was riveted. I agree that the account of the aftermath was drawn out and took away from the description of the crime itself, but I can appreciate the relief that came from sharing that experience.

A couple of weeks after reading the book I had a chance encounter with Jeanine and Tom Cummins' mother - it was a complete coincidence that I came to realize who she was. The book had quite an impact on me, and meeting someone face to face who was so intimately involved forever etched this story in my mind.

It's a stark reminder that evil does exist, that chance encounters can change your life forever, that you should trust your instincts and listen to your mother, and that only the good die young.

Rating:
Summary: Taking the Story Back
Review: So much of what we see in the media today sensationalizes the brutality of crime and in some sense celebrates the monsters who commit them. The stories become about them, and the victims and their families are all too quickly forgotten.

Thanks to Jeanine Cummins, we get an insightful look into one family's ordeal, their struggle to come to terms with the sensation that rose up around the case and how the media focuses all too often on the criminals.

But at its heart, this is a loving tribute to her lost cousins, Robin and Julie. This book serves, beautifully, in taking their story and remembering truly what has been lost. For over a decade, the focus has been on the bad guys who she portrays quite evenly given her closeness to the subject matter. Now the story has been take back as a fitting memoir to her cousins, told with an insight into what it means to be victimized that we could all stand to learn from.

Rating:
Summary: An extremely well written account of tragedy
Review: This book was one of the best written literary works I have ever encountered. Knowing people involved first hand I was moved more so then I thought I would. Jeanine, or Tink as she is referred to in the book told her family's story in a seamless, nonjudgemental way. This must have taken hours of research to get all the small details to the case and must have been hard to deal with. The end result is a wronderful book!