Blind Faith

Rating:
Summary: Blind Faith Review
Review: "Blind Faith" is a good true crime book and an interesting read. Nothing outstanding or spectacular, though.

But there is something rather strange at the biginning of this book that people seem not to notice. Author Joe McGinniss put an "Explanatory Note" at the beginning of the book. It basically states that most of the names and identies have been changed for privacy sake. Ok that no big deal. But this note also states, " . . . certain scenes have been dramatically re-created . . . " The passage explains that this was done to better portray the people and atmosphere of the scenes on which the story is based. I found this rather odd. To me this seems to say that certain parts of the story were fictionalized. So this book may not be 100% accurate to what actually happened.

And by the way, one reviewer asked about what happened to the Marshall boys. I have no idea about Chris and John. But I know that Roby Marshall married and had a child with actress Tracy Gold, who used to be on the sitcom "Growing Pains". He was working in Hollywood for awhile in some kind of behind the cameras job. I do not know if they are still together or if he still works in Hollywood.

Rating:
Summary: Close but no cigar
Review: Having lived in Ocean County, NJ, I tore through this book, mostly because I was curious to find recognizable names and locations. I have to say that Mr. McGinniss' description of life in the upper echelon of Toms River was accurate. It was and still is all about people (mostly from cities) with modest backgrounds, coming down to the Jersey shore, buying big houses and eventually learning how to put on airs and living to keeping ahead of the Joneses. I had to laugh at his description of Holiday City (a retirement development) which he described as a "ghetto for old people". That is not accurate. Humorous, but not accurate just the same. When he attempted to describe the Township of Brick, he said "a raggedy collection of blue-collar tract homes and mini-malls..." Again, not accurate. If you are going to write the story and call it "true", you have to be accurate. I was also quite disappointed that he did not use real names, nor was there one photograph to be found in the entire book. I would have liked to see family photos and pictures of the crime scene, at least. That aside, this book was a fast read, it held my attention and served its purpose (beach reading). I would recommend this book but can only give it 3 stars, due to the lack of photographs, the authors inaccuracies and the lack of usage of real names. On a personal note, I strongly believe that Robert Marshall is guilty as sin, is exactly where he belongs and should never see the light of day for the rest of his miserable life. My hope for the Marshall boys is that they stick together from cradle to grave and stand tall.

Rating:
Summary: Wrenching saga of lust, greed, murder, and betrayal.
Review: Joe McGinniss's excellent follow up to "Fatal Vision" is one of his best yet. "Blind Faith" takes us into the home of Rob and Maria Marshall and their 3 sons, a family in the "Leave It To Beaver" mould whose idyllic life was the envy of all who knew them. But the tragic murder of Maria in September 1984 revealed a twisted underbelly of asociality where the life of a beloved daughter and loving mother could be traded for a sum as measly and paltry as 1.5 million dollars. Joe McGinniss slowly draws the reader in to the complicated investigation which is littered with people who seem to be direct from the central casting of an Alfred Hitchcock film as the police and the district attorney quietly and resolutely hunt down their quarry - Maria's "loving" husband, Rob Marshall, who in court was finally revealed for the avaricious and cunning sociopath that he is. Although this tragic, cautionary tale transports the reader on a journey into the dark side of the American dream which will haunt us long after the last page is finished, the true success of this book lies with McGinniss's depiction of 3 grieving boys who went from initially believing totally in their father's innocence to finally angrily acknowledging his guilt.