Rating: 
Summary: Hudson and Hills are the best.
Review: This was the first book I have read by either of these authors, but let me tell you it grabbed my attention from the first page and I couldn't stop until I had finished the entire book. I didn't know whether Ken Register was guilty or innocent, and didn't decide until the very last chapter. This is one of the best true crime books I have read in a long time. Hudson and Hills were never biased or opinionated, as many other true crime authors are, and presented one of the most interesting cases I have ever read about. I do feel sorry for Mrs. Bonnie Todd. She lost her only daughter and was fooled by Register into thinking he had nothing to do it. That had to be the biggest disappointment of her life. Bill Knowles has to be a hero in Horry County for sticking with the case and not giving up until he had found the murderer. Had he given up and arrested the wrong one, then Register would probably have killed again. Every police force needs that kind of bulldog detective working on their cases. I would definitely recommend An Hour To Kill to anyone who likes reading true crime stories. These two guys make a good team.
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Summary: Ken, A Wolf In Sheep's Skin
Review: I got this book from a friend and read it in two days. What drew me to the story is the theme of the book that says people are not really what they seem to be. In this rural town, peace and quiet was lost when the Devil struck down one of their own by using an 'exemplary fine young boy.' I wouldn't consider the book a trademark, but the story it tells and how it was told makes for good reading. I don't regret picking this book up. It was a nice treat. Thanks Mr Hudson and Mr Hills for sharing this story.
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Summary: Believe the hype! This book is that good!
Review: An Hour To Kill is the story of a young high school student who is stabbed 35 times, decapitated, gutted, raped analy, orally, and vaginally; for three months there is no clue as to a suspect; DNA anaylsis fingers the killer as none other than her 18-year-old friend, who was a pallbearer at her funeral. Now maybe I'm confused, but this is not your average run of the mill crime? And, if it is, then God help us all. I found no flaws with the writing of this book, Hudson and Hills did an excellent job both in the writing and research. If anything, An Hour To Kill was never boring, but I was so caught up in the writing (it reads like a novel rather than a newspaper article) that it kept my attention from the beginning to the end. Several times I pulled the book out at work just to read another chapter. That doesn't happen very often, and for me to be that engrossed in a true crime book, they have to be real page turners. I am with the other reviewers who thought it was a fabulous book. An Hour To Kill is everything and more that I had heard and read about. I am looking forward to reading Hudson and Hills next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Believe The Hype!!
Review: I was really looking forward to this book. All of the sterling reviews peaked my interest even though I was not familiar with this case. What a waste! The case itself is rather run of the mill. The writing, even worse. The authors engage in several writing styles that drive me insane in the true crime genre: repeating the facts of the case over and over and over (especially when it is mere speculation in most parts); throwing in a few red herrings and not having the courage to follow through with them (ie. the race issues in the town; the ex-con temporary suspect); recreating the murder scene when there is no way in hell they have a clue as to what happened to Ms. Todd, and more. Throw in typos, a boring review of the trial, and even more boring summation of the sentencing, and a completely inane section of 5 pages of a Sally Jesse Raphael television show and you have a complete mess. This book does not come close to answering any questions as to what drove Ken Register to kill. Or why his mother may or may not have covered for him. The authors claim that they researched this case for five years before publication--it seems as if they forgot to conduct thorough interviews during that time period. I won't even mention the basic descriptions of DNA and "profiling" or claiming that Charles Manson was a serial killer. I could go on and on...but I am already upset that that I lost a few hours of my life on this book.
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Summary: A book that has changed my outlook on reading FOREVER ! ! !
Review: "AN HOUR TO KILL" IS BY FAR THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! I myself have not always been a super reading buff until I read this book. I was unable to put it down from begining to end! When all of my friends saw ME walking down the halls with my nose in a book they KNEW it had to be a good one, and 3 of them have since bought one for themselves! It is a must read! Not only does the horendous truth of this shocking story grasp your attention, but it allows you to think the whole story out for yourself based on the way HUDSON-HILLS provides the reader with an insight to both sides of the story. You almost become apart of the story, drawing your OWN conclusion about what YOU think might have happened. There is not a true crime book out there that does this better than AN HOUR TO KILL! It totally differs from the usual "just stating the facts" crime books that I have read in the past. Hudson-Hills does a spectacular job of luring the reader into the story, and then blending the mix of a well written book with an unimaginable truths. AN HOUR TO KILL is about mistaken love, hidden lust, and an unimaginable decete that is so mind blowing that it is hard for one to believe these events actually took place. Ken Register, the good ol' hometown boy that every parent would have loved to call their own was the suspect of a horrorific murder that sent this small town of Conway in an uproar. There was no way he could have commited that murder, . . .he was her best friend, . . . a pallbearer at her funeral, . . .I mean NO ONE can be that heartless. OR CAN THEY? ? ? ? The way the book was so well written also plays a major role in this books success, and I commend the authors on their non biased attitude while writing the story. I would reccomend this book to ANYONE !! If you do not like true crime stories than this is the book that will change your mind. If you do not like to read period, than this is the book to show you a new found love for reading, . . . . just like it did for me. *Forever a Fan* Keep up the good work guys !! - Jeremy H.
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Summary: You won't forget this one
Review: My very first True Crime read. I picked this book up on recommendation from a friend and absolutely could not put it down.Having never read a True Crime book before, I wasn't sure how I would like the story. This book overcame any hesitancy I might have felt. The writing was wonderful and fast paced, and this book is a page turner. I couldn't put it down.Probably more importantly, by the time I finished, I knew I would never forget Crystal Todd.
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Summary: Unreal!!
Review: I bought this book on the recommendation of the customer reviews. As an avid reader of true crime I found this book to be wonderfully written. I usually read Ann Rule because she is one of the few true crimer writers that write an interesting book. However, Dale Hudson and Billy Hills have just been added to my list. The book starts out great and you never, ever get bored. The story is a sad one and my heart goes out to Bonnie Faye Todd who lost her beloved daughter to the man she considered her daughter's friend and protector. Read the book, you won't be sorry.
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Summary: Best True Crime Book I've Read In Some Time
Review: I read a review of An Hour To Kill in THE STATE NEWSPAPER, SOUTH CAROLINA, and rushed out to buy a copy. As the reviewer in THE STATE stated, An Hour To Kill was sensational, and he was right on the money. From the first line in the Prologue, this book grabbed me and didn't let go until I had finished the last line of the Epilogue. The authors were superb storytellers; keeping the story moving at such a good pace that I didn't (and couldn't)stop until I finished it. They were not biased and did a marvelous job at presenting both sides. Honestly, I wasn't sure Ken Register was guilty or not up until the last moment (I won't give it away for other readers). The emerging criminal profile of Register throughout the book was what amazed me. As the authors take you through the crime, investigation, trial and aftermath, they slowly unmask the evil side of this deceiving, cold-blooded murderer. Who would have believed he would be Ms. Todd's comforter, even agree to be a pallbearer at Crystal's funeral, and knowing all the time he had been the one to put her there. Ken Register has no conscience at all. To my true crime friends and other readers, this is a must read. Well researched and written, kuddos to Hudson and Hills for telling this story. I am now a devoted fan and anxiously await the release of your next book.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling, well-drawn page-turner
Review: Way above average true crime (though it falls short of the 'In Cold Blood'/'Executioner's Song'/'Our Guys' top ranks). A very good read nevertheless & it gets better as it goes along, peaking at the end (which isn't as obvious a point as it might seem--too few books in this genre deliver consistency & a sense of building to a climax). The opening & closing scenes (DON'T read ahead) are an excellent touch & all that the authors lay out in the book justifies the closing scene--they prove their speculation is worth listening to (& it's very convincing, actually). Even the obligatory trial scene is very well done. High points of the book are the portrait of Ken Register, who becomes convincingly darker as the book progresses, and the community & just the right amount of commentary on the broad type of person Ken Register represents without overdoing it. Definitely worth buying & reading.
Rating:
Summary: A True Crime Page Turner. Very Highly Recommended.
Review: This book is a page turner. A must read for every true crime reader. I could not erase the killer's evil from my mind and cried after finishing the last chapter of the book. Yet, I still went back and read it again. An Hour To Kill has it all: the pages are tense and rich and the story is filled with great suspense as young babyfaced Ken Register is exposed as a brutal sadistic killer and brought to justice while all the time denying his guilt to his famly and friends in the small town ofConway, South Carolina. Authors Dale Hudson and Billy Hills slowly unmask this once trusted nineteen-year-old, boy-next-door, and allows the reader to see him for what he is: a monster, living and breathing in his own dark and secretive world, continually out of touch with reality since his childhood. It was Register's own selfishness and greed with no welfare for others or remorse for his victim that finally consumed and his sealed his fate in the end. Readers will cry for the victim, sympathize for both mothers who are emotionally torn and spent at the end of the trial, and empathize with the police and prosecutor as they untangle Register's web of deceit. I even felt for Shirley Register, who truly loved her son and blocked out her son's depraved and twisted mind, as well as her volatile husband. An Hour To Kill allows the reader an incredible front row seat on an emotional rollercoaster ride with plenty of twists and turns that doesn't end until the last sentence of the book. I appreciate the authors' long hours of research required to bring such an accurate and true story. Hudson and Hills has shown us how a killer can lurk in our midst disguised as an angel of light, only to bring such great turmoil, pain, and death to her family, friends, and community. You guys are masterful writers. I look forward to reading your new book and watching you make it all happen again.
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