Rating: 
Summary: A Psychological Thriller
Review: I have relatives who live in Horry County and remember Crystal's murder and Register's trial. They first read An Hour To Kill and liked it so much they mailed it to me. Inside was a note, "This book is a true story and is one of the best nonfiction stories we've ever read," so the book came highly recommended. I started reading An Hour To Kill on Friday night and couldn't put it down until I had finished it. I even read parts of it to my husband and got him so hooked that he started wrestling me for the book so he could start reading it. I am impressed with the way the authors told this story. It wasn't slanted toward either the victim, police, or killer, and presented in such a way that allowed me to make up my own mind. Even though it took a little while to convince my husband, I figured right away Register was guilty. Just recently I read in the paper about his last appeal was denied, that he will never get a new trial. Maybe this horrorible tragedy can finally be over for the victims and people in Horry County. So when is Hudson and Hills next book coming out?
Rating:
Summary: Escape for a while to the rural south
Review: Though this true and gritty story of murder and the search for truth, is a sad tale of great loss, it is good escapist reading too. The story takes you into the coastal town of Conway, and introduces you to the residents. It is unsentimental; the victim is a lovely young high school girl, yet her past isn't as innocent as one might expect, and the authors tell the true story without sugarcoating the victim, all the while showing great respect for the girl and her family. All the characters are treated with honesty and respect and you will really have the flavor of the town and it's story when you are done.
Rating:
Summary: Very highly recommended
Review: Authors Dale Hudson and Billy Hills unmask the forces that lay concealed beneath the small town of Conway, South Carolina when Crystal Fay Todd--a lovely high school senior -- is brutally murdered. This riveting account will hold the reader spellbound right through the surprising evidence in the sentencing hearing. Three and a half months of investigation left law enforcers stumped; but in their dogged determination to solve this horrific crime, they request blood tests of community members. Ken Register, friend of the family and neighbor, comforts the victim's mother, offering support until he's requested to take a blood test. Suddenly, Ken is convinced he's going to be framed for Crystal's murder. His fear of being arrested is certainly well founded, since Ken's DNA was found in the victim's body cavities. Authors Hudson and Hills have resolutely researched thousands of pages of court documents, interviews and other sources to present this account of South Carolina's most brutal murder. While many questions remain unanswered, as indeed many questions were unanswered by the trial, the authors have constructed a viable account of the truth and the pain resulting to all involved. The narrative form allows the readers to experience the shock of the crime and the impact of the investigation that ripped this small town apart, dividing loyalties and forever destroying lives. For lovers of true crime, AN HOUR TO KILL is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Another Five Star Review
Review: I really liked this book a lot. IT was fast paced and packed with good information about the victim, the killer, and the investigation. Many true crime books read like a newspaper or detective magazine. This one was different. It read more like a good novel. Register was one heartless person to carry her casket to the grave knowing all along he had been the man to put her there. He should have gotten the death penalty. Another good book I just finsihed reading was The Last Victim by Jason Moss. That is another creepy book.
Rating:
Summary: Register-Todd case has finally been put to rest.
Review: I went to school with both Crystal Todd and Ken Register and like all people in Horry County were horrified when Crystal was murdered and Ken was arrested. My friends and I didn't want to believe that one of our very own classmates would do such a thing to Crystal. Ken drove Crystal to school one year when she lost her license and the two of them were the best of friends. She trusted him like a brother. When we went to the trial, we still weren't sure Ken had killed Crystal because he and his mother swore he didn't do it. I sat right there in court everday and listened to the testimonies. At first I believed Ken when he said he didn't kill her and believed his mama when she said he didn't do it and that a mother ought to know if her son was a murderer or not. For six years there were a lot of unanswered questions and we didn't know what to belive, until this book was written. Finally the truth came out about Ken and his background and then it was clear as to why he had killed Crystal. What most people living outside of Horry County probably don't know is that Ken's final appeal was turned down and another second DNA test proved once and for all that he was the killer. All the talk from other from Ken's supporters about Ken being framed by the police and another person had killed her was just talk and nothing else. This case is over and has finally been put to rest for Bonnie Faye Todd, her family, and the people in our community. I'm glad Hudson and Hills wrote this book. It helped me and my friends see the real truth about Ken and why he murdered Crystal. I am sad to see this happen in my hometown but glad to know the truth finally came out and the police were right all the time.
Rating:
Summary: Very well researched and written.
Review: My hat is off to Hudson and Hills for a very well researched and written book. I had the pleasure of meeting these two gentleman at a book signing in Columbia, SC, and found them to be very genuine. Glad to hear they have another book coming out. I look forward to reading all their books in the future.
Rating:
Summary: An Hour To Kill
Review: Several years ago I heard about the Register case and how DNA pinpointed the killer. Being a student of forensics, I wanted to find out how this murder had been solved with DNA. This book was so interesting I was able to read it in a day and am convinced that Register would have been a serial killer had he not been arrested. I think David Caldwell should have been recognized more in the book than he was. Caldwell was the one who put the police on the right track. This was a very good book and I am going to recommend it to all my friends.
Rating:
Summary: A Sad Story of a Young Man Who Was Obsessed With Sex
Review: I know everyone who has written reviews of this book has written how bad they feel for the mother, but they failed to mention their sympathy toward the killer and his family. Long ago my brother committed a crime and was sentenced to life, and we have no idea when or how he went wrong. He, like Register, was reared in a good, loving Christian home, but got mixed up with the wrong people and did something that cost him his freedom. He is sorry for it now, but can't change what happened. It nearly destroyed my parents and siblings, and we will never be the same again. I guess what I am trying to say is that everyone was a victim in this case including Ken and his family. My prayer is that this young man will see his mistakes and change his life before he meets his maker. Unfortunately, it's too late for Crystal but not for him.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Page Turner
Review: This book is a real page turner. My wife's book club read it first, then she brought it home so I could read it. It was well worth the time. My heart really went out to Mrs. Todd. Crystal was her only child, her whole world, and to know that she was brutally murdered like this is a real shame. He should never be let out of prison and be forced to think about what he did to that poor child every day of his life. Had he been tried in my home state of Texas, he would be sitting on death row. I do recommend this book to anyone who is a true crime fan.
Rating:
Summary: This murder happened in my hometown.
Review: I am a high school senior and this murder happened in my hometown. My parents, uncles, and aunts used to talk about Crystal and Ken whenever they got together on holidays. It is still thought of as the biggest murder case in Horry County. I feel sorry for Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Register. Both of them lost their children and it was all for nothing. Now that the case has been finally settled, I am wondering if Ken Register will ever apologize to Crystal's mom for what he did to her daughter? Because this book is a true story and it happened in our home town, just about everyone in my school has read it. We are all shocked that something like that could have ever happened around here.
| 
