Evidence of Love by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson

 

(pb; 1984: crime nonfiction)

From the back cover

“They were two suburban mothers who attended the same church, went to the same parties, looked after each other’s kids. In the small-town Texas world they shared, liefe seemed peaceful and pleasant. Yet underneath the surface, pretty blonde Candy Montgomery and schoolteacher Betty Gore were simmering with unspoken frustrations, unanswered needs. And one hot summer day it would all explode in the laundry room of Betty Gore’s home─as the concrete walls rang with the blows and screams of an ax striking forty-one terrible times.

“Here is the incredible true story of the murder trial that made headlines across the country. . . the unthinkable crime that ripped away the serene façade of a quiet Texas community to show the passions and jealousies that boiled underneath. You will come to know the world of Candy Montgomery and her friend Betty Gore and you will wonder how such a monstrous thing could happen.”

 

Review

Evidence is an excellent, detailed-with-a-hint-of-mystery true crime book that is an immediately reader-immersive work. Bloom and Atkinson provide just enough─a lot of─background about those who experienced Evidence’s events as well as background on the places and institutions where they happened. This is an intense, fact-driven, steadily paced, and occasionally grisly-but-non-exploitative read, one of the more emotionally involving books I’ve read recently, and easily one of the best true crime books I’ve read in a long time. I can see why Bloom (a.k.a. Joe Bob Briggs) and Atkinson are award-winning journalists. 

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The resulting television movie, A Killing in a Small Town, aired on CBS on May 22, 1990. Stephen Gyllenhaal directed it, from a teleplay by Cynthia Cidre.

Barbara Hershey played Candy Morrison. Brian Dennehy  (First Blood, 1982) played Ed Reivers. John Terry played Stan Blankenship. Richard Gilliland played Dale Morrison. Lee Garlington (Cobra and Psycho III, both 1986) played Peggy Blankenship.

Hal Holbrook played Dr. Beardsley. Matthew Posey (Mr. Brooks, 2007) played Norman Billings. James Monroe Black, billed as James Black, played Dr. Giles. Dennis Letts (A Perfect World, 1993) played Chief McAlester. Marco Parella (A Perfect World, 1993) played Rick Slocum.

Psycho House by Robert Bloch

(pb; 1990: third book in the original Psycho trilogy)

From the back cover

"The new Bates Motel is a tourist attraction, a recreation of the murder site, and the developers are already counting their profits. And there's a new exhibit, one nobody expected: the bloody corpse of a teenage girl crumpled in the front hall, stabbed to death. Among the avalanche of press and publicity is reporter Amelia Haines, true crime writer. She's studying the original Psycho killings and to Amy the new murders are a golden opportunity -- if she can be part of the investigation, perhaps track down the killer herself, then her fame, and fortune, will be assured.

"But catching the madman won't be easy. . . the town is full of suspects, and Amy's best informants keep turning up murdered. If she isn't careful, Amelia Haines may be the next permanent guest at the Bates Motel. . ."


Review

This is best read as a Psycho side-novel. To read Psycho House as a direct sequel to that classic work is to court disappointment. In this third book, Bloch is more interested in exploring the social and media-related effects of the Bates Legacy, as evidenced in the town of Fairvale, where the original Bates murders took place.

Bloch's shift to heavy social commentary isn't surprising. Briefly notable in Psycho, Bloch's penchance for that sort of thing makes up a large portion of Psycho II (e.g., Bloch's Los Angeles jabs). Bearing that commentary in mind, Psycho House works as a thoughtful, if killer-obvious, thriller.

Bloch's sparse writing, black wit, cliffhanger chapters and constant twists, coupled with the aforementioned social commentary (perfectly crystallized in Psycho House's last line) makes this a worthwhile, notable pulp novel.

Check it out.

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Psycho III, unrelated to the not-yet-penned Psycho House, first illuminated theater screens on July 2, 1986.

Anthony Perkins not only reprised his role of Norman Bates, he directed the film as well, from a script by Charles Edward Pogue.

Diana Scarwid played Maureen Coyle. Jeff Fahey played Duane Duke. Roberta Maxwell played Tracy Venable. Hugh Gillin played Sheriff John Hunt. Lee Garlington played Myrna. Robert Alan Browne played Ralph Statler.

An uncredited Virginia Gregg, for a third time, performed the voice-role of Norma Bates, Norman's mother.