Blind Faith

BLIND FAITH Blind Faith by author Joe McGinnis is an extremely well written book and I found I could not put the book down. The story is riveting and there are a numerous number of characters in the book so there is a lot of switching back and forth in the timeline of events that leads to Maria’s death and eventually a trial and prison for those responsible. There are good guys, bad guys, investigators, insurance policies, pay-outs, motels, phone records, credit reports, receipts. so, a lot to follow but a rewarding read. Rob and Maria Marshall live in Toms River with their three children and Tom is an insurance salesman, and his wife Maria is a housewife. Tom believes their standing in the community is very important when they move there. To Tom the image of his family is everything not only the way they dress but the perfect family they must portray to everyone. They drive the right car, mix in the correct circle of people, join the country club and are seen at all the right places (restaurants, friends, diner party’s) in the town of Toms River. Tom’s life consists of his image he has of himself and leads to a life of adultery, gambling, and drugs and then one night the murder of Maria whilst the couple drive home from Atlantic City. Tom pulled over to check his tire and the story he tells police when they arrive is he gets knocked out and when he came to, he found his wife has been shot dead. The town that thought Tom could do no wrong soon realise as the police investigate Maria’s murder that when the mask Rob Marshall wore and is taken off nothing is what it seemed. The sad part is once the trial starts you find Tom is a legend in his own mind and will do anything to get of going to jail. Tom’s only love is for himself, he is materialistic, loves money, is greedy, and lies. He even lies to his three children that he had nothing to do with their mother’s murder and then asks one son to lie for him on the witness stand as it comes to the end of the trial. I have read a few books by Joe McGinnis and am never disappointed. A true crime thriller of greed, lust, and murder, a definite page-turner, and a book I would highly recommend. I am part of the ARC group for Wildblue Press and BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall, I was riveted by this book. It was a slow start in setting the characters that didn’t seem relevant, but once McGinniss got into the story of the slow decline of a plastic character in a pretend life, it becomes a every intense read with a very eye opening ending.

Joe McGinness has the knack of re-creating a murder scene and putting the reader smack into it. His extremely detailed backgrounds which include both places and people acquaint you with the particulars to such an extent that you are there. Even if you know who the perp is, the suspense is triggered to get you to keep turning the pages. It is obvious that Robert Marshall is involved in his wife's murder up to his eyeballs, but it doesn't matter that you suspect him because he is such a vile person you are more or less obligated, if you like justice, (and of course you do) to see him safely in the dock before you close the book. You wonder as this complicated situation unfolds as to the depth of evil a man can sink to. Besides the murderer there are several smaller fish to fry and the way the law tracks them down is fascinating. The sociopath like Robert Marshall is probably the scariest of criminals because he (rarely she) has no conscience whatsoever, feels no guilt, believing the world is there to serve him, his own private oyster. He is the ultimate Narcissis. The agony of Marshall's three fine sons over the arrest of their father let alone the murder of their mother seeps into McGinness' narrative again and again, but they are not voices crying in the wilderness. They portray the Blind Faith of the title because they want to believe in the innocence of their father. They are strong and they will triumph, pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. Felice, Marshall's girlfriend, for whom Maria Marshall was killed, jumps out of the pages almost as a caricature. Dark haired , confident and glib she apparently slept around before she met Marshall. You almost feel Rob Marshall deserves her. The town itself, Toms River, where the Marshalls lived , is pretty much scorned by author McGinness:'"you were what you drove, you were what you wore, you were where you lived - no matter how mortgaged you were." The trial scene in the last part of "Blind Faith" is an energetic mix of personalities, the two attorneys, the Judge and the witnesses all contributing to the melee. Prosecutor Kevin Kelly goes after Marshall on the witness stand "nostrils flaring" and layer by layer strips Marshall of his credibility. Greed, lust and murder, this book has it all, drenched in almost unbearable suspense. It's sad Joe McGinness is no longer with us but he has left behind a fine legacy of true crime thrillers that are the hallmark of the genre. '

True story told very well . A real page turner that is hard to put down and keeps up the suspense👍

Maybe it was because my expectations were so high after reading Fatal Vision several years ago and loving it, but I was disappointed in Blind Faith. I did not think it was of the same calibre at all. In Fatal Vision, I got a sense of realism, but not in this book - it seemed more like a screen play. For one thing it was distracting that he used false names for so many of the characters. It made me wonder what else was made up. The depiction of the father was almost a caricature of a self centred and and rather stupid person and the motives of several of the other characters were never fully explained. It was like McGinnis started along a trend of thought and then got distracted and never finished it, so you are left with unanswered questions as to why this or that person thought the way they did. The story, however, is such a fascinating one, that it was still a good read.

The story is sad but true. Well told, great writing and enjoyable to the end! This is the third book by this author and we've enjoyed them all! Enjoy!

Interesting, compelling but ultimately a sad tale of a narcissistic man who destroyed the lives of his children by murdering their mother.

Another very interesting book written by an author I have only recently sampled and enjoyed greatly. A pacy story with some twists and turns that holds your attention

True Crime im Romanformat: Nach dem forensischen Detailwahnsinn von FATAL VISION kapriziert sich McGinniss diesmal auf die psychologische Nacherzählung eines Falls, dessen (aus Genreperspektive betrachtet) Klischeefülle es umso unfassbarer macht, dass er tatsächlich passiert ist. Den clever verschränkten ersten beiden Teilen, die die Zeit vom Verbrechen bis zum Prozess einmal aus personaler Perspektive der Hinterbliebenen, dann der Ermittler nachvollziehen, kann das Gerichtsnarrativ des dritten Teils zwar nicht mehr wahnsinnig viel hinzufügen - dennoch turnen die pages sich bis zum bitteren Ende wie von selbst. Besondere Erwähnung verdient ein Kapitel, das die Geschichte des Schauplatzes - eine New Jerseyer Upper-Class-Gemeinde mit Strandlage - über hundert Jahre nachzeichnet & eine ungemein faszinierende kleine Kulturgeschichte des US-Kapitalismus der 80er abgibt (trotz aller "Grauen der Suburbs"-Gemeinplätze, die damals kurz nach BLUE VELVET wohl noch nicht ganz so abgestanden waren).

Amazing read. Could not put it down. Well written. Would recommend it to anyone. Some people who commit these murders are truly evil.