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It was an interesting book because I never really heard what actually took place in Bermuda or Peru. And what was so shocking was the crime took place on May 29th, (my birthday) but also 5 years to the day that beautiful Natalee Holloway disappeared.

To be honest I didn't pay close attention to the Holloway case because I was after they were looking for her for a few weeks, I believed she had to have passed from this world but understood why her parents couldn't give up.

I was very alarmed at the way the Bermuda justice system handled the case. I was even MORE alarmed at the way from the moment Joran's involvement was apparent his parents took an extreme defensive position rather than trying to get to the bottom of the situation. In short they knew their son was habitually lying, being so agressive he scared his younger brothers, and all sorts of unsavory behavior. Knowing this about his behavior doesn't mean they didn't love him but it means holding him accountable. They chose immediately to live in denial as they often did when it came to their sons behavior that was growing out of control. I was even further shocked when Joran's own father gave him and his two friends 'LEGAL ADVICE' saying "NO BODY, NO CASE'. He also said that if they told the "the same TRUE story' the authorities would have to release them in 8 days. That is truly apalling parental behavor!

I don't believe Paulus Van der Sloot had anything to do with 'hiding' poor Natalee's body. Though I would not be surprised if he DID know her ultimate fate. Or maybe SOME version that is the closest to the truth anyone on earth would ever get from the pathological liar. I also think Paulus had his own 'psychopathic' traits. Meaning he had NO empathy whatsoever for the Holloways. If he did, he would have realized that his son DESERVED to be held accountable! Especially as a lawyer.

In Bermuda, he seemed to be after sex. Trolling for tourist girls was a definite preoccupation. But so was his growing addiction to gambling and drinking. Why he did what he did to Natalee only he knows. But the Authors of this book...really did a wonderful job reconstructing the what ifs. Joran was prone to paroxysms of rage filled violence when he would often assault someone.

This could fit with what ended up happening to Natalee! You see he probably expected sex and she never had a boyfriend back home in Birmingham!!!

Also there is the gambling to consider. Maybe he tried to steal from her and she resisted?

Whatever happened to her, it was brutal. The obfuscation from Paulus denied the Holloways the right to at least some form of justice. I suppose you could let him off the hook a little because he was trying to protect his son? But he very well KNEW his son was spiraling out of control. He chose to be in denial about these things. He CHOSE to willfully igonore that his Joran was a budding sociopath who had the means, opportunity, and disposal of poor Natalee's remains.

HE SIMPLY LACKED THE MORAL FIBER TO HOLD HIS OWN SON ACCOUNTABLE FOR A HORRIBLE CRIME. LACKED THE ABILITY TO PUT HIMSELF IN THE HOLLOWAYS SHOES, IF IT WAS ONE OF HIS SONS....THE HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC OF EMPATHY.

Now for all his father did for him, the sociopathic Joran would for money to play on the pro poker circuit would BLAME his father, asserting it was his idea to dispose of the body.

No one was safe from his lies. All he cared about was money to fund his lifestyle.

Now I wish they would have spent more time explaining the situation in Thailand. The rumors about him pimping? I don't exactly find them hard to believe. But I just don't think he probably lacked the organizational skills to pull it off.

When his father died, he went home to Bermuda to his funeral reportedly throwing himself on the casket screaming and sobbing that he caused his father's heart attack...he was saying in essence he killed his father. Now that is one death that he shouldn't have on his conscience. However he RUINED his father in the Netherlands with his sellings stories there where the family tried to make a new start by implicating his father in Natalee's murder at times then in disposing her body. His career was ruined. That should have been on his conscience but alas SOCIOPATHS................HAVE NO CONSCIENCE. I don't believe Paulus was a Sociopath. He just lacked empathy which is a psychopathic trait but doesn't make you a psychopath! Paulus was a successful man before all this happened to him. And it is TRULY MY BELIEF THAT HIS LACK OF EMPATHY...TRULY BROUGHT HIS LIFE TO PIECES.

Joran's mom thought he was mentally ill. I can understand that. I have a member of my family that is a sociopath. My first reaction was he has to have some sort of mental illness. She wanted him to go commit himself voluntarily in the Neatherlands to an Institution to get a diagnosis.

His mom, I feel sorry for. She was kept out of the loop during the Holloway case by her Husband. She is a very spiritual woman who made a shrine to Natalee to pray for her return desperately hoping she would.

But what she didn't understand was while he was still a CHILD they needed to commit him for evaulation and tell the absolute truth to the doctors about his RAGE, AGRESSION, LYING, and anything else her and Paulus knew about. Then they could of told her that he doesn't have a mental illness. He has a personality disorder called ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER. The prognosis isn't good. And it isn't your fault.

Then when he killed Stefany Flores on May 29 5 years to the day he Natelee. That bought the book primiarly to find out what happened in Peru.

Joran promised to go to the mental hosptial...but hoped a plane to Peru with money that the FBI just furnished him with the $25,000 he was trying to extort from Natalee's mom about 'what really happened to Natalee Holloway" They didn't expect the truth. Joran didn't realize in the USA what he was doing was EXTORTION and a FEDERAL CRIME! All he was concerned with was getting money to play in a poker tournament in MiraFlores....

He noticed Stephany Flores had won LOTS of money. Joran had landed in Peru with $25,000 but the Pro players often called him a "rail bird" because wasn't a very good poker player. And by the time he met Stefany, he was OUT of cash.

He was stalking her. Paying attention to her. Planning to steal from her. He got to know she was the daughter of a promient family. I want to note his arrogrance in thinking he could rip off such a girl from a prominent member of the community with no consequences so he'd be able to play in the poker tornament!

I'll spare the gory details...but its clear to me he saw this happening in some sort of 'smooth way. Like she'd say, I'll just you GIVE YOU MY MONEY! In any event, I think he suffered paroxysm and brutally beat her to death.

I was disappointed that the book ended before the end of his trial. But other then that I really liked reading this book!! I hadn't known much at all about the particulars of this case.

The tragedy in this case is two BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMEN lost their lives.

A FATHER COULD HAVE STOPPED HIM AFTER THE FIRST IF HE'D BEEN ABSOLUTELY HONEST WITH HIMSELF ABOUT WHO HIS SON WAS AND WHAT HE'D BECOME. AND IF HE'D PUT THE INTERESTS OF TRUE JUSTICE FIRST.

The Holloways didn't want to crucify Joran. They simply wanted to know what happened at first. In a very very strange irony, Casey Anthony's mother who was every bit of protective, defensive, and in denial about her daughter had the strength to point out to her daughter she was in jail because of her lies of where 'the baby was'.

Denial as a parent can sometimes be the worst thing you can do for your child.






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Danie_Jorgenson | 1 outra resenha | Sep 16, 2013 |
First of all let me tell you that I am Dutch so the same country where his parents came from and where Joran lived for a few years. I finished reading this book this morning and I liked it a lot. I know Lisa Pulitzer is a good writer.

I learned a few things I did not know. Most shocked was I when I read about him trying to extort Natalie's mum. That was so low. I do not like her a lot but that was so nasty.

To be honest I thought he was framed cause he is pretty smart and it was weird that the murder happened exactly on the day of Nathalie's disappearance. I was wondering if he was set up maybe by someone. I guess I believed one of his stories (the one where he is caught on tape)where he did not know he was being filmed" he told a "friend that the killing of Nathalie was an accident and that they had used a boat. He is 2 years older than my daughter and it is hard to accept that one so young can be a repetitive killer. Reading this book specific the part about Stephany Torrez I learned what he told the cops first but that he is guilty of killing her.

This book was very well written. it is divided in chapters. Chapters about what happened in Aruba and another one about Peru. Moving from one country back to the other one. After the video of Peter R. de Vries Joran was hated by the Dutch but even before they did not believe him and were disgusted that he had written a book. I do think that him being haunted and hated by so many caused him to get even more crazy. There were some little typing mistakes in the book but I highly recommend it.
4.5 stars.
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Marcado
Marlene-NL | 1 outra resenha | Apr 12, 2013 |
It was a little fun...a bit convoluted. It tried to be Hunter S. Thompson...didn't come close.
 
Marcado
Djupstrom | Apr 20, 2008 |

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