Blind Faith

BLIND FAITHBlind 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.

I read it in one day . I feel the author did a fine job of presenting all sides of the facts . I think the it ended as it should have . As it did , in fact in true life. I feel so sad for Roby , Chris and John .

A successful New Jersey insurance salesman, his three overachieving sons, and a housewife so perfectionist she prided herself on the special edge on her pancakes form the core of this Joe McGinnis nonfiction bestseller. But late one night in 1984 on the way back home from Atlantic City, the husband, Rob Marshall, pulled over at an unlighted byway of the parkway because, he said, one tire on his Cadillac felt flat. Later, bloodied, he told policeman that he had been mugged and his wife, Maria, brutally murdered.It seemed a hard story to sustain -- and indeed it was. BLIND FAITH by author Joe (FATAL VISION) McGinnis is a well-crafted page-turner, best at relating the nuts-and-bolts detective work that led to Rob's arraignment and conviction for murder. It seems Rob had become estranged from his perfectionistic wife and taken up with the town flirt, "Felice," who needed more money for successful maintenance than Maria had. Along the way we're treated to the seamy side of little Toms River, New Jersey, insofar as a relatively new suburb can have a seamy side.And that leads to the worst aspect of this book -- author McGinnis HATES Toms River and everything it stands for. He gets his digs in early: it's the town you hit right after FM radio signals from Philadelphia and New York City have faded. The one that got rich by polluting Toms River (which isn't really a river at all, he says, but an estuary of Barnegat Bay along the Jersey Shore). The one that grew so quickly that Locust Street has no more room for locust trees. The one with a shopping mall where "shopping" (per McGinniss) became an end in itself. One reviewer said that you'd think it was a sin to live in a nice house with new appliances, and that reviewer had a point.Still, there's enough narrative intensity in this drama of the middle-class American dream gone terribly wrong to warrant its reading. One note: the mass-market paperback, available at a good price, has none of the B&W photos that the original hardbound volume did.

Another superb job by this author. I only learnt as I was reading it that he died in 2014, which is sad news as I've always been a big fan, especially of the superb Fatal Vision. This case came back to me as I read it as I know I've seen the TV film made about it. I was pleased to read online that Rob Marshall also died in prison a few years ago since he was never executed, despite being on Death Row years and years. It makes such a mockery of the sentence when they don't actually carry it out.I felt so bad for Maria's sons......she had wonderful relationships with all of them so at least they all had a lot of great memories. Just so bloody sad that their father was led by his dick and wanting to get rich quick. Something I found a bit baffling was that we kept being told how Rob had asked Maria to "pop the trunk" that night, yet at other times were assured she was asleep in the front seat of the car and never knew what hit her.....let's hope it WAS the latter. I was pleased he couldn't persuade Roby to lie on his behalf, too. He told the truth, for his mum, who deserved nothing less.I was disappointed that no photos are included in this Kindle version. All I kept seeing in my head was Robert Urich, who played Rob in the film !! Uncle Sal was a hero to the lads.....I hope he stayed in touch with them all. I spotted just one massive ouch and it was quite a shocker-he wrote recieved and not received !! He clearly didn't know the little i-before-e ditty !I believe I've now read all Joe's true crime books, which is a shame. I'll miss not being able to add to my collection by him.

Suburban mother and wealthy country club socialite is murdered; her husband is the number one suspect. Fans of true crime (Ann Rule readers especially) may enjoy this account of the Maria Marshall murder.I found the book a little irritating, as the author includes lengthy pages of dialogue/conversations that he couldn't possibly know in such detail. So, certainly, a degree of imagination has been applied to bring the scenes and chief players in the story to life. Many of the real names have also been changed, for reasons I do not understand. The story is in the public domain, so I cannot understand why certain characters (all the Marshalls, for example) retain their actual names and others have been given false names. The writing is a little amateurish, which is surprising as McGinnis wrote quite a famous and well received book about Richard Nixon's presidential campaign. I think Ann Rule is a better true crime writer, who can make a story read like a page-turner of a novel, without compromising the truth. I see the book is very popular, judging by the other reviews - so I am in a real minority with my tepid review. Maybe I'm wrong? Who knows!

Very interesting true crime book. I knew nothing about this case when i ordered the book but i am glad i did. At the core of the story is a ruthless killer who appeared to be a pillar of the community.

Great book but arrive with no cover very poor

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