Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Death Sentence
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Jerry Bledsoe
Class/Genre: Mystery Non-Fiction Historical True Crime
The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Execution
Dutton, Oct 1998, $24.95, 371 pp.
In 1984, Velma Barfield was the first woman executed by a state in the United States in over two decades. What led Velma into using arsenic to kill four people over a decade? Jerry Bledsoe explores Velma's background, the impact of her conviction on her children, and insight into the key characters that were involved in her trial such as her attorneys and the prosecuting attorney. The second part of this true life story is Velma's finding God as she awaits her execution.
This true life crime story is an incredible accomplishment by Jerry Bledsoe because the author provides a wider examination than normally found with these type of books. Mr. Bledsoe goes beyond just Velma by delving into the motivations of her attorneys and the prosecutor, and the impact on Velma's family. By doing this, the talented writer makes the book seem more complete than most legal thrillers and leaves readers pondering the merits of the death penalty in a way rarely seen on the printed page. This reviewer will go second hand booking in order to read Mr. Bledsoe's previous true crime stories (BITTER BLOOD, BLOOD GAMES, and BEFORE HE WAKES) as well as his fictional work (THE ANGEL DOLLS) because if they are half as good DEATH SENTENCE, they are masterpieces.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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