True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa

A fascinating account, as the subtitle would indicate, that probes what it means to be truthful both through self-revelation and through interviews with a sociopath incapable of telling the truth. ( )

This book is well written. But the crime it addresses is so vile that I found I could not finish the book. I just didn't want to read an in-depth portrait of the killer, or listen to his self-serving lies. I skipped from chapter 23 to chapter 40, and from reading the last two chapters (40-41) I do not believe that the author excuses the crime in any way, so it is not his fault I couldn't tolerate the entire book. It just seemed that there were more worthwhile ways to spend my time. ( )

Michael Finkel was a New York Times Journalist who was fired after it was revealed he falsified details in a story.

Christian Longo was a man accused of having murdered his entire family.

What brought these two men together was the name Michael Finkel. While on the run from the law in Mexico, Longo impersonated Finkel, a journalist whose stories he had read and admired.

Finkel is hiding away at his home, disgraced after the truth about his chocolate trade story came out. When he receives a phone call from another reporter about Longo using Finkel's name, Finkel himself sees it as an opportunity to write another great story, this time one that is completely truthful. But as he gets sucked in by Longo's charms, Finkel begins to realize just how blurred the line between truth and lies can be.

This is an absolutely fascinating read. It is a murder mystery, as readers learn about the case along with Finkel. It is a psychological study of two men brought together by lies and the desire for redemption. It is a look at the relationship between journalist and subject, and where that relationship can shift and change into something resembling friendship-and the struggle to understand feeling kinship for a man who may have committed a horrible deed. And in the end, it is an examination of what it truly means to tell the truth and to tell a lie, to others and to yourself. ( )

This was an odd choice of book for me. I decided to read it for two reasons. One I saw the preview for the upcoming film about this story and knew I would need to read the book since the book is always better. And two the Christian Longo case was big news the first time I ever visited my favorite place on the planet, the Oregon coast. The trial was in the newspapers everyday we were in Oregon so I had a frame of reference starting out. This book is very well written and super fascinating. Not my usual fare but well worth the read. ( )

Interesting and absorbing while reading it. Otherwise, not so much. This book is proof that fact is often stranger than fiction. Nothing else explains why A) Longo chose Finkel as his assumed identity just as Finkel is pilloried for his bad journalistic judgment and B) Finkel would invest so much time and head space to a man that was a consummate liar and con man (leaving out the part that he is also a psychopath). ( )