Poisoned Love

by Caitlin Rother

Book Overview

Case seen on Inside Edition, Good Morning America, and 48 Hours Accident, Suicide. . . Or Murder? On November 6, 2000, paramedics answered a call to find Kristin Rossum, 24, sobbing. Her husband, Greg... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786017147
• ISBN13: 9780786017140
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 475 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

No stone unturned

Kristin Rossum was blonde, young, cute, weepy and superficially sympathetic. But the more she tried to make her equally young husband's sudden death seem like suicide, the more the investigation into Greg de Villers' death revealed a long and messy trail of lies, drug abuse, infidelity and, finally, murderous selfishness. Like many who followed Kristin's arrest and trial a few years ago, you may have found yourself wanting to sympathize with the Jennifer Aniston lookalike as she pouted puffily and wept copiously while handcuffed in jailhouse garb. But one read of Caitlin Rother's incredibly comprehensive "Poisoned Love" should leave no doubt in any reasoning, reasonable mind that this petite blonde wanted another man (her boss, yet) and was willing to kill to clear the way. What's ultimately persuasive is the professional ethic that Rother brings to her native narrative-storytelling skills -- she takes no side and assumes no point of view other than that of dispassionate, objective observer. Like the detectives who pursued the case, she chases down every lead and examines every shred of evidence ... and through sheer comprehensiveness, allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusion without leading them to it by the nose. In doing so, Rother transcends the blood-splashed hackwork and corner-cutting storytelling that pervades so much of the true-crime-book genre and gives it a lowbrow name. As such, we owe her a debt for maintaining high standards and sticking to them in the face of what must have been remarakble pressure to deliver the kind of bottom-feeder book the market seems to enable. Stories like Kristin Rossum's -- and Greg de Villers' -- need to be told, and we need consummate, skilled professionals like Caitlin Rother telling them. One thing that keeps this book from being even better is the lack of access Rother had to its main character -- though Rother can hardly be blamed, as she tried to contact Kristin Rossum for an interview to no avail. But I can't help but hope that maybe there will be a fresh edition of this book in 10 years or so, when the headlines and sensationalism have faded, when Rossum is largely forgotten as she slides toward middle age. I can't help hoping by then that, lonely for public attention, she'll open up and provide more fascinating insight into her fascinating psyche. If so, this is one book I'd buy twice. The other hope for the future is that Rossum's likely co-conspirator -- lover Michael Robertson, who fled to Australia before Kristin's trial -- will somehow face justice. Such hope fades with each passing year he remains unindicted, but there is no statute of limitations for murder. And should the passage of time loosen his tongue, I hope Rother will be the one to share his story from the inside out. (Stay on it, Caitlin!) In sum, "Poisoned Love" is every bit as essential as it is entertaining. It delivers on all levels, and delivers at the highest ethical and journalistic levels especially. I

Excellent True Crime from a Rookie Author

Caitlin Rother, although no stranger to newspaper reporting, did an excellent job with this story as a first time true crime author. Readers will find indepth background coverage on the major players in this twisted tale of drug abuse, adultry and murder. I simply couldn't put it down! This book is the story of Kristin Rossum, who is undoubtedly a spoiled, overindulged girl who has never grown into the maturity of womanhood. Her actions alone speak of someone who has never been taught that there are consequences for their actions. Being the only daughter of enabling parents, it isn't surprising that Kristin would kill her husband rather file for divorce (with monetary gain to be had) when he threatened to expose her relapse into her drug addiction and her affair with her boss, Michael Robertson. But I do not believe that Kristin acted alone...just as Kristin was childlike in demeanor, so was Robertson. While to some he may have seemed experienced and intelligent, his need to continously seek the "new feeling" of "falling in love," shows his immaturity as well. It would not surprise me to learn that his sophmoric attitude wouldn't lead him to assist Kristin to kill her husband in the niave belief it wouldn't be found out and would live happily ever after....or at least, till the new wore off with Kristin and he went in search of "the feeling" again. In addition, Rossum and Robertson are both arrogant individuals; and most often times, it those who think so highly of themselves that take the hardest falls. Overall, a must read for true crime fans. I'll look forward to this authors next true crime book.

No Love, Just Poison

This book is extremely well-written and gives a great deal more background info than John Glatt's book on the same subject. Kristin Rossum was a cute young lady who loved the meth more than anyone or anything. Like most druggies, she knew how to charm and manipulate to get her way. Unlike most druggies, she had rich parents to back her up at every turn. They refused to believe this could happen in their family, better to sweep it under the rug, get her married off and let her become someone else's headache for awhile. Poor Greg de Villiers, who hadn't had much experience with women, fell for Kristin right off the bat, and she took advantage of it, by stealing from him, his brother and his roommate to buy meth. Prior to meeting Greg, she had asked her current boyfriend to rescue her. He got them a hotel room, and while he took a shower, she cleaned out his wallet, and disappeared to Mexico, where she met Greg, her next victim. She later told this boyfriend that she'd been kidnapped and taken to Mexico, and driven around in the trunk of a car. She said she lied to him to spare his feelings. When it was time to get married, Kristin repeatedly reminisces that "if only" her parents had listened to her concerns and stopped the wedding. However, she was a grown woman who could have done as she pleased. She married Greg and proceeded to cheat on him with at least 3 men. When she fell for her boss Michael, she was still writing her husband emails begging him to say he loved her. She said she didn't have the guts to leave Greg because it would "hurt" him. So she continued to lie to him, cheat on him, drive him crazy, and probably drug him for the last weeks of his life, until she decided he was interfering too much with her meth use. Then she administered the fatal dose of Fentanyl. Her boss/lover, who also hadn't got a divorce and was actually going to counseling with his wife, quickly claimed his mother was ill and hotfooted it back to Australia - out of reach of the authorities. It's my personal belief that he had to know what was going on - if not before the fact, immediately after. The guy has a PhD, no one can be that oblivious to what's in front of you. Drug use, drugs missing from the lab, 3 different diaries (one written only for Greg to read), and completely different versions of events told - some of them Michael's.

One of the best true crime books Ive ever read..

I'm a long time true-crime reader, having spent 28+ years employed in the law enforcement field, mostly as a radio dispatcher but in other areas as well, and I have to say that is one of the absolute best I've ever read, on a par with McGinness, Rule, Bugliosi and the other elite writers of this genre. This story is about one of the most compelling crimes Ive ever read containing almost every element you could ever want, poisoning, passion, conspiracy, a gorgeous cheating wife involved with a handsome Australian married supervisor, just a superbly written and concise account of a extremely complicated crime. The author obviously had many "inside" sources who lent this book a unchallengeable ring of accuracy, its very apparent that these sources gave of themselves freely. Ms. Rother covered the case on a daily basis for the San Diego Press-Tribune and based on that coverage she was able to put together a complete and detailed account of the whole crime in a exciting book in the tradition of best-sellers like Helter Skelter and Blind Faith. The book is a definite page-turner, I wasnt able to put it down until I was finished. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great true crime read.

An objective point of view

The death of Greg de Villers and subsequent conviction of his wife, Kristin, for murder is tragic in so many ways. Did Kristin kill her husband? Did someone actually see her commit the crime? There will always be a doubt but is it a reasonable doubt? Of course, in order to find Kristin innocent one would also have to accept that it is possible for one person to win the California lottery three times a row. Impossible? Of course, not. Improbable? Definitely. Unlike John Glatt's book on same subject, "Deadly American Beauty", Ms. Rother has taken an objective approach to the subject. Where Mr. Glatt cries out that "She did it!", Ms. Rother walks the reader through the evidence. Ms. Rother has handled with exceptional journalistic dexterity what is a most tragic story.