Unholy Matrimony

by John Dillmann and John Dillman

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425108783
• ISBN13: 9780425108789
• Release Date: April 1988
• Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

The Most Thorough Investigation

John Dillman spent 18 years with the New Orleans Police Department, winning the city's highest honor for bravery five times. He is now head of a private investigating firm. In January 1974 John Dillman, the youngest homicide detective, was given a hit-and-run death to investigate. A newlywed young woman was killed, the case was not solved (most are). Researching the people involved led to surprising facts: a very large insurance payment, a minister who owned massage parlors and was connected, a rumor that the husband's first wife was killed the same way. This very readable book tells the story of Dillman's investigation. There is shocking news in Chapter 4. The husband has arrested in another state for bad checks. Dillman found the first witness on the scene (p.53). He also got a chance to interview the minister who married Jim and Patricia, and got a written signed statement. Was Dr. Giesick living a double life (p.63)? Some of the events seem incredible (p.68). Who then threatened Dillman's family (p.78)? As the investigation continued the pieces of the puzzle fell into place (p.85). The police lab found one strand of hair beneath Giesick's new automobile. But the District Attorney said there wasn't enough evidence for a conviction (Chapter 7). Polygraph examinations are only as good as the operator (p.115). Giesick knew the law (p.120)! "The most thorough, professional investigation" (p.135). [That town must be Monmouth Junction (p.136).] Are very religious people too trusting and naive (p.137)? The hair samples matched, they had the necessary physical evidence (p.140). Dillman and the D.A. faced a dilemma: who was the worse problem? They would not have enough evidence to convict Corey unless they made a deal with Giesick (p.144). Dramas on TV are so simple. Chapter 13 has the confession. Sam Corey hired the most famous criminal lawyer in New Orleans (p.165). They learned Giesick had taken out large life insurance policies on his adopted children (p.166)! D.A. Ralph Whalen had a surprise (p.167). The defense attacked Giesick, the chief witness against Corey. Corey took the stand. Whalen told the jury he made a deal with Giesick to convict Corey (p.225). The jury quickly voted `guilty'. There is little here about Patricia's life. She went to college in the late 1960s, then left her family to move across country. How did she fall in with those evil people?

Exciting, fast paced, easy reading true crime

I read this book several years ago and was in a bookstore a while back and recommended it to a friend. It's the classic plot of finding and setting up a dupe to kill and collect the life insurance. What was most perturbing to me about the book was not the plot itself, but the easy with which the detectives were going to close the case without investigating and that the insurance company was simply going to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars no questions asked.

UNHOLY MATRIMONY

I READ UNHOLY MATRIMONY A FEW YEARS AGO AND HAVE BEEN IN LOVE WITH BOOK SINCE. BEING A NATIVE OF NEW ORLEANS I WAS FASCINATED BY THE STORY LINE. IT WAS A COMPELLING STORY OF EVENTS. MR. DILLMAN WROTE WITH SUCH COMPASSION THAT YOU CANNOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN.ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY.

Well-written, gripping story of greed, conspiracy,and murder

If you love true crime, this is a book not to be missed. Although being a native New Orleanian adds to one's appreciation of the story, every true crime fan will become engrossed in the story of a con man and his co-conspirators, who take advantage of a young naive girl. The story of the investigation is fascinating. Dillman is a master storyteller, as evidenced by his other books. Highly recommended!