Fighting The Devil by Jeannie Walker

Ebook: Kindle (336 pages)
Genre: Murder True Story
Publisher:  iUniverse 2010
Source: The author in exchange for an unbiased review.
First Sentence:  From the Introduction 'There was a time when the millionaire rancher, Jerry Sternadel, gave all the orders.'
My Opinion:  A Heinous True Story

Jeannie Walker and her family needed closure and publicity for this tragic event and I admire her for deciding to write a book about it.  An extremely personal memoir of events in which she lays bare her deep religious feelings and views about the 'devil'. It is this honesty that gave the story enough impetus for me to keep reading, as really it was not something I would have picked up had I not been asked to do so by the author.


I do believe the story needed relating but I am not convinced Jeannie was the right person to document it as I felt her emotional involvement made it hard for her to write this as a factual account. At times it felt almost too repetitive as I kept reading the same facts again and again. In some ways I wonder if it would have made a far better read if she had completely let go of her emotions after stating the basic facts and turned this true account into an amazing thriller. For if you did not know this was a true story that is exactly how you would view it as a story showing the dark side of human nature that comes from authors imaginations. Well not this time this is scarily real.


Goodreads Synopsis:
A Texas millionaire rancher discovered his wife and bookkeeper had stolen thousands of dollars from him. After he demanded the money back, he started getting sick. While in the hospital, doctors were mystified as to how an otherwise healthy, energetic man could become so deathly ill. The dying man told everyone within earshot that his wife and bookkeeper were killing him. The man's wife said her husband was hallucinating from drugs the doctors were giving him. The millionaire rancher succumbed in the hospital while strapped down to his bed with restraints on his hands and feet and tubes in every orifice. After the rancher died, an anonymous caller tipped off the police. The widow was the sole beneficiary of the estate and a $350,000 life insurance policy. A week before the man's death, a teenager visited the rancher's home and became deathly ill after he drank juice that was in the rancher's refrigerator. Two years after the millionaire's death, a bottle of arsenic was found in a storage locker rented by a woman under an assumed name. The millionaire's ex-wife, the mother of his children, became a sleuth to help solve the murder. No one could have predicted the aftermath with its strange twists and unexpected results.


A true story of consuming passion, deadly poison and murder and worth reading to learn just how the American Justice System dealt with this heinous crime.


                                                Fighting The Devil Book Trailer

This short video will give you a scary preview!

                                          Uploaded by AuthorVideo on 3 Aug 2010




Author Profile (Reproduced from Amazon Author Profile Page)

First and foremost, I want to thank you, my readers, for choosing my books over many others that are available to you. I am sincerely grateful that you've chosen my stories to read. I want everyone to know that you are not alone in your struggles, and you have the ability to overcome and the right to become your loved one's advocate, if it becomes necessary. I am truly indebted to you, my readers, for your generous support, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I believe the secret to success and happiness is believing in God and giving thanks accordingly.

I am pleased to announce my debut true crime book "Fighting the Devil" was selected as 2010 Book of the Year Silver Awards Winner in True Crime by ForeWord Magazine and 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in True Crime. I am an Award Winning Author, Award Winning Songwriter and freelance writer. I studied creative writing in New York and Connecticut. I am a member of the International Association of Writers.

Honors and Awards for my true crime book, "Fighting the Devil"
2011 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in True Crime.
2010 ForeWord Magazine Finalist Book of the Year True Crime.
Awarded 5* Review from ForeWord Clarion Reviews
Awarded: Reader's Choice
Awarded: Editor's Choice

The biographical information, video and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites.


YouTube   Authors Official Website    Amazon Author Profile Page   Goodreads - Fighting The Devil