Review of Murder at the Front Door

[Rosemary Wright]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Murder at the Front Door" by John Tommasi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Murder at the Front Door, by John Tommasi, is a true-life account of how and why a particular crime was committed. Robert McLaughlin was a police officer in Hampton, New Hampshire. One day, while he was a teenager, he accidentally shot at and eliminated his best friend. Thereafter, he got troubled by guilt. To satisfy his need to be punished for his offense, he robbed a diner. He was later arrested by the police.

Robert was subsequently convicted and sent to a juvenile detention center, where he underwent counselling. Afterwards, he was released on probation. He was adopted by his stepfather, and his name was changed from Robert Randall to Robert McLaughlin.

In the line of duty, as a patrolman, Robert had several experiences that got him stressed mentally. The pressure on him increased after he took part in the arrest of a man, Robert Cushing, who fought his arrest and tried to get McLaughlin and his colleague fired. After a while, Robert blamed Cushing for his lack of advancement. He felt that Cushing's complaint was the reason he was still a patrolman and never chosen as a detective or sergeant. Later on, Cushing was attacked in his house, and an investigation began. Was Robert actually the assailant, or someone else was involved?

Consisting of 254 pages, this book is intriguing and well written. Even though it's a non-fiction book, it reads like a novel, having a plot that unveils its events in an engaging manner. I like the way the author narrates the stories sequentially to show why and how Cushing was shot. It's just like a documentary film on a crime. Besides, it's suspenseful and unputdownable. Halfway through it, I knew the assailant, but I was still very keen to know how the police investigation led to him.

Moreover, there's nothing I don't like about this publication. The author tells the story in a captivating and coherent way. However, there are some violent and gory details. Hence, troubled readers may want to skip the book. Anyway, it's a great read, involving crime, police procedures, courtroom procedures, testimonies and so on.

According to the author, some names and locations were changed due to privacy protection. In addition, certain conversations and events were recreated as accurately as possible. Included also are photos that make the book more relatable.

In conclusion, I rate Murder at the Front Door 4 out of 4 stars. I couldn't rate it lower since it's interesting and enlightening. It was well narrated. Moreover, it was well edited, but I noticed some grammar errors and typos, which were not distracting. It'll be a great read for fans of non-fiction books that involve crime and police investigation.

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Murder at the Front Door
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[Sakina Fatima]

Seems an interesting book to me! I am a fan of non-fiction books and if this book has a thrilling real-life story, its like cherry on the top for me. An articulate review!

[Aisha Yakub]

Hard to believe this is a work of nonfiction. This is a great read. Thanks for your review.

[Sia P]

I enjoy mystery and crime thrillers, and this one does not disappoint. I'm looking forward to diving into the pages for myself! Lovely review! Thanks for the same.