Official Review: Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do Y...

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Kourtney Bradley
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Official Review: Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do Y...

Post by Kourtney Bradley »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do You Know How to Fly?" by Gordon L Kuhn.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do You Know How to Fly? is Gordon Kuhn’s non-fiction novel that takes a look at the disastrous turmoil that one man caused to several innocent people in Manatee County and Sarasota, Florida. The author pieces together the information regarding the attacks, and follows with an extraordinary account of the trial that followed Delmer Smith’s arrest. Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do You Know How to Fly? is a true crime story that depicts how one violent man’s actions could cause disaster for many others, and eventually lead him to death row.

Delmer Smith was born in Detroit in 1971. His introduction into the life of a criminal was started at an early age, and by age fourteen, he was introduced to a juvenile jail cell for a rape conviction at a car wash. His eighteen months behind bars seemed to have little effect on him, as not long after he was released, he went forward with burglaries, bank robberies, and other violent crimes. Smith appeared to live a normal life to his close friends and family, but his violent assaults and robberies carried on throughout Florida starting in 2009, which is where a majority of this story takes place.

In this riveting story, author Gordon Kuhn interviews some of Smith’s victims, relating back the horrific experiences they had to endure. The story seems to come to life when it is told from a first-hand experience, so this was an excellent attribution by the author. The court proceedings were easy to follow, with the author giving an excellent recount of details, like explaining what is happening when the attorneys pause, or the looks that are being given by the jury members. I was exceptionally pleased to see that the author included vocabulary clarification page at the end of the book, and cross-referenced the usage to specific sentences. This allowed me to follow along with ease, despite having to refer to the back of the book.

The writing style seemed to flow with ease, with only a few minor hiccups in the structure. My complaint with Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do You Know How to Fly? comes from the repetition that came along with the story. I can tell the author repeated some sections for clarity, and so that they would be easily remembered, but it seemed that the same points of evidence came in to play five to six times each. There was also a bit of jumping around with the time log, especially once the violent attacks started to become frequent. Some of the background information seemed unnecessary to the story, especially the introductory pages regarding Delmer Smith’s birth.

My boss currently owns two homes in Florida, one in Bradenton and one in Sarasota. As I avidly watch the news, I was surprised to find that I did not recall hearing of these attacks. I was curious with how closely this story followed along with the news articles, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the information in the story follows along well with the news articles. There was a mention of another book that continues with this story, and I am looking forward to the release of it as well.

This book has earned a 3 out of 4 star rating from me. The plot moved forward smoothly, but the numerous repetition seemed to make me feel as though I had accidentally lost my place in the book and read the same paragraph numerous times. I can understand the thought behind it, as a way to give clarity and serve as a reminder, but it became an issue with the numerous mentions. This book comes as an excellent recommendation from me for readers who enjoy true crime novels. Because the story depicts fairly recent events, it may be hard for some to read, given the violent nature and attacks that are detailed.

******
Predator; The Man Who Didn't Exist; Do You Know How to Fly?
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Heidi M Simone
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

Thank you for such a great review, klbradley! This sounds like such an interesting true crime novel. I'm always impressed by how some authors truly take the time to research information before writing it down. Too bad about the repetitions in the story, but I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the read!
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Post by kandscreeley »

True Crime is not my go to genre, but I do enjoy reading a good true crime novel. In my opinion, though, it's really hard to do well. Thanks for the review!
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Post by bookowlie »

Great review! I like True Crime books so I am going off to read the sample. Glad you enjoyed the story despite the issues you mentioned.
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Kourtney Bradley
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

hsimone wrote:Thank you for such a great review, klbradley! This sounds like such an interesting true crime novel. I'm always impressed by how some authors truly take the time to research information before writing it down. Too bad about the repetitions in the story, but I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the read!
Thank you! I was so interested with the story, but also because I personally know someone who owns homes in both areas!

-- February 9th, 2017, 10:21 am --
bookowlie wrote:Great review! I like True Crime books so I am going off to read the sample. Glad you enjoyed the story despite the issues you mentioned.

Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like a good true crime novel, factual and well referenced. I think I can get past the repetitions :) . Great job on the review.
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Kourtney Bradley
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like a good true crime novel, factual and well referenced. I think I can get past the repetitions :) . Great job on the review.
Thank you!
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Post by Elaine5 »

I'm currently writing a review of a non fiction crime story also and it's a genre that I enjoy. Great review. The repetition sounds a bit frustrating. I've read books with a lot of repetition that make me feel that the author doesn't give the reader enough credit for being able to remember details or follow the story. Despite that, it sounds like a good book.
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Kourtney Bradley
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

Elaine5 wrote:I'm currently writing a review of a non fiction crime story also and it's a genre that I enjoy. Great review. The repetition sounds a bit frustrating. I've read books with a lot of repetition that make me feel that the author doesn't give the reader enough credit for being able to remember details or follow the story. Despite that, it sounds like a good book.
Thank you! I generally enjoy true crime stories also!
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Post by abhishek7081 »

"A thoughtful, emmersing account of a gruesome life and the carnage that it left behind on the tracks."
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Post by Derrick »

This is a story that makes you sit ob tge edge of the chair and once you set your eyes on it, you won't stop
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Kourtney Bradley
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

Derrick wrote:This is a story that makes you sit ob tge edge of the chair and once you set your eyes on it, you won't stop
I agree!
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. :techie-studyingbrown:
–Vera Nazarian
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