Principal Suspect

The True Story of Dr. Jay Smith and the Main Line Murders

By: William C. Costopoulos

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

Joseph Wambaugh's Echoes in the Darkness and its subsequent TV dramatization have made household words of both Susan Reinert, the murder victim, and Dr. Jay Smith, a high school principal and her accused killer. The naked body of Susan Reinert, a suburban Philadelphia school teacher, was found jammed into the hatchback of a car. Her two young children were missing and never found.

Thus began one of the most prominent murder cases in Pennsylvania history, and one that would grip the nation. Now the defense attorney for the main suspect of the murders - Jay Smith, the principal of the school where Reinert taught - takes you inside the cover-ups and corruption that dramatically affected the outcome of the case. Did Jay Smith do it? Did he deserved the death penalty? It is you who must decide.

Contains mature themes.

(P)2021 Tantor

Interesting Story, Very Mediocre Author

The Good: This is an interesting story involving fraudulent behavior by police at trial and how it affected the pursuit of justice.

The Bad: Written by the lawyer for the defense, there are a lot of oratory devices included in the text that probably work well in court but are detrimental to a book (e.g., repetition for dramatic effect).

In another aside, the narrator sounds like he runs out of breath at the end of every few sentences.

The Ugly: If the author had any concern for the murder victims, it got lost in what he calls his own "vindictiveness" at his opposition. (Admittedly, there was definite prosecutorial misconduct.) He also seems oddly fixated on his own image and the images of his associates. discussing their appearances (the author says at various points that he looks like Burt Reynolds and also has 'greek islander good looks'), the cars they drive (blue BMW), and their vacations. I could've done with a lot less of such irrelevant details and more about the possible guilt or innocence of his client.

One of the best true crime/courtroom books I have ever listened to

This book was so well written, it captured me with it’s first words. That this case prompted a very ethical and passionate lawyer to take on the state of Pennsylvania and win was amazing. The story behind this case deserves the “truth is stranger than fiction” mantra. When I finished it, I felt uplifted knowing there are still people in the justice system that care passionately about their cases and fight for the truth. Something that is very hard to find in the current system. I hope our democracy survives, and people like this defense lawyer are desperately needed.

Took a long time

Took a long time to get-there, and I wasn't sure about the narration for the first couple of chapters. But, I'm glad I stuck it out, growing on me in the end. Like a fungus.

Great story!

Interesting. Complex. Intriguing. An honest and in depth look at the justice system. Smart. Funny. Eye opening.

Principal suspect

One of the best legal books ever. Worth reading. Costopoulos seems to be a tenacious lawyer