And the Sea Will Tell

By: Vincent Bugliosi, Bruce Henderson - contributor

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 28 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Alone with her new husband on a tiny Pacific atoll, a young woman, combing the beach, finds an odd aluminum container washed up out of the lagoon, and beside it on the sand something glitters: a gold tooth in a scorched human skull. The investigation that follows uncovers an extraordinarily complex and puzzling true-crime story. Only Vincent Bugliosi, who recounted his successful prosecution of mass murderer Charles Manson in the best seller Helter Skelter, was able to draw together the hundreds of conflicting details of the mystery and reconstruct what really happened when four people found hell in a tropical paradise. And the Sea Will Tell reconstructs the events and subsequent trial of a riveting true murder mystery, and probes into the dark heart of a serpentine scenario of death.

©1991 Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce B. Henderson (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Grips you by the throat from beginning to end." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
 

A brilliant tale

My two favorite genres being true-crime and anything nautical, this book did not disappoint. The author(s) and narrator were so logical, thoughtful and eloquent, I couldn't stop listening. I thoroughly enjoyed everything except the epilogue, which was written more for the law-student than high-seas sailor, but definitely a 5-star in entirety. Well-done.

Sea worthy

I love everything Bugliosi writes and this is no exception. There is a lot of lawyer- ease in this and you definitely feel like you're on the island and in the courtroom. But it is a very sad story of greed. It's sad that there is so much violence in this world that will find you even on a "deserted" island.

Interesting story, but......

This story is very interesting, because the people in the book live very different lives than most people do, so I enjoyed that part of the experience. I love Audible and listen to something on it every day. With that understood, the narrator on this one not good (probably the worst I have ever experienced) and difficult to enjoy. It was also difficult to listen as Bugliosi waxed on so proudly about getting this girl off of a murder charge. I don't understand how anyone could believe she was not guilty of participating in the murders, in some way after hearing the facts. And, the fact that he was so arrogant about it really didn't sit well with me.

Interesting case

The story if the actual events are fascinating and well told. The second half of the book ... Bugliosi is TEDIOUS in the minute detail with wich he re tells nearly the entire trial ... Seemingly in real time. He is quite positive he is the world's greatest litigator, and never missed an opportunity to tell you. In detail. I skipped the last few chapters because I just didn't want to hear any more... book could be 2/3 the length.

Boring.

I'm 4 hours in and have stuck around hoping it would get better, giving the author the benefit of the doubt. But up to this point, nothing has happened except an excruciatingly dull description of novice sailers. Additionally irksome, it condescends in attitude, language, and performance to Muff, who could not have been the delicate submissive to accomplish the adventures she did.
I doubt I'll make it another hour before giving up on this. Disappointing given the success of Helter Skelter.

Too Long

Too convoluted for every day reading. The female voices didn’t cut it and I believe at one point the female voices were confusing.

good but a little boring and lawyerly

the story is interesting but the second half of the book is all about the trial and frankly its meh. there is some interesting plot points but overall the first half of the book is far better.

Bugliosi is one of my favorite authors.

Since Helter Skelter was first published I have admired the author's pursuit of justice, and logical, common sense argument.

Couldn't finish it

The story started strong but floundered when it got the trials. The part about the tides broke my will and I just looked up the results online.

Slow. Too much Detail

The story could have been told in a book half this length. Every little conversation, thought, and unimportant details.

Excellent Book. Horrible Audio.

If you assume that since this book is a new Audible release, then it must also be a new recording, don't sweat it. I made the exact same mistake. The audio is old. It's REALLY old, and couldn't have been great quality when it was first released because it's almost impossible to listen to it for an appreciable length.

After several hours spent with audio mixing software, I managed to get it to a vaguely acceptable state. This involved speeding it up by about ten percent, offsetting the subsequent pitch increase, adjusting the bass and treble levels to draw the narrators voice out of the background, singling out and removing the incessant background noise that echos throughout the entire book and amplifying the resultant product. It was a lot of effort and I wouldn't blame you if you felt it wasn't worth bothering.

The book, however, is excellent. It's long at almost twenty-nine hours, less with the increase in speed, but comprehensive, just the same, and weaves an exciting murder mystery tale about a mysterious pacific island atoll called Palmyra and the tragic and nefarious events that took place there, as well as the subsequent investigations, fortuitous findings and court proceedings that follow.

It's told in such a way as to keep the reader/listener on the edge of their seat through the initial sections, at least, and spawns a deep and ingrained interest in following the outcome of the proceedings. I won't spoil anything, as other commentators have shamefully done, just to say that you will find yourself lurching from one position to another as the events unfold and may even find sympathy for the defendant, having arrived at an entirely different position quite early on.

One thing I will criticize is the author and defense attorney, Vincent Bugliosi's descent into sanctimony and arrogance as the trial progresses is very disappointing. Having arrived at the conclusion that his client is innocent of the charges levied at her and determined to offer the best defense possible, he starts out portraying an objective and fascinating insight into the events that unfold and the tactics and interests of the prosecution, defense attorneys and even the presiding judge, but finally careers into a childish and insufferable dismissal of the opinions of anyone but himself.

"I found it impossible to believe that these supposedly intelligent and reasonable jurors, who held my client's life in their hands, could be swayed by any argument other than mine."

OK. Not an exact quote, in truth, but not a significant exaggeration, and essentially the essence of the final five hours or so of the book. The entire closing argument, which literally takes up over three hours is woefully arrogant and serve only to inflate the ego of Bugliosi, whom I had previously as a fan of his other books, highly respected, both as an author and attorney. The whole book starts out brilliantly and slowly descends in quality to a disappointing climax.

Great book, but you should definitely buy a better copy elsewhere.

first book great second book awful

It felt like the 2 books were written by different people. The first was thoroughly interesting and I couldn't stop listening. The second was so dull and was basicslly a very detailed story about the court case. The author comes across as unbelievably arrogant, going on and on about what a great lawyer he is. Plus the reader speaks all the women's voices in what sounds like a Mrs Doubtfire voice - they could havd just paid an actual woman.

great true story. listen to book one then delete.

first section is interesting, second is boring and monotonous. there are no new facts brought out in book 2

Too long sadly

I really enjoyed the bits about the island and how the bad eggs were caught but when I realised that I’d have too listen to 21 hours of court procedures I lost interest. Would have been better for me if it had been heavily edited…by the way I think she was as guilty as he was…

A fascinating story

Sadly after listening to the whole sorry tail i believe that the defendant was guilty to some degree, I believe an exceptional lawyer got her off.
The defendants behavior after the case speaks volumes about her state of mind.

A true murder mystery

This true story is so incredibly mysterious that after watching the 2 hour movie, and listening to the 26 hour audiobook written on the case, I’m still no closed in my verdict of the guilt or innocent of the defendant. Bugliosi was a phenomenal lawyer who only defended people whom he believed are innocent so I trust his judgment.

This is the third book is listened to from Bugliosi and as usual it is incredibly well researched. This is another case that wouldn’t tire of reading about.

The book itself is in 3 parts:
The journey to Palmyra for each boat
The island experience
The trial as seen from the defence’s perspective

Each section is thoroughly detailed. I feel like at the end there’s a big twist regarding how Jennifer reacted to the verdict with Bugliosi. This for me casts huge doubts on her innocence.

Fabulous

I'll be honest, I was a bit sceptical after reading perhaps the longest audible review review on this book (I marked it helpful just in the time taken to have written it). However, it couldn't be further from the truth. This is a recording made in 2019 and the narration is wonderful.
Perhaps the family behind this book read that review and updated the audio?

Incredible story. Incredibly sad to piece together the murders.

I can't help but feel Jenifer was rather ungrateful towards her lawyers, almost as if she took them (and their hard work) for granted.

Was she really innocent though?

Thoroughly Interesting!!

I enjoyed this book so much that I fully intend to listen again. Next time I will listen more carefully to the background of the story, as I am sure I have skirted over and missed important facts. On my first listen I find myself disagreeing with Vincent Bugliosi and feel he was so wrong to defend this woman, I feel he was fooled by her. Let's see if another listen draws me to the same conclusion!!

Disappointing

Lots of holes in his seemingly blind defence of a woman who is depicted as involved in many parts of the book, is clearly a pathological liar until caught out! After reading others by the author i felt he was far less balanced in this book.