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Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 05-29-15
- Language: English
- Publisher: ListenUp Audiobooks
Regular price: $24.95
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The Boys Who Met the Man with the Candy
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When her missing boyfriend is found murdered, his body encased in cement inside a watering trough and dumped in a cattle field, a local sheriff's deputy is arrested and charged with his murder. But as New York Times best-selling author and investigative journalist M. William Phelps digs in, the truth leads to questions about her guilt. In his first full-length, original true-crime audiobook for WildBlue Press, Phelps delivers a hard-hitting, unique experience, immersing listeners in the life of the first female deputy in Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
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Did She or Didn't She . . .
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Kill for Me
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Aspiring model Sandee Rozzo's big mistake was being kind to Timothy "Tracey" Humphrey. After Rozzo refused the 'roided-up ex-con's advances, she described how he imprisoned, raped, and brutalized her for two days. When the courageous woman pledged to testify against him, Humphrey knew he had to silence her. That's when he turned to 19-year-old Ashley Laney. She had fallen in love with Humphrey, her personal trainer, and would do anything for him. On their wedding night, he made a strange request - one that would end with eight gunshot wounds and a dead body.
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5 out of 5 stars
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ONE OF THE AUTHER'S BEST
- By Steve Horwitz on 09-04-18
Publisher's Summary
The true story of Barbara Stager, a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader who committed an almost perfect crime.
By all accounts, Stager seemed to lead the perfect life in her community in Durham, North Carolina. After her husband, popular high school coach Russ, died tragically, the police were inclined to believe her story - that she accidentally shot him. Suspicions rose when the police discovered that Stager's previous husband had died similarly 10 years prior. Detective Rick Buchanan searches for the truth and finds a string of compulsive lies, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity. Ever shocking new discovery unraveled Barbara Stager's impeccable image more and more.
Russ left a damning piece of evidence behind that reveals the shocking nightmare truth about his wife.
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What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars89
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4 Stars54
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3 Stars32
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maite
- 07-14-15
Great story & great reader
Story is well written & entertaining. The reader did a great job. I only wish he had more true crime novels. If you like true crime you won't be disappointed.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Hilary
- Connecticut
- 07-30-15
Jerry Bledsoe is Amazing, as is Kevin Stillwell
Okay, so on the heels of my listen to Bitter Blood, this book wasn't as exceptional as I had hoped. Bitter Blood was phenomenal, so it was a hard act to follow.
Barbara Terry Ford Stager is either: a) unlucky to the 100th power, b) extremely mentally ill or c) a diabolical killer.
Mrs. Ford-Stager has two dead husbands, a penchant for spending FAR beyond her means (which highlighted her check kiting and embezzlement skills), a compulsive lying streak more incredible than Pinocchio, a sexual appetite more impressive than Ginger Lynn and a church lady charade/appearance. She is the ultimate oxymoron.
Her two unfortunate husbands, Larry Ford and Russell Stager had no idea what they were getting their hands on - a black widow in sheep's clothing. Or, was it pure coincidence that both her husbands died in bed thanks to the "business end of a 25 caliber gun"?
You decide.
I think Barbara is where she belongs, serving life in a North Carolina prison.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- deborah
- 06-19-15
Wow!
This story had me glued to my headphones. I couldn't wait to hear what was going to happen next. Truly a sad commentary on the power of greed and its devastating results. Excellent narrator as well. Highly recommend this for all of the true crime fans out there.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douglas
- 06-15-15
Church Lady Killer...
In gripping true crime style, Bledsoe tells the tale of Barbara Stager, a church-going, seemingly upright and righteous woman who just had one flaw: she liked to kill husbands... Stager was so convincing as her role as Church Lady that she nearly passed under the wire during investigations. Then a detective with a sharp eye, and enough cynicism to see past Stager's act, began to unravel the threads of her story.
12 of 16 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bst
- CA USA
- 05-26-16
Kept Me Listening!
I already knew a bit about this case so I was interested in knowing more. I couldn't have asked for a better listen! The story was well told and the presenter was clear, had a lot of expression, and really gave a picture to the words!! What a great choice this book was!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- inov8v
- Hampstead, MD, United States
- 06-25-15
bledsoe/stillwell are the dynamic duo of audible..
bledsoe/stillwell are the benchmark for the audio books i listen to...bledsoe is such a great writer and stillwell is so good at conveying the story without sounding as hokey as so many others...
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Kattia
- 04-16-18
Intriguing
I will never understand how some people plan somebody else's death to get money and cover their shopping sprees. Heartbreaking cautionary tale. Beware who you marry, get to know them before you tie the knot.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 02-16-18
<br />one of the best
clear and suspenseful story. great narrator.
one of the best in true crime great author great writing.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Thelma And Lou
- 12-12-17
Very good true crime book- sub-par narration
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I'd recommend the book, not necessarily the audio book
Who was your favorite character and why?
Doesn't apply
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
The narrator's voice is very pleasant; however, he reads many sentences and phrases with odd or awkward emphasis, and almost reminded me of a small child reading to the end of a line, then pausing, and then taking up the next part of the sentence as if it was a new sentence, if that makes sense. Also pronounced words like "pillow" as "pillah" and "window" as "windah" - seemed odd to me, though the action takes place is the south, so, not sure if that's intentional.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- La Eskie
- 06-09-17
Perfectly told.
Some people are annoyed with how descriptive and detailed this author gets. In this case, it was fitting. Every small detail and account made for a complete, 360° View of exactly who Barbara Stager was. After seeing this case on many different shows, and I still felt as if I learned about it all over again. Five stars to Bledsoe, and my deepest sympathy for the Ford and Stager families.