In Broad Daylight

By: Harry N. MacLean

Narrated by: Dave Clark

Length: 14 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

Edgar-Award winning author Harry MacLean is bringing the New York Times best-seller In Broad Daylight back to print in a keepsake trade paper edition that also includes "The Story Behind 'In Broad Daylight.'" In Broad Daylight tells the story of the killing of Ken Rex McElroy on the main street of Skidmore, Missouri, in July 1981. McElroy, an illiterate hog farmer, had terrorized all of northwest Missouri for over 20 years, until the town, and even law enforcement, was terrified of him. McElroy was shot as he sat in his truck in front of the tavern. Over 45 men witnessed the shooting. Despite two eyewitness accounts and three grand jury investigations, no one has been prosecuted for the crime. In Broad Daylight won an Edgar Award for Best True Crime. It was also made into a movie starring Brian Denehey, Cloris Leachman and Chris Cooper. It was re-released as an e-book on Amazon July 2012 on the 31st anniversary of the killing. St. Martin's Press published the last print edition in 2006. In "The Story Behind 'In Broad Daylight,'" MacLean tells how he researched and wrote the book. He tells of guns being drawn on him, being bitten by a dog, and a confrontation with the killer on the killer's ranch.

In addition to updates on characters from the book (including who is still alive and who has died), the book answers many questions about the killing itself, such as who was involved, and what has become of them. MacLean describes the breakthrough events when key characters agreed to speak with him, and he realized he would finally get the story. The author also discusses the nature of the moral consequences of the killing for the town and those involved in the crime.

©1988 Harry N. Maclean (P)2014 Harry N. Maclean

You have to hear it to believe it

I really enjoyed listening to this book, and found it difficult to break away from it. The remarkable thing about this story is that an entire town could loathe a man so much that some men could shoot and kill him in broad daylight in front of many people, and not a single person would say who did it. In this book the author does a great job of helping us understand how the townspeople felt, and why they felt so powerless to stop Mr. McElroy.

I would strongly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading true crime (a genre I love).

The narrator did a great job of telling the story, without getting in the way of it. It was enjoyable to listen to.

Good Listening

What made the experience of listening to In Broad Daylight the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the story, I read a short story on the incident but this story was detailed and i was able to get a better view on how everything worked up to the day it the crime happened and what happened to the town after.

What about Dave Clark’s performance did you like?

I like the way it was written, I didn't find any slow area's that dragged. The book was balanced

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This book was better listening to it in parts.

very well researched and I loved it

it was good audio book . from the writing to the narration of kept me interested

Great story

totally loved it could not stop listening felt like I was right there on the streets of Whitmore the description of the victim made it so real

Real life tale of justice

I remembered this story from somewhere in my childhood. But the telling of it in such great detail of how so many were bullied and threatened by one man is amazing. a really gripping tale.

Good book and story

Even though you know the ending it still keeps your interest till the end Good narration also easy to listen to

Good reality crime.

Excellent narrator. Suspense the whole time.
A small town where the justice and moral are in dire straits.

excellent

Great listen. Narrator is perfect. I googled Skidmore Mo and town looks as though it never recovered. kinda spooky when you know exactly where a man died and see it on Google earth. Details are excellent, really gives an amazing account of the incident. True Crime is my favorite genre and this is for sure one of the best.

The best true-crime audiobook ever

What did you love best about In Broad Daylight?

Compelling story, extremely well-written and superb narration

What does Dave Clark bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's totally vested in the narration. You forget you're listening - you become a part of the story

Any additional comments?

Not to be missed...I was hesitant about committing 14 or so hours to a story I already knew the ending of...but I thoroughly enjoyed it and hated for the book to end. I've already started my second listen...

Absolutely amazing journalism

The level of work and commitment MacLean put into understanding the subject went above and beyond my expectations. I can tell MacLean was really passionate about wrapping his head around this story and finding the truth, to the point where he dedicated years of his life to living in Skidmore so people would open up to him. This amazing story would have been lost with Skidmore had it not been for MacLean's dedication.

Really interesting

If you have watched the documentary or the TV film and are wondering whether to read / listen to this then don't hesitate. Loads more information here than either the doc or the film. you really get an insight into the characters and the abuse they suffered. there's also a couple of epilogues with updates on the story from 1987 and 2006.