Mother's Day

By: Dennis McDougal

Narrated by: Tara Ochs

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

In June of I985, while her teenage sons held their half sister down, Theresa Cross beat her I9-year-old daughter Sheila unconscious and then stuffed her into a 2' x 2' storage locker. After three days the knocking, kicking, and cries stopped. Theresa and her sons dumped the girl's body in the desolate High Sierras....

The summer before, Theresa had dug a bullet out of her daughter Suesan's chest with a paring knife. When Suesan failed to recover (without benefit of doctors or hospital), Theresa and her two sons drove the delirious girl to the mountains, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire....

For nearly nine years, Theresa Cross Knorr got away with murder, until her youngest daughter, Terry Knorr Graves, finally found a cop who believed the incredible story of her two murdered sisters. That story is all here, the shocking life of a woman whose violence, jealousy, rage, and domination led to a brutally heinous crime of ruthless ferocity.

©1998 Dennis McDougal; Distributed in 2015 by Open Road Distribution (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

A terribly trajic story ..

One daughters story of a mothers hatred. A families despair, betrayal , and self destruction

Too many characters, too many children, divorces

Just way too confusing to have a central character with 4 marriages, 6 kids, and extended family. Plus at least 6 people share the same name with another family member, thanks to naming your kids the same. I had to take notes just to keep it all straight, which doesn’t work well with an audio book. This book would be much better to read rather than try to listen. I had to pause it so many times it wasn’t relaxing.
The author wanted to make a point about Teresa not being guilty by reason of insanity because she clearly did know the difference between right and wrong. I’d agree with that, HOWEVER, she clearly was mentally ill. Her crimes were outrageous and I concur she should be locked up for the remainder of her life. But she still is very mentally ill.

Wish i could get my hands on this Mom

Where does Mother's Day rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 20

Have you listened to any of Tara Ochs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no I haven't but I will

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several, The closet, why no one fought back or run away, Tell some one, don't' just take it!!!

Good, but tragic.

Unbelievable what this horrible "mother" did to her children! It's also sad what happens to her remaining children since they were so young when it all happened. As far as the beast of a woman, she deserved more than what she got. This made me rethink my stance on death penalty.

too much unnecessary detail

Is there anything you would change about this book?

there was so much detail that really wasn't needed to tell the story. That could have been summed up.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Sounded almost like a computer voice

Great listen

Kept my interest. Nicely laid out and told. Gruesome topic but handled very well both by author and narrator

Frightening Family Bonds!!

Fiction can't get any more gruesome! Love the narration. I kept thinking it can't get worse and then it did get worse.

Shocking true story

This story was told in a way that helps you to understand how Teresa Cross had killed her own daughters. It took you back not only when Teresa was a child but also what her parents were like. It was also interesting the way that the different perspectives saw the story. There were different voices for different types of people in her life or the investigators. Very well done.

An honest story, well written.

lloved the narrator, well written. loved how the author covered the impact on the victims loved so candidly, but without judgement. showed compassion in honesty.

What an awful horrible life for all of these kids.

the language is pretty raw in places. What a horrible life for all of these kids. the mother had many demons in her head. sad OH so sad!!!