Son

De: Jack Olsen

Narrado por: Kevin Pierce

“Remarkably well done. . . Olsen brings his strange subjects to vivid life in this memorable reconstruction.” - Publisher's Weekly

“A chilling story . . . Gruesomely spellbinding.” - Glamour

"A classic from “the dean of true crime”. This 1383 masterpiece tells the incredible story of a Spokane, Washington serial rapist who was exposed as the handsome, privileged son of one of the city’s most elite families." - The Washington Post

For more than two years, a rapist prowled the night streets of the homey, All-American city of Spokane, Washington, terrorizing women, sparking a run on gun stores, and finally causing one newspaper to offer a reward—the calls taken by the distinguished managing editor himself, Gordon Coe. In March 1S81, luck and inspired police work at last produced an arrest, and Spokane shuddered. The suspect was clean cut and conservative…and Gordon Coe’s son.

For eighteen months, Jack Olsen researched the cases of Fred and Ruth Coe to try to learn not only what happened within that family, but how and why. He interviewed more than 150 people and built up a portrait not only of that extraordinary family, but of the mind of a

psychopath. And searching the memories of the women in Fred Coe’s life, he unearthed a most horrifying question: What is it like to love and live with a man for years—and then discover he is a psychopathic criminal?

More Reviews:

“Fascinating . . . recreates the bizarre chain of events that unraveled the fabric of a seemingly all-American family and scarred the lives of so many innocent people. Olsen succeeds on all levels, from detailed storytelling and haunting character studies to compassionate treatment of the rape victims.” - Los Angeles Times

“Superlative reporting. Olsen turns what promises to be another run-of-the-mill crime story into a drama that invites comparison to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.” - Newsday

©2014 Jack Olsen (P)2015 Evan Olsen, Su Olsen

Extraordinary story

Fred "Kevin" Coe, a sleazy, manipulative rapist with a mother almost as fruit-loops as he is, causes terror in the South Hills of Spokane. It's an amazing, terrifying story, and I cannot express too strongly how grateful I am that it's now available through Audible. I have pretty much all of Jack Olsen's books, many of them autographed -- he was the finest true crime writer ever, bar none -- and it's a joy to find his books brought to life again! (Now, let's see "Salt of the Earth" and "Misbegotten Son." please?)

The story is compelling, turning a compassionate but unflinching eye at the long-term effects that rape can have on a woman's life and relationships. Nobody takes more time analyzing the effects that a brutal crime has on a community than Olson.

It took me a while to get used to Kevin Pierce's pace -- he reads many of the Olson re-releases, and he reads slowly, deliberately, sort of like a beloved grandfather reading you a majorly twisted bedtime story -- but after a while I really appreciated his dry, steady narration. This story, like the others, is so horrendous that an overly dramatic reading would push the story over the cliff. It's worth it. The tone is right.

I can hardly wait until the rest of Jack's oeuvre is available here!

I will definitely listen again!!

Loved it. Excellent story, excellent storytelling. So much information, I want to read listen right away

Masterful

As a True Crime enthusiast, and having been in a long term relationship with a pathological narcissist (a personality disorder sharing many traits with psychopathy), this book gripped me from start to finish.

The narration is perfect. The true events are told in a story format like Capote's "In Cold Blood." The in-depth perspectives from not only the rape victims, but the people unfortunate enough to have had close relationships with Coe, are engaging, heartbreaking, and infuriating.

I often finish these books either disappointed because I didn't learn anything I hadn't already read elsewhere, or with a burning desire for more information. I finished this book feeling completely satisfied.

True Crime at its Best

This is true crime at its best. I chose this book in audio format and listened while I worked out. Made the time fly! Jack Olsen is a superb crime author. Not too long ago I read a true crime book by Jerry Bledsoe. It was so sensational that it made me not want to keep reading. The case Bledsoe reviewed was interesting and could have easily held my interest, but the author's depiction of the individuals involved was so over the top, it ruined the book. Olsen, on the other hand, has a style that kept me absolutely captivated while letting the facts speak for themselves.

If you like true crime, this book is an addicting page turner. It tells the story of Fred (Kevin) Coe and his mother Ruth Coe. Olsen never pretends to be an expert in psychology but nevertheless turns out one of the best psychological profiles of a criminal I have ever read. He does this by gathering the facts of the case and presenting them in the most organized and yet personable ways possible. Delicious read!

A classic. One of the best.

This book belongs on same level as Stranger Behind Me by Ann Rule, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, and Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It’s one of my top 5 all time favorite true crime books. Classic true crime at its best.

True crime PERFECTION!!

I can’t even begin to imagine how many thousands of hours of research & interviews that must’ve gone into writing something like this.
I’m a true crime junkie, but I really didn’t think I’d enjoy reading/listening to a book about rape, or a rapist...
but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
That’s not to say I “enjoyed” listening to stories of rape over & over
...actually, some parts were very hard to listen to & I almost fast-fwd’d a few times. But this book goes FAR beyond the retelling of the crimes.
I found the psychology of the psychopath parts really interesting.
They were almost always immediately followed, or preceded by, real life examples of this particular psychopath’s characteristics, & what possibly contributed to his psychopathy. It was all just so fascinating.
I highly recommend this one!!

O.M.G.

A true crime masterpiece, well written, great narration, and no questions left unanswered. Jack Olsen is a true literary giant and Kevin Pierce is the perfect person to tell the story!

Kevin Coe

Well written. Interest builds as the crimes continue. If the story is presented factually it is amazing it took the police so long to capture this bungling rapist.

Evil Son

Everyone’s worst nightmare. Be it a woman, a wife, a girlfriend, a friend, an employer, all except two dedicated parents and one deceived sister. As a survivor I could identify with his victims, hate his defenders and liars that protected him and allowed him to continue. Author, Jack Olsen did a great detailed job in helping the reader see this evil man for who he is.

Interesting story.

Well researched. Unusual narration flat tone lent a stark contrast to the underlying horrific details
Will look for more titles by Olsen