The Darkest Glare

A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed in 1979 Los Angeles

By: Chip Jacobs

Narrated by: Joel Richards

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Late-1970s Los Angeles was rampant with killers and shady characters, but all the go-getters at Space Matters saw was possibility. Richard Kasparov was handsome and charismatic; his younger associate, Jerry Schneiderman, brilliant and nerdy. When the pair hired a veteran contractor to oversee construction, the space planning firm they operated out of a hip mansion in LA's Miracle Mile district appeared poised to transform the boundless skyline into their jackpot.

After the promising team imploded, however, the orderly lines on their blueprints succumbed to treachery and secrets. To get even, one of the ex-partners launched a murder-for-profit corporation using, among other peculiar sorts, a bantam-sized epileptic with a deadeye shot. The hapless criminals required a number of attempts to execute their first target. Once they did, on a rainy night in the San Fernando Valley, the surviving founder of Space Matters was thrown into a pressure cooker existence out of a Coen Brothers movie. Threatened for money he didn't have, he donned a disguise, survived a heart-pounding encounter at the La Brea Tar Pits, and relied on an ex-Israeli mercenary for protection. In the end, he had to outfox a glowering murderer, while asking if you can ever really know anyone in a town where dirty deals send men to their graves.

©2021 Chip Jacobs (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

An Evil Eye Can See No Good - Danish Proverb

The Darkest Glare: A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed in 1979 Los Angeles by Chip Jacobs exceeded my expectations. The facts of this case are truly bizarre and the author did a thorough job of researching and weaving together the many moving parts into a cohesive story. That said, this case is fundamentally disturbing and because of that, even though the writing was good and the book was strong, it left me feeling empty. This is a very important case study of how a man can change into the worst kind of cruel monster for no apparent reason. The villain believes that any slight he perceives against him is punishable by death and that he is invincible against prosecution. The narration performance by Joel Richards was good overall and it supported the work well. For me, it is preferable for actors and narrators to use the broadcasting accent for pronunciations. This makes the communication much more clear. When the actor or narrator chooses a regional pronunciation, it can cause misunderstandings which did happen occasionally here. This audiobook also includes a bonus story about Synanon. I can recommend The Darkest Glare to only the most seasoned of true crime devotees.

Rather Boring

I had a hard time getting through this book. It's very boring. It's all down to the writing style and narration. Except for one kidnapping/attempted murder, there isn't the tension that gave you the emotional response for the victims. The narration is basic with very little change in tone and emotion. There are a variety of victims from financial to fatal crimes strung out through this tale. The biggest issue is that the subtitle doesn't really fit. The story moves around, especially to Toronto, and spans a time span of more than 1979. The bonus story is the best bit centered around Synanon. But I hate how the author inserts themself into the story. The Darkest Glare is not a true crime novel I would recommend to others.