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Suzanne Oxford
, May 04, 2013
(view all comments by Suzanne Oxford)
I have read most of Bledsoe's books. I really enjoy them as he is very thorough in doing research on all of the characters and history. This greatly adds to the reader's understanding of events in Velma Barfield's life and how her childhood may have influenced her crimes life. She grows up in abject poverty and abuse from her father. They live in a home with no electricity, no running water, etc. As of this was not bad enough, she must help in household chores and farm chores, plus help her mother with the younger children. Unfortunately she is the only older girl with mostly brothers until 10 years later, another girl is born. She only has freedom when she is married to Thomas Burke. Her life is somewhat peaceful and happy for about 10 years until she is 32, when she must have surgery. This seems to have changed her personality, as she was no longer the patient and loving mother to her children as before. After this her life seems to go downhill with her husband dying when their house burns up. Also having severe back pain and other problems from the hysterectomy, she gets started on pain pills and other prescription drugs. This would prove to be her undoing as she became addicted to and had to have large amounts of medicine. This would also put a strain on her children and their relationship with her.
Subsequently, those who were closest to Velma started dying mysteriously of stomach flu. Her mother would die, along with some elderly patients she was taking care of. Also they would start noticing things disappearing including their money and checks being forged with their names. This pattern continues until Stuart Taylor, Velma's boyfriend dies of stomach flu shortly after Velma moves to live with him. Upon closer investigation by the Sheriff and other law enforcement, they begin to suspect arsenic poison as the cause of death. It would be her own son who has her arrested and put in jail.
This was a fascinating book. I suppose reading about a woman serial killer is going to be very interesting, as most of us are not ready to accept that women are capable of such cold and callous crimes. with Velma it is all the more startling, because she is a loving mother and grandmother. She appears to be a born-again Christian, who is very kind and caring to her friends and family. They are all truly shocked and have a hard time reconciling the truth with the woman they think they know. How could Velma be capable of such horrible crimes? This is the question which Bledsoe tries to answer, but even her psychiatrist and other professionals would have a hard time answering this. Some thought drugs had changed her; others that her childhood was to blame. Probably even Velma does not understand why she did this.
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