Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Devil's Knot
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
Based on a true story, this edition of Devil's Knot will tie-in to a major motion picture starring Academy Award winners Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth. This riveting portrait of a small Arkansas town recounts the all-too-true story of a brutal triple murder and the eighteen-year imprisonment of three innocent teenagers. For weeks in 1993, after the grisly murders of three eight-year-old boys, police in West Memphis, Arkansas, seemed stumped. Then suddenly, detectives charged three teenagers - alleged members of a satanic cult - with the killings. Despite the witch-hunt atmosphere of the trials and a case that included stunning investigative blunders, the teenagers, who became known as the West Memphis Three, were convicted. Jurors sentenced Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley to life in prison and Damien Echols, the accused ringleader, to death. The guilty verdicts were popular in their home state - even upheld on appeal - and all three remained in prison until their unprecedented release in August 2011. In Devil's Knot, award-winning investigative journalist Mara Leveritt presents the most comprehensive, insightful reporting ever done on this story - one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American legal history. In-depth research, meticulous reconstruction of the investigation and close-up views of its key participants unravel the many tangled knots of this endlessly shocking case.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
bekakins
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image
Pickpick

This book broke my heart. So sad reading about the injustices these poor boys went through. A very well written piece of investigative journalism.

review
britt_brooke
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Free the West Memphis Three” was the crux of my knowledge going in. I had an exceptionally hard time during the brutal, but necessary, descriptions of the murdered boys. They were around my sons‘ ages. Honoring their memory kept me listening. This case is truly bananas. Accusations of devil worship and sacrifice, police coercion, and 3 West Memphis teens who went to prison on vague circumstantial evidence. Did they do it? Or no?

Butterfinger Awesome review. 3y
britt_brooke @Butterfinger Thanks so much! 3y
MyBookLife I haven‘t read this book or seen the movie, but I am pretty familiar with the case. I hope that was a rhetorical question? ☺️ 3y
See All 8 Comments
britt_brooke @MyBookLife It was. 😉 3y
vivastory This case was insane. My knowledge of it is from the first 2 HBO documentaries. I was at a summer music festival when it was announced that they had been released in 2011. Wild 3y
britt_brooke @vivastory I need to watch the documentaries. Funny how we can often recall exactly where we were when shocking news hits. 3y
Cinfhen I remember the case in general but not many of the details. Sounds fascinating 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen Very - I‘m listening to a memoir by one of the accused right now. 3y
91 likes2 stack adds8 comments
blurb
britt_brooke
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image

🎧🐾 NYE walk with my happy boy!

Thanks for this book rec @adnama82 - aside from “Free the West Memphis Three,” I know nothing about the details of this case.

#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy

review
Nikki_E
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
Bailedbailed

I decided to bail on this. Last night I did go and listen to Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad‘s episode on this case and even though it was relatively short…in about an hour and half I learned enough about the case to know this book was not doing it justice.

I do still want to find a good book about this case. I do have a few more podcasts on this case to listen to and fortunately I‘m sure there are other books out there.

MyBookLife Have you read Life after death? I really liked it. Written by one of the boys (now men) who were sentenced of the crime. 3y
Nikki_E I hadn‘t heard of it (the case is new to me) but I put it on my TBR list. 3y
28 likes2 comments
blurb
Nikki_E
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt

2021 was mostly a shit year, but reading wise…it was fantastic. This one book though, I typically have no trouble DNFing a book, but I just can‘t with this book.

I‘m thinking that maybe I should put it aside (again), and listen to a podcast about the West Memphis Three first.

blurb
Sace
post image

I am posting one book per day from my extensive collection. No description. No explanation. Some will be old. Some will be new. Don't judge me. I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.

This is day 5

#tbrpile @StaceyKondla @Cortg

review
Skeebies05
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image
Pickpick

This book is very detailed and a bit . . . Dry. She did a great job with the information. I dislike legal thrillers as novels so this one was a bit hard for me to get through. I liked it though.

blurb
fandom_hellspawn99
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image

I've been doing research for my true crime group for the past 2 days and my hand huuuuuurts

review
EmilieGR
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
Pickpick

The prejudices and presiding fears of small town america- very interesting

review
Victoriahoperose
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image
Pickpick

This book was definitely extremely well researched and comprehensive. She included so many facts about the case and the surrounding evidence. She also stayed very comfortably in the middle, not letting opinion take over in her writing. I felt like she ended this well with the facts and nothing less even though this case is so controversial.

vivastory I keep meaning to watch the third documentary about this case 6y
Victoriahoperose @vivastory I‘m going to have to watch everything now. So interesting, especially compared with other cases that are highlighting wrongful convictions! 6y
34 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
vkois88
post image
Pickpick

This was actually a re-read for me. I had read the physical copy a few years ago, but recently listened to a #TrueCrime podcast that went over the case and it made me want to revisit West Memphis and hear the author's take on the trials again. While she seems to be slightly biased against John Mark Byers and leans heavily towards placing the blame on him (and he IS admittedly a loathsome person), I feel like the book offers great explanations

⬇⬇

vkois88 As to why she feels the way she does. It also offers an inside look at some of the files related to the case (if you have the physical copy), and even offers an updated version to include what ended up happening with the WM3. Definitely a good pick to finish on this #TrueCrimeTuesday ... a 3.5/4🌟 rating 6y
44 likes3 stack adds1 comment
blurb
vkois88
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image

The #DarkArts were suspected in the brutal murders of three young boys in West Memphis Arkansas. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were accused of being in a Satanic Cult, coerced (Misskelley) into a confession, basically denied their rights to a fair trial, and found guilty. What really happened that day?

#NewHogwartsAdventure
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😱😱😱 scary!!!! 6y
vkois88 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks this case fascinates me for so many reasons... there are so many unanswered questions!! And given the location, the police were eager to jump to conclusions about how/why the crimes were committed. 6y
GripLitGrl Sounds like a good true crime book👍 6y
vkois88 @griplitgrl I like it. It asks the questions no one dared asked previously... I've read it before, so this is actually a re-read (errrr, listen) for me. 6y
53 likes5 stack adds4 comments
review
adnama82
post image
Pickpick

Thank you so much @collegecatlady for all my goodies! I can‘t wait to dive into these books! She included a book from an author where she is from as well, which is so cool! Thank you so much again! #itstrulycriminalswap @JenlovesJT47

wellreadredhead So glad you like everything! 6y
JenlovesJT47 Awesome!!💚💚💚 6y
Alfrazier21 What a cool gift! Love that coloring book! 6y
4 likes3 comments
review
larah17
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image
Pickpick

A very good book, which follows the case of the West Memphis Three from the crime, through the trials and some appeals. I would love if the author had done a proper update on the more recent developments in the case - as it is, it‘s just a single page update from 2011 at the very end.

95 likes1 stack add
blurb
JPeterson
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
post image

I‘m in my 22 hour of reading this weekend, and with another book down, decided some true crime would be a good way to finish. Morrigan agrees. ☠️

#24in48

CatLass007 Morrigan is gorgeous! 6y
Kaye Super good book. 6y
JPeterson @CatLass007 Thanks! 😊 6y
See All 11 Comments
JPeterson @Kaye I‘m really enjoying it (if enjoying is the right word to use). It‘s crazy what all happened during the case, and I‘m only 1/3 in. 6y
Kaye Definitely an interesting case. Don‘t want to say much more to ruin any of it for you. Will talk more later if you want. (edited) 6y
JPeterson @Kaye I finally finished it a few days ago. Wow, that was insane! I‘m really into science & forensics, and the blatant disregard for those facts was astounding! 6y
Kaye Got any idea who YOU think the guilty party is ? You probably know that Damien Nichols has written a couple books about his life ? I haven‘t read them so can‘t recommend but just in case you‘re interested. I myself think the guilty party was right there in the story the whole time. 6y
Kaye If you liked this there are 2 other terrific true crime books. 6y
JPeterson @Kaye Oh, yea. My money is on Byers, who had help/witnesses (Morgan and the guy at the restaurant). There was just too much evidence that he should at least have been tried, to see how it actually played out. And thanks, I‘ll check them out! 6y
Kaye BINGO. GOOD OLD BOYS AT WORK ON THIS ONE ! Cannot believe he got away with it and they did nothing. How can they sleep at night ? 6y
89 likes5 stack adds11 comments
review
DrizztGirl
Devil's Knot | Mara Leveritt
Pickpick


There is so much in this book that just made me angry. I have recommended it to anyone interested in crime shows, books, or stories. Basically, there are these three teens that are accused of murdering three little boys. They end up being convicted of murder, despite a lack of evidence. It is a terrible show of what can happen when police do not do their job properly.

blurb
JPeterson
post image

When your mom comes to visit for a long weekend, and knows exactly what to bring with her. 😍

quirkyreader Tim's!🇨🇦 7y
minkyb ❣️❣️❣️ 7y
99 likes2 comments
blurb
sprainedbrain
post image

#SEEWHATIHAVEWON

A great true crime book, and the memoir by Damien Echols. Plus, a sleepy kitty. 😻

asiriusreader 😻😻 8y
Sace 😻 8y
See All 6 Comments
JessClark78 🐱❤️ 8y
RadicalReader @sprainedbrain what a gorgeous cat 8y
sprainedbrain @RadicalReader She is very pretty... and she knows it! 😃 8y
140 likes4 stack adds6 comments
blurb
sprainedbrain
post image

#LyricalApril #True

I first learned about this story from the HBO documentary when I was in college, and I followed the West Memphis Three until they were all finally released. Such a sad, scary miscarriage of justice.

Victoriahoperose I just bought this also! 8y
Demanda It's a fantastic book! I was an attorney in West Memphis for 2 years, and had to deal with the people that put those boys behind bars on a weekly basis. I'm so glad they are free now 8y
CouronneDhiver Oh wow! I should definitely read this... it's the craziest story! 8y
See All 6 Comments
Kimberlone The documentaries were disturbing enough...not sure I could handle a book that goes into the case as well 8y
Cinfhen I remember reading and hearing about this case, wow @Demanda can't imagine having to work with those lawyers. Great post @sprainedbrain -thanks 😍 8y
Crystalblu The husband and I just watched all 3 documentaries! Super crazy that they still had to plead guilty! 8y
121 likes7 stack adds6 comments
blurb
sprainedbrain
post image

Day 22 of #augustphotochallenge

This may be a slightly different definition of #innocence but the story of the horrible miscarriage of justice in Arkansas and the West Memphis Three has interested me since college.

manifestsanity "Paradise Lost" is one of my favorite documentaries. Such a disgusting miscarriage of justice. 8y
mauveandrosysky Yes, agreed. 8y
sprainedbrain @manifestsanity Yes, the documentary is what first got my attention. I'm so glad they are all finally free, but it's terrifying and sad that it happened at all. 8y
ErinRich The movie is really good too. Reese Witherspoon is in it. It may still be on Netflix. Title Devil's Knot. 8y
sprainedbrain @ErinRich how did I not know there was a movie?? 😳 Thanks! 8y
75 likes14 stack adds5 comments