A Rip in Heaven: A Memoir of Murder and Its Aftermath Paperback – 1 June 2004

If there was ever a Crime of the Century for St. Louis, the murders of Cummins cousins Julie & Robin Kerry would be IT.I well remember this case on the local news and followed it in the media who sensationalized the victimization of the criminals. Very typical. The media cares less about victims and more about the rights and feelings of criminals.Cummins brings out the truth of what was happening behind the scenes, what the media and police refused to acknowledge, and lays raw the emotions of every family member.The negative reviews appear to be nothing more than reviews put out by supporters of the criminals.This is among the best true-crime documentaries I've ever read...and the first I've read authored by one who lived through the hell.My heart goes out to the family.

I found this book most upsetting. The trauma the family goes through is unbelievable to the end. It left me thinking Oh my God could this really be true? People do these things!

The third-party narrative style of the author's first-party experience adds to the impact of this book. If you read the book not knowing that it is an account of actual events (imagining instead that it is a work of fiction) then it would be a great novel and superbly written, as I have come to expect from this author. When you know it is a true story (albeit told from purely the author's perspective and experience) then it is one hundred times more impactful. I had tears rolling down my face at multiple times during the story.Jeanine Cummins is a master of her craft. This book is a tribute to all victims and survivors (not just those involved in this particular horrendous crime); a battle cry to have their voices heard and their memories honoured. I am a huge fan of her writing. Interesting then that one of the things I shall most reflect upon (and have some difficulty with) now that I have finished the book is the same thing another recent reviewer has identified.Jeanine Cummins fleetingly referred to Bobby Sands as a civil rights leader at one stage in the story and then re-referenced him later on, in the context of Amnesty International. I fully appreciate that Jeanine's own heritage might lead her to have a certain perspectives about the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland. I think referencing Bobby Sands purely as a civil rights leader (I would have had far less issue with her referencing him as a freedom-fighter, for example) exposes Jeanine to some of the same prejudice, bias and hypocrisy that she rails against in the book. I think it somehow belittles and demeans the memory of hundreds of innocent victims of the IRA and INLA campaign across 30 years. I am not offering a view on the 'Troubles' themselves; merely pointing out that maybe people (including the author herself) have a tendency to mostly perceive victims when seen through the prism of our own backgrounds and biases, but much less so when they don't look, speak and think like we do.Unlike the other reviewer, the Bobby Sands reference did not make me lose sympathy with the story or the author but it did make make me feel uncomfortable. So I'm now left wondering whether this issue has undermined the story or in fact has made the story stronger because of my reaction and the fact that I am still writing about it now.It's a great book. I thoroughly recommend it.

I was drawn into the family from the beginning….astounded to read about what the cousins endured the night on the bridge and then realise that horror was just the beginning.I have recommended to my girlfriends at book club….after…they finish American Dirt…

My sister recommended this book, such a moving true story of a families nightmare. Totally gripping. I hope you’ve found peace.