Overview

A shocking true story of a double life exposed by a horrible crime Velma Barfield was overcome with grief when a sudden illness took the life of her fiance, North Carolina farmer Stuart Taylor. Taylor's family grieved with her until traces of arsenic poisoning were revealed in the autopsy. Velma's own son turned her over to authorities. More revelations stunned her family and community-this wasn't the first time Velma, a born-again Christian and devout Sunday school teacher, had murdered in cold blood. Tried by the world's deadliest prosecutor, Velma was sentenced to death. She gained worldwide attention as she turned her life around after the sentencing.

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9781504771467

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Reviews

Veteran true-crime writer Bledsoe offers a vividly bifurcated portrait of a woman who was by turns a cruel killer and a loving grandmother...The second half of Bledsoe's smooth and engrossing narrative depicts the other Velma Barfield-the woman who found God after her murder conviction...Bledsoe's balanced and thorough examination raises important questions about the death penalty and how it is applied. -- Kirkus Reviews Taut and engrossing on the nature of justice and the death penalty as well as on guilt and responsibility. -- Booklist Relying mostly on anecdotes from Barfield's two children, veteran true-crime writer Bledsoe glides smoothly through Barfield's history...Bledsoe's account of the trial itself, particularly of the courtroom antics of district attorney Joe Freeman Britt ('the world's deadliest prosecutor'), is so vivid that it is hard to believe he was not there...Ultimately, for Bledsoe, Barfield's story seems to be a cautionary tale that discredits the death penalty because it offers no possibility of redemption, no second chances. -- Publishers Weekly Undertakes to answer the questions about the justice system and the motives that drive women to kill. -- Washington Post Book World

"Relying mostly on anecdotes from Barfield's two children, veteran true-crime writer Bledsoe glides smoothly through Barfield's history...Bledsoe's account of the trial itself, particularly of the courtroom antics of district attorney Joe Freeman Britt ('the world's deadliest prosecutor'), is so vivid that it is hard to believe he was not there...Ultimately, for Bledsoe, Barfield's story seems to be a cautionary tale that discredits the death penalty because it offers no possibility of redemption, no second chances. -- ""Publishers Weekly"" Taut and engrossing on the nature of justice and the death penalty as well as on guilt and responsibility. -- ""Booklist"" Undertakes to answer the questions about the justice system and the motives that drive women to kill. -- ""Washington Post Book World"" Veteran true-crime writer Bledsoe offers a vividly bifurcated portrait of a woman who was by turns a cruel killer and a loving grandmother...The second half of Bledsoe's smooth and engrossing narrative depicts the other Velma Barfield-the woman who found God after her murder conviction...Bledsoe's balanced and thorough examination raises important questions about the death penalty and how it is applied. -- ""Kirkus Reviews"""

Author Information

Jerry Bledsoe is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Bitter Blood and others. Among the many publications in which his work has appeared are Esquire and the New York Times. Bledsoe lives in North Carolina and Virginia. Kevin Stillwell is an actor, voice talent, and Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator. His film and television credits include Looper and Drop Dead Diva.

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