Overview

She led an almost perfect life and committed an almost perfect crime. Barbara Stager appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader in her Durham, North Carolina, community. When she accidentally shot her husband, popular high school coach Russ, the police were inclined to believe her-until they found out that ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way. Detective Rick Buchanan's relentless investigations into Stager's life revealed a stunning vortex of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity. With every shocking new discovery, more of Barbara's impeccable image unraveled. But the greatest shock-a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind-revealed the nightmare truth about Barbara. New York Times bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe takes us deep into one of the most spellbinding cases of double life, lethal lust, and almost perfect murder.

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9781504771412

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Reviews

Written crisply but with enough detail to make the characters involved very real and accessible. Stager not only killed two husbands, but she victimized their families as well. They not only lost their sons, but their trust, their savings, and the love of their grandchildren. An excellent detailing of one woman's web of treachery. -- Library Journal In the art of true-crime reportage, Jerry Bledsoe is the best in the country. Combining a journalist's sense of fact and detail with a storyteller's instinct for pace and plot, Before He Wakes has the suspense of a novel. -- Atlanta Journal Constitution A profile of evil...fascinating, absorbing, and gossipy. -- Baltimore Sun A shocking and well-written portrait of a dangerous woman. -- New York Times Mesmerizing...Barbara Stager is yet another prime example of the fragile Southern female who will kill her men as quick as kiss them...Bledsoe is one of a handful of natural born true-crime writers. -- Ann Rule, #1 New York Times bestselling author Thanks to the fine-toothed-comb reporting of ace crime journalist Bledsoe, there's no mistaking for fiction this seemingly incredible tale of sex, greed, and murder. -- Kirkus Reviews North Carolina journalist Bledsoe serves up all the titillating facts of this strange case by carefully and compellingly reconstructing Barbara's life of deceit, compulsive spending, and extramarital affairs. A fine true-crime account. -- Booklist

Thanks to the fine-toothed-comb reporting of ace crime journalist Bledsoe, there's no mistaking for fiction this seemingly incredible tale of sex, greed, and murder. -- Kirkus Reviews North Carolina journalist Bledsoe serves up all the titillating facts of this strange case by carefully and compellingly reconstructing Barbara's life of deceit, compulsive spending, and extramarital affairs. A fine true-crime account. -- Booklist Written crisply but with enough detail to make the characters involved very real and accessible. Stager not only killed two husbands, but she victimized their families as well. They not only lost their sons, but their trust, their savings, and the love of their grandchildren. An excellent detailing of one woman's web of treachery. -- Library Journal In the art of true-crime reportage, Jerry Bledsoe is the best in the country. Combining a journalist's sense of fact and detail with a storyteller's instinct for pace and plot, Before He Wakes has the suspense of a novel. -- Atlanta Journal Constitution A profile of evil...fascinating, absorbing, and gossipy. -- Baltimore Sun A shocking and well-written portrait of a dangerous woman. -- New York Times Mesmerizing...Barbara Stager is yet another prime example of the fragile Southern female who will kill her men as quick as kiss them...Bledsoe is one of a handful of natural born true-crime writers. -- Ann Rule, #1 New York Times bestselling author

North Carolina journalist Bledsoe serves up all the titillating facts of this strange case by carefully and compellingly reconstructing Barbara's life of deceit, compulsive spending, and extramarital affairs. A fine true-crime account. -- Booklist Thanks to the fine-toothed-comb reporting of ace crime journalist Bledsoe, there's no mistaking for fiction this seemingly incredible tale of sex, greed, and murder. -- Kirkus Reviews Mesmerizing...Barbara Stager is yet another prime example of the fragile Southern female who will kill her men as quick as kiss them...Bledsoe is one of a handful of natural born true-crime writers. -- Ann Rule, #1 New York Times bestselling author A shocking and well-written portrait of a dangerous woman. -- New York Times A profile of evil...fascinating, absorbing, and gossipy. -- Baltimore Sun In the art of true-crime reportage, Jerry Bledsoe is the best in the country. Combining a journalist's sense of fact and detail with a storyteller's instinct for pace and plot, Before He Wakes has the suspense of a novel. -- Atlanta Journal Constitution Written crisply but with enough detail to make the characters involved very real and accessible. Stager not only killed two husbands, but she victimized their families as well. They not only lost their sons, but their trust, their savings, and the love of their grandchildren. An excellent detailing of one woman's web of treachery. -- Library Journal

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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