Scream at the Sky
Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice
-
-
4.3 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
In the winter of 1984, a faceless evil besieged the quiet town of Wichita Falls, Texas, leaving five young women brutally murdered. Scream at the Sky is the masterful true crime chronicle by two-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Carlton Stowers, detailing one man's murderous career and another man's sworn promise to deliver justice.
For seventeen months, the killer remained at large, leaving grieving families desperate for answers. The haunted district attorney chased every lead, only to meet one dead end after another. It would take fourteen years before a chance discovery by a dedicated cold case investigator provided a new suspect: Faryion Wardrip, an unhappily married family man who drowned his anger in substance abuse and violent fantasies.
Investigator John Little tirelessly ruled out every possibility until he was left with but one conclusion. His instincts led him to discover how Wardrip's drug-fueled fantasies became a reality for his unfortunate victims: Terry Sims, Toni Gibbs, Ellen Blau, Debra Taylor, and Tina Kimbrew. Scream at the Sky recounts the remarkable story of how Little tracked down Wardrip and used the legal system to finally bring justice and closure to the people of Texas.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rural Texas endures a long-unsolved serial killing spree, in this grim suspenser by Edgar Award winner Stowers (Open Secrets; etc.). The narrative begins in late 1984, when a young nurse is found raped and murdered in Wichita Falls; soon a second, equally brutal murder stokes the city's fears. One indictment ends in mistrial when a third murder occurs; eventually, there are five victims. Faryion Wardrip, a local eccentric with drug and money troubles, and an acquaintance of the third victim, readily confesses to her murder. Paroled after serving 11 years of his 35-year sentence for that one murder, Wardrip, purportedly a changed man, becomes active in a local church and remarries. In a classic instance of "murder will out," however, a hungry young district attorney's investigator named John Little begins working the long-unsolved murders in December 1999 and soon gleans a crucial clue from old reports that might tie Wardrip to the other murders. The book becomes increasingly suspenseful as Little quietly builds his case against the sanctimonious Wardrip, whose composure crumbles when he's finally confronted on his old misdeeds. Stowers demonstrates sensitivity toward the many survivors of Wardrip's crimes, yet at heart this is a gory, effective meditation on the evil sometimes committed by "ordinary" men and the great efforts necessary for justice. 8 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
