Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery and a Father's Forgiveness | 
| Author: Kent Whitaker
Publisher: Howard Books
List Price: $22.99
Buy New: $10.00
You Save: $12.99 (57%)
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Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 13093
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.6 x 1
ISBN: 1416578137
Dewey Decimal Number: 248.86092
EAN: 9781416578130
ASIN: 1416578137
Publication Date: September 23, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This is the tragic story of Kent Whitaker's heart-wrenching journey toward forgiveness and faith after the brutal murder of his wife and one of his sons. Straight from the headlines comes an incredible true story of a son's treachery. For the first time, readers are offered inside access to the emotional drama that went on behind the scenes. At the core is the remarkable healing power of forgiveness, demonstrated by Kent Whitaker, which shows how the survivors of such atrocious events can still forgive those who have permanently damaged their lives. One evening, the Whitaker family returned home after dinner, celebrating a son's impending graduation from college. On opening the front door, they faced a gunman lying in wait. The gunman opened fire, instantly killing the younger sonand Kent's wife, leaving Kent and his older son lying wounded until police and ambulances arrived. While recovering in the hospital, Kent resolved in his heart to forgive whoever was responsible for the deaths of his wife and son. Over the next few weeks, it was discovered that the whole murder plot had been orchestrated by the surviving son -- whom Kent had unknowingly forgiven. After a trial that resulted in a death sentence for his son, Kent emerged from this harrowing ordeal to share their astonishing journey toward forgiveness and redemption.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 The King of Denial...too improbable to believe... October 3, 2008
B. Ryan
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
Should you read this book? If you are interested in true crime as I am and in particular, interested in reading about murders that take place among family members, then I think you would be interested in reading this book. This is not a great book but it is interesting. It is an attempt to delve into the mind of a father who is hurting and who has an unconditional love for his son. The book is riddled with excuse after excuse after excuse for the murdering son Bart but comes down heavily on the young man who actually pulled the trigger. I, myself, had a lot of difficulty reading this book. I have children who are around the same age as Bart when he commissioned this heinous crime. I am not a forgiving person and so, as I read this book, I was very frustrated and found myself wincing several times (for example, when Bart was about to get married). If one of my children committed a crime of this magnitude against me or his/her siblings, I would hope that my spouse wouldn't presume to speak for me in death - I don't want to go to Disney World early (Kent Whitaker's take on his wife and son's deaths). I'm not sure I'm giving you my Death Penalty opinion or giving a book review. Am I talking about justice or forgiveness? I had to read this book - I will read every book that comes out about Bart Whitaker - a scary person who now regrets his actions (thank goodness for Rudy Rios or a murderer would still be loose). I can only think about his brother Kevin and how he lost his young life due to hate and selfishness (quite frankly, even after reading the book, I'm still not sure why all this happened). As a parent, I did learn a few lessons from this book - for example, don't be too generous with your kids - they may misinterpret your generosity. I wish Kent wrote a more comprehensive book. I wanted to get the whole story - did Bart get along with his mom and brother, how much trouble did he get into, what were his friends like, were drugs involved? This book is not enlightening. It skimmed the surface. It could have been so much better. A far better read is "Shot in the Heart" by Mikal Gilmore, the brother of killer Gary Gilmore. Although Gary did not kill a family member, Mikal Gilmore does provide a well-written story of a dysfunctional family with a killer as a member of the family. I believe all families are dysfunctional - but I wanted to know what caused Bart to do this extreme act of violence. Your jaw will drop and you'll be scratching your head over this one. Although the book was probably terribly painful for Kent Whitaker to write, if I were him, I would have done extensive interviews with all the players - Marshall Slot (the lead detective), Fred Felcman (the prosecutor), Bart's fiance, Bart's friends, and especially, Bart. A final comment, I would have read this book even if all the review ratings were low, simply because it was written by Bart's dad and I guess I shouldn't forget that the book was really about forgiveness. I do appreciate that Kent Whitaker is donating the proceeds of this book to charity.
 True Story October 1, 2008
systems therapist
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
wow. i finished this book in 3 sittings. it was impossible to put it down. the unraveling of this story was absolutely an incredible process of unimaginable events. it was hard for me to understand why kent whitaker wrote this book. as i've researched into it, the situation seems that "it is his dog, he doesn't want anyone else to kick it..." Kent has donated every penny of his revenue from this book to charity. wow... i still cannot fathom losing my whole family... his ability to continue to live a tremendous testimony to his faith...
 Left me in awe October 16, 2008
M. Chappell (Huntsville, AL)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This novel by Kent Whittaker is a quick read, partly because you cannot put it down. In the beginning, I wanted to find out HOW this could have happened. In the end, though the book is filled with Christian love and forgiveness on the part of Kent, I wanted more from the story. I wanted to know more about Bart, Kent's son who was the mastermind behind the murders of his mom and brother - and attempted murder of Kent.
I do not, in any way, mean to question Kent Whittaker - God knows he has suffered enough- but as a parent (and high school teacher) I was wanting to know WHY Kent and his wife didn't take Bart seriously on the first attmept at taking thier lives.
Still, the book is chilling. I still catch myself thinking of those young men who were involved in the first (and second) attemtps....knowing that they are still roaming the streets. So scary!
 Who are these people? October 25, 2008
Jane A. Scoville
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have just finished the book and yet have absolutely no idea who these people are. What was their family life like? Why did Bart carry enough hate to murder his mother and brother? I still know so little about the wife and mother? Bart's brother Kevin.
Only by God's Grace October 15, 2008
C. L. Padgett (Madera, CA United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
It feels intrusive to write a "review" of what Kent Whitaker has gone through. In "Murder by Family" Kent shares his journey and his experience living through the murder of his wife and son as planned by his other son. The book is uniquely Kent's. No one else can pretend to know or understand the horror he's lived with. The fact that Kent can not only forgive his son, but write about the journey is incredible. Anyone who is interested in the how-to of forgiveness and mercy will be engrossed by this story. Readers who enjoy true crime, thrillers, and stories about family dynamics will love "Murder by Family."
It feels glib to recommend such a book, to reduce it to "readable" or "well written" or even "compelling." It is all those things and much more. It's a peek into the heart of a grieving husband and father who determined that he would live out his faith in the face of the worst circumstances imaginable. It's a glimpse of the prodigal's father, of King David mourning Absalom. It will leave you humbled and in awe.
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