Perfect Poison

 

 

“Fascinating, gripping . . . Phelps's sharp investigative skills and questioning mind resonate. Whether or not you agree with the author's suspicions that an innocent is behind bars, you won't regret going along for the ride with such an accomplished reporter.”

—Sue Russell

 

“This riveting book examines one of the most horrific murders in recent American history.”

“Phelps clearly shows how the ugliest crimes can take place in the quietest of suburbs.”

“Thoroughly reported . . . The book is primarily a police procedural, but it is also a tribute to the four murder victims.”

 

“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.”

—Allison Brennan

 

“Reading anything by Phelps is always an eye opening experience. The characters are well researched and well written. We have murder, adultery, obsession, lies and so much more.”

—
Suspense Magazine

“You don't want to miss
Love Her To Death
by M. William Phelps, a book destined to be one of 2011's top true crimes!”

—
True Crime Book Reviews

“A chilling crime . . . award-winning author Phelps goes into lustrous and painstaking detail, bringing all the players vividly to life.”

—
Crime Magazine

 

“Phelps gets into the blood and guts of the story.”

—Gregg Olsen,
New York Times
best-selling author of

 

“Phelps infuses his investigative journalism with plenty of energized descriptions.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“A chilling tale of a sociopathic wife and mother . . . a compelling journey from the inside of this woman's mind to final justice in a court of law. For three days I did little else but read this book.”

—Harry N. MacLean,
New York Times
best-selling author of
In

 

“Phelps has an unrelenting sense for detail that affirms his place, book by book, as one of our most engaging crime journalists.”

—Katherine Ramsland

 

“M. William Phelps, one of America's finest true-crime writers, has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing murder mystery. Readers of this genre will thoroughly enjoy this book.”

—Vincent Bugliosi

“Starts quickly and doesn't slow down . . . Phelps consistently ratchets up the dramatic tension, hooking readers. His thorough research and interviews give the book complexity, richness of character, and urgency.”

—Stephen Singular

 

“Drawing on interviews with law officers and relatives, the author has done significant research. His facile writing pulls the reader along.”

—
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Phelps expertly reminds us that when the darkest form of evil invades the quiet and safe outposts of rural America, the tragedy is greatly magnified. Get ready for some sleepless nights.”

—Carlton Stowers

“This is the most disturbing and moving look at murder in rural America since Capote's
In Cold Blood
.”

—Gregg Olsen

 

“An exceptional book by an exceptional true crime writer. Phelps exposes long-hidden secrets and reveals disquieting truths.”

—Kathryn Casey

 

“An insightful and fast-paced examination of the inner workings of a good cop and his bad informant, culminating in an unforgettable truth-is-stranger-than-fiction climax.”

—Michael M. Baden, M.D.

“M. William Phelps is the rising star of the nonfiction crime genre, and his true tales of murder are scary-as-hell thrill rides into the dark heart of the inhuman condition.”

—Douglas Clegg

 

“An intense roller-coaster of a crime story . . . complex, with twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery . . . reads more like a novel than your standard non-fiction crime book.”

—Steve Jackson

 

“True crime at its best—compelling, gripping, an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Phelps packs wallops of delight with his skillful ability to narrate a suspenseful story.”

—Harvey Rachlin

“A compelling account of terror . . . the author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work.”

—Lowell Cauffiel

 

PERFECT POISON

M. WILLIAM PHELPS

PINNACLE BOOKS

Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

Portions of dialogue and a number of events in this book were taken directly from trial transcripts. In other cases, court records, trial transcripts, medical records, search warrants, notes made by law enforcement, and exclusive interviews conducted with certain individuals relevant to this story were combined to reconstruct conversations and events that took place. As much as possible, the author has refrained from recreating scenes and putting thoughts into people's minds solely for dramatic effect; however, for the sake of keeping the narrative moving and to better communicate the story, in a few instances, dialogue was recreated based on the author's investigation. The end result had nothing to do with the integrity of the words spoken or the information presented. All thoughts attributed are, moreover, actual thoughts uncovered by the author.

Any name appearing in italics for the first time is a pseudonym. For good reason, that person has preferred to remain anonymous. Also, the author has chosen to keep the identities of Glenn and Kristen Gilbert's children, known as Brian and Raymond in the text, anonymous.

There are no composite characters in this book. Each person is real.

Through the reading of more than ten thousand pages of trial transcripts, court documents, pleadings and motions, audio and video tape transcripts, medical records, police reports, search warrants, affidavits, letters, e-mails, military reports, nearly one hundred interviews with dozens of people involved, and VA employee evaluations, along with scores of private documents the author uncovered over a two-year period, a comprehensive narrative has been put together that, in the author's opinion, best tells this story.

There were only a few times during the murder trial where conflicting versions of the same event occurred. The author has chosen to rely on the testimony that was believed by the jury of nine women and three men who sat through nearly five months of trial testimony and, ultimately, decided Kristen Gilbert's fate.

While conducting research for this book, the author uncovered several new pieces of information that had not previously been made public and were never reported. The author wishes to thank those individuals who came forward and told their stories for the purpose of giving a better understanding of why Kristen Gilbert did what she did.

They should be commended for their courage, intelligence and impeccable memory of the events. As it was explained to the author, “Psychotic behavior is hard to forget . . . when you fear for your life, you tend to remember how things happened.”

Please visit
www.mwilliamphelps.com
if you wish to contact the author.