Blink Book Review: THE CHARMER: Written By Prosecutors Of Serial Rapist and Murderer Robert Reldan
“…He has dug to the core of his problem [and] has gained all of the insight necessary for a successful adjust to society….” It is anticipated that Reldan will probably be one of the most successful people who ever graduated from the Rahway treatment unit..”
William E Prendergast, Jr- Quotes contained within his report for parole for Robert Reldan, convicted rapist, eventual career criminal.
William E Predergast Jr, who was never a licensed psychologist, was in his first year on staff at the Rahway Treatment Center.
He gave his best Dr. Frederick Chilton impression with a third gushing and seemingly smitten report in 1968 of his 350 + hours of treatment of registered sex offender Reldan
.
Reldan began his criminal career before he had a drivers license and committed two sexual assaults by his 27th birthday. His juvenile record was sealed, so his rape conviction in the eyes of the court made him a first time adult offender who was sentenced to a prison hospital for 3 years.
Not the the 30 year sentence he should have received, or that his family cash could repel.
The Charmer, indeed.
Thus sets the stage for the tale of how one of New Jersey’s most sadistic serial rapists became a rapist-murderer with the unintended help of the Bergen County court system and the effective ATM of an aunt who had the great fortune of marrying well.
Mrs. Lillian Booth shared the last name of a well known assassin.
As you will read, THIS Ms. Booth was fine with the play, other than that unpleasantry, for sure.
The Charmer is co-written by by former Deputy Attorney General Charles Buckley who ultimately slammed the cell door on RRR and esteemed Bergen County prosecutor and Buckley protegee Richard Muti.
Prendergast’s myopic view is one of many contained in the chronology of how the man of means – the son of the owner’s of the Sweet Sue Bakery in the Bronx , which consequently is the name of both of his murder victims and his own sister, charmed his way through the criminal justice system, prison, and his marriage to the former wife of an executed Chicago mobster. “Judy, Judy, Judy.”
Reldan was the Madoff of crime before Madoff was could spell ponzi, or was a criminal.
Similarly to Madoff’s not so silent alarm, there is a confluence of events that SHOULD have been Revere-esque in stopping this man’s tortuous rampage.
“The Reldan is coming, the Reldan is coming”.
I heard it in my ears as the chapter’s tides dared me to meet it’s rip.
Muti and Buckley provide the perfect combination of chronology, facts and page-turning prose that make this non-fiction work a must read for true crime enthusiasts.
Sadly, it is also an avuncular handbook for law enforcement looking to bend the rules in an effort to be right about a suspect. While they absolutely were, there was dire consequences.
DiLuzio is a Di-loser in my professional opinion. You will have to read for yourself to digest the reference.
As a criminal investigative analyst with recent advanced education in the sexually motivated offender profile(s), The Charmer had me dog-earing pages with margin notes and highlighter saturation.
What can I say- with my schedule I am an avid audio book and occasional kindle reader, but the crisp pages and artful weave of reality loomed with eye- bulging twists, prompted more than a few illustrious phrases from this Jersey girl.
The addition to my non-virtual library is a treat.
The change to legislation to accommodate a civil litigation on behalf of a victim’s family made me like former Governor Corzine for the time it took me to come up with an acronym for MF global.
Reldan was bionic for a bit thanks to an un-addressed legacy will. No kryptonite involved .
Reeve was the best Superman’s real last name. Read THE CHARMER for your decoder ring.
Four out of five winks from blink.
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THE CHARMER purchase options.
Disclosure: I have not nor will I receive any remuneration for endorsement of this publication. The reviews of S. Christina Stoy, Editor In Chief of www.blinkoncrime.com, are at the request of authors who have been advised they will have no creative input and may not reflect a positive review at my discretion. The review is based solely on the publication provided.
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Hey Blink, great review! Will read for sure! Thanks
Got it Blink…it’s in the mail.
@ode
Please review here after reading! I am interested in your thoughts as always.
Blink I surely will.
Another riveting review, Blink. Thank you.
Brings to mind another case of a young man from a wealthy family, child predator/SO and murderer, that you mentioned long ago in one of Kyron’s threads. His name and the location name (something Island or Isle in Oregon?) escape me.
Oye wpg, you got me on that one. Admittedly not as sharp as I “were”, hopefully it returns or I may be in a bit of a spot, lol
B
I want to read this book, but years ago a relative that does alot of reading told me to be careful when buying books like this (maybe not just like this) because the sell of some books fund criminals for defense or merely to channel a following to get their side of a story out there in society…made me kind of skiddish to want to even read anything…never knew what angle or side anyone were on… and the unassuming reader like me will not know this because it may be in fact told from a biography type setting by a lawyer, family or whomever…. got me paronoid about buying books or even watch documentaries about true crime – does it even matter this long ago?? Please do not think i am implying that about Blink, but the reason i bring it up is I KNOW BLINK does her homework on these kinds of things, Do we have a pass to buy this book if we have to in order to read it?? I hate being so dang politically correct…becasue it has inadvertantly made me imply something I am not wanting to imply…How do i say that without it sounding the very way it sounds?? anyways.. I have lived with paronoid/worry for too long…I get trapped behind my own thinking…HELP …I am going to go try to find it in a used book store or a place like that…i will also go look into some relatives libraries, they have a ton of books about non-fictional crime such as this…and been reading these kinds of cases since early 60′s.. so i will be on the look out for a few weeks, if blink says its worth a good read, i will be getting this book one way or the other. Please educate me on this before i make a mess…. Blink I hope you are doing alright! Been thinking about you often, just surely thought you were taking some quiet/hush time! Glad your stirring around! ;o))
Thank you, glad to see your back!
Wise to be cautious indeed, but under no set of circumstances would I ever review or promote positively a publication that would advance the assets of a serial rapist and murderer. I rarely review work, and in fairness when I publish it, it is because it checks out and supports positive advocacy.
I admit to my slant in that regard, otherwise, nobody is asking me to review anything I would have the right to pan.
I am a public library supporter, and my Mother and Grandmother (pre-kindle and when it was accessible to them) would loan 5 books a week. The library as a choice to reserve your selection is a perfect suggestion.
B
hate being so pessimistic….sorry everyone.
Good reiview. Now I will have to add this one to my Amazon order.
At last a real paper book that is now an accidental work of color art. LOL.
IOU a picture, if I forget, please remind me. I did not realize my handwritten notes were so “dramatic” in light of the subject matter, but as I stated, it has been some time since I read an actual book in my hands.
Truth- I had my booklight perched on my shoulder so I could annotate. Written by two prosecutors this was a solid offering. As ADA Muti will tell you, it takes a lot to get me to commit to reviewing.
Let me know what you think if you have the opportunity- I felt this story was important.
B
I agree that the story is very important. All of society needs to understand that our home value systems need improvement as well as our public value systems. You already know that one of my peaves is the sealing of records of so called “juviniles” by the courts. Hiding these flawed young people’s activities by declaring them not responsible leaves society exposed to their future mideeds.
The accidental art was a teasing reference to using a “highlighter” to mark passages. I am certain that you are careful not to overmark. I do not mark books in that manner. Too much caution as a child that books were important and should not be marked.
The color art is a reference to my days teaching young musicians how to mark music in a meaningful way. Some of them would have five colors of markings making the working copy so cluttered that the music could barely be read. I dubbed them “accidental works of art”.
http://www.truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=132
@WPG, I think the island is Fox Island.
North Fox Island, thanks Ode for jogging my memory.
B
Ode,
Yes, that’s the one.
Thank you so much, Ode.