Repetitive, But Interesting
Review by Kim Cantrell
Broken Doll by veteran true crime author Burl Barer relates the heartbreaking story of Roxanne Doll, an eight-year-old Washington state girl who was kidnapped from her own bed then raped and murdered by Richard Mathew Clark; who, sadly enough, was a close friend of the family.
Reading Roxy’s, as her mother Gail calls her, story is one, especially for parents, which will make you fear the things you can’t control and question those you consider close friends.
Despite the intense sadness of this story, I found the book, for the first half, was well organized and presented in a form that was interesting to read. Yet, once the trial began, I the reading became mundane and, simply put, boring. Not that surprising since it appears this part was taken reprinted verbatim from transcripts.
I had trouble focusing and found myself skipping pages because it was information already presented. And, quite frankly, I had no trouble comprehending it the first time.
The reading did become a little more interesting with the sentencing phase, but I still found myself skimming for new information.
Overall, I think this is a good book. It’s not my favorite, but I wouldn’t add it to my list of “Do Not Read.” Just be prepared to skip over some of the repeative writing.
Ready to read it? Here’s where to get it:
Updates from this book:
After his death sentence was overturned in 2001, Richard Mathew Clark pled guilty in March 2006 and was sentenced to life in prison. Part of the deal required him to agree to forego any further appeals. According to various reports, Roxanne’s mother and siblings supported the plea agreement.
