Death Sentence by Jerry Bledsoe (December 1999)

True Crime From a Different Perspective
Review by Kim Cantrell

Margie Velma Bullard was one of nine children born to a abusive father and passive mother. So when Thomas Burke proposed to her when she was just nineteen years old, she readily said yes.

Following a secret wedding, Velma – as she was known – quickly became the doting mother of two.

But that was before her addiction to Valium and large variety of other medications took their hold.

Then suddenly she was a young widow and single mother.

And for the next several years, too many of the people who became close would die.

Five, to be exact.

Author Jerry Bledsoe takes readers inside another fascinating true crime account with his well-loved writing style that has resulted in him being declared a master of true crime many times over.

Yet Death Sentence isn’t your typical true crime; the protagonist in this book is none other than Ronnie Burke, Velma’s son.

As true crime readers, we’re often given the story from the victim’s perspective and are allowed to forget that the bad guy makes victims of their families too.

Bledsoe rides both sides of the fence in this book. Starting with detailed background information on Velma, followed by a factual recounting of the crimes she committed, Death Sentence ends with a vivid point-of-view from death row for the convicted and their family.

I LOVED it! And I have no doubts you will too. Bledsoe breathes new life into the standard of this genre.

I have no qualms about giving this one 5 stars! Most definitely add it to your reading list!