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Cruel Sacrifice
On a freezing January in 1992, five teenage girls crowded into a car. By the end of the night, only four of them were alive. The fifth had been tortured and mutilated nearly beyond recognition. Her name was Shanda Sharer; her age - twelve. When the people of Madison, Indiana heard that a brutal murder had been committed in their midst, they were stunned. Then the story became even more bizarre. The four accused murderers were all girls under the age of eighteen: Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence.
Here, for the first time, veteran true crime journalist Aphrodite Jones reveals the shocking truth behind the most savage crime in Indiana history - a tragic story of twisted love and insane jealousy, lesbianism, brutal child abuse, and sadistic ritual killing in small-town America...and of the young innocent who paid the ultimate price.
Here, for the first time, veteran true crime journalist Aphrodite Jones reveals the shocking truth behind the most savage crime in Indiana history - a tragic story of twisted love and insane jealousy, lesbianism, brutal child abuse, and sadistic ritual killing in small-town America...and of the young innocent who paid the ultimate price.
333 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Aphrodite Jones
23 books349 followersAphrodite Jones is an award-winning American reporter and author who writes about murder. Her knack for detail allows her to dissect bizarre murder cases and bring readers into the heart of darkness. Now, the author has taken her career to TV as the executive producer and TV host of the ID series, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones, which airs on Investigation Discovery.
Jones is now filming her sixth season, uncovering secrets about riveting cases across America. The series follows Jones, who's written a string of best-selling true crime books, as she unravels new mysteries lurking behind cases that shocked America: O.J. Simpson, Scott Peterson, Jon Benet Ramsey, Phil Spector, and the list goes on.
Jones is now filming her sixth season, uncovering secrets about riveting cases across America. The series follows Jones, who's written a string of best-selling true crime books, as she unravels new mysteries lurking behind cases that shocked America: O.J. Simpson, Scott Peterson, Jon Benet Ramsey, Phil Spector, and the list goes on.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
October 2, 2021
I read this book about 20 years ago and it still haunts me. I think about that poor little girl begging for her mommy and I still get choked up. Even though it was hard to read its wonderfully written. It gives you all the information you need/want. I had NO questions at the end of it. This was also the book that led me to read many more of Aphrodite Jones books.
December 5, 2011
Cruel Sacrifice, by Aphrodite Jones, is a true crime story about the now infamous and tragic Shanda Sharer murder. It is written with input from the killers family, court testimony, Psychiatry notes, and interviews from people indirectly involved in the lives of the teenage girls who committed this horrible act. Jones is a well known author, who has researched and written about many different crimes.
The beginning of this story details the night of January 10th 1992, when four teenage girls tricked a 5th into getting in their car, and proceeded to spend the rest of the night engaging in beating, torturing, and eventually burning alive the girl they'd tricked. They were 15 and 16, their victim, Shanda, was 12.
The main perpetrator, and the only girl who actually knew Shanda, was Melinda Loveless. The second part of this story is dedicated to her childhood, with a main focus on her perverted father and the families troubles as a result of him. The Loveless family story takes up a third of this book.
The final part of the story tells of Melindas main accomplice, Laurie Tacket, and her childhood with a strict religious upbringing, accounts from friends regarding her instability, and information about time she spend receiving mental health care before the crime. There is also detail at the end regarding the court cases of the 4 girls, including part of the actual confession written by Toni Lawrence.
This is a book that is terribly hard to read. Shanda's murder was tragic and gruesome beyond words, and I had to frequently stop and take a breath during the parts telling of the details of her death. I had researched this case prior to reading the book, so I had an interest at getting a 'behind the scenes' look, so to speak.
For me, this book was spoilt by placing such a large emphasis on the Loveless family. After reading the details of Shanda's murder, a murder Melinda planned and carries out over the most trivial things, the last thing I wanted to see were her families excuses as to why their daughter was a beast. It felt as though Jones was looking for excuses for the girls' actions, rather then reasons. The loveless family information was provided by Melinda's mother, and their is question as to how fabricated the abuse was.
There seemed to be no input at all from Shanda's mother, Jackie Vaught, which I found to be in poor taste, and a bad decision on the authors part. Jones even goes as far as to accuse Jackie of capitalising and enjoying the media that came with her daughters murder. There was also not enough on the court cases as I would have liked to see.
I gave this book 4 stars because of its highly interesting topic, however I believe Jones attempt at writing this was poor, and only her access to testimonies and other things in the case saved this book. In terms of how she put it together, I was disappointed and its unlikely I will read another book by this author.
I was left with the feeling that Jones was more interested in getting this book out while the media attention was there, rather then telling the story of Shanda's murder and respecting her memory. Besides this, the story is a compelling read of how far people can go with the wrong influences, and how quickly teenage situations can spiral out of control.
The beginning of this story details the night of January 10th 1992, when four teenage girls tricked a 5th into getting in their car, and proceeded to spend the rest of the night engaging in beating, torturing, and eventually burning alive the girl they'd tricked. They were 15 and 16, their victim, Shanda, was 12.
The main perpetrator, and the only girl who actually knew Shanda, was Melinda Loveless. The second part of this story is dedicated to her childhood, with a main focus on her perverted father and the families troubles as a result of him. The Loveless family story takes up a third of this book.
The final part of the story tells of Melindas main accomplice, Laurie Tacket, and her childhood with a strict religious upbringing, accounts from friends regarding her instability, and information about time she spend receiving mental health care before the crime. There is also detail at the end regarding the court cases of the 4 girls, including part of the actual confession written by Toni Lawrence.
This is a book that is terribly hard to read. Shanda's murder was tragic and gruesome beyond words, and I had to frequently stop and take a breath during the parts telling of the details of her death. I had researched this case prior to reading the book, so I had an interest at getting a 'behind the scenes' look, so to speak.
For me, this book was spoilt by placing such a large emphasis on the Loveless family. After reading the details of Shanda's murder, a murder Melinda planned and carries out over the most trivial things, the last thing I wanted to see were her families excuses as to why their daughter was a beast. It felt as though Jones was looking for excuses for the girls' actions, rather then reasons. The loveless family information was provided by Melinda's mother, and their is question as to how fabricated the abuse was.
There seemed to be no input at all from Shanda's mother, Jackie Vaught, which I found to be in poor taste, and a bad decision on the authors part. Jones even goes as far as to accuse Jackie of capitalising and enjoying the media that came with her daughters murder. There was also not enough on the court cases as I would have liked to see.
I gave this book 4 stars because of its highly interesting topic, however I believe Jones attempt at writing this was poor, and only her access to testimonies and other things in the case saved this book. In terms of how she put it together, I was disappointed and its unlikely I will read another book by this author.
I was left with the feeling that Jones was more interested in getting this book out while the media attention was there, rather then telling the story of Shanda's murder and respecting her memory. Besides this, the story is a compelling read of how far people can go with the wrong influences, and how quickly teenage situations can spiral out of control.
July 21, 2017
True Crime Commemoration # 13
Setting: not kidding! My hometown I know all of these streets, buildings, landmarks
This was such a tragedy
Setting: not kidding! My hometown I know all of these streets, buildings, landmarks
This was such a tragedy
February 17, 2017
I had very mixed feelings about reading any book about Shanda Sharer. My career professionally crossed paths with this case years ago and I wasn't sure I wanted any reminder. None the less, recently I came across an older Dr. Phil episode about Shanda's mother and the culprits, so I decided that was my cue.
Because of the heinous matter of this event and the media attention it received this is one of two books written, the other called Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlen. Now that I have read both I would suggest either reading this book first or skip altogether and only read the other.
I have watched Aphrodite Jones on television for years and usually enjoy the process and methods she utilizes with criminal cases, but was not impressed here.
Shanda Sharer was a 12 year old baby(I have a daughter and at 12 she was still my baby) who endured an unimaginable death that I will not describe here because I don't like it on GR when reviews explain the entire book. Once I read those I can forget the book entirely. I already know everything.
Anyway, Ms. Jones briefly, very briefly describes the events about Shanda then she isn't mentioned again until around page 135. Instead we learn every single life experience of one of her murderers in particular, including the entire marriage of that person's parents. I know the purpose is to show how life events can play a role in someone's actions, but it just became too much. It is obvious that the author didn't have the cooperation of the Sharer family, unlike the other author. By the time the trials occur she has spent so much effort describing every salacious event continuously I am numb to them, and that saddens me.
This book is very graphic and also includes crime photos. Even in the photos Shanda doesn't take precedence. Please skip this version and read " Little Lost Angel " instead.
Because of the heinous matter of this event and the media attention it received this is one of two books written, the other called Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlen. Now that I have read both I would suggest either reading this book first or skip altogether and only read the other.
I have watched Aphrodite Jones on television for years and usually enjoy the process and methods she utilizes with criminal cases, but was not impressed here.
Shanda Sharer was a 12 year old baby(I have a daughter and at 12 she was still my baby) who endured an unimaginable death that I will not describe here because I don't like it on GR when reviews explain the entire book. Once I read those I can forget the book entirely. I already know everything.
Anyway, Ms. Jones briefly, very briefly describes the events about Shanda then she isn't mentioned again until around page 135. Instead we learn every single life experience of one of her murderers in particular, including the entire marriage of that person's parents. I know the purpose is to show how life events can play a role in someone's actions, but it just became too much. It is obvious that the author didn't have the cooperation of the Sharer family, unlike the other author. By the time the trials occur she has spent so much effort describing every salacious event continuously I am numb to them, and that saddens me.
This book is very graphic and also includes crime photos. Even in the photos Shanda doesn't take precedence. Please skip this version and read " Little Lost Angel " instead.
November 16, 2017
First off these 4 girls were so stupid, I don't care how scared or young I was nobody was going to make me be a part of a murder. One thing I didn't like is that Aphrodite focused too much on Melinda loveless and her family: SHANDA SHARER was the victim and hardly any pictures of her was in this book and she was hardly talked about as well. Marjorie Loveless was a stupid woman who didn't care about her kids all she cared about was herself. And Gary Loveless was so sick and deranged was he held too much as a kid or was he not held at all? How he treated his wife kids women in general it was uncalled for. In my opionion he wanted to be a woman so bad that he hated himself for not being one and he took out that hate on everyone. Sick and sad
July 28, 2019
You know Truman Capote? not even close. Though considering I got this out of a $.50 bin, I can't really complain either. No, I can.
The story was interesting, but the writing was repetitive and written like a really long, somewhat dull article: very informative, little sensitivity. Also, I was a little pissed off about lesbianism being passed off as both perverse and as an identity issue. If this had been about a heterosexual teen love triangle, I doubt the book would have been written.
The story was interesting, but the writing was repetitive and written like a really long, somewhat dull article: very informative, little sensitivity. Also, I was a little pissed off about lesbianism being passed off as both perverse and as an identity issue. If this had been about a heterosexual teen love triangle, I doubt the book would have been written.
May 9, 2018
3.5 Stars
This book gained my attention due to the cover factor, since it was a 90s vibe, as well as pictures of some girls, who at that moment, I didn’t know who they were. Here are my thoughts on the book:
Plot/Development: Unfortunately, I cannot rate the plot, because is based on a true crime story, which means the plot is not invented but modified, even though it needs to be real, that doesn’t mean they can make it interesting. The story is about four girls: Melinda, Laurie, Hope, and Tony; they committed a crime against Shanda Sharer of twelve years old. Here is where it comes, How come?
The development is well created, the author tries to tell you the story as if it were another book out there. It is divided in three parts; the first one is about how the girls committed the crime, which I thought it was really good and made me felt a lot of things and senses. The second part was about the background of the girls; sadly, this part destroyed all my interest on the book, because more than the half of the part is based on Melinda (who Melinda’s parents were, how did they met, the born of her sisters, the relationships between them, Melinda´s family) and later on we see a little bit of the rest, but I think it is not very supportive and sometimes I thought I was lost, but I wasn’t.
Characters: I cannot rate the characters because they were not fictional, they were actually real people, so in this case, I will omit my opinion.
Ending: I didn’t know the case, this was the first time for me reading it, so I think it was a proper time for the girls to spend in jail. I think the ending is good, but I’d like to have read more actual information about it.
Writing: The writing is really good. Aphrodite Jones knows how to write true crime in a manner that seems you are reading a book. The only thing I will say is that everything was perfectly clear and detailed, that I’m not sure if it was real, but I trust on the author and I really liked her work.
Genre: True Crime. I think this book has everything, also with photos included, which I think it totally support the research and the story the author is telling.
This book gained my attention due to the cover factor, since it was a 90s vibe, as well as pictures of some girls, who at that moment, I didn’t know who they were. Here are my thoughts on the book:
Plot/Development: Unfortunately, I cannot rate the plot, because is based on a true crime story, which means the plot is not invented but modified, even though it needs to be real, that doesn’t mean they can make it interesting. The story is about four girls: Melinda, Laurie, Hope, and Tony; they committed a crime against Shanda Sharer of twelve years old. Here is where it comes, How come?
The development is well created, the author tries to tell you the story as if it were another book out there. It is divided in three parts; the first one is about how the girls committed the crime, which I thought it was really good and made me felt a lot of things and senses. The second part was about the background of the girls; sadly, this part destroyed all my interest on the book, because more than the half of the part is based on Melinda (who Melinda’s parents were, how did they met, the born of her sisters, the relationships between them, Melinda´s family) and later on we see a little bit of the rest, but I think it is not very supportive and sometimes I thought I was lost, but I wasn’t.
Characters: I cannot rate the characters because they were not fictional, they were actually real people, so in this case, I will omit my opinion.
Ending: I didn’t know the case, this was the first time for me reading it, so I think it was a proper time for the girls to spend in jail. I think the ending is good, but I’d like to have read more actual information about it.
Writing: The writing is really good. Aphrodite Jones knows how to write true crime in a manner that seems you are reading a book. The only thing I will say is that everything was perfectly clear and detailed, that I’m not sure if it was real, but I trust on the author and I really liked her work.
Genre: True Crime. I think this book has everything, also with photos included, which I think it totally support the research and the story the author is telling.
September 8, 2018
This happened just across the river from Louisville KY and my Uncle lived very close to the place where it happened. AMAZINGly horrific murders by TEEN girls. I don't think that many people understand that evil can be found in girls
September 28, 2016
This book is exceptionally well researched, and exceptionally well written. The story itself is heartbreaking, striking, shocking, and saddening. The thing that is hardest to deal with, and the same question I'm sure Shanda's family must still come to grips with every day is, "why did this happen?" I understand the reasons presented in the book. I get the love triangle, jealousy motive, but honestly, I just don't understand.
I purchased this book because I couldn't understand how two of the girls were smiling broadly in their mugshots. I thought, what the heck? I remember being that age, in fact, I wasn't a lot older than Laurie at the time of this murder. I think I probably had 3-4 years on her, but all the same, there was nothing that could have caused me to murder. I have now considered some of the additional information, the drinking... Okay, I did that, and as much as Laurie was said to have done. I had friends that were equally interested in witchcraft and the like. Paranormal was the fad even then. So, why? Could the murder really just have been over jealousy? I just don't think so. Pack mentality? I think that carries more weight in this situation.
Key takeaways from this book are:
1. You never really do know what your children are up to. Shanda's family could not have known just what was happening between her and Amanda. They could not have known the trouble she was in with her peers.
2. You never really know your children's friends, even if you think you do. So trust but verify. If Hope and Toni's parents had known where their daughter's were that night things would have been a lot different. The girls lied to their parents about where they were going to be that night.
3. Sexuality is explored at a young age in our society. Keeping an open door policy with your children is key to helping them navigate the tempest that awaits them. I know, easier said than done, but it can be done.
4. This book would have benefited from interviews with the key players in the story. The only thing I felt this book was wanting was some reflective information from the girls, their families, etc. Maybe then there could have been an answer to the why, but somehow I doubt it. I sense that these women probably cannot connect to the girls they were at the time of this crime. I doubt they can possibly comprehend their past actions. It would be like trying to justify any action that in hind sight you realize was the biggest mistake of your life.
From here I will state that I would recommend this book to readers of true crime, psychology and sociology students, and academics interested in group phenomenon, pack mentality, or cult behaviors. This is not to say that the girls were in a cult, more like the actions are not unlike those of cult killings, the individuals that let the energy of an event supersede their recognition of alternate choices.
This book is truly full of victims, and no heroes. It is tragic.
I purchased this book because I couldn't understand how two of the girls were smiling broadly in their mugshots. I thought, what the heck? I remember being that age, in fact, I wasn't a lot older than Laurie at the time of this murder. I think I probably had 3-4 years on her, but all the same, there was nothing that could have caused me to murder. I have now considered some of the additional information, the drinking... Okay, I did that, and as much as Laurie was said to have done. I had friends that were equally interested in witchcraft and the like. Paranormal was the fad even then. So, why? Could the murder really just have been over jealousy? I just don't think so. Pack mentality? I think that carries more weight in this situation.
Key takeaways from this book are:
1. You never really do know what your children are up to. Shanda's family could not have known just what was happening between her and Amanda. They could not have known the trouble she was in with her peers.
2. You never really know your children's friends, even if you think you do. So trust but verify. If Hope and Toni's parents had known where their daughter's were that night things would have been a lot different. The girls lied to their parents about where they were going to be that night.
3. Sexuality is explored at a young age in our society. Keeping an open door policy with your children is key to helping them navigate the tempest that awaits them. I know, easier said than done, but it can be done.
4. This book would have benefited from interviews with the key players in the story. The only thing I felt this book was wanting was some reflective information from the girls, their families, etc. Maybe then there could have been an answer to the why, but somehow I doubt it. I sense that these women probably cannot connect to the girls they were at the time of this crime. I doubt they can possibly comprehend their past actions. It would be like trying to justify any action that in hind sight you realize was the biggest mistake of your life.
From here I will state that I would recommend this book to readers of true crime, psychology and sociology students, and academics interested in group phenomenon, pack mentality, or cult behaviors. This is not to say that the girls were in a cult, more like the actions are not unlike those of cult killings, the individuals that let the energy of an event supersede their recognition of alternate choices.
This book is truly full of victims, and no heroes. It is tragic.
May 28, 2013
I remember hearing about this case when I was a teenager, when 'satanic panic' and homophobia was at an all-time high regarding crimes involving teens, and of course it made for sensational courtroom drama for the adults. This story is horrific & certainly gives insight into how young children start exploring their sexuality, how far bullying can go, and how psychology is no more closer today in determining what factors create a killer & just how much we rely on such faulty science to determine the culpability of criminals. The pain the Sharer family endured continues today, with the mean girls, now women, are still not completely owning to their crimes. This story is a cautionary tale of how far bullying can go, and gives one insight into the problems facing youth today when the mob mentality sets in, instead today it is for the entire world to see. As for the writing, there are two books written about this case, of which I understand the other is far better written than this one. The writing is not well organized, often seeming like summarized notes, rather than the full picture which came across simple and hurried. Jones spends way too much time on the history of one of the girls, where the focus of the book seemed to be, rather than the victim, the history, the crime and the court proceedings. It was clear to tell Jones was rather obsessed with Loveless, and seemed to argue a case of her guilt by the environment she was born into. I have never believed an adult is a product of their childhood, seeing as many children in abusive homes become productive law abiding adults, and children from stable well provided for homes become deviants of the cruelest kind. What I think Jones touched on, but did not explore was the type of society these girls were exposed to, being a sleepy quiet town with nothing to do but to create their own entertainment. Boredom breeds trouble as it is now so easily seen with online bullying. If a person doesn't have anything better to do, what becomes fun might just be down right cruel. It takes too much time on a person's hands to write a cruel blog, troll forums, attack others, and taking it offline, no more can that be demonstrated than in this book, where hours upon hours were spent plotting, torturing, and killing a young defenseless girl.
January 19, 2018
I vividly remember hearing about this when it happened. In 1992, I was 11-12 years old, the same age as the victim -Shanda Sharer- and a baby lesbian. This story fucked me the hell up. Of course it was treated incredibly salaciously in the media at the time. The whole lesbian aspect of the story was made to be the biggest thing - not the savage attack these girls did. It was all about them being baby dykes who were into witchcraft. I was a baby dyke into witchcraft, but that didn't mean I was going to go on some killing frenzy, but at the time I internalized this story as a pathological identifier of the kind of person I was. It did a number! Thankfully, I was able to unpack that.
This was eye-opening to read this now as a grown ass woman. Learning about the Loveless family horror show put a lot of things into context. The Tackett family background also did more to help me understand how their environments shaped these girls, both of whom were also suffering from extreme mental problems. Yes, nothing can justify what they did, but contextually, it doesn't surprise either. I was particularly touched by Toni, who I feel really was unfairly treated. That girl was in the wrong damn place at the wrong damn time, and in no way deserved the steep sentence she got. The idea of wrecking your entire life at the age of 15 makes me want to have a panic attack.
I would have liked to have seen the author examine in more detail what their surroundings were like, how they were treated in school, and more about Shanda and her background. Where I grew up in Kansas during the early 90s it was hella homophobic. I would imagine Indiana was the same, if not worse. The fact that these girls were seemingly pretty out dykes, and/or the weirdo kids at their school, I was left with a lot of questions as to how their peers treated them and what that whole situation was like. I think that's really important to mention.
Reading the blow-by-blow account of what was done to Shanda at one point made me nauseous, which isn't an easy thing to provoke in me. I hope that the girls who did this got the help they needed, but I doubt it. I feel so sorry for Shanda Sharer having her life taken away from her so horrifically at such a young age. The whole thing is so sad, haunting and horrifying.
This was eye-opening to read this now as a grown ass woman. Learning about the Loveless family horror show put a lot of things into context. The Tackett family background also did more to help me understand how their environments shaped these girls, both of whom were also suffering from extreme mental problems. Yes, nothing can justify what they did, but contextually, it doesn't surprise either. I was particularly touched by Toni, who I feel really was unfairly treated. That girl was in the wrong damn place at the wrong damn time, and in no way deserved the steep sentence she got. The idea of wrecking your entire life at the age of 15 makes me want to have a panic attack.
I would have liked to have seen the author examine in more detail what their surroundings were like, how they were treated in school, and more about Shanda and her background. Where I grew up in Kansas during the early 90s it was hella homophobic. I would imagine Indiana was the same, if not worse. The fact that these girls were seemingly pretty out dykes, and/or the weirdo kids at their school, I was left with a lot of questions as to how their peers treated them and what that whole situation was like. I think that's really important to mention.
Reading the blow-by-blow account of what was done to Shanda at one point made me nauseous, which isn't an easy thing to provoke in me. I hope that the girls who did this got the help they needed, but I doubt it. I feel so sorry for Shanda Sharer having her life taken away from her so horrifically at such a young age. The whole thing is so sad, haunting and horrifying.
June 26, 2020
I want to read the other book mentioned which deals with this murder. I agree that too much paper was dedicated to the perpetrators and not enough to the victim.
October 10, 2020
This book is very sad. Heartbreaking that these girls would go to this length to kill someone over a crush!! and the age of them all?? The book was very well written and is based on the backgrounds of the perpertrators. Not much mention of the victim at all. For me I prefer when the book is not based on the trial , I like to know how and why people do what they do. If only one of these girls spoke up !!
Want to read
January 28, 2016I came across this book simultaneously through Jones' Wikipedia page after watching a TV show she hosts on the Investigative Discovery Network. This is a story that doesn't seem like a real event, but it happened and I can't believe that people like this exist. Then again my obsession with true crime proves that it happens a lot.
August 21, 2019
Let me start by saying, this is the first True Crime book I'm actually rating and it feels weird because this is something that actually happened. But, I am drawn to books and documentaries like this. I could watch them all day. I know, I'm weird.
I feel so bad for Shanda and her family. What these girls, Melinda, Laurie, Hope and Toni, done to Shanda was so horrific. There were so many times that one of these girls could've gotten help for Shanda in one way or another. Or one of then could've stopped the other girls from continuing harming Shanda. I don't care if these other girls had a bad childhood, it doesn't excuse them for what they did.
I think the writer did a great job in researching this case. And laying things out where you got a vivid picture of what happened during the murder and during the trial.
If you like reading True Crimes, I would recommend this one.
I feel so bad for Shanda and her family. What these girls, Melinda, Laurie, Hope and Toni, done to Shanda was so horrific. There were so many times that one of these girls could've gotten help for Shanda in one way or another. Or one of then could've stopped the other girls from continuing harming Shanda. I don't care if these other girls had a bad childhood, it doesn't excuse them for what they did.
I think the writer did a great job in researching this case. And laying things out where you got a vivid picture of what happened during the murder and during the trial.
If you like reading True Crimes, I would recommend this one.
November 11, 2012
I remember a friend lending me this book circa 1999 / 2000, and it making one helluva impression on me. Well-written, good characterisation and setting, with great attention to detail. WARNING: Contains explicit, graphic material. NOT for the faint of heart. A truly harrowing tale. I particularly liked the inclusion of photographs - of both the victim and the perpetrators. For me it made the story far more real and accessible.
February 5, 2008
The ultimate in true crime sleaze, this one will cure you forever of your ghoulish desire to read this kind of thing ever again. A spectacular circus sideshow that piles lunacy atop lunacy, sleaze atop sleaze, and horror atop horror. Reads like a black-comic collaboration between the Coen Brothers, Takashi Miike, and Nancy Grace.
August 1, 2021
Poorly written and unengaging. A lot of the letters between the girls don't convey anything of importance and seem to have been added to fill pages rather than provide more insight.
November 11, 2020
I have decided that this will be Non-Fiction November! Since I was starting this new theme with a new book on November first, my mind was still stuck in Halloween Horror mode, so I was instantly drawn to my true crime section and then to Aphrodite Jones’, “Cruel Sacrifice.” I had no idea that this little paperback would be much more disturbing and horrifying than anything horror book I had read over the past two months.
This story is what I would, as a fan of MY Favorite Murder podcast, call “ My Hometown Murder” and one of my earliest obsessions with true crime. And although it is cool to read references to River Falls Mall, Rocky Horror at the Vogue, Fag Hill in Cherokee Park, and other places I often haunted in the early 90’s, not to mention quotes from a couple of acquaintances I once knew, nothing about reading this is fun or outweighs the truly disturbing details described in these 300 and something pages.
The book is unofficially divided into 4 sections. The first sections gives a fairly well-detailed description of the abduction, torture, and eventual murder of Shanda Sharer. Next, and I think the largest section of the book deals with the backstory of Melinda Loveless’ mentally unstable parents. There is an entire book that could be written about these two, before they even give birth to would-be-killer Melinda. The stories of her childhood are stomach churning and include not only incest and molestation but an exorcism in a motel room by members of Graceland Baptist church. Next we are given the childhood of equally disturbed, Laurie Tackett. Where Jones implies Melinda didn’t stand a chance being raised by her mentally ill father, there is a slight implication, although a victim of many hardships, and several church lead exorcisms too, seems to have been “born bad.” The entire time I was reading about Tackett, all I could think is, this is the last person on Earth that should ever met Melinda Loveless. The final section of the book informs the reader of the girl’s court cases, here the book becomes too repetitive and dry.
I don’t know that I can recommend this one unless you really like your true crime on the deskside. As it is, this one stands as a cautionary tale to listen and act on warning signs when you see them, and the need for better mental health in this country.
Pet Peeve-this book was published in 1995 and Aphrodite Jones felt no need to mask his homophobia while faking journalistic objectiveness.
This story is what I would, as a fan of MY Favorite Murder podcast, call “ My Hometown Murder” and one of my earliest obsessions with true crime. And although it is cool to read references to River Falls Mall, Rocky Horror at the Vogue, Fag Hill in Cherokee Park, and other places I often haunted in the early 90’s, not to mention quotes from a couple of acquaintances I once knew, nothing about reading this is fun or outweighs the truly disturbing details described in these 300 and something pages.
The book is unofficially divided into 4 sections. The first sections gives a fairly well-detailed description of the abduction, torture, and eventual murder of Shanda Sharer. Next, and I think the largest section of the book deals with the backstory of Melinda Loveless’ mentally unstable parents. There is an entire book that could be written about these two, before they even give birth to would-be-killer Melinda. The stories of her childhood are stomach churning and include not only incest and molestation but an exorcism in a motel room by members of Graceland Baptist church. Next we are given the childhood of equally disturbed, Laurie Tackett. Where Jones implies Melinda didn’t stand a chance being raised by her mentally ill father, there is a slight implication, although a victim of many hardships, and several church lead exorcisms too, seems to have been “born bad.” The entire time I was reading about Tackett, all I could think is, this is the last person on Earth that should ever met Melinda Loveless. The final section of the book informs the reader of the girl’s court cases, here the book becomes too repetitive and dry.
I don’t know that I can recommend this one unless you really like your true crime on the deskside. As it is, this one stands as a cautionary tale to listen and act on warning signs when you see them, and the need for better mental health in this country.
Pet Peeve-this book was published in 1995 and Aphrodite Jones felt no need to mask his homophobia while faking journalistic objectiveness.
June 24, 2024
3
It’s pretty standard true crime sensationalist dollar bin fodder but I didn’t go in with the highest standards so it was ok. I wouldn’t even leave a review on this except for to say that I couldn’t help but feel that the author should have taken a more socio/anthropological approach to this book— what sort of town creates the environment where kids as young as 12 are having sex, mutilating themselves & doing hard drugs? Where entire families are casually sucked into Christian fundamentalist cults and regularly exorcise children as young as 6? Where a man can be extremely openly sexually deviant and abuse multiple children + his wife over the course of years & everyone knows and kind of ignores it? How did the queer community fostered in this conservative town provide a safe haven for these children, and how did its lack of adult supervision harm them? Like everyone was so deeply fucked up…
It’s pretty standard true crime sensationalist dollar bin fodder but I didn’t go in with the highest standards so it was ok. I wouldn’t even leave a review on this except for to say that I couldn’t help but feel that the author should have taken a more socio/anthropological approach to this book— what sort of town creates the environment where kids as young as 12 are having sex, mutilating themselves & doing hard drugs? Where entire families are casually sucked into Christian fundamentalist cults and regularly exorcise children as young as 6? Where a man can be extremely openly sexually deviant and abuse multiple children + his wife over the course of years & everyone knows and kind of ignores it? How did the queer community fostered in this conservative town provide a safe haven for these children, and how did its lack of adult supervision harm them? Like everyone was so deeply fucked up…
May 23, 2020
If you're not familiar with the Shanda Sharer case, it is absolutely heartbreaking. Shanda was only 12 when she was tortured and murdered by girls only a few years older than her. This book really delves into the perpetrators and their lives before and after the murder. There isn't a whole lot about Shanda's life before that night. I'm not sure what Jones was trying to do here, but a lot of it was repetitive with the same confessions and testimonies rehashed several times. If you are interested in this case, this is a decent book but I feel it could have spent more time on Shanda and her life.
August 5, 2023
Well, I gave the book 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the 1st book that I have read from Aphrodite Jones. It was ok. I’m use to seeing her True Crime Show. She was informative and I liked that her book wasn’t boring with legalities. Nonetheless, these young girls ended a life and had absolutely NO REMORSE whatsoever. Not to mention that they came from a broken homes. The victim that came from a good home was murdered needlessly. The actual murder was heinous. These girls had no care at all for what they did but they are serving 60 years for the crime. Which honestly even though they were young offenders they deserved to be in prison.
April 26, 2024
Extremely detailed and disturbing
December 14, 2021
Blaming Everyone Except those Who Should be Blamed
This book did nothing but try to make the reader feel sympathy for the murderers because of their tragic upbringings. Not falling for it. This case made me sick, and the murderers get no sympathy from me.
This book did nothing but try to make the reader feel sympathy for the murderers because of their tragic upbringings. Not falling for it. This case made me sick, and the murderers get no sympathy from me.
June 3, 2024
Wow
Words can't describe on how I feel about this book. It's so sad that a 12 yr old had to lose her life over jealousy. I did enjoy this book.
Words can't describe on how I feel about this book. It's so sad that a 12 yr old had to lose her life over jealousy. I did enjoy this book.
February 7, 2016
This is a very sad book. The book begins a few hours before the crime itself and then goes back in time to tell the story of the perpetrators. The girls in this crime all had difficult lives. The mastermind behind the crime, Melinda Loveless, wanted to kill Shanda Sharer because of another girl, Amanda Heavrin. Loveless had an upbringing that few would envy. There were allegations of incest between Loveless and her father. Loveless was a lesbian who had her heartbroken by Amanda Heavrin. Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey and Toni Lawrence were the other teens involved in this crime. Laurie Tackett was a girl who had a controlling mother and a passive father. Laurie was also a lesbian with a chip on her shoulder. Toni Lawrence, a quiet girl, didn't have a clue as to the other arrangements planned. Lawrence was of the understanding that the four of them were only going to a punk show in a neighboring area. When she got into the car she learned there was more than a show in store for the evening. Hope Rippey was an acquaintance to Laurie Tackett. A passive girl but completely aware of the events to take place. The victim, Shandra Sharer, was thirteen. The relationship between Sharer and Heavrin began during detention. It wasn't long after that the typical teenage letters were being exchanged. Heavrin eventually broke up with Loveless and began seeing Sharer exclusively. Sharer had a horrific death that spanned several of the early morning hours on January 11, 1992. She got into the car willingly but under false pretenses. Aphrodite Jones does a great job of telling this story. This story is told in a narrative manor versus the journalistic tone that is sometimes seen with true crime books. She has done well with her research on each person. A lot of background information had to told to fully understand (but not justify) what was going on with all of the girls. This was the first book I have read of Aphrodite Jones and I enjoyed it. I am currently reading another of her books at this time.
April 17, 2008
Aphrodite Jones is a pretty hit-or-miss true crime writer, but with this one she scored a home run. It's not well-written in the slightest; it's pulpy, per the genre; it's seamy and sordid in every way. But somehow the story itself bypasses the inner security-systems of those of us with a high threshold for this sort of thing, as do the mug shots of the perky, smiling killers, which are indistinguishable from yearbook photos. It's about a clique of teenage girls in Indiana who murdered a twelve-year-old schoolmate named Shasta Sharer. And why? Because she had started dating the ringleader's ex-girlfriend. The ringleader's name? Melinda Loveless. One of her accomplices? Hope Rippey. (If Dickens were alive today, this would be his source material; Little Nell, indeed.) And so on.
May 15, 2018
Unfortunately this is a true story.
This is a sad story about a teenage lesbian love triangle in which jealousy led to violent torture and murder of a 12-year-old girl.
Here's the deal. Melinda loved Amanda. Shanda loved Amanda. Amanda couldn't make up her mind and was playing on both teams. Melinda requested, ordered, threatened, and warned Shanda to stay away from Amanda. Finally she decided to kill Shanda.
Together with three of her friends, Melinda kidnapped Shanda and took her out of town. Melinda assured her friends that she only wanted to scare Shanda, maybe beat her up a little bit.
What followed was a living nightmare.
13
This is a sad story about a teenage lesbian love triangle in which jealousy led to violent torture and murder of a 12-year-old girl.
Here's the deal. Melinda loved Amanda. Shanda loved Amanda. Amanda couldn't make up her mind and was playing on both teams. Melinda requested, ordered, threatened, and warned Shanda to stay away from Amanda. Finally she decided to kill Shanda.
Together with three of her friends, Melinda kidnapped Shanda and took her out of town. Melinda assured her friends that she only wanted to scare Shanda, maybe beat her up a little bit.
What followed was a living nightmare.
13
January 28, 2019
A mix of frustration and boredom. This one of the poorer books I've read recently. It is like reading a book about teenagers, written by a teenager. There is absolutely no context, no journalistic detachment that would allow a broader view an analysis. One of my questions was, "what type of community produces this type of widespread, deviant behavior?" I would suggest skipping this book. I was so frustrated with the authors juvenile perspective that the only reason I finished the book was to write a review. I haven't read any of her other books and based on this one, I won't waste my time. This could have been an interested story in the hands of a professional.
July 12, 2016
I did not enjoy this book. The crime itself was of course horrifying; perpetrated by a group of unsympathetic young girls on an even younger victim. Naturally the author has nothing to do with the facts of the case, but I didn't think much of the writing either; it was repetitious (I lost track of how many times the basic information was presented) and never really painted a picture of the settings or people. Years ago I read DELLA'S WEB by Aphrodite Jones and thought it was terrific, but the four Jones books I've read since then haven't come close to that work.
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