Death Row: The Final Minutes: My life as an execution witness in America's most infamous prison
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- Author：Michelle Lyons
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Summary
IN 12 YEARS， MICHELLE LYONS WITNESSED NEARLY 300 EXECUTIONS。
First as a reporter and then as a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice， Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls Unit， where she recorded and relayed the final moments of death row inmates' lives before they were put to death by the state。
Michelle was in the death chamber as some of the United States' most notorious criminals， including serial killers， child murderers and rapists， spoke their last words on earth， while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins。
Michelle supported the death penalty， before misgivings began to set in as the executions mounted。 During her time in the prison system， and together with her dear friend and colleague， Larry Fitzgerald， she came to know and like some of the condemned men and women she saw die。 She began to query the arbitrary nature of the death penalty and ask the question: do executions make victims of all of us？
An incredibly powerful and unique look at the complex story of capital punishment， as told by those whose lives have been shaped by it， Death Row: The Final Minutes is an important take on crime and punishment at a fascinating point in America's political history。
First as a reporter and then as a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice， Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls Unit， where she recorded and relayed the final moments of death row inmates' lives before they were put to death by the state。
Michelle was in the death chamber as some of the United States' most notorious criminals， including serial killers， child murderers and rapists， spoke their last words on earth， while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins。
Michelle supported the death penalty， before misgivings began to set in as the executions mounted。 During her time in the prison system， and together with her dear friend and colleague， Larry Fitzgerald， she came to know and like some of the condemned men and women she saw die。 She began to query the arbitrary nature of the death penalty and ask the question: do executions make victims of all of us？
An incredibly powerful and unique look at the complex story of capital punishment， as told by those whose lives have been shaped by it， Death Row: The Final Minutes is an important take on crime and punishment at a fascinating point in America's political history。
Reviews
David Rae
，
I thought this book would open up the moral debate around executing prisoners。 I wanted to read about dubious cases where the life and crimes of an inmate are laid bare and we would see the many shades of grey around criminal justice and its process。 I was expecting to read about the humanity found amongst the people involved in the gruelling task of taking another person's life。There are elements of these factors that I wanted to read about in the book， however what I received instead was one j I thought this book would open up the moral debate around executing prisoners。 I wanted to read about dubious cases where the life and crimes of an inmate are laid bare and we would see the many shades of grey around criminal justice and its process。 I was expecting to read about the humanity found amongst the people involved in the gruelling task of taking another person's life。There are elements of these factors that I wanted to read about in the book， however what I received instead was one journalist's take on a career working for the Texas department of criminal justice。 And I just don't care。 I realised far too late in the book that it was an autobiography。 I've no doubt that she has led a notable life， but she never fully presents an argument for or against the death penalty。 She even states this herself。 She also comes across as completely devoid of warmth and compassion， and looks down upon individuals who are emotionally moved by the death of an inmate。 Perhaps if she spent more time talking about the humanity and the moral dilemma surrounding the death penalty， rather than how great her job was， then it would be a better read。 。。。more
Beth Alessandra
，
I was so ready to dive into this book and love it。 But I didn't。 It seemed to lack structure and felt it was jumping about all over the place。 The author comes across as egotistical and the whole thing just felt a bit pointless and lacked any emotions。I also found the jumps between Michelle's parts and Larry's didn't work at all。Whilst it is readable， it seemed badly written in parts （which as the author is a journalist） was surprising and the whole thing just left me feeling disappointed， as th I was so ready to dive into this book and love it。 But I didn't。 It seemed to lack structure and felt it was jumping about all over the place。 The author comes across as egotistical and the whole thing just felt a bit pointless and lacked any emotions。I also found the jumps between Michelle's parts and Larry's didn't work at all。Whilst it is readable， it seemed badly written in parts （which as the author is a journalist） was surprising and the whole thing just left me feeling disappointed， as this could have been so much better。 。。。more
Sabrina Stobbs
，
Was it worth reading？ Yes！ Did it have many cons that potentially over powered the pros？ Yes！ As some of the other reviews have said this is certainly not written very well， it is very disjointed。 Almost like lots of notes， so you write notes on one thing， then another and so on and just put them all in a book。 That’s not really a story！ The last couple of chapters read more like a properly written story with flow， the rest just jumped from one thing to another without flow or direction。 Given t Was it worth reading？ Yes！ Did it have many cons that potentially over powered the pros？ Yes！ As some of the other reviews have said this is certainly not written very well， it is very disjointed。 Almost like lots of notes， so you write notes on one thing， then another and so on and just put them all in a book。 That’s not really a story！ The last couple of chapters read more like a properly written story with flow， the rest just jumped from one thing to another without flow or direction。 Given that the woman spent years writing for a living you would expect excellent flow and grammar really！ Also I was never sure if it was larry’s book or hers！ It’s jumped from him to her that much！ The parts on larry’s experience were much more chronologically written！ Towards the end there was some humour， that could of done with being slotted in throughout as it would of made for a much better read， especially since the humour in there was witty and funny！ Did I learn anything？ Thé odd fact yes！ I work in the justice system in the U。K。 and much like Michelle I’ve experienced the bent system you can’t fight！ It showed me the internal system there is bent like it is here！ I didn’t realise the people who did the IV were members of the public i was horrified！ To me I just don’t think any human has the justification or right to take another human life。 。。。more
Sarah
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I found this a real eye opener to the Texas Justice System。 Its disgusting how they treat black and ethnic minority groups。 I really wish there was more interviews with the people on death row。 However an intresting read。
FaraB
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I loved how much I could learn from this book。 The death penalty is so far from my world and knowledge that this brought great look inside。 I feel like the author brought both sides of the never ending debate well。 I liked that she told some of the stories of the inmates as well as focusing on her and her colleagues lives and the impact the job has on them。 If you’re somewhat interested in the topic， I’d recommend this book to you！
Dave walker
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InsightThis book gives an insight to life on death row by a journalist with a heart， rare I know。It becomes addictive as you read on， it's a story that makes you think twice about the death penalty whether you believe it right or if you believe it's unworthy of it's outcome。It is worth it's title and a bloody good vision of what happens beyond our control。 InsightThis book gives an insight to life on death row by a journalist with a heart， rare I know。It becomes addictive as you read on， it's a story that makes you think twice about the death penalty whether you believe it right or if you believe it's unworthy of it's outcome。It is worth it's title and a bloody good vision of what happens beyond our control。 。。。more
Nikki
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I can't decide if I really enjoyed this book or not。。。。it was interesting from the point of view it gave insight into what happens at executions but it concentrates more on other areas。 A large part of the book is based on the author's relationship with her mentor， Larry， as well as her battle with the authorities。 I can't decide if I really enjoyed this book or not。。。。it was interesting from the point of view it gave insight into what happens at executions but it concentrates more on other areas。 A large part of the book is based on the author's relationship with her mentor， Larry， as well as her battle with the authorities。 。。。more
Serenity Magne Grey
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I could not connect with this author。 Shes pro-desth penalty and expresses little empathy through out until the end。 She gives off bravado and clearly states she didn't care watching people die until the end。 Even so， she still remains pro death。 I liked the little extracts from her boss Larry as they were more relatable and without having to big himself up and he isn't afraid of admitting he was effected by all he witnessed。 He connected with the prisoners and was more relatable。 Would be more I could not connect with this author。 Shes pro-desth penalty and expresses little empathy through out until the end。 She gives off bravado and clearly states she didn't care watching people die until the end。 Even so， she still remains pro death。 I liked the little extracts from her boss Larry as they were more relatable and without having to big himself up and he isn't afraid of admitting he was effected by all he witnessed。 He connected with the prisoners and was more relatable。 Would be more interested in reading his book on the same subject！ At points I found the author quite obnoxious and I think you have to be balanced when writing on such evocative subjects。 She writes well but the book lacks structure。 Worth a read but I didn't like the book much。 I thought there would be more emotions expressed and humanity but this book lacked that overall。 。。。more
Miri
，
This was a weird， slightly disconcerting story。 I listened to the audiobook which was read by the author。 This was the story of a woman and how she lost her job within the correctional facility she worked。 This was what truly impacted her life。 That the company she gave so much of her life too， didn't value her and treated her badly。 At the same time she told you about the inmates and how she watched them die。 And how this was， except in a few cases， ultimately a good thing。 I went into this sto This was a weird， slightly disconcerting story。 I listened to the audiobook which was read by the author。 This was the story of a woman and how she lost her job within the correctional facility she worked。 This was what truly impacted her life。 That the company she gave so much of her life too， didn't value her and treated her badly。 At the same time she told you about the inmates and how she watched them die。 And how this was， except in a few cases， ultimately a good thing。 I went into this story thinking it was a story of how a pro death penalty believer changed their views or at least became less dogmatically pro death penalty。 And yet within the final chapters she declares herself staunchly pro the death penalty。 It was a jarring and intensely American ending to this book。 I suspect that it was made all the more obnoxious when I compare it to a book I read last week 'Just Mercy by Bryon Stevenson'， a lawyer in America who has spent his life fighting primarily for people on Death Row。 A lawyer who inspired me with every word he spoke and made me want to go out and make the world a better place。The similarities between the two books were that both spoke to and about people on death Row and recounted their stories。 But it truly showed a lack humanity in this book that 'an eye for an eye' leads to anything except a blind world。 。。。more
Chantelle
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A great insight to Death Row， its inmates and the company who run it。
Ruth Harwood
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I feel proud of myself for reading this！ The Author is pro- death penalty。 I'm not。 I see it as state-sanctioned murder to give families revenge。Justice and revenge are two different things！I did enjoy the book， though， I must admit。 For someone who's witnessed 280+ executions （murders。。。） then the author is pretty much put together。 Her writing is engaging and at times you can almost put yourself in that room， smelling those smells， seeing the families， experiencing death first hand。 Having hel I feel proud of myself for reading this！ The Author is pro- death penalty。 I'm not。 I see it as state-sanctioned murder to give families revenge。Justice and revenge are two different things！I did enjoy the book， though， I must admit。 For someone who's witnessed 280+ executions （murders。。。） then the author is pretty much put together。 Her writing is engaging and at times you can almost put yourself in that room， smelling those smells， seeing the families， experiencing death first hand。 Having held three cats when they died， felt their souls leave their bodies and taken a full 12 hours to feel anything because of shock， I know death and how devastating it is。 This book has the ability to bring those losses back to me。Definitely a book to read， for or against， this book gives a view of the Texas system and the worst years at the turn of the century when death seemed to be weekly in the chamber and life was seen as cheap， not only by murderers， but also by the state。Anyone who wants Britain to reintroduce the death penalty， perhaps they should be present the first time a death is sanctioned。 I get a feeling they'll change their mind， we're not as immune to it as the author seems to be， and I felt maybe at the end the author should honestly have understood the lack of difference between the person on the Gurney and those viewing the murder！ 。。。more
Kay Cugini
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Wanted to love this， the subject matter is really interesting and insightful， but unfortunately I didn't enjoy the writing at all， it just really jarred with me in its style， I got 3/4 of the way through and had to give up， I hate leaving negative reviews and I can see many reviews where people have loved the book， it just didn't work for me in its style。 Wanted to love this， the subject matter is really interesting and insightful， but unfortunately I didn't enjoy the writing at all， it just really jarred with me in its style， I got 3/4 of the way through and had to give up， I hate leaving negative reviews and I can see many reviews where people have loved the book， it just didn't work for me in its style。 。。。more
Kelly
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This book was really good， as much as you can say that about a book on Death Row 🤔 I really enjoyed reading the parts by both Michelle and the excerpts by Larry， they were both emotional and blunt。。。。both very strong emotions I would imagine you would feel watching hundreds of executions。 It was interesting to read about life for the inmates， and for the prison staff and as sad as I find it， to read about the processes for both the media and the executions themselves。 Don't get me wrong， some pa This book was really good， as much as you can say that about a book on Death Row 🤔 I really enjoyed reading the parts by both Michelle and the excerpts by Larry， they were both emotional and blunt。。。。both very strong emotions I would imagine you would feel watching hundreds of executions。 It was interesting to read about life for the inmates， and for the prison staff and as sad as I find it， to read about the processes for both the media and the executions themselves。 Don't get me wrong， some parts had me welling up and feeling bad but the book is really insightful and Michelle had to fight being a woman too！ Brilliant book ❤ 。。。more
Aisling Cronin
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This book is fascinating。 I felt it evoked all kinds of emotions in me。 I found it informative and shocking at times。 I love Michelle and Larry。 What characters of people。 I have a profound respect for you both。
Danielle Hope
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I'm a bit of a true crime junkie， so anything like this appeals to that side of me。 The author， Michelle Lyons， tells the story of her time working as a reporter and spokesperson for the Texas Department of Crime and Justice， including getting to know the prisoners on Death Row before being witness to their executions。 The stories of the prisoners are both justified and tragic， and will certainly leave you questioning your opinion of the death penalty in the US。 Michelle also talks about her own I'm a bit of a true crime junkie， so anything like this appeals to that side of me。 The author， Michelle Lyons， tells the story of her time working as a reporter and spokesperson for the Texas Department of Crime and Justice， including getting to know the prisoners on Death Row before being witness to their executions。 The stories of the prisoners are both justified and tragic， and will certainly leave you questioning your opinion of the death penalty in the US。 Michelle also talks about her own personal battles， including the inevitable questioning of her own mental wellbeing after seeing 280 people put to death。 All in all， if you're a fan of true crime books， I think you'll find this a satisfying read。 。。。more
Rick
，
Review 7。 Death Row : The Final Minutes by Michelle LyonsMichelle Lyons spent quite a while witnessing almost 300 executions。 She first worked as a reporter for the Huntsville Item newspaper and then as a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice （TDCJ）。 This book contains not only Michelle's thoughts， but also those of her colleague （Larry Fitzgerald） and the Huntsville Unit chaplain （Jim Brazzil）。 It reveals that Michelle made notes about the executions she witnessed first in he Review 7。 Death Row : The Final Minutes by Michelle LyonsMichelle Lyons spent quite a while witnessing almost 300 executions。 She first worked as a reporter for the Huntsville Item newspaper and then as a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice （TDCJ）。 This book contains not only Michelle's thoughts， but also those of her colleague （Larry Fitzgerald） and the Huntsville Unit chaplain （Jim Brazzil）。 It reveals that Michelle made notes about the executions she witnessed first in her journals， press releases and later voice memos on her cellphone。 I learnt about the way the TDCJ carries out its executions， the way the families of both the prisoner and victim are placed， along with the amount of press that are allowed in the viewing room。 This book has 2 parts in it， the 1st which details the executions that the author was witness to along with the thoughts that the author has about the prisoners （some of which she liked， others she didn't）。 The 2nd part details Michelle's life after she had left the TDCJ in a very unpleasant way along with a family tragedy which makes her explain her thoughts on the death penalty。 The book was a very easy read and at times it was very hard to put down。 I recommend this book even though it could be classed as quite a morbid subject。 I will read this book again in the future。***** 。。。more
Ryan Warwick
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This is the worst book I have read in a very long time。 I was hoping （as the title suggests）， that the book may contain some interesting anecdotes regarding the lives of the prisoners on death row。 Instead， it is mostly about the author's personal vendetta against her former employers。 She claims that she has grown personally from the immature and arrogant young lady she once was， but from what I can see， if anything， she has regressed into a petty， bitter and twisted individual who loves to com This is the worst book I have read in a very long time。 I was hoping （as the title suggests）， that the book may contain some interesting anecdotes regarding the lives of the prisoners on death row。 Instead， it is mostly about the author's personal vendetta against her former employers。 She claims that she has grown personally from the immature and arrogant young lady she once was， but from what I can see， if anything， she has regressed into a petty， bitter and twisted individual who loves to come across as a victim。 Do not waste your money on this piece of trash！ 。。。more
Tenebre
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Boring。
BookishGirl
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A really tough but incredible read。 After reading the book I looked up the case of Napoleon Beazley and I couldn’t help but get angry with the justice system。 A lot of inmates regardless whether on death row or not are not getting a fair trial or being given a second chance to turn their lives around， but at the same time I feel for the victims family too。 Those victims will never get to grow old， to have a family of their own so why should they？ You just have to put yourself on their shoes and A really tough but incredible read。 After reading the book I looked up the case of Napoleon Beazley and I couldn’t help but get angry with the justice system。 A lot of inmates regardless whether on death row or not are not getting a fair trial or being given a second chance to turn their lives around， but at the same time I feel for the victims family too。 Those victims will never get to grow old， to have a family of their own so why should they？ You just have to put yourself on their shoes and you will be pro death penalty too。 As a mother myself you have seen your children came into this world and watching your son/daughter behind the glass taking their last breath was the hardest thing for any parents as they couldn’t do anything about it。 So you will feel sorry for both sides。 What I learned upon reading this book was there’s no real justice or closure for either of the families。 It’s a tragedy to lose an innocent lives and another tragedy for the perpetrators and their families。 In the end you lost both lives。 Even though the law think justice has been served。 I truly enjoy reading the book it was insightful and non bias on both side。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Heidi
，
Although this book lacks an analysis of issues of race and class within the judicial system it does offer commentary on the pros and cons of enforcing the death penalty。 Lyons’ personal testimony covers topics of morality， sexism， death and the media， crime， rehabilitation and revenge。
Tatum Damman
，
🔍 As a reporter and spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice， Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville’s Walls Unit ， where she recorded the final moments of death row inmates’ lives before they were put to death by the state。 She came to know and like some of the condemned people she saw die， and started to query the seemingly arbitrary nature of the death penalty。 Do executions actually make victims of us all？👩🦳 Lyons gives us a very real and confronting glimpse into the 🔍 As a reporter and spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice， Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville’s Walls Unit ， where she recorded the final moments of death row inmates’ lives before they were put to death by the state。 She came to know and like some of the condemned people she saw die， and started to query the seemingly arbitrary nature of the death penalty。 Do executions actually make victims of us all？👩🦳 Lyons gives us a very real and confronting glimpse into the life of watching men and women put to death by the state。It was incredibly interesting to watch how she developed over the years into someone who was completely for the death penalty to someone who saw both sides。 Understanding it’s not so black and white。She talks about how in recent years DNA exonerated some inmates and how she often wondered how many others could have been added to this list that have been put to death。At times it felt like a very angry recap， and perhaps it has something to do with the way she was treated by the TDCJ as an intelligent woman kicked to the curb。 So much was taken from this book。 It was a fantastic insightful book on her life and on how impactful the death penalty is to us all。 。。。more
Mandy
，
A book that should be read by many。 Truly touching and eye opening。 Saying that I enjoyed reading this book is not right， but I’ve learned so much from Michelle Lyons。
Kizzy Storr
，
A very interesting book although not what I was expecting。 Parts of the book very really good and have an insight to death row， but parts about the authors life in general just dragged on。 Overall worth a read， living in a country where we don't have the death sentence it does open your eyes to it all。 A very interesting book although not what I was expecting。 Parts of the book very really good and have an insight to death row， but parts about the authors life in general just dragged on。 Overall worth a read， living in a country where we don't have the death sentence it does open your eyes to it all。 。。。more
Clara Ferreira
，
It is an amazing book from Michelle Lyons。 It was the first time that I read something fro her and I can honestly say that she is an amazing writer。 Also， God bless Michelle for everything that she has been through in her life。 It might not feel like that， but you are an amazing woman， mother and journalist。 This is what we need in the real crime area。 I honestly had enough of books in which every chapter corresponds to a short story of each serial killer。 You told us the real stories behind the It is an amazing book from Michelle Lyons。 It was the first time that I read something fro her and I can honestly say that she is an amazing writer。 Also， God bless Michelle for everything that she has been through in her life。 It might not feel like that， but you are an amazing woman， mother and journalist。 This is what we need in the real crime area。 I honestly had enough of books in which every chapter corresponds to a short story of each serial killer。 You told us the real stories behind the bars and it makes us realise that they are serial killers， but they are also people。 。。。more
Holly
，
I didn’t really enjoy this one。 Bar a few chapters that were actually on death row。 I thought this would be a really informative read on death row and that I’d find it really interesting but the majority of the chapters apart from a handful were mainly based on the authors life ， I felt like the message In the book was just to get the authors life before and after her time as a DR witness across。 There was a chapter based solely on how funny her colleague was and multiple chapters on her time af I didn’t really enjoy this one。 Bar a few chapters that were actually on death row。 I thought this would be a really informative read on death row and that I’d find it really interesting but the majority of the chapters apart from a handful were mainly based on the authors life ， I felt like the message In the book was just to get the authors life before and after her time as a DR witness across。 There was a chapter based solely on how funny her colleague was and multiple chapters on her time after this job and I just didn’t think it was relevant or interesting In anyway。 I actually found myself skipping bits here and there to finish it quicker。 This would have been a one star but the few chapters on DR were actually interesting and those few chapters brought the rating up slightly 。。。more
Liv
，
I wanted to read this just so I could get a better grasp on my own personal stand on the death penalty as I hoped it would be thought-provoking and bring up many questions of humanity。 This meant I was expecting in-depth interviews and documentation of criminals during their stay on death row as well as their last moments （I don't know what that says about me） but instead this book focuses more on Michelle Lyons than the criminals。 I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing， but it was hard I wanted to read this just so I could get a better grasp on my own personal stand on the death penalty as I hoped it would be thought-provoking and bring up many questions of humanity。 This meant I was expecting in-depth interviews and documentation of criminals during their stay on death row as well as their last moments （I don't know what that says about me） but instead this book focuses more on Michelle Lyons than the criminals。 I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing， but it was hard to keep engaged even though this is a quick read。 One thing I can commend Lyons for is although working for the prison system and befriending some of the inmates， she wrote in a matter that neither swayed me for or against the death penalty， allowing me to make up my own mind - which is probably why she was such a successful journalist。 I would say I read a few bits of material in this book that helped me with my view on the death sentence， but this was about 2 pages of the 320。 This book was also all over the place in its organisation， and I wish Lyons had focused on one criminal at a time， rather than jumping back and forth between them all as many times I got confused over whether this guy was supposed to be 'the good guy who did a bad thing' or 'the bad guy who did a bad thing。' 。。。more
Hannah Kaye
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I found it fascinating not just from the subject of her job but the way she was treated by the department。 Having suffered a similar treatment with my job without the complete harassment and bullying that she recieved， it was cathartic to hear that you can get through it to a life that is good。
Stephanie （Stepping Out Of The Page）
，
This was one of those books that I picked up as soon as I saw it - the title told me that this was something that I would find extremely interesting。 Despite this， I also have to admit that I was slightly doubtful that it would give me a fresh， new insight into what is a deeply emotive， complex and controversial subject。 Thankfully， this book and author surprised me with the openness and honesty they held。 Death Row: The Final Minutes is a book about both the final minutes of several Death Row i This was one of those books that I picked up as soon as I saw it - the title told me that this was something that I would find extremely interesting。 Despite this， I also have to admit that I was slightly doubtful that it would give me a fresh， new insight into what is a deeply emotive， complex and controversial subject。 Thankfully， this book and author surprised me with the openness and honesty they held。 Death Row: The Final Minutes is a book about both the final minutes of several Death Row inmates and also the story of the author， Michelle Lyons and her late colleague Larry Fitzgerald。 I think that you will either love or hate Michelle which could be problematic for readers， but I like to think that if I knew her in 'real life'， we'd be friends。 Lyons was incessantly passionate about her job - at points quite fiercely so as seen in her retorts to anybody who disagreed with her or the death penalty。 I can understand and admire her passion but I don't think that the two opposing views on the death penalty were addressed as much as they could have been and sometimes it felt that she was so stuck in her own way of thinking that she couldn't consider opposing thoughts。 Michelle continuously tells us that the majority of executions that she watched didn't affect her， but it soon becomes clear that， unsurprisingly， they did。 I admire Lyons refreshing honesty in this book and her recognition that her stoic front didn't completely reflect what was really going on inside her head。The book gives us great insight into Death Row and its workings， using both transcripts of voice notes and diary entries from Lyons as reference points。 These are the true highlight points of the book - getting to learn what it is really like in the death chamber - how the prisoners， executioners and observers all react in their own， unique ways。 We get to learn about both the build-up to execution and the details of the execution itself。 For me， whilst reading about the prisoners last words were moving and often profound I found the most interesting and harrowing part hearing about the observers， or often lack of， in the chamber - particularly the mothers of both the victims and the perpetrators。 It was of course very interesting to read about the last words and requests of the Death Row inmates and it's something that I think most people will find very emotive and thought provoking。 You can easily go online and find prisoners last words and their last meal requests， but nonetheless I thought there was a good， genuine， selection shared in this book。 I really enjoyed reading about Michelle and Larry's interactions with the prisoners but I wish there was more of this interaction included - though perhaps i'm just greedy for more information！ Overall this was an interesting read and I think it will appeal to anybody who is interested in true crime， criminology or forensic psychology。 Death Row: The Final Minutes offers an honest and unique view on execution and how it affects those who have to witness it。 。。。more
Karen Tippett
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Review title: Meh。DNF after 1/3。 Just not really that interesting。 Mostly it's about how tough the author is and how she was unfazed by anything she witnessed。 Did we mention she's young？ Because she's young。 And female。 Review title: Meh。DNF after 1/3。 Just not really that interesting。 Mostly it's about how tough the author is and how she was unfazed by anything she witnessed。 Did we mention she's young？ Because she's young。 And female。 。。。more
Gina Bowles
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