Customer Reviews

Invisible Darkness: The Horrifying Case of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

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Hello true-crime enthusiest!
I've read all six books on this case. Yes, there are truly six out there. I believe only O.J. Simpson and Charles Manson share this honor. Not all are available through amazon.com., however.
"Invisible Darkness" is easily the best book on this case. I believe this to be the reason that only this book out of the six released on this case started out as a hard-cover, instead of paper-back. It shows you what almost three years of research can uncover. I enjoyed the other quickly printed paperbacks as well, though.
I'm really looking forward to author Stephen William's new hardcover book on these crimes, "Karla: The Deal With The Devil", available on February 14, 2003, I believe. He is a true maverick of true-crime journalist.
I hope this helps.
"Invisible Darkness" is highly recommended!
Five ***** Stars. Do try to purchase the hardcover edition of this book (Invisible Darkness) though. It has 43 color photos!
Thanks! Jess

Stephen Williams has achieved a truly remarkable feat in writing "Ïnvisible Darkness". This is a well-researched, provocative saga that sails high above the other torrid, pulp trash which has been generated over this case.

For those who have lived under a rock for the past 13 years, Karla Holmolka & Paul Bernado committed a horrifying series of rapes & murders in the early 90s that were once decribed as being as "Canada's Crimes of the Century".

Dubbed the "Ken & Barbie of Murder & Mayhem" for their blonde, bronzed good looks & winning personas, Bernado & Holmolka shook Canadian society as they revealed that the evil in our society is not always the committed by the village idiot or escaped lunatic. Instead, it was committed by the charming accountant & his lovely wife - a petite, alluring veterinary nurse.

It is hard to protect yourselves from the very model which is given as 'normal', & the petrified residents of the Niagra Falls region took to looking at their own adult children in an entirely different light. As a result, Paul Bernado has become the Boogeyman to Canadian teenage girls everywhere: a dragon in Prince Charming's clothes. Karla Holmolka, however, is simply regarded as Evil Incarnate - a soulless, vain grifter who sold out her own baby sister in order to curry favour with the object of her desire.

Prior to reading this book, I despaired of ever finding an account which accurately described & analysed the case without sinking into the predicatable "Poor Karla" routine (a.k.a Nick Pron's "Lethal Marriage"), or spurting out breathless, gossipy 'revelations' from people who claimed to be the couple's 'friends' (eg., the shameless "Deadly Innocence"). However, Williams restored my faith & raised the bar when it comes to discussing a tragedy without deifying the victims & exonerating partners-in-crime.

"Ïnvisible Darkness" was the first true attempt to see the reality behind the pastel, Barbie doll playhouse of dreams facade thrown up by this couple... & succeeded admirably. It was also the starting point from which Williams' admits he became obsessed with Karla, & relentless in his attempts to expose the creature that lurks behind her smile.

A gritty, honest, compelling & committed book... GET IT NOW!!

The crimes committed by Paul and Karla Homolka are unbelievable in their depravity. If you enjoy true crime, read this one. One of the best I have ever read.

Stephen Williams pens a engrossing, facinating account of the murders/rapes commited by the Bernardos without the tabloid flash and trash. The book is a truly gripping look into the minds of two individuals who are truly evil and without souls. It also demonstrates the incredible injustice that served the victims. Many Canadians were kept in the dark about the details and deals that surrounded this case and I am glad that the truth has finally surfaced and I hope this injustice never happens again. One of the absolute best true crime books I have ever read delving into the bone-chilling minds of psychopaths. Kudos to Stephen Williams.

Extremely descriptive and detailed. Nothing is left out. Not recommended to people with weak stomachs or who can be offended by this type of read. Shares the story from beginning to end. From the beginning of it all, to the searching of the house, to interviewing karla, to pauls trial. perfect read for this subject.

This book is so messed up. I was in highschool in the region where all this was occurring. A good but disturbing read. Book arrived promptly

This one numbs the mind because it is so true. The author is meticulous in not only his research but in the way he lays out the story. Hence this is not the kind of quick read on True Crime you see next to the checkout counter at 7-Eleven (my apologies!) but one that will stick with you and make you think about how monstrous and instrumental Karla was in the murders. A solid addition to any library.

Although I think the way Mr. Williams wrote this book was excellent and and very well researched, i still feel that it is very gruesome. There were some parts that I couldn't read because they went into a lot of detail about the rapes and abuse to the young teenagers. However, it is reality that these monsters did commit this horrendous crime. A real eye-opener. I have yet to read the books on these too but after reading this one I am convinced that Karla deserved way more jail time than she received and it almost makes me want the death sentence legal in Canada.

True evil is not glamorous,colorful, or even all that noticeable. This book captures this notion at all different angles. It is a documentary account, written with little editorial content that draws the reader to Paul and Karla and makes one ask "Why"? Mr Williams accounts of the criminals, the heartbreak of the families, and a soliphistic legal system is outstanding, and makes this a higly entertaining, and both troubling read. The accounts of Paul and Karla's behavior is of course beyond stomach turning, but the author is able to report in a way that makes each horror more than speak for itself. My only quibble is that Paul and Karla's family backgrounds are not covered more extensively, but then again maybe that is the point. Too much information leaves the reader not searching for answers, and this is what will make me re-read this extra-ordinary true crime book again to determine what factors can make such ordinary people go on a crime spree such as Paul and Karla.

There are many photos in this updated version of Stephen Williams' excellent true crime book. The photos, showing the ostensibly "charming couple," illustrate how deceiving "looks" can be. This is an engrossing but stomache-churning account of the Canadian gruesome duo - with abundant detail. Details such as: Karla's favourite book was American Psycho. But in Mr. Williams' book, one also learns that, although more publicized, the United States of America isn't the only country with psychos!