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SPEED DEMON
by Goldie Guttenberg
Pinnacle, October 2005
252 pages
$6.50
ISBN: 078601721X


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

As the title suggests, SPEED DEMON is the true story of a woman with the need for speed regardless of the consequences. To call Mary Hill a reckless driver would be an understatement. Parents would warn their children never to take a ride with Mrs Hill because one day tragedy would strike and it finally did.

On August 7 2000, she was finally made accountable for her actions. While driving fast she sideswiped a tree and it caused her to fly out of the driver's seat (she wasn't wearing a seat belt) and to change irrevocably the lives of three families, one of them her own.

On that day she killed her 13-year-old daughter Amy, her best friend Carrie Brown, aged 14, and caused permanent brain damage to Zachary Rockwell. All three were passengers in Mrs Hill's car and all of them had just come out from their first day of school.

Could this tragedy have been prevented? Yes. No one should have ever let Mary Hill behind the wheel of a car, but it is not that simple. SPEED DEMON focuses on the life of this irresponsible driver and her tumultuous relationship with her multi-billionaire husband, Dennis.

Some are using her life circumstances as a defense for the tragedy, but how can one take it too seriously? Almost everyone involved in the case and its aftermath were from well-to-do families and the author tries too hard to show them as ordinary individuals. It was a poor attempt trying to portray them as characters from Wolfe's THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES.

The problem with this book is that, although it was carefully researched, it was poorly written. Chapter one is a re-enactment of the one-car accident as seen through the eyes of people unfortunate to share the road with her. Afterwards the author adds layer upon layer on top of the first chapter until one is waiting for the pile to fall down.

Then there is a trial and its aftermath filled with twists and turns that gives no justice to the woman's victims. There is also a mention of a report of the crime as told by CBS's 48 HOURS and how some people reacted towards it. Why should readers care? All they want to read is about one person's opinion, not have a commentary (or review) of a television show. Another problem is that the story is not over, as there are still things going on that are relevant to the case making this book's publication a bit premature. Read at your own risk -- you've been warned.

Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, December 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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