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Final Analysis

The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

In October 2002, Susan Polk was arrested for the murder of her husband, Felix, kicking off what would become one of the most captivating murder trials in recent memory. Now, former judge and current Court TV host Catherine Crier turns an analytical eye to Susan's story, delving into her past and examining how over twenty years of marriage culminated in murder. When Susan was in high school, Felix, who was more than twenty years her senior, had been her psychologist, and during their sessions as therapist and patient, a romantic entanglement began. These troubling beginnings grew into a difficult marriage that produced three healthy boys but led to disturbing accusations of abuse from both Felix and Susan.

Crier dissects this dangerous relationship, exposing the painful psychology that motivated this complex marriage. She masterfully reconstructs the tumultuous chronology of the Polk family, telling how Susan and Felix struggled to control their rambunctious sons and disintegrating marriage in the years and months leading up to Felix's death. Here Crier also elucidates the methodic police work of the murder investigation and scrutinizes the remarkable trial, exploring Susan's struggles with her defense attorneys and her shocking decision to represent herself. Dark, psychological, and terrifying, Final Analysis is a harrowing look at the recesses of the human mind and the trauma that reveals them.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Catherine Crier, author, attorney, legal analyst, and host of Court TV's "Catherine Crier Live," gives an expert reading of her investigation into the Susan Polk murder case. In 2002, Polk stabbed her husband of over twenty years 27 times, then washed and put away the knife, and went to bed. Crier exposes the couple's twisted interactions, beginning with Susan's molestation by Felix when she was a teen and he was her therapist, and continuing through his abuses within their marriage. This abridgment cuts away much of the tedium necessary in careful police work and reduces monotonous trial procedures to a minimum. Remaining are the more immediate case chronology and highlights of a human drama sure to engage the listener. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      September 15, 2007
      When Felix Polks lifeless body was discovered by his son Gabriel on October 13, 2002, police began to look for potential suspects. They found evidence that pointed to Polks wife, Susan, who had threatened to kill him. Little did investigators know that as they began to dig deeper into the lives of the Polks, they would discover a relationship that began when she was 15 and he was her school-appointed therapist, a relationship that was full of abuse, psychological terror, and violence. Crier, a legal analyst on Court TV and host of her own show, explores Susan and Felixs relationship and the events that led to Felixs murder. While detailing the extensive police work that brought Susan to trial, Crier also tells the stories of Susan, Felix, and their three children. Crier is a competent reader, but she displays little emotion; it would almost have been beneficial to have someone act out the conversations between Susan and Felix to show the passions in their lives. Nevertheless, this compelling program of an interesting story will make a fine addition to true crime collections.Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress

      Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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