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Kitty Genovese

A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences

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Kitty Genovese

By: Catherine Pelonero
Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
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About this listen

Written in a flowing narrative style, Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences presents the story of the horrific and infamous murder of Kitty Genovese, a young woman stalked and stabbed on the street where she lived in Queens, New York in 1964. The case sparked national outrage when the New York Times revealed that dozens of witnesses had seen or heard the attacks on Kitty Genovese and her struggle to reach safety but had failed to come to her aid or even call police until after the killer had fled.

This audiobook cuts through misinformation and conjecture to present a definitive portrait of the crime, the aftermath, and the people. Based on six years of research, Catherine Pelonero’s audiobook presents the facts from the police reports, archival material, court documents, and first-hand interviews. Pelonero offers a personal look at Kitty Genovese, an ambitious young woman viciously struck down in the prime of her life; Winston Moseley, the killer who led a double life as a responsible family man by day and a deadly predator by night; the consequences for a community condemned; and others touched by the tragedy.

Beyond just a true crime story, the audiobook embodies much larger themes: the phenomenon of bystander inaction, the evolution of a serial killer, and the fears and injustices spawned by the stark prejudices of an era, many of which linger to this day.

©2014 Catherine Pelonero (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Crime Murder True Crime

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Subtitled: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences this is the story of the horrific murder of Kitty Genovese on the street where she lived in Queens, New York in 1964. What proved more horrifying however, was the number of witnesses to her screams during the prolonged attacks and the fact that none of them bothered to call the police or tried to help her. Using in-depth research, police records, court documents and newspaper reports, Catherine Pelonero reveals the backgrounds to both Kitty Genovese and her killer, Winston Moseley and the aftermath of the murder and its effects on the community where Kitty lived.

I hadn’t heard of this case before, so the details were all new to me. Aside from the shocking murder of a young woman, the response of her neighbours in their apartments across the street provoked outrage at the time and eventually led to the setting up of a single telephone number people could use to call the police. The details of the murder are gory to say the least and may be off-putting to some readers. The author does a sterling job of retelling the story, though she does repeat herself a few times - maybe understandable considering the many witness statements and subsequent interviews of those involved. The book is a fascinating and disturbing account of how individuals can turn away from those in need – a fact that is still prevalent today.

Thought-provoking and disturbing.

Thought-provoking and disturbing.

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Takes you right through the characters of the people in the book from beginning to end and throws up some very interesting questions about human nature. Absolutely fascinating story and well told by the narrator, couldn’t put it down. A must read!

Absolutely fascinating!

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The author has obviously done extensive research in order to bring the details of the events and human acts that comprise the story of Kitty Genovese’s murder in the 1960’s. I was impressed that the telling did not sound either like rote reportage nor like a novel, yet it kept me hooked through to the end. What a gift that in her earnest narration, Pelonero manages to keep alive the truth of what occurred back them in an era of subjectivity and alternative histories.

Excellent writing within the genre

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in minute detail this story was like an overview of witnesses, presumably using all trial data
its hard to imagine a time when there was no 999 or 911

historic true murder

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Oh my. Whether you believe the hype or not, so may people failed to act when this young woman was attacked . A fascinating insight into the depth of human frailty .

Fascinating but very disturbing

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