cover image Lovers of Deceit

Lovers of Deceit

Mike Gallagher. Doubleday Books, $20 (423pp) ISBN 978-0-385-41684-9

Gallagher, a reporter for the Gannett newspaper chain, is a splendid journalist and a wonderful storyteller, although not a master of English grammar. Here he presents an account of the three encounters with the judicial system of schoolteacher Carolyn Warmus, who was convicted for the 1989 fatal shooting of her lover Paul Solomon's wife, Betty Jeanne, in Westchester, N.Y. The first indictment was dismissed by a judge who, in Gallagher's opinion, was biased toward the defendant; the second trial, covered in full here, ended in a hung jury; the third resulted in a guilty verdict and a 25-year sentence, with no appeal thus far filed. Gallagher makes it clear that he considers Warmus guilty of the slaying and presents considerable evidence to reinforce his argument. Photos not seen by PW. (June)