Murder in the Heartland

The disturbing 2004 Missouri murder of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, eight months pregnant, whose unborn baby was ripped from her womb by her alleged killer, Lisa Montgomery, is the subject of Phelps's undistinguished latest true-crime book. Having lied about a nonexistent pregnancy, Montgomery deliberately planned the crime, selecting her victim after meeting her through their mutual involvement in breeding rat terriers. Immediately after the savage killing, Montgomery presented the newborn girl as her own to friends and family, most of whom rapidly put aside the suspicious circumstances, which included the new mother's claim that she had been discharged only hours after the delivery. Once an alert was issued for the missing baby, it was only a matter of time before the police put the pieces together. Montgomery's trial is due to begin in late 2006. In the hands of a writer such as Ann Rule, this grim tale could have served as a meaningful entry point into the killer's psyche, but Phelps (Perfect Poison ) overwrites and fails to offer much insight. (June)