Review: Dancing With Death by Shanna Hogan

A MISSING HUSBAND

Phoenix, Arizona, 2004. Former stripper turned suburban housewife Marjorie Orbin filed a missing person's report on her husband. She claimed that Jay, a successful art dealer, had left town on business after celebrating their son's birthday more than a month before. Jay loved his family more than life itself--and no one believed he would ever abandon them. Authorities suspected foul play...

A WIFE LYING IN WAITThe search for Jay made local headlines. But key elements in Marjorie's story still weren't adding up: Why did she wait so long before going to police? If Jay was away on business, as she claimed, why were there charges made to his credit card in Phoenix? Then, the unthinkable happened.

A SHOCKING DISCOVERYJay's headless, limbless torso was discovered on the outskirts of the Phoenix desert--and all evidence pointed to Marjorie as the killer. Soon, an exhaustive investigation would reveal surprising new details about her life--six previous marriages, an ongoing and passionate affair with a man from her gym, alleged ties to the New York mafia, a drug habit--and lead to her conviction for the murder and dismemberment of her seventh husband. (amazon.com)

The first few times I saw Shanna Hogan’s true crime novel, Dancing with Death, on the shelf at Wal-mart I took a pass.  I had two reasons for not wanting to read this book.  The first was that I had seen Marjorie Orbin’s episode of Snapped and thought I already knew all about the story.  The second reason was that Dancing with Death is Shanna Hogan’s first true crime novel.  I am very picky about what true crime authors I will read.  There are a ton of terrible TC books out there written by reporters who know how to report a story, but not how to turn it into a creative narrative where the characters come to life.  When I finally decided to read Dancing with Death I was not disappointed!  Shanna Hogan is a talented author who went far beyond just writing the facts.  From the very first page I was riveted by this terribly sad story and soon realized that there was a lot more to it than what was depicted on a 60 -minute episode of Snapped.

            By the time ex-stripper and former Vegas showgirl Marjorie Orbin settled down with her husband Jay she had already been married six previous times.  Not that Jay was aware of that fact.  Marjorie had led him and his family to believe that Jay was only her second husband and that she was a widow.  Unfortunately, none of those claims were true.  In fact, many of the things Marjorie told people were lies.  She bent the truth whenever she had a chance to portray herself in a more positive light or to garner sympathy from whomever she was speaking too.  Even if Jay Orbin knew the truth about Marjorie’s lies he might not have cared.  He was in love and had been for years.  Marjorie was his dream woman and he would do whatever he could to make her his wife.  Marjorie, who was drawn to wealthy men, knew a good deal when she saw one and made a deal with Jay.  She would marry him if he would pay for the expensive fertility treatments she needed to endure in order to have a child.  Of course, like many deals, this one had a deadline.  If Marjorie did not become pregnant within the first year she would be able to walk away from Jay with no strings attached.  Desperate to have Marjorie in his life Jay did everything he could to give his wife the child she so badly wanted.  Marjorie became pregnant within a year and gave birth to a son.  Now Marjorie was trapped.  She needed to stay with Jay in order to live a comfortable life with her son.  Yet, she insisted to anyone who asked that her marriage was more of a “deal” and that she was not at all romantically involved with her husband.  In fact, she often described him as “overweight” and “disgusting” and spoke often of wanting to be rid of him.  Then Jay Orbin disappeared.  According to Marjorie, Jay embarked on a business trip never to be heard from again.  Yet, she didn’t seem all that concerned and it took her several weeks to report her husband missing.  Rather than look for her missing husband, Marjorie was busy moving her new boyfriend into her house and telling her son that Larry would now be the boy’s father.  Not exactly the actions of a concerned wife.  When Jay’s dismembered body turns up in the desert several weeks after he was last seen the police start to zero in on Marjorie as her bizarre behavior takes on an even more sinister tone. 

            This story had all the elements of a modern tragedy.  The portrait Shanna Hogan portrays of Jay Orbin is that of a generous man who loved his family, and relished life itself.  Jay’s affable character, and Marjorie’s complete inability to recognize what a wonderful father and man he was, makes this story heartbreaking.  Her need to tear Jay down to others and completely over exaggerate his physical flaws was disgusting.  The pictures of Jay Orbin included in the book do not depict a “fat and disgusting” man, but an attractive man with a warm smile Hogan thoroughly researched Marjorie Orbin’s past and creates a chilling portrait of a sociopath whose only concern in life is her own wants and needs.  Although Marjorie is described as a devoted mother her relationship is overly controlling where her son is treated more like a possession than a child.  The marriage itself only existed in order for Marjorie to gain the things she wanted, but needed Jay to provide.  From the minute she met Jay Orbin Marjorie used him for his wealth without ever thinking about the actual man she was destroying.  He was a means to an end and when she was finished with him she threw him away like trash, literally.  The list of casualties who suffered at Marjorie’s hands is enormous.  Many lives were destroyed in her wake of destruction.  What amazed me was her ability to use her beauty and charm to manipulate those around her, even while in prison.  Shanna Hogan was able to meet with Marjorie Orbin after her conviction to try and get her side of the story.  The author writes that she too was drawn to Marjorie’s personality and easily manipulated by the complements Marjorie lavished upon her.  Unlike others in Marjorie’s life Shanna Hogan was able to get some distance from Marjorie, which allowed her to look back and see the cunning sociopath Marjorie Orbin really is.  I found that portion of the book to be perhaps the most chilling. 

            I definitely recommend Dancing with Death to anyone who loves a good true crime novel full of drama, twists and turns.  The book is very well written and pulls the reader into the investigation and trial of Marjorie Orbin.  The sad thing is knowing that this is a true story.  Jay Orbin was a real person who left behind a son. His son now has to go through life without the father who loved him so dearly.  The callousness of that act is heartbreaking.  

Review: A Twisted Faith by Gregg Olsen

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First let me begin my review by letting you know that I am not a religious person.  Sixteen years of Catholic education has left me a bit jaded, to say the least.  Therefore, as I read Gregg Olsen’s latest true crime novel A Twisted Faith I was stunned not only at the depravity of the main character, Nick Hacheney, but also his ability to brainwash and control a plethora of seemingly intelligent individuals.  I use the word individuals because I think that Nick’s control was not limited to the women he victimized.  So many people wanted to believe that this man had a direct line to God himself that they all failed to recognize the sociopath and predator that he truly was.

            When Nick Hacheney’s beautiful wife Dawn was tragically killed in a fire in the couples home on December 26, 1997 the members of Christ Community Church rallied around their youth pastor in a show of undying support.  Although not everyone was a fan of the young pastor they all had to admit that he didn’t deserve the fate that God had just handed him.  Reservations about Hacheney and his inappropriate behavior towards some of the female congregants were dismissed.  His behavior was viewed as that of a man in severe emotional pain who was in dire need of comfort.  Yet the comfort Nick sought was not just emotional, but physical as well.  Within a week of his wife’s passing Nick Hacheney had manipulated at least three of the women from Christ Community Church into sexual relationships.  Some of these women acted willingly while others felt they had no choice because God had told Nick this was how he would get over the loss of his wife.  The women believed they were doing God’s will.  It would take years before one woman, nearly destroyed by the betrayal she committed, would move from Nick’s grasp and face the truth of what really happened.   Her need to come forward would lead to Nick’s downfall and finally the truth surrounding his wife’s death would be told. 

            As I read this book I was utterly disgusted.  Not at the writing.  Gregg Olsen does an excellent job telling this story.  He is thorough in his reporting of the facts and it is obvious that he gleaned his information directly from those who lived it.  He was even able to interview Nick Hacheney himself for this book.  It was Nick Hacheney who disgusted me.  First off, this is not a good-looking man.  He was overweight and balding, although even in his younger days he was not very appealing.  How could this total loser convince so many women to either fall in love with him or sleep with him?  The answer is: he brainwashed them.  Pure and simple.  He preyed upon their faith and belief in God to manipulate them into doing whatever it was that he wanted.  I found it impossible to believe that these women were that naive, but it is much easier to judge a situation for what it truly is when looking from the outside in.  It probably didn’t help that Christ Community Church was acting more like a cult than a legitimate place of worship.  This is due to the fact that it was being run by an egomaniac who actually thought he was an “apostle” of God.  In my opinion he was just a con man looking also to prey upon people for power and monetary gain, as opposed to Nick Hacheney who wanted physical dominance over those he controlled.  What angered me the most about the book was that everything Hacheney did he blamed on “God’s will.”  The man never once has ever taken any responsibility for his actions.  Whenever he was caught in a lie or compromising position he claimed that his behavior was dictated directly by God and out of his control.  The truly ludicrous part is that everyone around him accepted that answer and allowed him to continue his depraved and immoral life without interruption.    Could Dawn Hacheney have been saved?  I don’t know, but I do think that it took way too long for the wheels of justice to catch up to her murderer.

            One of the reasons I like to read true crime is that I enjoy reading about the pathology of those who will stop at nothing, even murder to get what they want.  I enjoy complicated stories full of sordid details about seemingly normal people.  A Twisted Faith definitely fits that bill.  The details of this story are absolutely mind-boggling and are almost impossible to believe.  Yet if you go to Gregg Olsen’s website you can read guest blogs and comments from those who lived this real life drama.  Another reason I enjoy true crime is that I love reading about the investigation and trial that finally bring justice to the victims.  This is the only area where I am disappointed.  Traditionally Gregg Olsen focuses his books on the events and the characters, often stopping his story at the point when the accused is finally apprehended.  I would have liked to read more about the second investigation into Dawn Hacheney’s death and the trial that finally put her husband behind bars.  I definitely recommend A Twisted Faith to anyone who loves true crime.  Gregg Olsen does an excellent job out outline this complicated story for his readers.  It is absolutely a book you need to read in order to believe!