Summers & Swan - A new book - Looking For Madeleine

[stephen25000]

As far as I know no one in the press has reviewed it and the sales figures don't seem to be anything to write home about either.

But on the plus side Blacksmith has just chalked up a whopping 900 000 pageviews of his blog ! Well done Blacksmith 

I totally concur with that.

 

[ferryman]

An Amazon reviewer............................

I'ts such a shame that the authors did not research the case before writing this book. There is a wealth of material on the McCann files and many other places on the internet that back up, without a shadow of a doubt, the theories of not just one but a whole team of Portuguese detectives, not to mention the British Police who helped to build this evidence. It seems that the book, which claims to be a true account, fails to mention the fact the many of the Private investigators employed by Brian Kennedy and the McCanns have since been imprisoned for activities outside the McCann investigation, but nevertheless were nothing other than fraudsters and crooks. Also missing is any mention of the evidence of two top British Cadaver dogs owned and trained by top dog handler Martin Grime. These dogs independently alerted to cadaver and blood in no less than 11 McCann related areas but nowhere else in Praia Da Luz. Other important documents such as the Gaspar statements and the report of Tavares de Almeida are also missing. ......................................... '

The authors have been discerning and selective in their choice of material for inclusion, in a bid to give the casual reader a broad overview of the bald facts.

There is no mention, for example, of the obscenity that passes for an "inspection" in the gym.  At first I was surprised, but on closer reflection, I can see the logic and the rationale ...

[stephen25000]

The authors have been discerning and selective in their choice of material for inclusion, in a bid to give the casual reader a broad overview of the bald facts.

There is no mention, for example, of the obscenity that passes for an "inspection" in the gym.  At first I was surprised, but on closer reflection, I can see the logic and the rationale ...

Broad facts are missing of course, aren't they ?

Do they give a breakdown of the mccanns behaviour in leaving children unsafe, whilst going out to drink, or is that libel ?

[Brietta]

An Amazon reviewer............................

I'ts such a shame that the authors did not research the case before writing this book. There is a wealth of material on the McCann files and many other places on the internet that back up, without a shadow of a doubt, the theories of not just one but a whole team of Portuguese detectives, not to mention the British Police who helped to build this evidence. It seems that the book, which claims to be a true account, fails to mention the fact the many of the Private investigators employed by Brian Kennedy and the McCanns have since been imprisoned for activities outside the McCann investigation, but nevertheless were nothing other than fraudsters and crooks. Also missing is any mention of the evidence of two top British Cadaver dogs owned and trained by top dog handler Martin Grime. These dogs independently alerted to cadaver and blood in no less than 11 McCann related areas but nowhere else in Praia Da Luz. Other important documents such as the Gaspar statements and the report of Tavares de Almeida are also missing. ......................................... '

You quote an Amazon reviewer who quite obviously has not bothered to read the book but seems to be bothered about it nonetheless.

I have just finished reading the chapter on the British dogs ... so obviously the erudite Amazon reviewer refers to a different book than the one everyone else is reading.

The lesson is … do not believe everything or even anything ... people with a particular axe to grind say … quite often they are strangers to the truth if it doesn’t tie in with their limited perceptions.

[stephen25000]

You quote an Amazon reviewer who quite obviously has not bothered to read the book but seems to be bothered about it nonetheless.

I have just finished reading the chapter on the British dogs ... so obviously the erudite Amazon reviewer refers to a different book than the one everyone else is reading.

The lesson is … do not believe everything or even anything ... people with a particular axe to grind say … quite often they are strangers to the truth if it doesn’t tie in with their limited perceptions.

So what does it say on the dogs ?

and as I said, has it come any nearer in solving Madeleine's disappearance ?

[Brietta]

The authors have been discerning and selective in their choice of material for inclusion, in a bid to give the casual reader a broad overview of the bald facts.

There is no mention, for example, of the obscenity that passes for an "inspection" in the gym.  At first I was surprised, but on closer reflection, I can see the logic and the rationale ...

I think they have held back material in readiness for a follow up book ... from what I have read so far I am also left with the impression they are treading very carefully with one eye on the sensibilities of the re-opened investigation.

[Brietta]

So what does it say on the dogs ?

and as I said, has it come any nearer in solving Madeleine's disappearance ?

Do what I did and buy a copy if you are curious.

If you do not wish to do so ... your prerogative ... but it seems rather dense to pontificate on a book you have not bothered to read.

[ferryman]

You quote an Amazon reviewer who quite obviously has not bothered to read the book but seems to be bothered about it nonetheless.

I have just finished reading the chapter on the British dogs ... so obviously the erudite Amazon reviewer refers to a different book than the one everyone else is reading.

The lesson is … do not believe everything or even anything ... people with a particular axe to grind say … quite often they are strangers to the truth if it doesn’t tie in with their limited perceptions.

I particularly like the way the authors tend to quote Grime, in that section, rather than stating what Grime says as if authoritative fact.

They are quite right that Grime was freelance in PdL.

We can't judge whether Grime's claim to be in post at South Yorkshire Police when he wrote his profile is true or not, because his profile is not dated.

[Alice Purjorick]

Been otherwise engaged over the last few days so haven't had a chance yet to peruse the recent posts on this thread so has anyone actually read the book and can comment on content?

Oh yes O Forum Owner. Downloaded it on Kindle and finished it.
At the risk of having "The Posh Street Kids" set on me it is not much more than a precis of events with some bits missing and a lot of anecdotal stuff. It misses interesting points like what the archiving report said about the lack of reconstitution, what the LP said about "one or both etc" and misquoted Redwood (not easy to do when it's on you tube). The references list I posted earlier is interesting. I didn't notice any startling revelations. The beginning of chapter 4 refutes the idea the Portuguese treated it no better than looking for a dog. Not worth the download fee imo

[Brietta]

Been otherwise engaged over the last few days so haven't had a chance yet to peruse the recent posts on this thread so has anyone actually read the book and can comment on content?

I'm at chapter 17, John; so far I have found it to be fair to everyone concerned.  I thought it would be difficult to read a book the content of which I have become familiar with over the past year, but I have found it easy to read so consider that is an indicator of it being well written.

[Alfred R Jones]

As far as I know no one in the press has reviewed it and the sales figures don't seem to be anything to write home about either.

But on the plus side Blacksmith has just chalked up a whopping 900 000 pageviews of his blog ! Well done Blacksmith 

  Smiffy - more widely read than Summers and Swan, who'da thunk it?! &%+((£

[stephen25000]

Oh yes O Forum Owner. Downloaded it on Kindle and finished it.
At the risk of having "The Posh Street Kids" set on me it is not much more than a precis of events with some bits missing and a lot of anecdotal stuff. It misses interesting points like what the archiving report said about the lack of reconstitution, what the LP said about "one or both etc" and misquoted Redwood (not easy to do when it's on you tube). The references list I posted earlier is interesting. I didn't notice any startling revelations. The beginning of chapter 4 refutes the idea the Portuguese treated it no better than looking for a dog. Not worth the download fee imo

Thanks for that.

i.e. a waste of money on two amateur writers, who have come up with nothing new, and omitted information detrimental to the mccanns.

[ferryman]

I think they have held back material in readiness for a follow up book ... from what I have read so far I am also left with the impression they are treading very carefully with one eye on the sensibilities of the re-opened investigation.

Interesting if true ...

[ferryman]

  Smiffy - more widely read than Summers and Swan, who'da thunk it?! &%+((£

Maybe Blacksmith ....

[xtina]

I think they have held back material in readiness for a follow up book ... from what I have read so far I am also left with the impression they are treading very carefully with one eye on the sensibilities of the re-opened investigation.

do you mean such as this.....how sensible or accurate is that ...to get the info from ...a friend



The woman was surprised by a knock at the door from a lone conman who said he was collecting money for a nearby orphanage, which doesn’t exist.

As she chatted on the doorstep the woman noticed the man was paying close attention to her daughter who was standing by her side.

Later as she walked to a primary school to collect her other child she noticed the same man hanging around at the top of her road.

The school is just a stone’s throw from the Ocean Club, from where Madeleine was taken on May 3 seven years ago.

She thought little of the encounter until the following day when, as she walked down stairs in her villa, she saw that a man had entered her property and was with her daughter.

Because of the angle she was standing on the stairs she was on, she only got a look at the man’s legs, but felt certain that it was the same person who had come to her door previously.

Realising that he was about to be confronted, the intruder fled and the woman, although startled, chose not to go to the police.

The incident happened in the weeks before Madeleine was taken and has only just come to light in a book published last week, Looking For Madeleine, by investigative journalists Anthony Summers and his wife Robbyn Swan.




The authors did not speak directly to the British woman, who has since returned to live in the UK.

However, they spoke to a friend of hers who told them the story.





sounds like heresay to me......