9780061229008
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Final Analysis audiobook

  • By: Catherine Crier
  • Narrator: Catherine Crier
  • Category: General, True Crime
  • Length: 5 hours 24 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: February 20, 2007
  • Language: English
  • (289 ratings)
(289 ratings)
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Final Analysis Audiobook Summary

In October 2002, Susan Polk was arrested for the murder of her husband, Felix, kicking off what would become one of the most captivating murder trials in recent memory. Now, former judge and current Court TV host Catherine Crier turns an analytical eye to Susan’s story, delving into her past and examining how over twenty years of marriage culminated in murder. When Susan was in high school, Felix, who was more than twenty years her senior, had been her psychologist, and during their sessions as therapist and patient, a romantic entanglement began. These troubling beginnings grew into a difficult marriage that produced three healthy boys but led to disturbing accusations of abuse from both Felix and Susan.

Crier dissects this dangerous relationship, exposing the painful psychology that motivated this complex marriage. She masterfully reconstructs the tumultuous chronology of the Polk family, telling how Susan and Felix struggled to control their rambunctious sons and disintegrating marriage in the years and months leading up to Felix’s death. Here Crier also elucidates the methodic police work of the murder investigation and scrutinizes the remarkable trial, exploring Susan’s struggles with her defense attorneys and her shocking decision to represent herself. Dark, psychological, and terrifying, Final Analysis is a harrowing look at the recesses of the human mind and the trauma that reveals them.

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Final Analysis Audiobook Narrator

Catherine Crier is the narrator of Final Analysis audiobook that was written by Catherine Crier

Catherine Crier is the host of Court TV’s Catherine Crier Live. A distinguished attorney, legal analyst, and the youngest state judge ever to be elected in Texas, Crier has received an Emmy Award for investigative journalism and the DuPont-Columbia Journalism Award. Also the author of the New York Times bestsellers A Deadly Game and The Case Against Lawyers, Crier lives in Westchester County, New York.

About the Author(s) of Final Analysis

Catherine Crier is the author of Final Analysis

More From the Same

Final Analysis Full Details

Narrator Catherine Crier
Length 5 hours 24 minutes
Author Catherine Crier
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date February 20, 2007
ISBN 9780061229008

Subjects

The publisher of the Final Analysis is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is General, True Crime

Additional info

The publisher of the Final Analysis is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780061229008.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Dee

September 11, 2018

Wow. Wow. Wow wow wow. I am appalled by this book. I am actively horrified by this book. It has all the triggers in the world! The killing part of the true crime is bad enough, with a mother killing her husband and then having her youngest teenage child find the body. That’s awful and callous and how can anyone do that to their child??? enough for me. But Susan Polk didn’t seem to mind at all, and she minded less trying to turn her children against one another. And terribly unfortunately, she is obviously mentally ill.I don’t subscribe to the view of mental illness that is super-common in this society, where mentally ill people are the ones who are dangerous. Actual people out of touch with reality are far more likely to be a danger to themselves. It’s more often a failure of empathy than contact with reality that drives people into being killers. (And no, I don’t think that psychopaths or sociopaths are more likely to kill. I’ve actually known a few, and while they often enjoyed manipulation as a game - which is why we are no longer friends - they were not murderous in any way.) Susan Polk seems to be the exception for this rule. The farther I read into “Final Analysis,” the more I felt bad for her. She was clearly suffering, medically paranoid, and out of touch with the real world.But I don’t feel all that sorry for the victim in this case. While Felix Polk seems to have been an OK father to their three boys, he was a reprehensible excuse for a human being. He started sleeping with Susan while she was a teenager and his patient! Sorry he was killed, and I ache for his kids, but he needed to be in prison himself for child abuse way back in the 70s. Instead he married Susan. As I would say to my friends, “This is 67 million kinds of wrong!” To top it off, he used hypnosis with someone who was having major issues. I don’t know if he actually assaulted her while she was hypnotized or not, but even if he did not - and there is no evidence either way except for Susan’s recounting which may not be reality-based - hypnosis is contraindicated for use with people who are having issues contacting reality. That gets my professional dander up too, although not as much as the ethical breach of sleeping with a patient AND sleeping with an underage girl. It’s a complete disaster of a story.I never watched Catherine Cryer while she was on Court TV. I think I’m glad, too, because that means I missed this trial while it was happening, which was a time I watched Court TV a lot during the day on my days off. This isn’t the best-written true crime book I’ve ever read, but it is certainly in the top three for completely messed up. If you’re looking for “Holy cow, she said what?!?” in your true crime, this is recommended highly. If you want to feel sorry for the victim or the killer, it is certainly not. If any of this is triggering, skip it. Four of five stars.

Ashley

September 22, 2022

#68Borrowed from library.FS: "Mom fuckin' shot dad with a shotgun! fifteen-year-old Gabriel Polk shouted into the receiver."LS:

Elisabeth Brookshire

April 30, 2019

Money and prestige meant nothing hereThis book is a well written account of the Felix Polk murder at the hands of his much younger wife, Susan. There is so much that can be said here but what struck me the most was how two well educated, bright, and moneyed people could still suffer from so many problems ending in a violent showdown. If we were to look at their beautiful house, handsome sons, and prestigious career we might be envious thinking they "have it all". Yet that was further from the truth as can be. Felix abused his trusted position by effectively molesting Susan as a young teen and this only added to and worsened her fragile mental state. He broke up his first family to marry her and start another and that was a huge mistake. Susan never healed. She just grew exponentially more troubled over the years. All her sons had problems with school and authority at times, especially middle son, Eli. This book chronicles a tragic story that ended in death and imprisonment. Having money and a great job sometimes means nothing. It didn't help Felix or Susan Polk in the end and left their three boys basically as orphans. A must read for true crime fans.

Sharon Parker

October 31, 2016

Unusual true crime storyThis story was soundly researched and well-written. The two major characters--husband and wife--are brilliant, flawed individuals. The family dynamics, involving a psychologist and his young patient who marry and bring three children into their family, are intensely stressful. And yet there are many passages in this story in which absurd, illogical situations are described in such details that I found myself guiltily laughing. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the courtroom interactions between the accused wife, an unstable, delusional yet highly intelligent and provocatively feIisty woman is representing herself, and the beleaguered prosecutor is trying to keep from becoming an alcoholic due to her legal style. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read for a true crime fan.

Catherine

February 02, 2016

I listened to this true crime book on audio, read by the author. It's the true story of a woman who killed her husband, supposedly in self-defense. The story is fascinating. The victim was a psychologist with his own set of psychological issues. Susan Polk, his wife, who killed him, also had a boatload of issues. And the intersection of those two led to a volatile marriage and eventually murder. Well-told and well-read.

Gail

August 14, 2014

WOW! Whatta crazy story. Well-written though!I think if she would have tried a different tactic, she may have gotten a lesser sentence or been found not guilty. I think her hubby contributed greatly to his own demise.

Sarah

December 05, 2018

This book was fun. It was a fucked up story of murder and family drama with great twists and turns. The perfect book version of the murder stories that engross my attention on television. Fun, light read.

Theresa

August 27, 2014

True murderTrue murderVery well written book. It is amazing that the relationship between Susan and Felix was ever allowed to continue. Her mother turning a blind eye to it started the whole cycle.

Elizabeth

July 15, 2015

ExcellentCatherine Crier did an awesome job on this book.She navigated through the mess of this case and parlayed it into a book that was easy to understand.

D

August 21, 2022

I had never heard of this case, so how the book described the murder was all new to me. I found the book & narration somewhat dry. Because I wasn’t familiar with the case, it was a little confusing how they switched back & forth in time in the beginning of the book. Also, I liked knowing more about their childhoods, but how they were placed in the timeline of the book didn’t lend itself to the development of the story. Didn’t mind reading the book & it did inspire me to go online & read more about the crime, but otherwise I would not recommend this book.

Donna

May 20, 2021

Well written account of a wife accused of murdering her husband. The twists and turns in this book are interesting. Definitely gives insight to what can happen when a therapist, hired to help a troubled young girl, becomes her 1st lover and eventually her husband.

Emily

January 08, 2016

This story was interesting mostly because of the twisted relationship between Susan (murderer) and her husband Felix (murdered). Felix initiated a sexual (or alleged sexual) relationship when she was only 15 and his therapy patient. There is little dispute that the couple had an enduring abusive relationship, with fault on both sides. It's also interesting that the autopsy showed that Felix had an enlarged heart due to major artery blockage. The only ick factor in this story to me was that it is abundantly clear that Susan suffers from pretty severe mental illness complete with extraordinary delusions, so I felt like the story may fall into the category of exploiting the mentally ill. Either way, I enjoyed the story and felt the case was quite interesting.

Jody

January 31, 2017

Interesting story of a sad situationThe writing disc worth a five but the delusions of Mrs Polk are more than I can bear to read about for a novel. But this woman's ability to tell this story with meaning and dignity for this undignified family ings remarkable. I find true crime interesting and this is my first novel I have read regarding one. I enjoyed it. Very well done

Terri Basham

November 23, 2014

Outstanding bookThis is a good book on the Polk trial. To bad that it was finished before Susan's sentencing. It still covers the trial and Susan's life extremely well. A good read.

Patricia Wellinger

April 30, 2015

InterestingThe early years of Susan's life really didn't explain what caused her problems. Maybe it's unknown. I would like to know how she knew about the rape. The court proceedings were very real but somewhat painful. She was really mentally ill.

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