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Richard Gehman
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A Murder in Paradise (Expanded, Annotated) Paperback – November 4, 2016

by Richard Gehman (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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When Marian Louise Baker went missing, it didn't take long to find her body. She'd been brutally murdered in rural Pennsylvania and it wasn't long before her killer felt compelled to tell someone. In this taut, horrifying account of Marian Baker's 1950 murder, Richard Gehman describes a country setting and people among whom he grew up. It was a paradise until Marian Baker went missing. The author of thousands of articles and scores of books, Gehman was famous in his day, writing for TV Guide and running with celebrities.
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  1. Print length
    222 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 4, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.56 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1519042906
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1519042903
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (November 4, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1519042906
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1519042903
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.56 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

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Richard Gehman

Richard Gehman

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

R. C. Laudenberger, Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific story about a murder in Lancaster
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
Terrific story about a murder in Lancaster, Pa featuring a local girl who was a secretary at F&M college, and a student at F&M from Philadelphia.
It captures the local scene perfectly, but the motive was never really determined. There was some funky mental babble, but nothing that made much sense. Having lived at the time and following it in the newspaper was gripping, but it truly is baffling about the motive. Gibbs went to death, an unusual event in the city of Lancaster. It's a good read.
One person found this helpful
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Kelly O
4.0 out of 5 stars I am a member of her family
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
Not being born yet, when Aunt Marian was murdered, I had hope that the book would help me learn and understand what happened on that terrible day in January 1950.
This tragedy still haunts my family 70+ years later. I know for some of you this is a dry read, please remember this is non fiction and many people still feel great pain for this loss.
3 people found this helpful
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Julie
3.0 out of 5 stars So-so
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
Not a bad book. I’m always in the search for true crimes I’ve not heard of before so gave this a try. The crime happened in 1950, with no real shocking events in the book. Another sad case of a young girl with a bright future that gets it ended too quickly. This is told differently than most true crime books , and jumps from place to place in the story. It’s a bit dry when telling of the history of the area , but other than that, it’s ok. A decent read.
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Fredo
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, if you're from Lancaster
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2020
If I were not from Lancaster, I might give this book a three. But I've been in and around the Harnish's cabin countless times--sadly it's gone today--so my personal enthusiasm warrants five stars. Others from Lancaster would lack that connection. Okay, four. Gehman does a good job of creating the scene. Lancaster County in 1950. Rural. Religious. Conservative. Naturally he sets that up as a contrast to the brutal murder. Written when it was, the author was not afraid to write "the most stupid, primitive Amishman" or imply that F&M students were unintelligent. I find such things amusing, but that's my nature. On matters of substance, Gehman effectively illustrates the murderer's psyche with specific events. There is a parallel with Phil Spector. The parallel is Mom. Sadly, we know a lot more about the perpetrator than the victim. This is a book about the killer, his trial, and its place in Lancaster lore. It's not about Marian Baker. There is a denoument of sorts. The outcome of the trial and the judge's reaction. The list of speculative explanations, the first of which explains everything. I'm left feeling sorry for the murderer, which makes me question my feelings. That's what a good book does. Yes, the courtroom transcriptions are dry but the book is short and that part is (obviously) shorter. There are a few downsides. The annotations are unnecessary editorial explanations inserted into the text. There are some typographical errors and mistakes in layout. I first learned about this book more than 50 years ago. There's more substance to it than I expected.
2 people found this helpful
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Mike Mitchell
3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Thursday July 30 , 2020. This is just another book i got months back and forgot to post a review about. My reason that i got this book is because the picture of the woman on the cover looks like a identical twin of my mother. The story is very slow and laid back. It's more about landscape at the time of the murder than the murder it's self. Still it does have it's appeal about small town life.
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Roadrunner
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read if you live in Lancaster, PA
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
Detailed account of a murder mystery that captivated the entire area of Lancaster, PA. The trial details are word-for-word from court transcripts, so it's easy to get bogged down in the detail. It is an interesting historical account, though, of a former era in Lancaster history.
4 people found this helpful
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Dan Bogaty
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Look at a Now 60 Year Old Murder
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2012
Richard Gehman's A MURDER IN PARADISE is a true crime account of the 1950 murder of Franklin Marshall College clerical worker Marian Baker by student Edward Gibbs in Lancaster, PA. While a number of different hypotheses are set forth, the actual reason for the murder is unclear. One of the most interesting facets of the book is that its copyright is 1954 which, though major themes are unchanged, thereby provides the reader a look at the customs, language and thought processes of 60 years ago.
The case itself is not unusual except that today, in an era of nauseating random violence and hatred, Baker's murder would barely register on society's radar.

The book comprises the usual true crime elements. Positives include considerable background on Gibbs. Also of interest is the competing psychiatric trial testimony, which though conceptually primitive by today's standards, adversarially mirrors what takes place today.

Gehman writes professionally, non-judgmentally, and reportorially. His personality does not intrude on the narrative and the book contains no fabrication or contrived conversation, among the negatives that mar so much of today's true crime.
A MURDER IN PARADISE is certainly not a must-read. The main problem I had with the book, aside from some overlong information on various lawyers and judges, is that there is never any real understanding of why Gibbs committed the crime. And though this is not Gehman's failing, I feel the book is somewhat incomplete. I found it hard to rate, but as to my likelihood of ever wanting to read it again I settled on 3 stars.
10 people found this helpful
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