Redbone: Money, Malice, and Murder in Atlanta

By Ron Stodghill

Book Overview

At forty-one, Lance Herndon is at the top of his game. A self-made millionaire, he is the owner of ACCESS, Inc., a thriving information systems consulting company. As a prominent member of Atlanta's young, wealthy, and powerful set, he is surrounded by black Atlanta's "beautiful people" whom he wines and dines with finesse. But when he fails to show up for work one day, friends and family start worrying. Their worry soon turns to horror when he is found murdered in his own home, his head smashed in -- in what appears to be either an act of jealous-fueled rage or a seedier sex crime. Now, with a laundry list of ex-wives and lovers, competitors, critics and admirers in hand, detectives must break through the city's upper crust to discover his killer. Part investigative thriller, part social commentary in the tradition of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Redbone offers a truly intriguing story that channels insight into one of America's great metropolises.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060897155
• ISBN13: 9780060897154
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Amistad Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Best of Both Worlds

As a voracious reader of true crime, I am often disappointed. Many books in this genre seem overly dense and technical and others seem to ignore the facts completely. Ron Stodghill's book is the best of both worlds. It's satisfying, giving the readers details and clever observations AND it's entertaining enough to take to the beach. I am beyond impressed by Mr. Stodghill. I look forward to reading more of his work. I plan on giving this book as a gift to my true crime reading friends.

interesting true crime book

While the 1996 Olympics placed Atlanta on a world stage, someone murdered forty-one years old ACCESS, Inc. computer consulting firm CEO Lance Herndon. Besides his once successful firm that was suffering from financial troubles, the victim was considered a star player amongst the affluent African-American jet set. Herndon was known to have quite the sexual appetite especially for "redbones" petite, light-skinned black women. One of his redbones, Dionne Baugh, was convicted of killing him as the prosecution pointed out that she became outraged after they had sex because she learned he was not going to help her in court with a charge of trespassing at his home; so while he was sleeping, she killed him. This is an interesting true crime book because of its close look at the power of affluent blacks in the New South. Thus the background and the victim come across three dimensional especially his sultan like behavior towards his harem. Though Herndon's convicted killer seems to nebulous except for her temper and court date motive, Ron Stodghill provides a solid entry that true crime readers will appreciate. Harriet Klausner

Pick it Up! Nice Surprise!

Think you need to head towards the fiction section to get a great read this year. Think again! With a visually explosive cover that immediately draws your eyes into picking up this book and reading the flap, Redbone literally walked me through the meaning of those three little words screaming across the front. "Money, Malice and Murder." Mr. Stodghill's easy flowing storytelling with just the right pinch of metaphors, help tell the story that revenge is colorblind. Black, white, rich or poor, betrayal can come back and truly bite you in the ass! The courtroom scenes read like a Grisham novel. It's also a definite read if you are a big fan of the Scott Turow and the James Patterson sect. Looking for a good crime thriller? Give this one a shot! It most definitely didn't disappoint.

You have to read this book

If you like suspense, intrigue, and a real thriller, then this book is for you. It is well written and a very interesting story. It held my attention the whole time I never wanted to put the book down. I think this would make a great movie. Sex, Drama, Money and Power it just screams big screen movie. I would recommend this book especially if you like crime and drama. Get this book and tell all your friends!!

Tour de Force!!!!!!!!!

A wonderfully written and wonderfully researched book. For anyone interested in a gripping, take-it-to the-beach tale, Stodghill's account of murder, intrigue, money, betrayal, sexual hijinks and the workings of Atlanta's old and new communities, Redbone won't disappoint. From start to finish this is a non-fiction account that reads like a novel. It is layered with intersecting storylines that take you into unexplored or underexamined worlds. Loved it!!!!