Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka: The True Story of the Ken and Barbie Killers

Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked the Nation, Book 3

By: Peter Vronsky, R. J. Parker

Narrated by: Don Kline

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Warning: This audiobook contains police and court transcripts and descriptions of graphic sexual violence contained in videotapes made by the perpetrators.

Paul Bernado and Karla Homolka were so perfectly iconic as a newlywed couple that they were dubbed "Ken and Barbie". But their marriage had a dark side involving sex, death, and videotape. The "perfect couple" first raped and murdered Karla's little sister then kidnapped teenage schoolgirls whom they enslaved, raped, tortured, and killed while gleefully recording themselves on video doing it.

Vronsky will take you on the journey from the Scarborough Rapist (Bernardo) to Bordelais (Homolka's current last name) and her return to Canada in October 2014 from the island of Guadeloupe, where she lived for several years.

This is the third audiobook in the Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked the Nation collection.

©2015 VP Publications an imprint of RJ Parker Publishing (P)2015 RJ Parker Publishing, Inc

Interesting but very graphic

This is a very interesting book. I have heard of the Homolka killings before, but there was information, especially from the video tapes that was new to me. One negative is that this book is really short, so if you spend a credit on it, it is only about a 2.5 hour listen. I have to say the narrator was wonderful though.

Badly Narrated

Very intreresting true crime story. But the narrator needs reading lessons. And I wish he'd swallow his spit.

Good Information, But Comes Across as Bigoted

This provides a lot of good information, but there are several times when it feels like it is judgmental of the wrong things.

Anyone who has any knowledge of the case knows that Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were unspeakably evil. There's no need to work hard to sensationalize things because even recounting the bare facts of the crimes is enough to cause jaws to drop.

But the author insists on making bizarre comments. For example, he refers to Karla's children in animalistic terms as her "brood" and dramatically says that whether evil will be transmitted to them through her genes remains to be seen.

Karla is unspeakably evil, but her kids are innocent. Lay off.

Then whenever Karla goes along with something Paul says, there are times when the author says she did it "stupidly." An adjective he doesn't apply to Paul. Anyone who thinks Karla blindly followed along due to a lack of intelligence hasn't researches the case. She was equally as evil and depraved. The wool was not pulled over her eyes. So why choose to insult her intelligence instead of her morals? It feels like a high schooler's criticism.

And then talking about her "lesbian affairs" in prisob as if the fact that she was with women is some type of scandal? I mean, there's plenty Karla did to earn hatred. It's not even hard to insult her. Why is a consensual same-sex relationship even on the list?

Good story, poor narration

Don Kline's narration sounds stiff and awkward. Some words mispronounced, sentence flow stutters and restarts at times, breaking the flow of the story. His voice is pleasant enough, but sounds like he's struggling at times to read and recite the author's words.

worth the credit

I have watched documentaries on the Barbie and Ken killers and read other books with their story in them. This book has a lot of new information in it. Much of it is hard to listen to but done in a way of case study making the book very interesting. spoiler alert- I hate that she is walking free today and even being allowed to work around children. Too bad Canada didn't have the sex offender registration for Karla.

Decent writing, awful narration

There is a lot of good information covering the crimes or Bernardo and Homolka, but the writing sometimes veers into the territory of cheesy with commentary. The narrator is not a fluid reader; I found myself frustrated and having to skip back a few times to try to hear the word flow in a way that made sense.

Graphic book on the Ken and Barbie killers

I’ve read a lot of books on the Ken and Barbie killers. This one is more on the graphic side as it details some of the transcripts from the videos. Overall I found it very informative but was quite difficult to listen to at times.

Nice Narration

Starts off dry with unnecessary background of the killers parents lives, but good information about the case and background of the killers. Pretty graphic direct quotes that paint a gruesome word picture of the crimes. Informative about the conclusion of the case. Was worth the listen!

Worst Narration Ever

This is definitely a book that should be read and not listened to. The story is fascinating but the sing song tone of the narrator made it almost unbearable. I never would have finished if it has been any longer.

A little too graphic

I didn't care for just presenting horrific facts that were beyond disturbing. I just wish the story could have told without line by line exact wording of their sick acts of sexual cruelty & perversion.