Son

"Son" is a perturbing story about a man by the name of Fred Harlan Coe, aka Fred Coe, aka Kevin Coe, aka Coco, or what he would be dubbed: the South Hill Rapist. He single handedly terrorized Spokane, Washington for a two year span from 1979 to 1981 with a series of rapes.I read this book solely because of the author. I've read several Jack Olsen books before and I like his style. His straight-forward descriptive style is on display in this book as well. He really doesn't hold back or use euphemisms when detailing the rapes and the ugly language used by Fred Coe during the rapes. It doesn't sensationalize the rapes at all but rather makes them more real.Like most criminals that take lives or ruin lives you come to despise Fred Coe. But in this book you come to despise more than Fred because much of this book deals with his mother as well (hence the title "Son"). If there were ever a more evident source of a psychopath's issues, then Fred Coe's mother, Ruth Coe, was it. She was probably equally nuts, if not more nuts. A truly deluded, volatile and verbose woman that believed that the world was a stage and she was the main actress.Jack Olson seemed to have done some real homework in getting the story from the rape victims and the non-rape victims (his ex-wife and his girlfriend). There was a lot of back story and context of the victims and Fred's behavior. He was truly a deluded manipulative man that was convinced of his own lies, worthy of the most heinous punishment.

UPDATE:SEXUAL PREDATOR Fred Harlan Coe aka Kevin Coe 2/2/47known as the South Hill Rapist is not free in societyas reviewers are worried about. When his time servedwas up a Civil Commitment hearing was held in 2008 andit was determined that he was to dangerous to be releasedback into society. He is being held in a Special CommitmentCenter on McNeil Island. For the time being the people ofWashington are safe from Fred/Kevin. Ruth died March 1996and Gordon died Jan. 1999.*******One friend of Fred/Kevin's said he was a space alien thatcame to earth and tried to act as an earthling..he did notsucceed. Fred never fit in. His life was one grand schemeafter another and all failures. He was severely mentallyill. Some days he took 2/3 baths a day and some weeks nobaths. He would starve him self then gorge on sweets.He told lies upon lies. He could not complete a sexual act.He raped over 40 plus women. Had he not been caught whenhe was I believe he would have started killing ... he wasescalating.His mother Ruth was also mentally ill and I believe there isa slight chance that their was incest or molestation betweenher and Fred/Kevin. Their relation was not correct.His poor hen-pecked dad was useless.The Spokane PD can not be proud of their work on the rape cases.It was said in Spokane if you had any kind of an emergency callthe Fire dept. because the police did not care.You must read this book and learn Fred/Kevin and Ruth's story.Bad crazy son of a bad crazy mother.This is a very good book. It is very very long. But at no pointdoes it loose you. There is a very good follow up at the end thattells you what Fred's victims did with their lives after he wentto prison. Great Job Mr. Olsen.bette-okc

Between 1979 and 1982, a serial rapist was roaming the streets of Spokane, WA. Eventually Fred "Kevin" Coe was charged with raping six women, although he was suspected of sexually assaulting at least 44 victims. And heaven knows how many rapes went unreported.This book was well researched and well written. The reader will learn about the psychopath, his victims, his parents, ex-wife, and girlfriend; the investigation; and the trial and verdict. And the story doesn't end there (but my lips are sealed).I experienced a lot of emotions as I read this book. Contempt for the rapist, compassion for the victims, anger and frustration with the police that rape was treated more as a nuisance crime than a serious assault.The Spokane law enforcement doesn't fare well in this book. Too many rapes occurred before the cops started correlating the victims' stories and seeing similarities. When the police department finally acknowledged that a serial rapist was on the loose, a reporter asked the chief what advice he'd give for women. His reply was, "Tell them to lay back and enjoy it." I doubt a more ignorant statement by police chief was ever spoken.This was an above average true crime book. Four stars.

I am rereading this book in audio form this time. It is true crime, my favorite genre for all my adult life until I found the apocalypse genre. I read it years ago and it was of particular interest because it takes place in Spokane, Washington, where my parents lived, where I was born and where many of my cousins and aunts and uncles lived. I visited that town when this was happening and remember the fear it engendered.The man, Fred Coe, who went by the name of Kevin Coe, who committed many rapes, was the son of a prominent newspaper editor in that town, a man who was dominated by his wife Ruth who also dominated her son. She referred to him as Son. Thus the name of this book. Son was an impotent man in many ways, bragging about his sexual exploits that never took place and about his career that never really took place either.When Kevin Coe was put on trial his mother was very prominent in the courtroom and threatened the judge and was later imprisoned for trying to kill him. If you like true crime, this is an interesting story of a rapist in the 70's who got away with it for a very long time. Those poor women, whose lives were changed forever, and not in a good way.

Jack Olsen is a fabulous writer his way of telling the story true or otherwise is like he has drew you a picture.This is an excellent portrayal of a monster.l saw the tv movie about the man in this book it's called Sins of the mother, and it does not come close to the book.This really is a fabulous read,if you read true crime.Don't miss this.

Well written and researched. The psychocapthy of mother and son eminently evident in this tale. A completely odious pair that society unfortunately sees too eften in our midst. Arrogant, self serving, narcissistic and completely dysfunctional pair. The author did a superb and thorough job bringing these two horrors to life on the page.

...if it hadn't been bogged down in needless detail. I realise that there is a certain amount of scene setting that needs to be done, but by 60 percent through I was skim reading just to get to the end. The parts about Fred himself were by far the best, but there wasn't enough of it. Not sure I would read another book by the same author.

Absolutely nothing about it to dislike. Absolutely fantastic book. Expertly written, really well detailed and incredibly descriptive. Jack Olsen did an amazing job.

Excellently written keeps you wanting to read. But makes you think how Fred Coe was able to manipulate everybody in his life from his wife to his girlfriend and also his best friend.