Johan begins his story of what happened and what he saw after he was taken from the apartment under the three frogs sign. He witnessed the death of forty-two people in the room at the mansion, leaving Franz Bonaparta as the sole survivor.

The story takes a turn when the one who witnessed the horrific scene is not the one that everyone thinks of. Someone else's memory has been duplicated into Johan.

Peter reveals the whereabouts of Franz Bonaparta's son, and Johan is going to put an end to it. While Nina is recovering in the hospital, she tells Tenma about Johan's history recreation plan. Tenma looks for Lipski to get the whereabouts of Franz Bonaparta, and he has to be fast to prevent the loss of hundreds of lives.

Meanwhile, Detective Lunge and Grimmer arrive at Rudenheim. Both sense that a horrible massacre will occur there soon. In the town, mysterious death begins as different residents struggle with their personal problems. An old couple who just won a lottery with the help of a friend. Would they kill their friend so they can keep the money? A small boy with a drunkard father often got bullied by a group of rascals. Would he kill the group of bullies? The mysterious deaths and a stranger passing some guns to the troubled residents begin the chain reaction of a town massacre.

While the town is scattered with dead bodies, Nina and Dr Gillen rush to Rudenheim. Nina believes that Johan is erasing the existence of his memory by getting rid of the people that knew him. At the same time, Tenma arrives at Rudenheim and tries to rescue a group of women and children to a safer place.

I never expected the story would have an ambiguous ending. I am slightly disappointed with the ending, although I don't know what kind of ending I would expect to be. It's probably the combination of the mystery, tension and suspense which had been building up since the beginning, leading me to have a high expectation for the story's closure. Anyway, I still love and tremendously enjoy the story. It's a memorable storyline with a forgettable ending.

This volume begins with how Martin met Tenma before the mysterious incident which severely injured him, as told at the end of the previous book. Initially, Martin hates Tenma, but after answering a series of questions about Eva, he realises that Eva is in danger and rushes to rescue her. Martin knows too much about the Red Rose Mansion and reveals to Tenma that the devil has an apprentice. Besides the apprentice, he mentions that someone is trying to control the devil, but the devil is too powerful for him.

Verdemann travels all the way to Prague to continue to find the truth. Detective Suk is assigned to work with him. They are working together to ask questions from the victims who used to participate in a "reading group" at the Red Rose Mansion. When one of the witnesses mentions that someone came from a radio station, Verdemann is triggered by the information and wants to know more about the person. Both Verdemann and Suk are persistent in finding the truth about the case to clear the names of those wrongly accused and the death of innocent people.

With the help of Dr Gillen, Nina remembers everything that happened in Prague. Nina leaves Munich to save and reveal the entire story to Tenma. Peter Capek sends his people to take Nina as a hostage for his safety.

Towards the end, we finally have a brief family background of Johan's and Nina's parents. The incredible story about their past also explains why Johan is looking for Franz Bonaparta. The book ends with the twins' reunion while Tenma is rushing to the scene to finish what he has to do.

This volume focuses on the recovery of Nina's memory and the background of Peter Capek, who wants to control the devil. Both stories are related, and they are getting closer to the truth. The story's progress also comes with several twists, including the twins' parents and the appearance of Johan's apprentice.

After seven volumes with Tenma has saved so many lives, it's the first time that there is a life that Tenma couldn't save. It's also the first time someone couldn't be manipulated by the devil. I loved that there was a change in the story. This shows that Tenma is just a human and the devil is not invincible.

Martin will be one of my favourite characters from this manga. He has a cool face with a unique personality. He looks ruthless from the outside but has a kind heart and a sad past. It's a character with so many layers to discover as the reader continuously reads the story.

While Suk is in the hospital, two detectives inform him that his name has been cleared of Detective Zeman's and other officers' murder. They received a confession letter about the details of the murders.

Gunter Milch committed a series of robberies in 1988. He was recaptured for various robberies after every time he successfully escaped from prison. When the prison guards ask Tenma to treat Gunter's illness, he knows Gunter is faking it. Gunter shares his background and offers Tenma a chance to escape.

Fritz Verdemann, son of an alleged spy, is a stellar lawyer with a flawless record of exonerations. Alfred Baur asks Verdemann whether he is interested in working with him to defend Tenma. Baur intends to kill Eva because what Eva witnessed will prove the existence of Johan.

Tenma arrives at the Red Rose Mansion, but it is too late. General Wolf is bedridden at the hospital and wants to meet Tenma. General Wolf tells Tenma about the incident at the mansion in 1981 and how he found the twins at the Czech border. He urges Tenma to save Eva as quick as he can.

Towards the end, the story shifted three months ago when a stranger hired Martin to bring Eva back to Frankfurt before returning to the present state. This volume ends with Martin being severely injured, and blaming women brings trouble. He is driven to the hospital but insists on meeting Tenma first. He has an important story to tell Tenma, and he blames the tie that was bought by Eva, which caused him to witness a horrific incident.

It seems every new character will pour out their soul to Tenma on their first meeting, regardless of the situation. I guess he has the ability to make anyone put their complete trust in him even after they know he is a wanted criminal.

Tenma learns from a resident that ten years ago, a woman with twins lived in an old apartment house in downtown Prague above a sign with three frogs. The neighbours also tell him about the Czech secret police and a suspicious fire.

Meanwhile, Suk reveals his investigation details to a beautiful woman named Anna without hesitation. Suk and Grimmer use the key for the safety deposit box to look for the contents related to 511 Kinderheim.
Then, two special investigators are killed in Suk's apartment and at the same time, Grimmer sees Anna leaving the building when he's on his way to see Suk. Tenma reads the news about Suk as a wanted person from the police force and former secret police. He knows the mastermind behind the killings and rushes to the hideout to save Suk, but when he reaches there, Suk is severely injured.

Colonel Karel Lanke, a high-level former Czech police wants to exchange Suk for the report and tape. Grimmer rejects the offer but allows him to listen to the tape. Tenma questions the Colonel about the fire and the kidnapping of a woman with twins by former Czech police. Colonel reveals that during those incidents, there was someone given authority to arrest people at his discretion, and his name is Franz Bonaparta. He is an author of strange children's books, and one of his books is called "The Nameless Monster".

Meanwhile, Inspector Lunge is taking his vacation in Prague. He discovers that the murder cases of the Czech ex-police relate to Anna when Suk's friends mention Suk's new trustable friend. Inspector Lunge goes to the Red Rose Mansion and finds a sealed door. Lunge brings the wall down and sees a painting of the twins' mother.

Dr Reichwein finally gets the chance to tell Schuwald about Johan's background and the plan to isolate Schuwald by killing all the people around him. Schuwald seems unmoved but feels proud of how Johan will become what he wants to be.

While Tenma is waiting for his target in the library, Dr Reichwein is rushing to the library to prevent him from committing a crime. Karl's friend Lotte who just befriended Nina finds out about the relationship between Nina and Johan and questions Nina about the Czech picture book that triggered Johan to collapse onto the floor. The story switches to the content of the picture book before continuing the storyline.

Tenma is preparing to kill his target, but an unexpected person appears to change his plan. Chaos erupts in the library when Schuwald suddenly pulls out a bigger plan that shocks Tenma and his assailant. When the confusion surrounds the library, Tenma finally confronts Johan. Both Tenma and Nina want to do the killing while simultaneously trying to stop each other from shooting the gun. Nina and Schuwald end up at the hospital, but Johan is missing again. While Schuwald is in the hospital, he asks his son Karl to pass a message to Tenma, which leads Tenma to go to Prague. At the same time, Nina suddenly remembers a place related to Prague.

Meanwhile, a journalist named Grimmer is investigating the issue of child abuse in an orphanage home in East Germany. He is heading to Prague to look for the former director of 511 Kinderheim, an experimental facility to psychologically reprogram the children. Before Grimmer can obtain more information about the experiment, someone appears to stop Herr Petrov from talking to Grimmer and prevent him from further investigating the issue.

As the setting has shifted to Prague, a new character Detective Suk is introduced as one of the police officers working in the investigation of a gang murder. One of the victims is a detective and also is his mentor. Suk determines to find his mentor's killer, but he finds out that his deceased mentor is involved in a top-secret task investigation. His sudden knowledge of a dirty secret causes the mysterious murder of several of his colleagues.

Well, I have to admit the Czech picture book is horrific enough and fascinating to read. I appreciate the mangaka's extra effort in creating the picture book so the readers can delve into Johan's world. I loved the story and the drawing. It increases my understanding of how Johan got inspired to become a monster.

This volume begins with Richard, a former police officer receiving counselling sessions due to alcoholism. His alcohol issue had caused him to lose his job and be separated from his family. He is currently working as a private investigator and investigating Karl Neuman, who claimed himself as the son of the billionaire Hans Georg Schuwald.

Richard finally finds the truth about the incident, which has haunted him for many years. After he successfully remained sober and fully recovered, he found the vital link from those unsolved murder cases which occurred when he was in the police force. His continuous investigation into those cases leads him to experience a few mysterious incidents that almost cost him his life.

At the same time, Dr Gillen is questioning whether the serial killer Jurgens recognises Johan's photo, which triggers Jurgens to do the unthinkable. When Richard's doctor Dr Reichwein is trying to warn him for his safety, Richard is confronted by Johan. Johan is playing a mind game with Richard and forces him to face the truth of his past. The story then shifted to Dr Reichwein, who also investigating the series of unsolved murder cases.

This volume focuses more on Johan and how others (besides Tenma) are tracking his past. The storyline is getting complicated and entangled among several cases connected to each other. It's getting creepier as readers learn more about Johan. This volume showcases one of his tactics in manipulating someone's mind to get what he wants. Before this, readers were usually surrounded with mysteries and led to believe Johan is the suspect or mastermind, but we never know how he actually works on his victim. I felt this volume is to clarify what happened to the investigation and people who are investigating or involved in the murder cases so far.

Tenma is seeking advice from his former classmate Dr Rudi Gillen, a psychoanalyst specialising in criminal psychology. Tenma wants to know whether Johan has multiple personalities, as he claims he is. Rudi, who has always been jealous of Tenma's success since their university time, secretly concludes that Tenma is a serial killer and is interested in continuing to study him if he is captured by the police.

At the same time, Rudi is analysing a serial killer called Jurgens. The serial killer was instructed to commit the twelfth murder, which he calls a "Monster". A stranger sent him a letter every week, and soon they became friends. The most horrific thing for Jurgens is that his friend prepared a similar background in the basement, which relates to the serial killer's abusive childhood.

The truth about the murder of Fortners or Nina's foster parents is revealed in the story. Nina has to convince the killer to make a confession, but the killer is once again threatened by his bodyguard, who turns out to be working for the organisation, which has been taking care of his crime all this time.

Meanwhile, Tenma's ex-fiance Eva has hit rock bottom and still living her life with complicated feelings for Tenma. While the hitman Roberto is looking for the missing photos from Eva's album, Eva wants to exchange those hidden photos with the information about Tenma's whereabouts.

This volume ends with a new side story of a university student called Karl. He visits Schuwald, a blind billionaire, every Tuesday to read books to him to earn extra money for himself. Then, he finds out that the billionaire has a past relationship with his biological mother, who has already passed away. The strangest thing is another woman is impersonating his mother, blackmailing the billionaire, and another young guy who reads to Schuwald on Thursdays claims that he is the billionaire's illegitimate son.

This is getting complicated as the number of cases and characters keeps increasing every few chapters. Sometimes, I've forgotten who relates to which case and the character's background. I think jotting down some of the details is helpful for me to reduce my confusion and to understand the story.

The story begins with the introduction of a new character - Otto Heckel. Otto is a cat burglar and bumps into Tenma when Tenma is investigating the Springer murders. Otto suggests becoming Tenma's manager and making Tenma a famous doctor in the underworld. When they found the killer of the Springer, he confesses his murder to Tenma. He passes the message given by the mastermind that Tenma has been looking for.

Tenma tracks down the adoption history of Johan and Nina. Both used to wander near the Czech border but were later placed in separate facilities. The east orphanage 511 Kinderheim was a "special facility" controlled by the interior ministry. It was the East German government's laboratory to conduct experiments to turn children into the ultimate soldiers. The experiment reprogrammed the orphans and taught them to hate and fight. Before the wall was demolished, all the top-secret documents related to the project were burned. The orphanage fell into anarchy and caused the children and staff to fight against each other.

Both Tenma and Nina find the vital link to Johan, respectively. Tenma is looking for Johan to prove his innocence from a series of murders. Meanwhile, Nina is being used as bait and captured by the neo-Nazis under the command of the group's frontman, "The Baby". The capture of Nina also leads to the exposure of another bigger crime committed by the neo-Nazis. At the same time, Johan leaves a message to Tenma and Nina, making them wonder whether they should believe Johan.

Dusseldorf, Germany 1986. Germany is still divided into two parts. Dr Kenzo Tenma is a successful neurosurgeon at Eisler Memorial Hospital. He had just performed a successful operation on a famous opera singer, but the credit was taken by the director during the press conference.

Later he found out that he was supposed to be treating a Turkish construction worker injured in an accident instead of the opera singer. Dr Tenma feels that if the Turkish construction worker had been treated sooner, he would still be alive.

Meanwhile, a trade advisor who recently defected to the West with his family has been killed but survived with a daughter and son. The son Johan is in a critical state, and Dr Tenma received an emergency call to treat the boy. At the same time, the mayor is admitted to the hospital and requires urgent treatment. The director arranged the best team to work with Dr Tenma to treat the mayor. Dr Tenma faces a dilemma but ultimately makes a conscientious decision. His courageous action leads him to the beginning of his life's falling, including his once highly reputable career. As he is struggling with the demotion and the failed relationship, three doctors are killed, and the twins (the defector's children) are missing at the same time.

In 1995, another middle-aged couple was murdered. It is the fourth case in Germany in the past two years. All of the victims share one common thing, which is childlessness. While the BKA is investigating the case, their suspect Herr Junkers is hit by a car. He almost lost his life but was saved by Dr Tenma.

Herr Junkers reveals part of the truth to Dr Tenma, but before he starts his confession, he flees from the hospital, following an unknown figure. Dr Tenma chases after him and discovers the unknown figure is not someone he ever expected would be the killer. The killer is someone who used to change him to become a better doctor with a conscience. But now, that person has a nickname called "Monster".

Amanda is trying on her wedding gown with the help of her friend Kate. Amanda is still thinking about whether to proceed with the wedding. When she sees a stain on the wedding dress, she wonders whether that is a sign that encourages her to vanish without a trace before the wedding.

Five and a half years later, Sandra Pierce reaches Laurie Moran to look for her missing daughter Amanda. Laurie is a producer for the famous reality-based television show - Under Suspicion. Now that the show was a hit, many people have been reaching for them to solve their problems or fix every injustice.

The media calls Amanda "The Runaway Bride" after she disappeared on the morning before the big day. Most people believe that Amanda chose to run away because her driving licence was missing from her purse. Sandra is hopeful that her daughter is still alive and that the truth will be a closure for her.

Sandra tries her best to convince Laurie to reenact the case of her missing daughter. She reveals that Amanda's fiance Jeff was suspicious due to the reason for hiring a lawyer and refused to talk to the police after a week of Amanda's disappearance even though Jeff is a lawyer himself. Jeff almost lost his job after returning to New York because some prosecutors believed he was involved in Amanda's disappearance. Due to Amanda's wealthy family background, her father, Walter, insisted on having a prenuptial agreement. Amanda later wrote a will in which she left her trust fund worth two million dollars to Jeff. Sandra also suspects Jeff was unfaithful to Amanda because he has a relationship with Meghan White, the maid of honour. Meghan, who introduced Amanda to Jeff, is now Mrs Jeff Hunter. They got married barely a year after Amanda's disappearance.

Besides Jeff, Amanda's sister Charlotte also is a possible suspect. There was a sibling rivalry between them to prove their capabilities to their father in taking over the family business. There is also another rumour that there was an argument between Amanda and Meghan when Meghan accused Amanda of stealing her idea and implementing it into the business.

This story is boring because it's too repetitive. The same details are mentioned several times from the beginning of the book. It's not as exciting as the last two stories in the series.

Writer: Mildred Wirt (1944)

Revised By: Priscilla Baker-Carr (1970)

An older man Philip March left a bunch of letters with Carson Drew and asked him to look through them for a clue as to where certain original songs that have disappeared might have gone. The letters were written by his son Fipp who had passed away four years ago. Fipp's wife passed away soon after that, and Phillip's wife died.

Philip needs to take care of his grandchild Susan who is just six years old. To properly bring up Susan, he has to find Fipp's music to sell it. When Philip wanted to leave the house, he was struck by a rock. The Drews decided to make him stay for a few days before they brought him back home. When a beautiful tune came from the radio, Philip excitedly claimed that his son's music was stolen as he had never published it before.

Meanwhile, Mr Carson is working on a different case for his client Mr Booker. Mr Booker is accusing another company has stolen his formula in manufacturing women's silk scarves. Coincidentally, the accused is the father of Nancy's classmate Diane Dight. Mr Carson hopes that Nancy probably seized an opportunity to visit Mr Dight's plant and learn more about the suspected spy and the process used to make the silk material.

While looking for the missing composition in the attic, Nancy and the housekeeper Effie experienced many mysterious events. One night, Effie saw a stranger appear outside the house. Meanwhile, Nancy heard footsteps and some other sounds when she was in the attic.

In this story, Nancy encounters a more adventurous experience. The writer doesn't highlight much about Nancy's incredible and unconvincing skills to solve the mystery. Compared with some of the previous stories, there were some ridiculous and extravagance about Nancy's abilities. Everything makes sense in this story.

Dr Greg Moran was killed by an unknown assailant while playing with his son on the playground. Timmy, who was three years old at that time, witnessed the killing and remembered the gunman had blue eyes. Before the gunman fled from the scene, he left a message to Timmy - "Timmy, tell your mother that she's next. Then it's your turn."

Laurie, Greg's wife, is an award-winning producer. She will launch a new series involving reenacting unsolved crimes based on the accounts of the victim's friends and relatives. The first case is about the death of a famous socialite Betsy Powell. She was found suffocated on the bed the following day after the graduation gala of her daughter and three other girls. The case remained unsolved for twenty years, and the husband, Robert Powell, determined to find the killer even after so many years.

Laurie's father, Leo, is a former deputy commissioner. He retired early after the death of his son-in-law. He appoints himself as Timmy's guardian and lives near Laurie's apartment.

Claire, Betsy's daughter and Robert's stepdaughter, was initially hesitant to accept the offer for the show as she hated her mother and loathed her stepfather. He used to keep sending money to her, but she rejected all his money. She experienced pneumonia a few months ago, which almost took her life. Having three hundred thousand dollars given by the show and Robert enables her to take some time off in Chicago as a social worker.

Regina is a real estate agent working in an office in her garage. She is divorced and has a nineteen years old son Zach. Initially, she was angry with the offer letter to participate in the reality show. However, when she thinks about her financial situation and her ex-husband is giving a lavish vacation to their son, she wishes she could do the same. She decides to take the three hundred thousand dollars and also to prove that she's not the killer.

Alison works as a pharmacist in a drugstore in Ohio after her elderly cousin retired. Her husband Rod used to be a promising quarterback working as her assistant after the hit-and-run accident causing him in a wheelchair. Like others, Alison was initially upset with the letter and didn't want to remember the night of Betsy's death. Although she was scared about the possibility of an unknown revelation, she decided to participate in the show. There were doubts and wondering whether she was sleepwalking into Betsy's room that night. Rod denied his suspicion that his wife was the killer, but inside, he doesn't sound convincing with the denial.

Nina Craig lives with her alcoholic mother and works as an extra. She left her ten-year marriage and had been single for three years. After her mother keeps pushing her to take the offer to appear in the reality show, she thinks maybe it's a stepping ladder for her to return to showbiz. Nina hates her mother, Muriel, who always blamed her for ruining her life by introducing Betsy to Robert Powell. This leads to her resentment toward Betsy when Betsy accuses Muriel of being a sore loser when Muriel is not appearing at the party. What Nina remembered about that night was Powell collapsed on the floor, and the housekeeper pulled the pillow from Betsy's face.

When Laurie expressed her concern regarding the financial situation, Robert Powell didn't hesitate to pay any amount of money to ensure the reenactment of that night at Salem Ridge will be done to get the murderer. While Laurie is discussing the financial issues in the house with Robert, the Blue Eye killer is working as a landscaper, thinking he will also be there when the Graduation girls film. He determines to get Laurie next after Greg and before Timmy.

All four girls hate Betsy, and even anyone involved with the Powell family hates both Rob Powell and Betsy. Everyone is a potential suspect for killing Betsy because of their grudges against the couple, including their housekeeper and Rob's best friend, George Curtis.

The narrative is straightforward, and the writing style is simple, not beating around the bush. There were no extra details, but the reader needs to remember the various characters with different backgrounds. The specifics are repetitive, but I'm all right with the repetition, as I need constant reminders with the details of the various characters.

The ending seemed taken lightly and ended with little detail or effort. It feels like the writer has had enough and wants the story to finish immediately. At that point, the ending doesn't matter whether it's great or bad.

Louis, with his wife and children, is moving into a big white house in Ludlow from Chicago after he was offered a job at the University of Maine. The story's beginning seems to suggest that Louis has a hysterical family that keeps testing his patience. On that tiresome afternoon, Louis met Judson Crandall, a local who lives across his house with his wife.

Nearby Louis's house, a path trail into the woods leads to the pet cemetery. The main road in front of Louis's house, Route 15, is a heavy-traffic road that has run down many animals. Louis's daughter Ellie has a cat named Churchill. Judson suggests Louis get Churchill to be neutered so that it doesn't tend to wander a lot.

One day, Jud brings the family to the woods to see the pet sematary. It's a cemetery for the pets and is well-taken care by the kids. The trip has upset Ellie, who had just started kindergarten. Ellie is worried about Churchill's passing and refuses to accept the inevitable cycle of life when Jud tries to talk sense to her. Unfortunately, Ellie's upset leads to an argument between Louis and his wife, Rachel. Rachel would not allow Ellie to venture to the pet sematary by herself, and she hates any discussions about death. Rachel's loss of her younger sister has made her deny the unavoidable.

Meanwhile, Louis experiences a strange incident on the first day of his work. A young man who is dying soon has been sent to the infirmary. Louis never expects the young man to know his name. Before the young man Victor Pascow dies, he tells Louis that the pet sematary is not a real sematary. Later that night, Victor visits Louis while he is sleeping. Louis can't differentiate between reality and dream. Victor brings him to the pet sematary and Louis sees a pile of moving bones and grinning skulls of humans and animals. The last thing Victor says to Louis is a warning not to go beyond the barrier, and destruction will soon fall on him and his family. Louis feels relieved after waking up to the real world the next day. But when he sees his foot is littered with pine needles, he realised what happened the night before is not a dream.

The story continues with how various characters deal with present or past death. When Churchill also experiences the inevitable, Jud guides Louis to the Micmac burial ground beyond the Pet Sematary. Louis thought this would be the end of everything. He never expects that something miraculous or supernatural will happen after that, which leads Louis to do the unthinkable when death visits one of his loved ones.

It isn't easy to get myself interested in the story. I was anticipating that something would happen that would change my mind, but it ended up I was getting into a deeper hole. I realised many readers don't like Stephen King's writing style. Sometimes, I admit it's too long-winded or filled with many superfluous details to the story. However, the main plot is usually unforgettable, and sometimes the ideas are really brilliantly interesting. As for this story, it only reached the main point after finishing almost half of the book. I really can't make myself to like it. I felt something is missing, something more that can elevate the story to a higher level.

On September 21, 1986, in Portland, Oregon, Randall Kelly Blighton drove his children to their mother's home in Beaverton after the weekend visitation. He was in his twenties, a truck salesman who had just divorced and heading back toward Portland via the Sunset Highway.

Around 8.30 pm on that warm Sunday night, a Toyota van was turned crosswise on the freeway, blocking the fast lane. As Randall planned to swerve around the van, he spotted a silhouette of an infant car seat in the van. He instantly went to the vehicle to look for a baby, but luckily no infant was found. Randall treated the seriously injured woman, who seemed no longer breathing and quickly went to the nearest house to ask someone to call for an ambulance.

Based on Randall and physical evidence, the detectives concluded that the van was deliberately left crosswise on the highway. The woman was bludgeoned to death, and the killer left her in the van so that other vehicles would hit the van. They later found from the driver's licence that the woman's name is Cheryl Keeton.

The story then shifted to Sara, a successful doctor who divorced three times and fell in love with Brad. Brad has already divorced four times and still has disagreements with his ex-wife regarding their children. Sara didn't have a good impression of Brad's ex-wife even though they never talk before. One day, when Brad and his ex-wife argued about the different school arrangements for one of their sons, Sara heard him shout the name of his estranged wife - Cheryl. Her name was Cheryl Keeton.

The narration follows with a lengthy description of Brad and Cheryl's family background. Brad's upbringing and his previous four marriages were described in detail by the writer. Then, the narration follows with Cheryl's family background, how she met Brad, her affair with Brad after her marriage and how their relationship changed her into a different person.

Besides Cheryl, the book includes the story of Brad's other wives and a girlfriend. It also expanded to Brad's nomadic life with his sons, which he treated as possessions to threaten his ex-wives. At the same time, Brad was hiding his sons from giving their accounts regarding the night of Cheryl's death. He is avoiding the authorities and any court trials linking him to Cheryl's murder.

I felt the overly detailed information could be monotonous and repetitive. The reporting tone can diminish the interest to continue reading the lengthy story. Sometimes, it's diverted to irrelevant details or further from the main plot. I found some of the given information unimportant. It only increased the complexity of understanding the story.

The narrator, Jang Jin-Sung, begins his life story with a mysterious trip to an unknown destination under tight scrutiny by Dear Leader's guards. He was excited to meet the Dear Leader after he got a hint a few days ago about being rewarded for his work. However, he was still anxious about being surrounded by more than twenty guards. Before meeting with the General, he and the other six civilians must clean his hands with an alcohol wipe and instructed not to look into his eyes when shaking hands with the General. When General Kim Jong-il appears to them while chasing after his puppy, the narrator shares a glimpse of disappointment with the General's lack of responses to their salutations. After the dinner, more questions emerge in the narrator's mind, trying to make sense of the contradiction between what he had been taught all this time and what he had witnessed about the Dear Leader.

The beginning of the narration offers a brief history of the Kim dynasty, which puts literature as the highest priority under their governance. Novels and poetry are occasionally used to praise the Kim family. Jang Jin-Sung became the youngest court poet and an employee of the United Front Department (UFD), giving him access to state secrets. UFD is an essential section of the Workers' Party responsible for inter-Korean espionage, policy-making and diplomacy. The department specialises in conducting psychological warfare operations against and concerning the South through cultural media such as the news, literary arts, music and film.

When Jang worked in the office, he had a South Korean pseudonym and transformed into a South Korean poet who wrote South Korean poetry and also a supporter of Kim Jong-il. The department has access to South Korean newspapers and books, which are restricted within the building. Their specialist work is rewarded with additional rations of imported food every Saturday taken from humanitarian materials.

The UFD is also responsible for creating news to be published in the Party newspaper or broadcast on television to convince the North Koreans that the country's achievements and strong leadership were admired by the people outside of the country. Then, the narration led to Jang's poetry receiving high praise from Kim Jong-il and being invited to become one of the 'Admitted' of Kim Jong-il. His new status guaranteed a privilege of immunity that allows him to be exempted from prosecution except for treason and explicit permission from Kim Jong-il himself.

Jang returned to his hometown and was bewildered by the state of poverty surrounding him. Many shabby hawkers sell their precious possessions, including tap water to anyone who wants to get their faces washed. There are also cotton comforters on sale stuffed with filters collected from old cigarette butts. Jang felt even more distressed after meeting his townsfolk and shocked when he learnt some had starved to death. He was filled with guilt for his privileged existence when he was surrounded by people in the impoverished state.

Jang struggled to write loyalist poetry after witnessing the impoverishment in his hometown. Due to his exposure to South Korean newspapers, he found more contradictory facts between what was being told and what he read from the outside world. This increased the difficulty for Jang to produce a poem with praises about the Leader. His conscience was tested whenever he discovered a different story about his country. While Jang was still seeking the truth then, he and his friend were forced to flee for their lives when his friend lost his book, which wasn't supposed to leave the perimeter of his office building.

The most distressing part for me was when Jang returned to his hometown, and the raw emotions were realistically expressed in the book. It's disheartening to read when his friend's family took three months to save a bowl of rice for him and later passed it around the family.

Besides telling his experience of fleeing North Korea, we also get to know the successes and failures of North Korean refugees after crossing the border. Men can be sent back to North Korea, or they can buy their way to South Korea if they have sufficient money. Unfortunately, women got a different life. North Korean women were graded like pigs and sold to men, which could end up on remote farms or married to a disabled man. Due to the buyers' heavy investment in those women, some women are kept in chains, preventing them from running away until they have their first baby.

Unfortunately, when I wished to know more about what happened to the author these recent years, what I found on the Internet was some shameful and disgusting news about his acts towards vulnerable women. I felt disappointed that he just threw the freedom that he had strived so hard for and that the death of his best friend seemed no longer meaningful to him. What a waste of life! I don't understand why someone who had a hard life and worked so hard for freedom had turned out to be like that in the end. Putting aside from the latest update about the author's life, the biography was well-written and filled with raw emotions. I wish I didn't look up his life on the Internet.