Room 1203: O. J. Simpson's Las Vegas Conviction

By: Andy Caldwell

Narrated by: Mark Kamish

"You think you can steal my s--t and sell it?"

In 1995, NFL great and movie star O. J. Simpson beat a murder rap for the death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. But in 2007, his luck with avoiding Lady Justice ran out in Las Vegas.

Room 1203 is the true story of the convoluted and bizarre events surrounding a violent armed robbery of a sports memorabilia collector in a Vegas hotel. On that night, Simpson put an exclamation mark on his spectacular fall from the height of Hollywood's glamour and glitz to a shadowy world of scams and schemers in Sin City.

Written by the lead detective assigned to the case, the audiobook provides details, insights, and facts not previously reported, as well as the investigation that pieced the crime together and landed an arrogant man who believed he was above the law in a Nevada prison.

©2017 WildBlue Press (P)2018 WildBlue Press

Never a dull moment...

Would you listen to Room 1203: O. J. Simpson's Las Vegas Conviction again? Why?

Yes! There was never a dull moment in this book. Initially I wondered if the details of this bizarre news story would be interesting enough to hold my attention for over 7 hrs. (duration of the audio book) and the answer is yes.

What other book might you compare Room 1203: O. J. Simpson's Las Vegas Conviction to and why?

Indefensible: The Missing Truth about Steven Avery, Teresa Halbach, and Making a Murderer by Michael Griesbach...There is nothing like reading a book penned by someone intimately familiar with the details of a case. I find books like Room 1203 and Indefensible to far more believable than all the nonsense hype the media drums up. If you're really interested in what really happened read a book (or a few) written by one of the professionals involved in the case, period. In fact, this is exactly what author Andy Caldwell did after OJ's Las Vegas conviction...he read books penned by Clark and Furhman about Simpson's CA murder trial.

What does Mark Kamish bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought Kamish did a great job - his tone was very conversational, as if the case was being discussed with an extremely knowledgeable friend. He used several different accents and did a nice job with all of them. He also read some truly awkward parts (endless transcript) and managed to keep the content engaging through inflections and tone.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, not an extreme reaction. If anything I felt frustrated along with Caldwell....OJ Simpson is just such a bad dude; it was hard to hear (in detail) about how he's been gallivanting around, living it up, hiding money he owes to victims...he's disgraceful. That being said, I felt relieved when the book reached it's climax and Simpson was convicted, though now it's 2018 and I know he's out and about again. I doubt this is the last we've heard of OJ....odds are he'll get into some sort of trouble again.

Any additional comments?

I would like to thank Andy Caldwell, Mark Kamish, and Audio Book Boom for the complimentary copy of Room 1203: O. J. Simpson's Las Vegas Conviction in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

Well Worth Your While

Let me just say up front that this is a terrific audiobook, well done from start to finish. Andy Caldwell did an excellent job of covering the O.J. Simpson Las Vegas armed robbery case from start to finish. Just enough detail to let you know what happened but not overdoing it with minutiae. Considering Caldwell was the lead investigator on the case and not a professional writer makes the job even more outstanding.

Mark Kamish’s narration is the perfect compliment to this well-written book. Mark keeps you interested but doesn’t overdo it. I finished this book off in a day which is saying a lot; a highly recommended listen.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Informative but off putting

Although I find the audiobook extremely informative and interesting, the author and lead detective, to me, seems pompous, “never wrong”, full of himself, the list could go on. Although he may be a very good detective he seems like an (insert expletive) hole which, again to me, was off putting.

Interesting read

Interesting true crime case of O.J. Simpson armed robbery in Las Vegas. This gives the inside information on the detective work that went into bringing Simpson to justice.

Just Getting My Stuff Back...

This was really good! As Benjamin Franklin once said "If you tell a lie long enough, it soon will become fact". Yes, indeed! A motto that O.J. surely lives by, as it has apparently served him quite well over the years. Until THIS time. Without this crime being recorded, it may have turned out much differently - AGAIN.

It is disgusting how the media ran nonstop with (and stuck by) O.J.s often repeated story-lie of Hey man, I was just getting my stuff back...when it was NOT his stuff. To the point of public brainwashing. And of course, downplaying the whole armed robbery intention with GUNS as well! When I told my friend I was listening to this book, HE even said Ohhh, that case where O.J. was trying to get his stuff back??? Ughhhh. Unbelievable. Might have to unfriend him...Lol

This book gives you ALL the details, including transcripts of the actual crime being committed recordings. Even though I thought I knew most of the facts, this was quite revealing. For those that have been (and are) blinded by the celebrity light, this book will let you see (and hear!) the real man.

This narrator was fantastic! You would swear that this was actually Andy (author) doing the narration himself! The delivery sounded JUST like a real detective who had been through this personally...and emotionally. I felt like I was there, and on the case with him. Great choice!!! Loved it.

I was provided this audiobook at no cost to me for an honest review - and under the threat of perjury - I swear its a good one ;)

Excellent Excellent Excellent!!!

This book told me almost everything I could want to know about this case. There is so much inside information the average person never heard about. Having been the lead detective, the author takes the reader step by step through the whole case, right from the beginning. It is well written and explained in detail so I could get a feeling of how emotional and frustrating it was. He gives us a very real sense of just how much more difficult it was to lead an investigation of someone who is famous and who the public wants to hear about. We get a good look at what really happened during the armed robbery in a Las Vegas hotel room and how O.J. thought he could get away with it. His arrogance really comes through! For anyone who has any interest in this case, I highly recommend reading or listening to this book. I have read and listened to many true crime books over the years and I have to say this is one of the best so far. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Excellent first-hand account

Even though THIS Simpson trial was all over the news at the time, I personally knew very few details about the crime. This book, written by the lead detective, comes across as a very honest recounting of what would be Simpson's third trial in 13 years. The Narrator did an excellent job reading Detective Caldwell's version of the crime and the trial. I highly recommend this book.

Fantastic Listen!

I am old enough to remember the love affair that Americans once had with O.J. Simpson. A gifted athlete, charming and affable, he seemed to have everything going for him as he lived the American dream. We were awed by his talent on the football field and later followed his careers as broadcaster and actor. I chuckled watching him run through airports in the Hertz commercials and loved his goofy role as Nordberg in The Naked Gun movies.

Fast forward to 1994, when we were glued to our televisions watching the Bronco chase unfold before our eyes. This was nothing compared to the "Trial of the Century" the following year, where he stood trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and Ronald Goldman. I was working the night shift at the time and was riveted to my television for the many months of the trial. Regardless of the verdict, I believe the trial was instrumental in bringing the fledgling science of DNA evidence to the forefront. These days, DNA evidence is a universally accepted tool in criminal proceedings and is more reliable than fingerprints.

After the trial, most of us probably thought (and perhaps hoped) that this would be the last we ever heard of "The Juice". Unfortunately this was not to be the case. One of the most polarizing figures in recent history, O.J. was accused of armed robbery in Las Vegas in 2007.

Room 1203 is the detailed account of this event, including the initial response by the police and the subsequent investigation and trial. It is told through the observations of Detective Andy Caldwell, the lead investigator in the case. What should have been a simple case was complicated by the fact that one of the accused was O.J. Simpson. Detective Caldwell's meticulous investigation of this case offers the listener information and insight that only he could provide. His expertise and attention to detail really shines in this story. Anything that you ever wanted to know about this case, including some actual transcripts and recordings, can be found here.

Beyond the facts of the case, we are offered a rare glimpse into actual police procedure and the inner workings of how cases are prepared. From arrest warrants, search warrants, investigative techniques, to the use of Miranda, we are made privy to the intricacies of the profession. There are so many technical aspects to police work that I wasn't aware of and the author went the extra mile by explaining them in detail. I also appreciated the occasional humor that he provided - the smelly feet come to mind.

One of the aspects of this audiobook that really annoyed me was the role of the media. It's one thing for a suspect to try to downplay or even justify his actions but how could the media buy into this even when the facts were staring them in the face? I really sympathized with the detective. When I told my boyfriend that I was listening to an audiobook about O.J.'s Las Vegas trial, I had exactly the same experience as another reviewer. He said "Oh, you mean the one where he took his stuff back?" Yep, another brainwashing victim. *sigh*

If I was not aware that the audiobook was actually narrated by Mark Kamish, I would have thought it was the voice of the author. It sounded so authentic that I often envisioned Detective Caldwell telling his own story. This was truly great narration. I really enjoyed Room 1203 and would highly recommend it.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

It is detailed but you learn what really happened

This is very detailed. This might make it slow but it gives you the felling that this is what happened. I listened to some of the trail at the time, and believed that he was getting his own stuff back, so now I am much better informed. I liked the style of writing but can see that it might be a little slow and not as exciting as you might expect.

Good!

Really interesting true crime story with a unique perspective. Narration was good as well.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The fact that I was gifted this book had no influence over my opinion of it.