Washed in the Blood

By: Shelton L. Williams

Narrated by: Kathy James

Washed in the Blood is a pause-resisting listen about the time - early 1960s - and place - Odessa, Texas - during its rowdy oil boom days when violence often rode the range. It is at once an examination of local mores and foibles, piety and hypocrisy, and an inside look at the famed "kiss and kill" murder of a 17-year-old would-be actress Betty Jean Williams, whose ghost is said to haunt the Odessa High School campus to this very day. And it is a courtroom saga starring the late trial super-lawyer Warren Burnett, along with a verdict that some think stood the blind Goddess of Justice on her head.

"What Shelton Williams has wrought here is worth both your time and your money." (Larry L. King, author of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas)

©2004, 2007 Shelton L. Williams (P)2019 Shelton L. Williams

Engaging and leaves readers thinking

AUDIO BOOK / PRINT COMBO REVIEW. In turns, I read this book with my ears and my eyes (and you don't want to miss the print version because of the numerous photographs author Shelton Williams included). It's a very quick story, coming in at just under 5 hours of listening and 181 pages, but readers will be invested -- particularly if they know West Texas. WASHED IN THE BLOOD vacillates between being a coming-of-age, 1960s memoir, glory-days-of-football story and an exploration of, social commentary about, and reflection upon the murder of the author's cousin, Betty. With a splash of courtroom drama and eye-witness testimony thrown in for good measure.

“No one noticed that I was a completely different person.”

More than anything, this book feels personal. Writing and telling Betty's story is clearly cathartic for the author, but also clear is that closure eludes him, even years after the murder. He sometimes speaks straight to Betty, and we even hear Betty speak (via her letters). Her words are painful to hear, and Williams doesn't shy away from sharing the impact of those words on him and all the questions that linger.

Readers who've read Williams's Covey Jencks series will recognize some of the real-life inspirations for his series, and listeners may recognize the audio book narrator, Kathy L. James, from the Covey Jencks books. In WASHED IN THE BLOOD, James does a wonderful job voicing Betty, but I think I would have preferred a male narrator because this is Williams's personal story. Additionally, James' delivery is somewhat unpolished, with too many mispronounced words, uneven delivery and transitions, and decidedly NOT Texan accent.

If you're getting this book in print, there are two versions available, and I've seen both. I recommend the one with the red cover (published by Zone Press) because the book is better edited and better formatted. (Though many of the black and white photos in the former are a bit clearer.) Overall, this is an engaging book that covers a lot of ground and leaves the reader thinking. I think the book would translate very well to the screen -- and maybe, just maybe that will happen.