Diane Fanning

This book details the shocking death of a church of Christ minister, Matthew Winkler by his wife Mary. This true crime occurred in Tennessee in 2006. Fanning covers the trial extensively and delves into the background of both Mary and Matthew.

As in any crime or trial, there are a multitude of unanswered questions. Was the shooting intentional or an accident? Only Mary knows, and she may not know for sure. Was the emotional and physical abuse as bad as described? Again, only Mary knows. Was justice served? Was the best interest of the children served by returning them to Mary after her sentence was served? Many questions linger that remain unanswered.

This is a fascinating story and book that I read in only 3 days. I just could not stand to put it down. I highly recommend it, especially for fans of true crime stories.

My only complaint is Fanning’s story has much false information about the church of Christ. Starting with the title, Winkler was not a pastor. A pastor is the same as a church elder, of which the Bible indicates there must be a plurality. One man alone cannot serve scripturally as an elder, and furthermore, Winker was not an elder, nor was he qualified to be an elder. Fanning repeatedly refers to a “sanctuary” in the building. No church of Christ refers to their building, or any part of it, as a sanctuary. The building is not holy, people are. Without belaboring the point, there are other inaccuracies regarding the church of Christ in the book. Other than these quibbles, I highly recommend the book.… (mer)