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This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever written, but not because the topic wasn't interesting. Even after nearly two years of seeing the Scott Peterson case everywhere -- television, newspapers, magazines, and weekly tabloids -- people are still curious about Peterson and Frey. My difficulty is wanting to be truthful in my opinion of this book, without being judgmental.
Reading about Amber Frey's childhood made me empathize with her need for love and affection, and understand her looking for love in all the wrong places.
I admire Amber's courage in speaking out about her relationship with Peterson before his arrest, and in assisting the police. Yet I'm bothered by the use of a tragedy for personal gain and recognition. I admired Amber for being silent during the trying of the case; I wish she had continued her reticence. In my opinion, the book is an advertisement for Gloria Alread, and an attempted justification of Frey's actions. It certainly will be a source of income for the author.
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION offers no new revelations about the Peterson case. Amber writes about an abortion she had when younger, affairs with married men, and sex on first dates -- all the while talking about God and church. All of us, even the most pious Christian, are sinners and I certainly don't want to "cast the first stone." I would not presume to doubt Amber's faith; she may just be a young, uninformed believer, not a hypocrite. Yet there is certainly a dichotomy between her professed Christianity and her lifestyle.
Regan Books is an imprint of HarperCollins, a well-known publishing company. I would have thought that their fact checkers would have picked up on Amber's "quote" from the Bible: "Tomorrow never comes." This is not in any version of the Bible I've read. The Bible says we cannot know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:13-14), but I don't see how any Bible verse could have been paraphrased into "Tomorrow never comes." And it was evidently not meant to be a paraphrase, since it was in quotes in the book.
I was stunned and appalled to see Laci Peterson's smiling face on the cover, along with Scott Peterson's typical courtroom expression. These are small black-and-white photos in the background, behind a color photo of Amber Frey, wearing a cross. "Amber Frey" appears in large white letters at the top of the cover, "Witness" in red caps below, with "For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson" in much smaller white text. It's easy to see who the publisher is presenting as the star of the show.
I'm sure many will buy this book, hoping to learn something previously unrevealed about the Peterson case, but Frey adds nothing new, except details of her childhood and her gullibility regarding Peterson. Although the book is well written, many pages (18) are taken up with transcripts of Amber's taped telephone conversations with Peterson, and more pages are devoted to photographs. I am unable to recommend Frey's book, but I sincerely hope she will be able to move on, after all the notoriety, to a happier life with her children.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
April 22, 2005
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