Fatal Beauty

February 14, 2011
Edgar Award-winner Barer's (Mom Said Kill) latest is a sordid and depressing tale of dysfunctional relationships, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, and the impotence of the Texas justice system to effectively address such problems. Barer presents the tale in a "just the facts, ma'am" style, following the fate of former rodeo star Rhonda Glover, whose physical attractiveness and lack of sexual inhibition were apparently so compelling to oil entrepreneur Jimmy Joste that he overlooked numerous alarming signs of her mental illness during the course of their relationship. He was found, partially decomposed, in his home in 2004. Charged with his murder, Glover was prevented by the state from claiming insanity and instead argued, unconvincingly, that she acted in self-defense. Barer's research is impressive, including diligent exposition of secondary subjects and a post-conviction interview wherein Glover offers her side of the story, but his stubborn chronology and detached tone saps the narrative of tension. The story lacks an organizing principle and, for lack of a better term, a soul. This lone star state "Shakespearean tragedy" has all the emotional impact of the nightly news. Photos.