--- product_id: 26474876 title: "The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial" price: "R698" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/26474876-the-red-parts-autobiography-of-a-trial store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial **Price:** R698 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial - **How much does it cost?** R698 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/26474876-the-red-parts-autobiography-of-a-trial) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Late in 2004, Maggie Nelson was looking forward to the publication of her book Jane: A Murder , a narrative in verse about the life and death of her aunt, who had been murdered thirty-five years before. The case remained unsolved, but Jane was assumed to have been the victim of an infamous serial killer in Michigan in 1969. Then, one November afternoon, Nelson received a call from her mother, who announced that the case had been reopened; a new suspect would be arrested and tried on the basis of a DNA match. Over the months that followed, Nelson found herself attending the trial with her mother and reflecting anew on the aura of dread and fear that hung over her family and childhood--an aura that derived not only from the terrible facts of her aunt's murder but also from her own complicated journey through sisterhood, daughterhood, and girlhood. The Red Parts is a memoir, an account of a trial, and a provocative essay that interrogates the American obsession with violence and missing white women, and that scrupulously explores the nature of grief, justice, and empathy. Review: Difficult, nuanced, excellent - This is not a true crime book in the general sense. It's a memoir of a woman dealing with the family trauma of a murder trial. The murder itself is far removed in time, the author never met the victim, who would have been her aunt. Still, it's gripping stuff. Incredibly well-written, moving, terrifying, lyrical. I'm glad I read it, and am not sure that any other book will be as satisfying for a while after this. Review: The Michigan Murders Revisited - In late 2004, a Michigan man whose only previous conviction was for a forged prescription was charged with the murder of woman who was thought to be a victim of serial killer John Norman Collins. Collins murder spree occurred in the late sixties. Almsot forty years later, old ghosts were dug up at a courthouse in Ann Arbor. The Red Parts is the story of Collins case revisited, but focuses on the one murder that never really fit with the rest. Jane Mixer was not raped. She was not stabbed or dumped in a secluded area. All of John Collins victims fit that M.O. She was shot in the head once to kill her, shot again in the head and then strangled. Her body was then dumped in The Denton Road Cemetery off of Michigan Avenue, four miles outside Ypsilanti. Author Maggie Nelson is the niece of Jane Mixer. She recalls as a child picking up a book called The Michigan Murders and looking for information on the aunt she never met. Years later, as an adult, she would go through her aunt's journals and discover what she was really like, no longer just the victim of a famous serial killer. This would lead to a book called Jane: A Murder, published in 2004. That same year, on the eve of it's publication she would get a phone call from an Ypsi detective saying "Your aunt's case is moving forward." After all this time, they had a suspect who was not John Norman Collins. The rest of the book is the personal story of Nelson's life around the time of the trial of Gary Leiterman, the man who eventually was convicted of her aunt's murder. It reminded me more of a book like Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar than a true crime book like The Michigan Murders. It's not just the facts, but more of a reflection on life, death, and justice. Nelson says she developed a "murder mind," an obsession with death and serial killers while researching Jane. The title has to do with the parts of the bible where Jesus spoke, which are often printed in red ink. When Nelson hears that term for the first time she immediately thinks of a disemboweled body, a symptom of her "murder mind." Overall the book is very well written and even if you have no interest in the case it's a good read. As I followed the case as it developed in 2004, it's especially interesting to read about it from an insider perspective. She describes the difficulty of seeing her aunt's autopsy photos with her family, as well as her relationship with the detectives, and Jane Mixer's college boyfriend. The death of Nelson's aunt affected her family not only for her mother's and grandparent's generation, but for her's as well, even though she wasn't even born when it occurred. The Michigan Murders happened forty years ago, and they still haunt Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. If you have read The Michigan Murders, this book is probably as good a sequel and we can expect to get. It is perhaps the last twist of Michigan's most famous murder spree. The Mixer case itself is one of the most bizarre murder cases I have ever read about. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #664,247 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #170 in Serial Killers True Accounts #2,434 in Memoirs (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.1 out of 5 stars 523 Reviews | ## Images ![The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1OW-BlL8ML.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Difficult, nuanced, excellent *by B***H on December 31, 2019* This is not a true crime book in the general sense. It's a memoir of a woman dealing with the family trauma of a murder trial. The murder itself is far removed in time, the author never met the victim, who would have been her aunt. Still, it's gripping stuff. Incredibly well-written, moving, terrifying, lyrical. I'm glad I read it, and am not sure that any other book will be as satisfying for a while after this. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Michigan Murders Revisited *by M***T on April 23, 2009* In late 2004, a Michigan man whose only previous conviction was for a forged prescription was charged with the murder of woman who was thought to be a victim of serial killer John Norman Collins. Collins murder spree occurred in the late sixties. Almsot forty years later, old ghosts were dug up at a courthouse in Ann Arbor. The Red Parts is the story of Collins case revisited, but focuses on the one murder that never really fit with the rest. Jane Mixer was not raped. She was not stabbed or dumped in a secluded area. All of John Collins victims fit that M.O. She was shot in the head once to kill her, shot again in the head and then strangled. Her body was then dumped in The Denton Road Cemetery off of Michigan Avenue, four miles outside Ypsilanti. Author Maggie Nelson is the niece of Jane Mixer. She recalls as a child picking up a book called The Michigan Murders and looking for information on the aunt she never met. Years later, as an adult, she would go through her aunt's journals and discover what she was really like, no longer just the victim of a famous serial killer. This would lead to a book called Jane: A Murder, published in 2004. That same year, on the eve of it's publication she would get a phone call from an Ypsi detective saying "Your aunt's case is moving forward." After all this time, they had a suspect who was not John Norman Collins. The rest of the book is the personal story of Nelson's life around the time of the trial of Gary Leiterman, the man who eventually was convicted of her aunt's murder. It reminded me more of a book like Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar than a true crime book like The Michigan Murders. It's not just the facts, but more of a reflection on life, death, and justice. Nelson says she developed a "murder mind," an obsession with death and serial killers while researching Jane. The title has to do with the parts of the bible where Jesus spoke, which are often printed in red ink. When Nelson hears that term for the first time she immediately thinks of a disemboweled body, a symptom of her "murder mind." Overall the book is very well written and even if you have no interest in the case it's a good read. As I followed the case as it developed in 2004, it's especially interesting to read about it from an insider perspective. She describes the difficulty of seeing her aunt's autopsy photos with her family, as well as her relationship with the detectives, and Jane Mixer's college boyfriend. The death of Nelson's aunt affected her family not only for her mother's and grandparent's generation, but for her's as well, even though she wasn't even born when it occurred. The Michigan Murders happened forty years ago, and they still haunt Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. If you have read The Michigan Murders, this book is probably as good a sequel and we can expect to get. It is perhaps the last twist of Michigan's most famous murder spree. The Mixer case itself is one of the most bizarre murder cases I have ever read about. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I like that God is present in the story and that ... *by I***I on April 24, 2016* A stunning piece of writing . A powerful and deeply personal memoir that expound the grief of a family after a horrific act of violence. I like that God is present in the story and that the author doesn't sugar coat the horrific violence and how it effect not only the victim but those associated with the victim. There. Are a lot of chilling moments in this book told from a person that doesn't mince words. It is a fearless look at violence and its aftermath. This is a good read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/26474876-the-red-parts-autobiography-of-a-trial](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/26474876-the-red-parts-autobiography-of-a-trial) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-09-27*