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N. Leigh Hunt

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I Don't Like Mondays: The True Story Behind America’s First Modern School Shooting Kindle Edition

by N. Leigh Hunt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.8 297 ratings

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An in-depth look into America’s first modern school shooting, featuring interviews with witnesses, local reporters, and the killer herself.

In 1979, Brenda Spencer, a seemingly average teenage girl living in a nice suburban neighborhood, made and executed plans that would place her in infamy and set a violent and terrifying national precedent. She receives a rifle for Christmas and a month later set her sights and opens fire on the elementary school across the street.

The event is forever glorified by the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats and marks the bloody beginning of the American phenomenon of school shootings. Long before Columbine and Sandy Hook, there was Brenda Spencer . . .

I Don’t Like Mondays: The True Story of America’s First Modern School Shooting sifts through the mythology that has sprung up around this fateful day, presenting the raw and riveting facts for the first time. This book lays bare this seemingly average teenage girl’s brutal motives and subsequent arrest.

N. Leigh Hunt spent years researching and uncovering shocking details from officers, investigators, and lost police dispatches. He has interviewed people who were on the scene and local reporters who spoke with the perpetrator directly after her shooting spree. Hunt has even cultivated an unlikely rapport with the killer and through personal interviews, has shed light on previously unknown details about her upbringing and influences.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Given its subject, no reader would be surprised to find I Don't Like Mondays disturbing,. I certainly did. But for me, the disturbance arose in some unexpected ways. As Hunt's account progresses from the shooting and rescue efforts, to the arrest, to the aftermath and legal dimensions of the case, I found myself struck along the way by the misery of the stories adjacent to Spencer's." - San Diego Reader --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

N. Leigh Hunt is a crime historian and broadcaster in the United Kingdom.
He is a member of the American Society of Criminology and considered an expert on the "I Don't Like Monday's" school shooting in 1979 and the Cokeville School Crisis in 1986.
He is is currently doing further research on the Cokeville Hostage Crisis and a local missing persons case. He thinks of San Diego as his hometown and lives in Olney, Buckinghamshire. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTSHHMD5
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WildBlue Press (August 30, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2980 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 360 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #885,738 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #238 in Mass Murder Biographies & Memoirs
- #506 in History of Western U.S.
- #1,497 in Biographies & Memoirs of Criminals

Customer Reviews:
3.8 297 ratings

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N. Leigh Hunt

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N. Leigh Hunt is a crime historian and broadcaster in the United Kingdom. He is a member of the American Society of Criminology and considered an expert on the “I Don’t Like Monday’s” school shooting in 1979 and the Cokeville School Crisis in 1986.

He is is currently doing further research on the Cokeville Hostage Crisis and a local missing persons case.

He thinks of San Diego as his hometown and lives in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5

297 global ratings

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Sheryl-Lyn

Great read

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

I grew up in San Diego, and have always been fascinated by this crime. When this occurred, I was attending the nearby Hearst Elementary. The news coverage was incredible. A girl that attended the same high school as my mother had, many years prior, was shooting kids at a near by school. It was unfathomable at the time. Being so young, I could not quite process or retain all of the information about the event. Reading this book filled in so many details that I had never known. The author clearly investigated every aspect of this crime, and has shared his wealth of knowledge on the subject. I highly suggest reading this book. After having watched so many school shootings on the TV, over the past several years, we take for granted the rapid response by police and teachers to help save lives. This book throws you right into the chaos of the first school shooting, and how people's abilities to even grasp at the reality of the situation was slow to take hold. I look forward to the authors next book.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

The blurb pretty much describes the start of the story

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

I was browsing around for something new to read when stumbling onto this one. With new I mean something not part of any book series that I have going currently. It is stated that the book is part of a series called Samantha Kane. Starting to read it is a bit of a gamble though since there is only one book published so far in the series. After having read it I do hope that the author continues the series.

The blurb pretty much describes the start of the story. Luckily there is much more happening in the book than Samantha’s personal issues with family and colleagues. The crazy man is, of course, far from crazy and I did quite quickly take a liking to him. Unfortunately I am not to happy about some of the events concerning him and his possible role in future books.

The core of the story is one I like quite a lot. Young person, Samantha Kane, discovers that there are things that go bump in the night and that she is part of the ones doing the bumping. I always like to read these “surprise” stories.

I also liked the main protagonist. She is quite likable, can stand her ground and do not go around whining about how unfair life is all the time.

Apart from wizards and magic there are vampires, werewolves and such like magical creatures roaming around. The book provides us with yet another take on what vampires are and how they tick. I cannot say that this one is significantly better or worse than a lot of the ones I have read before but it is plausible, in the context of a fantasy book, and it is always nice with some new ideas.

A lot of the book, pretty much all of it actually, is universe building and setting up the scene for future stories. There is still quite a bit of action going on though. Should I complain about anything it is that the author is rushing things a bit. Samantha goes a wee bit quickly from magical newbie to serious ass-kicker. I would have liked a bit more time spent in training.

Overall it is an enjoyable read. I hope the author publishes more books about Samantha Kane since I quite liked this one.

One person found this helpful

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Julie YB

Interesting Facts

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2023

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Great information with a sometimes difficult narrative to follow. Was it bland? Yes. I read and re-read much of the story. The writing style seemed to cause me to lose interest and drift away without realizing it. The story is interesting enough to want to get back to though.

This book has typos and it hung me up at times. Perhaps I'm especially sensitive to that sort of thing, and maybe it just annoys me.

3 people found this helpful

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BettyF

Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2023

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What I most liked about this book is that it gave the whole story. Almost all true crime novels lead up to the criminal being caught . Some even go through the entire trial. This book continued on to her time in jail, her relationship with cell mates and family members, her parole hearings.

One person found this helpful

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Blair

Confusing writing and off timeline

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2023

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I was excited to see a book about Brenda Spencer because not a lot has been written about her. I don't think this book added anything to what has already been said. We keep being reintroduced to characters two or three chapters after get are first introduced, there are too long sections of the book that are transcripts, and a ton of speculation.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Simon N.

Informative, personal, thoughtful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2022

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The author has drawn on personal experience from both his father who was leading the line in local journalism to his knowledge of an area he grew up in. Excellent depth in research and all based on actuals rather than what ifs and maybes. The authors access to the shooter for comment and insights adds a grim reality to an already superbly written book. Definitely one that can’t be put down.

One person found this helpful