• Subscribe
  • Submit Your Book Proposal
    • Romance Submissions
  • Blog
  • About WBP
  • Contact Us
  • Award Winners
  • Featured Books

WildBlue Press True Crime Website

Great Reads from Exceptional Authors

Great Reads from
Exceptional Authors

  • Romance
  • True Crime
  • Thrillers
  • Science Fiction
  • Mystery
  • Horror
  • Fantasy
  • History
  • Business

Author John Ferak Pens an Updated Epilogue for the WRECKING CREW 5th Anniversary, November 2023

Get WRECKING CREW (NEW EDITION)
--
eBook
Amazon Kindle eBook
Paperback
Amazon Trade Paperback
Audiobook
Audible Audiobook
Hard Cover
Amazon Hard Cover

“Ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department and the reason Sweaty’s license was suspended. Framing Avery was just par for the course."
—Kathleen Zellner

Lawyer beind a desk and black and white image of her with convicted man

Updated 5th Anniversary Edition Including Exclusive Interview with Steve Avery

In 2016-17, while working for the USA TODAY NETWORK's Wisconsin Investigative Team, author John Ferak wrote dozens of articles examining the murder case against Steven Avery, who had already beaten one wrongful conviction only to be charged again with the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005. This case captured global attention through the Netflix documentary "Making A Murderer." 

In this anniversary edition of WRECKING CREW: Demolishing the Case Against Steven Avery, Ferak not only lays out in meticulous detail the post-conviction strategy of Kathleen Zellner, the high-profile, high-octane lawyer fighting to free Avery but also includes a new "Five Years Later" section. This update provides fresh insights and developments in Avery's ongoing legal battle.  

Additionally, this special edition features an exclusive epilogue: a November 2023 interview with Steven Avery. For this book, Zellner, arguably America's most successful wrongful conviction attorney, granted Ferak unprecedented access to the exhaustive pro bono efforts she and her small suburban Chicago law firm have invested in a man she believes to be wrongfully ensnared by Manitowoc County's unscrupulous justice system. This anniversary edition offers new revelations and a comprehensive look at a case that continues to stir public debate and demand justice.

Accolades for WRECKING CREW

John Ferak is an investigative journalist who is trying to figure out who committed the murder. He takes all of my evidence, expert opinions and theories and really examines them in detail. [Making a Murderer] touched on some of my investigation and expert experiments but not in as much detail as the book. The series explores many collateral matters, while the book zeroes-in on suspects and motives for the murder, which was not a focal point in the series.” —Attorney Kathleen Zellner, interview with Newsweek Magazine

Whatever you thought you believed about this infamous case, get ready to change your mind or be more convinced than ever. … Fascinating." —New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson

If you're planning to binge-watch Making a Murderer 2 over the holidays, order John Ferak's new book Wrecking Crew, too. Definitive chronicle of criminal justice corruption in Manitowoc County." —Michelle Malkin, host of Michelle Malkin Investigates on CRTV.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Man with glasses and blue shirt with arms crossed

Author John Ferak

JOHN FERAK, a native of Joliet, Illinois, returned to his roots in 2017 to become the editor/reporter for the Joliet Patch. He previously spent five years with the Wisconsin Investigative Team for USA TODAY NETWORK and nine years in Nebraska at the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. He is the author of several true crime books, including TERROR TOWN, USA, FAILURE OF JUSTICE, and DIXIE'S LAST STAND. He is an authority on wrongful arrest and conviction cases.  

Filed Under: Bestseller True Crime, John Ferak, John Ferak Books, New Releases, Print Books, True Crime Books Tagged With: Chicago, crime investigation, Detective, Illinois, Investigative Journalism, John Ferak, Joliet, Kathleen T. Zellner, lawyers, making a murderer, Murder, murder investigation, new edition, steven avery, True Crime, true crime author, true crime books, update, USA Today, WRECKING CREW, wrongful conviction
November 28, 2023 By John Ferak

Comments

  1. Linda says

    November 20, 2018 at 8:28 pm

    I’m definitely gonna buy this book!! Can’t wait to read

  2. Rhonda says

    December 21, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    I purchased the e-book the day it was released. Because of a busy fall class schedule and finals, I didn’t get a chance to read it. Until the last two days! I couldn’t stop reading. I can’t even say what I found most shocking, even though I’ve watched both MaM and MaM2 twice, suffice it to say, I can’t believe someone in the state of Wisconsin LE/judicial system<< joke, hasn't cracked under the pressure of Kathleen Zellner and her "wrecking crew"! This account is so detailed and credible and if you were a "guilter" before, you won't be when your done with John Ferak's "Wrecking Crew"
    @zellnerlaw #workwithzellner

  3. Sharon Bird says

    December 26, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    If you are obsessed as I am, along with thousands of viewers, with Netflix series MAKING A MURDERER, you absolutely WILL NOT want to miss out on this book. There are sooo many details, thanks to this author’s research & coorboration with Kathleen Zellner.. Truthfully I did not want the book to end. There are mountains of details that WRECK the prosecution’s so-called evidence that I don’t see how any law enforcement agent involved is not behind bars.. BUY THIS BOOK; you won’t be disappointed!!

  4. Eric Rearden says

    June 17, 2022 at 12:55 am

    The author is a gifted orator. Charismatic and persuasive. However, Steven Avery is where he belongs for another murder.
    “In November 2005, with his civil suit still pending, he was arrested for the murder of Wisconsin photographer Teresa Halbach, and in 2007 was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. The conviction was upheld by higher courts.”

  5. Eric Rearden says

    June 17, 2022 at 12:59 am

    My reference to “the author” is to Ms. Zellner.. My error. The author is plainly an exceptional writer.

WRECKING CREW

Buy 5th-Anniversary Edition of WRECKING CREW: Demolishing The Case Against Steven Avery by John Ferak now:

Amazon Kindle eBook  eBook
Amazon Trade Paperback  Paperback
Audible Audiobook  Audiobook
Amazon Hard Cover  Hard Cover

INTERNATIONAL KINDLE EBOOKS
USA  UK  Canada  Australia  Germany  France  Spain  Japan  Italy  Brazil  India  Mexico

GET A FREE AUDIBLE AUDIOBOOK

Get this Title for FREE at Audible with a free trialGet this Audible Title for FREE with a 30-day free trial

Buy WRECKING CREW: Demolishing The Case Against Steven Avery by John Ferak now:

Apple eBookAmazon Kindle eBookBarnes & Noble Nook eBookBooks A Million eBookKobo eBookGoogle Play eBook  eBook
Amazon Trade Paperback  Paperback
Apple AudiobookAudible Audiobook  Audiobook

INTERNATIONAL KINDLE EBOOKS
USA  UK  Canada  Australia  Germany  France  Spain  Japan  Italy  Brazil  India  Mexico

GET A FREE AUDIBLE AUDIOBOOK

Get this Title for FREE at Audible with a free trialGet this Audible Title for FREE with a 30-day free trial

LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OF THE AUDIOBOOK

More From John Ferak

audiobook cover featuring an attorney at her desk

John Ferak’s WRECKING CREW Anniversary Edition Audiobook, Narrated by Kevin Pierce is Available Now!

WRECKING CREW: Demolishing the Case Against Steven Avery, the 5th-anniversary edition by John Ferak, is now available as an audiobook narrated by the renowned Kevin Pierce! This audiobook takes a profound and multifaceted dive into the intricacies of … [Read More...]

Lawyer beind a desk and black and white image of her with convicted man

Author John Ferak Pens an Updated Epilogue for the WRECKING CREW 5th Anniversary, November 2023

"Ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department and the reason Sweaty's license was suspended. Framing Avery was just par for the course." -Kathleen Zellner Updated 5th Anniversary Edition Including … [Read More...]

TERROR TOWN USA John Ferak Kindle Cover

TERROR TOWN, USA

During the early morning hours of July 17, 1983, fatigue became a factor for the young couple from central Illinois who spent their day under the hot sun at Marriott’s Great America amusement park north of Chicago. On their drive home, the tired … [Read More...]

FAILURE OF JUSTICE: A Brutal Murder, An Obsessed Cop, Six Wrongful Convictions; A True Crime Thriller By John Ferak

'MAKING A MURDERER' TIMES SIX! If the dubious efforts of law enforcement that led to the case behind MAKING A MURDERER made you cringe, your skin will crawl at the injustice portrayed in FAILURE OF JUSTICE: A Brutal Murder, An Obsessed Cop, Six … [Read More...]

Body of Proof Cover-Final

Discredited CSI Commander At The Heart of John Ferak’s True Crime BODY OF PROOF

Tainted Evidence In The Murder of Jessica O'Grady?   Jessica O’Grady was a tall, starry-eyed co-ed in search of finding her Mr. Right. Christopher Edwards was a 19-year-old deceitful and darkened soul. David Kofoed was a veteran crime lab … [Read More...]

More True Crime From WildBlue Press

Model Detective: A True Story of Heels, Handcuffs and Homicides by Michele Wood

Model Detective – Inside the Mind of a Female Homicide Boss

Leading Murder Investigations in a Man's World, She Broke the Glass Ceiling-With Handcuffs. MODEL DETECTIVE: A True Story of Heels, Handcuffs and Homicides takes readers where true crime has never gone before-inside the heart, mind, and soul of a … [Read More...]

THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father's Confession to His Son, True Crime by Joseph Cibelli

THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father’s Confession to His Son

When the Tylenol murders follow you home. The son who dared to expose the truth. Chicago, 1982. Seven people swallowed Tylenol capsules meant to heal, then they died within minutes. America changed overnight, then the killer vanished into darkness, … [Read More...]

In Public Record: A Journey To The Truth Of A Murder And Trial

Acquitted in court. Convicted in public opinion. September 1990. In Shaker Heights, Ohio, teenage honors student Lisa Lee Pruett vanishes into the night. A boy calls 911 when she does not arrive for a secret late-night meet-up. Police soon find her … [Read More...]

WHERE MURDER LIES: Death And Deception In West Hollywood by Burl Barer and Frank C. Girardot Jr.

WHERE MURDER LIES: Death And Deception In West Hollywood

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight… The murder of a retired Los Angeles school teacher in 2004 never made the evening news, yet within hours arrests were made, charges filed, and a speedy conviction sent to prison Jimmy Kitlas, an … [Read More...]

Empire City Under Siege_Craig McGuire_true crime fbi mob

The Story Behind the Story: EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE and Finding Heroes

The following is excerpted from EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE: Three Decades of New York FBI Field Office Manhunts, Murders, and Mafia Wars which features the true stories from Anthony John Nelson, who served four decades of distinguished law enforcement … [Read More...]

Murder In The Graveyard: A Family Cult Tragedy by Frank Stanfield

Murder In The Graveyard: A Family Cult Tragedy

The 911 Call That Opened Hell's Door. One Confession. A Lifetime of Terror. The 911 call was harrowing. "I accidentally killed someone. Please!" the man said, his voice rising. "Who?" "My stepmom. My name is Ian Anselmo. Sue-Ellen Anselmo, she's in … [Read More...]

EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE: Three Decades of New York FBI Field Office Manhunts, Murders, and Mafia Wars by Craig McGuire, Anthony John Nelson

EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE – An Explosive True Crime Memoir

An FBI Agent's Harrowing Journey Through NYC's Darkest Decades EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE: Three Decades Of New York FBI Field Office Manhunts, Murders, And Mafia Wars shares true stories of an FBI Special Agent spanning three tumultuous decades in New … [Read More...]

THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS: Haunting True Crime Stories of Women and Their Cold Cases

THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS: Haunting True Crime Stories of Women Cold Cases

Powerful. Emotional. Unforgettable. The True Stories Behind the Statistics. In a world where every crime tells a story, some voices remain eerily silent. In The Forgotten Girls, Dr. Alyce Clark, a passionate investigator and scholar, invites you to … [Read More...]

Bookshelf

New Releases
Featured Books
Coming Soon
Award Winners

True Crime
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Mysteries
History
Horror
Thrillers
Business
Biography
• John Hinckley Jr.
• Presiding Over Shadows
• Dances With Donkeys
• Secrets Of A Hollywood Private Eye
• Escape From Mariupol
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Middle Years
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Early Years
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Final Years
True Crime
• Barrels And Backroads
• Model Detective
• The Tylenol Murders
• In Public Record
• Where Murder Lies
• Where Murder Lies
• Murder In The Graveyard
• Empire City Under Siege
• The Forgotten Girls
• The Las Vegas Massacre Connections
• Every Killer Leaves A Trace
• Cruel And Unusual Punishment
• The Serial Killer Travel Guide Across America
• Greg Scarpa, Legendary Evil
• Speaking Truth To Evil
• Chasson's Run
• Depraved Obsession
• Storm Of Suspicion
• The Crack City Strangler
• The Dumond Affair
• A Murder On Campus
• Obsessed
• The Delphi Murders
• Chained Birds
• The Last Story
• The Baby Doll Serial Killer
• Lethal Doses
• The Lewiston Shootings
• Beyond The Headlines
• Baker, Liar, Con Man, Thief
• Of Mobsters And Movie Stars
• I Will Ruin You
• The Gabardine Gang
• Becoming Clark Rockefeller
• Wrecking Crew (New Edition)
• Monsters On The Loose
• Murderers' Row, Volume Four
• Grim Paradise
• Bad Henry
• Stealing Manhattan
• Precious Few Clues
• Death By Talons
• Lou And Jonbenet
• Hidden Demons
• Love Me To Death
• By The Side Of The Road
• Going Under
• I Don't Like Mondays
• The Tuskegee Strangler
• The Decision To Kill
• All Along The Watchtower
• Ted Bundy
• Carmine And The 13Th Avenue Boys
• The Curse Of The Turtle
• Jane Doe 9
• Watch Me Die
• Mystery At The Blue Sea Cottage
• The Wheels Of Justice
• Terror Town, Usa
• Raging On
• The 'Peyton Place' Murder
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Four
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers
• First Degree Rage
• The Garden State Parkway Murders
• Mothers And Murderers
• Playing Dead
• Gabacho
• You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan
• Wrecking Crew
• My Son, The Killer
• The Killing Game
• Shots In The Dark
• His Garden
• Burned
• The Case Of The Zodiac Killer
• The Beast I Loved
• Sidetracked
• Targeted
• Held Hostage
• Room 1203
• A Special Kind Of Evil
• Brooklyn's Most Wanted
• Betrayal In Blue
• Murderers Row
• Murder In The Family
• Smooth Talker
• A Taste For Murder
• Man Overboard
• Bogeyman
• The Moneymaker
• Coal Country Killing
Thriller
• Last Hunt
• The Dead Soul
• Gasping For Air
• Big Dogs
• The Shadowmaker
• A Nest Of Snakes
• Lockout
Mystery
• Deaf Row
• Murder At Mardi Gras
• Raptor's Ridge
• Headlock
• The Obituary
• Naked Addiction
• The Deadline
Science Fiction
• Gremmie's Reef
• Rubicon
• Timberwolf
• Dark Visions
• Hunter
Fantasy
• Dawn Of Legacy
• Destruction Of Justice
History
• Above The Ground
• Fields Of Fortune
• Legion Rising
• The Korean Crisis
• Tempest Tost
• Saving Sandoval
• Killing Rasputin
• Lucky Lady
Romance
• To Bloom Again
• All My Favorite People
• Raven
• My Best And Last
• Created
• Crevice
• When Fall Fades
Business
• Business Brilliance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Hunter's Moon

New Releases

Model Detective: A True Story of Heels, Handcuffs and Homicides by Michele Wood

Model Detective – Inside the Mind of a Female Homicide Boss

Leading Murder Investigations in a Man's World, She Broke the Glass Ceiling-With Handcuffs. MODEL DETECTIVE: A True Story of Heels, Handcuffs and Homicides takes readers where true crime has never gone before-inside the heart, mind, and soul of a … [More...]

THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father's Confession to His Son, True Crime by Joseph Cibelli

THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father’s Confession to His Son

When the Tylenol murders follow you home. The son who dared to expose the truth. Chicago, 1982. Seven people swallowed Tylenol capsules meant to heal, then they died within minutes. America changed overnight, then the killer vanished into darkness, … [More...]

In Public Record: A Journey To The Truth Of A Murder And Trial

Acquitted in court. Convicted in public opinion. September 1990. In Shaker Heights, Ohio, teenage honors student Lisa Lee Pruett vanishes into the night. A boy calls 911 when she does not arrive for a secret late-night meet-up. Police soon find her … [More...]

WHERE MURDER LIES: Death And Deception In West Hollywood by Burl Barer and Frank C. Girardot Jr.

WHERE MURDER LIES: Death And Deception In West Hollywood

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight… The murder of a retired Los Angeles school teacher in 2004 never made the evening news, yet within hours arrests were made, charges filed, and a speedy conviction sent to prison Jimmy Kitlas, an … [More...]

Coming Soon

Recent Posts

  • Model Detective – Inside the Mind of a Female Homicide Boss
  • Mystery Novel NAKED ADDICTION, the prequel to HOOKED and STAGED, By Caitlin Rother, Set In Sunny San Diego
  • THE TYLENOL MURDERS: A Father’s Confession to His Son
  • In Public Record: A Journey To The Truth Of A Murder And Trial
  • WHERE MURDER LIES: Death And Deception In West Hollywood
  • The Story Behind the Story: EMPIRE CITY UNDER SIEGE and Finding Heroes
  • Murder In The Graveyard: A Family Cult Tragedy

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

eZine SignupJoin our email list and be the first to get hot deals, new releases and...
* Author updates
* Free eBooks
* Free audio books
* Enlightening and entertaining posts
* Advance notice of book deals, special offers

Follow Us

Blog Tag Cloud

best true crime books Bogeyman Bradley Nickell Burl Barer Cold Case crime Crime Fiction Crime thriller Detective Detectives Facebook True Crime historical true crime history Investigation John Ferak Kevin Sullivan Las Vegas memoir Murder murder book murder mystery Mysteries Mystery mystery thriller Non-Fiction Serial Killer serial killer books Serial Killers Steve Jackson Suspense suspense thriller Ted Bundy Thriller Thriller Books True-crime True Crime truecrime True Crime Authors true crime book true crime books true crimes true crime stories True Murder WildBlue Press writing

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Our Authors Have Been Seen On...

Interested Authors Click Here
See Our Entire Catalog
SSL Secure Connection

Copyright © 2026 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.
Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing Company
Author John Ferak Pens an Updated Epilogue for the WRECKING CREW 5th Anniversary, November 2023

Join our newsletter for awesome content, free offers and launch notifications!

By joining our list you will be entered into a contest for a free eBook, audio book or paperback of your choice! We select them regularly, so sign up NOW!

Loading