The Jolly Roger Social Club A true story of a killer in paradise

*Starred Review* Journalist Foster, who writes features for the international edition of the New York Times, turns in solid research and gripping writing on the familiar theme of there's always a snake in Paradise. In this case, paradise is the village of Bocas del Toro, Panama, which became an incredible draw for American expatriates and also for scam artists when real-estate prices went cheap in the early years of this century. The most poisonous of the snakes in Bocas del Toro, according to Foster's research and interviews, was a man now awaiting sentencing in a Panama jail: William Holbert, formerly of the U.S., who occupied a string of Bocas dream houses after he murdered their owners. Holbert and his wife and accomplice ran a bar that jutted over the sea, the Jolly Roger Social Club, whose motto was Over 90 percent of our customers survive. (This motto turns out to be sociopathologically audacious, since Holbert used the club to meet, woo, and sometimes murder people who owned enviable properties.) Foster's eerie account of a serial killer operating until a few years ago is set against the backdrop of the history of Panama. A completely riveting true-crime tale.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2016 Booklist

The political history of Panama in the 20th century is closely connected with that of the United States. Journalist and former European Union diplomat Foster explores a part of that foreboding relationship by focusing on the story of William Dathan Holbert (Wild Bill), an American who went to Panama looking to escape a criminal record in the States. Holbert settled in the community of Bocas del Toro, made up primarily of expats. Most of the residents were escaping their own stateside problems and troubles. Foster paints a picture of the village as a place where all could get a fresh start and no questions were asked about one's past, which held true for Holbert until Panamanian officials charged him with murdering five fellow community members. Foster uses the often contentious background between Panama and the United States to set the stage for this true crime story. Verdict For libraries with patrons interested in true crime or the 20th-century history of Panama.-Jeremy Spencer, Univ. of California-Davis Law Lib. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.