Madman: True Crime

If you're into true crime that reads like a Southern Gothic thriller, you need to check out MADMAN by @mfgrossbooks. This one will send chills down your spine—and it all really happened.

In 1949, the peaceful town of Crystal Beach, Florida, was shaken by a horrifying murder that sparked a massive, chaotic manhunt. The suspect: John Calvin “Rastus” Russell—an escaped convict and former asylum patient who left a trail of fear in his wake. MADMAN pulls you into the dusty groves, sweltering backroads, and panicked courtrooms of a community that had no idea what was coming. Part history, part manhunt, part psychological unraveling—this is the kind of story that sticks with you.

@Mfgrossbooks is a Florida-based writer and researcher who specializes in the stories history overlooks. With a background in financial journalism, he approaches true crime with sharp investigative instincts and a commitment to empathy. MADMAN is the result of more than a year spent digging through archives, exploring forgotten sites, and reconstructing a story the world nearly erased.

Website: https://mfgross.com

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Amazon: bit.ly/47jCHui

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235731573-madman

My Review

5 stars ( this is reflecting on the content and research)

This was a thrilling read. I congratulate the author on the extensive research. My rating stars reflect the research and content only. We not only get the vivid description of the crimes and a clear portrait of a man who is in control of the situation, but we also have access to the incoherent statements, descriptions, testimonies, news, reports ... all available and related to this case. The footnotes confirming, commenting, and challenging the statements are an extra, giving this true crime some plot twists to unveil, besides the main case. Due to the period and technology of the time, a clever and manipulative aggressor could be two steps ahead of law enforcement.

Beware, the author added photography related to the case that is quite explicit.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Context: It's August of 1949, Crystal Beach, Florida. A handsome, charismatic, young stranger has entered the house of Norman and Anne Browne - a retired couple from New York. The stranger claims he is interested in seeing the Browne's house - as it is for sale. The Brownes invite him in for coffee. It's early on a Sunday morning. The following transpires...

Rattlesnake Road has not been named arbitrarily.

The climate and landscape of Florida’s Gulf Coast offer ideal living conditions for the venomous reptiles. The animals thrive in the area’s warm, subtropical environment and diverse ecosystem. The abundant availability of prey and variety of ample hiding spots makes Norman Browne’s backyard – and, in fact, most of Pinellas County, a prime habitat for rattlesnakes to call home.

For residents of Crystal Beach in 1949, this most often means Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes or the tiny but potent Pygmy Rattlesnake. The former is the largest venomous snake in North America, with specimens in the South often reaching six feet or longer.

While residents rarely see the slithering reptiles, a thriving population infests the wooded area around Norman Brown’s secluded home. Also inhabiting the woods around Crystal Beach are ample populations of raccoons, opossums, and coyotes.

As such, Norman keeps two shotguns on hand for encounters with unwelcome wildlife on his property. In fact, the retiree recently killed a six-foot Diamondback not far from the house. Inside the female snake, he found twenty-two eggs*

On this day, one of the weapons leans innocuously in a corner of the Browne’s bathroom. Rastus Russell has just disappeared behind the bathroom door. When he emerges, the visitor is gripping Browne’s loaded .12-gauge shotgun in his rugged, farm worker hands. And he’s not examining it for purchase. He raises the weapon and points it at Norman Browne’s chest.

 “What’s the idea?” Browne demands, seated at the dining room table.

Irritated, Russell smashes the coffee cup and saucer out of Browne’s hands with the butt of the weapon. The cup crashes to the table, breaking off a piece of porcelain and staining Mrs. Browne’s white tablecloth with hot, dark coffee.

“I’m a desperate man!” he tells Browne as he explains his situation.

He tells the terrified couple that he is connected to a Chicago drug smuggling gang looking for a hideout. He threatens that if anything happens to him, his gangster pals will “take care of it.” He then demands to know where the Brownes keep their money.

When the Brownes state they have no money, Russell becomes agitated. He continues to argue with the couple, repeatedly asking about the money. The Brownes try to convince Russell they are telling the truth.

Rastus Russell isn’t buying it. He tells Mr. and Mrs. Browne he is going to tie them up while he looks for it. He asks if they prefer to be tied up in the bedroom or their garage. Apparently making the decision himself, the lifelong criminal marches the couple out to the back porch, down the steps, and takes them on the short walk through the yard to the garage.

The Brownes obediently comply – the powerful weapon pointed at their backs.

Inside the tiny, wooden, dirt floor structure, the Brownes breathe the trapped, familiar air smelling of earth, mildew, and mouse droppings. The intruder finds some spare rope. Between old cardboard Crisco boxes, light wood bushel baskets, and Norman Browne’s push-powered grass cutter, Rastus Russell binds the couple by the hands and feet. He then tosses the rope over the wooden beam in the ceiling, pulling the couple’s hands over their heads, tying the rope tight. Leaving the Brownes restrained in the garage, Russell closes the dual, barn-like doors and locks them with the outside deadbolt, securing a steel hasp.

He vanishes into the house.

Norman and Anne Browne hear their captor rustling through their home, searching for money he is convinced is inside. After a short time, Rastus Russell exits the house and, unexplainedly, climbs back into the Ford and drives away.

Traumatized but relieved, the Brownes believe their ordeal is over.

Q&A

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book? 

I started with pulling all newspaper and media files from the entire incident. From there, I incorporated private researchers, a private detective (to locate survivors and descendants of those involved – for interview purposes), visits to actual locations, police files, files from local historical societies, ancestry.com, etc, etc, etc…. It was a time consuming but fascinating process.

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why? 

The hardest scene to write was the actual murder scene and what happened right before it. The only witness was Mrs. Browne and she was not only hit on the head and likely suffering from concussion, she may have had something to hide. Some of her explanations and time lines simply do not make sense. I had to connect the dots on some of it.

Where do you get your ideas? 

I never planned or aspired to be a true crime writer. I just discovered that this story happened in my own neighborhood, just 100 yards from my house, 75 years ago. I became fascinated with it and decided to write the book. It’s funny how second careers start!

What sets your book apart from others in your genre?

For one, it is a period piece. It happened in 1949 so part of it is recreating the time period. Secondly, it's not a straightforward true crime piece. It starts out as “Charles Manson comes to 1949 Mayberry.” But then it morphs into an action/adventure, cat and mouse like chase movie, all wrapped within a twisted love story involving a teenaged girl. Oh yeah, and the judge that set the killer free years earlier? He might have been his father.

What helps you overcome writer’s block? 

I never had writer's block. I pretty much just followed the story in chronological order – doing flashback chapters here and there to add depth and context. When it was time to write a chapter, I’d organize all the source material I had for that topic and go to work. That’s the great part about writing non-fiction – you don’t have to make anything up. It's all organizing and deciding how you want to present it.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?

 “I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to find out what happened next.”  When one of my beta readers said that, I knew I’d done something right.”

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule? 

When I’m working on a book, I write almost every day – usually 5-6 days a week. It's not like work to me. It's pure flow, like meditation. For this book, I typically would write 2-3 hours per day – sometimes a little more if I was on a roll. My write time was mid to late afternoon. I think it was Stephen King who said anything more than 4 hours per day and your brain turns to mush.

Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train? 

I’m a closet introvert so home is my castle. I can’t write anywhere else.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks? 

Not really. Well, yes, I guess I would typically have an ice coffee before I started. Milk, no sugar. I’d put enough milk in so it looked like a White Russian in a glass.

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic? 

The crime happened about 100 yards from my house. So I was literally living on top of the former crime scene. That connection fascinated me – and I believe walking near that and other related sites regularly during the writing allowed me to absorb some of the energy from it. I know it sounds strange but it felt real.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it? 

Funny you should mention that. I hired a screenwriter to adapt the book to a film script. He has not only shopped it but got call backs from 3 major studios. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. Anyway, the tone of the book reminds me of HBO’s True Detective, season one. I’d love for Matt McConaughey or Woody Harrelson to play the detectives. Matt or Woody, if you’re reading this, we could make magic together!

Which author(s) most inspired you?

I’ve always been a huge Hemingway fan and read most of his books when I was in my 20s. I’ve also read his tips and advice on writing style. Also, I don’t read a lot of Stephen King’s books (although The Shining is a classic) but his book on writing is fantastic. He is also hilarious in person – the opposite of what you would expect from his work. You start to get the feeling that all of his terrifying, weird stories are done tongue in cheek – which makes them even more enjoyable.

Fun & Lighthearted Qs

What’s your go-to comfort food? 

Oh, ice cream -without a doubt. Sad, stressed, anxious, - it will do the trick. Vanilla with a spoonful of peanut butter – or if I’m feeling really indulgent, peanut butter fudge.

What are you binge-watching right now?

Landman, Mobland, and old Sean Connery James Bond flicks.

If you could time-travel, where would you go? 

Probably the roaring twenties (1920s.) It was a very romantic time in history and modern lifestyles were just starting to take shape. The other time would probably be colonial times in the 1700s right before the American Revolution. Not during the war though. It gets romanticized now but it was a terrible time for those who experienced it.

What three books would you bring to a desert island?

I would bring three books I haven’t read yet! For pleasure, I read a lot of “peril at sea” stories. For some reason, I never seem to get tired of them. I can read stories about a shipwreck 300 years ago. But I’ll take equal pleasure from reading about a sea rescue on the Bering Sea last year. And if I was left on a desert island, I’d be living my own “peril at sea” story at the same time.

What’s something that made you laugh this week? 

Somebody sends me clips on Facebook of Anthony Jeselnik comedy clips. He makes me laugh out loud, including several times this week. He’s got an offbeat sense of humor, like me.