“This is a step-by-step, gripping story of the deadly steps taken by dozens of people, some in positions of authority and many just innocents going out to a rock concert, that resulted in one of the most catastrophic fires of our generation. Trial lawyer, John Barylick, writes through the personas of dozens of these Rhode Islanders as if he was with them on their perilous journey. He could have touted the brilliant, resourceful work of the lawyers who provided, against all odds, compensatory civil justice and deterrence after the abysmal failures of both the safety regulators and the criminal justice system, but he did not. Instead, he concentrates on the grim human realism of the disaster.

Still, ‘Killer Show’ is more authentically suspenseful than a John Grisham novel, inasmuch as you know the story’s general ending before you start reading.”

– Ralph Nader
Consumer Advocate and Author of “Getting Steamed to Overcome Corporatism”

“KILLER SHOW is as good an anatomy of this type of crime as you’re going to find. Barylick’s research and scholarship are of the highest order, and true crime fans will not be disappointed with Barylick’s riveting and dramatic telling of the whole, tragic story.”

– Vincent Bugliosi
Lawyer and Author of “Helter Skelter”

“Killer Show is a painstakingly researched account of the Rhode Island Nightclub fire, and all the more horrifying in its completeness . Readers looking for answers will find them here, as, nine years later, lawyer John Barylick continues to prosecute the case.”

– Stewart O’Nan
Author of “Circus Fire” and “The Odds”

“This is an engrossing study not just of a horrific tragedy but of evil– not a single great foulness but the kind of corruption that comes from small sins, and how those small sins added up to something much bigger. Fascinating.”

– John M. Barry
Author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History” and “Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, Sate, and the Birth of Liberty”

“The deadly recipe for catastrophic fires is so simple: unsafe construction, overcrowding, inadequate exits. Yet for some reason, humans can’t seem to learn to stop making this fatal brew. By documenting the negligence that led to the deadly Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, Killer Show once again teaches that lesson. Read it and learn.”

– David Von Drehle
Author of “Triangle: The Fire That Changed America”

“John Barylick has bravely waded through the ashes of the Station nightclub fire to meticulously chronicle the folly and greed that led to the horror. There are times you have to stop reading — the story of the fatal fire is that horrifying, infuriating, heroic and heart-breaking. Then you keep going, in awe of the survivors who have persevered and also with the hope that a heartfelt, thoroughly researched account like this will help prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.”

– Dick Lehr
Professor of Journalism at Boston University and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller “Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil’s Deal”

“Killer Show is a haunting book whose relentless narrative pace makes it virtually impossible to put down; and yet, at times, you are forced to turn away to contemplate the staggering scope of the story – the horrific fate of the victims, the pain of the families, the shocking negligence of so many who knew or should have known better, the labyrinthine complexities of the civil legal system, the voracious and all-encompassing power of fire. Lawyer John Barylick helped so many Station families achieve monetary justice; with Killer Show, author Barylick has created a written memorial that does permanent justice to the victims of this monumental tragedy.”

– Stephen Puleo
Author of “Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919”, “The Boston Italians”, “Due to Enemy Action”, and “A City So Grand: The Rise of an American Metropolis, Boston 1850-1900”