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angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating true crime piece that I flew through. Some intriguing mysteries and murders. Some great resolutions and more than one of those by a maverick sort of PI. My only dig on the read is that somehow and somewhere in alternate media, I had actually already heard about a few of these stories so they weren’t entirely new. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed it.
dilchh's review against another edition
5.0
A true-crime reporting that's not about the gratuitous violence, but about how the story unfolds and the people inside the story. Very engaging. Truly an interesting author.
tface's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
True crime short stories
where_the_pages_bleed's review against another edition
4.0
It started with me being intrigued with the title, to me learning about a prominent PI Ken Brennan (I mean if he brings a book out I will so get it).
While the title focuses on the vanishing blond, that story was incredible and kudos for Brenna for figuring it out. The last story really got to me, ‘Who killed Euhommie Bond’ this was a hard read. Knowing who killed the man but he can never be prosecuted… it doesn’t sit right with me.
This compilation of of Mark Bowden’s most prominent cases he covered as a reporter is a must read for true crime buffs. I can’t imagine covering these were great for the mentals, but we have to keep sharing. This is the least we can do for victims ❤️
While the title focuses on the vanishing blond, that story was incredible and kudos for Brenna for figuring it out. The last story really got to me, ‘Who killed Euhommie Bond’ this was a hard read. Knowing who killed the man but he can never be prosecuted… it doesn’t sit right with me.
This compilation of of Mark Bowden’s most prominent cases he covered as a reporter is a must read for true crime buffs. I can’t imagine covering these were great for the mentals, but we have to keep sharing. This is the least we can do for victims ❤️
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed it. The stories were interesting and well written. I also appreciated that, unlike in many true crime narratives, the cops were not portrayed as unassailable heroes; rather the author called them out when he felt they were engaged in unsavory behaviors.
lauraajohnsonrn's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgally and Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Overall I enjoyed the text, however there are a few notations I believe that need to be addressed.
One of the first things I noticed was his very biased view on entrapment in the chapter “why don’t u tell me wht ur into.” Understandably the topic of pedophiles and the hunting of children is enough to raise passionate debate, and if that was the author’s intent that’s fine. However if his intent was to debate the ethics of police luring child molesters with online actors, it shouldn’t be relegated to only one chapter and it shouldn’t be so biased as to leave the reader with only view. I will say though it was refreshing to see that the author showed he was invested in the story he was telling. Thoughout the book I was given the impression that he was bored and being forced to write essays before moving on to something fun. If the author isn’t invested, why should the reader be?
My second issue is the chapter about Stephanie Lazarus. This story has been done. There is actually an entire book devoted to the subject and I believe it was released not long ago. This case has also been featured on podcasts and true crime tv shows. Since the author didn’t provide any new details, I wonder why it was included at all.
I really did enjoy the cases that included the Ken Brennan. I thought these very intriguing, and kept me guessing right until the end about who/what killed the victim. I did find it was not necessary to keep introducing him with each new story. That coupled with the fact that it cited the Magazine and the date it was published in said magazine at the top of the chapter led me to believe the author threw past articles together without editing them for the format of a book.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Overall I enjoyed the text, however there are a few notations I believe that need to be addressed.
One of the first things I noticed was his very biased view on entrapment in the chapter “why don’t u tell me wht ur into.” Understandably the topic of pedophiles and the hunting of children is enough to raise passionate debate, and if that was the author’s intent that’s fine. However if his intent was to debate the ethics of police luring child molesters with online actors, it shouldn’t be relegated to only one chapter and it shouldn’t be so biased as to leave the reader with only view. I will say though it was refreshing to see that the author showed he was invested in the story he was telling. Thoughout the book I was given the impression that he was bored and being forced to write essays before moving on to something fun. If the author isn’t invested, why should the reader be?
My second issue is the chapter about Stephanie Lazarus. This story has been done. There is actually an entire book devoted to the subject and I believe it was released not long ago. This case has also been featured on podcasts and true crime tv shows. Since the author didn’t provide any new details, I wonder why it was included at all.
I really did enjoy the cases that included the Ken Brennan. I thought these very intriguing, and kept me guessing right until the end about who/what killed the victim. I did find it was not necessary to keep introducing him with each new story. That coupled with the fact that it cited the Magazine and the date it was published in said magazine at the top of the chapter led me to believe the author threw past articles together without editing them for the format of a book.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
kburns2004's review against another edition
4.0
I love Mark Bowden and this book didn't disappoint. I did skip two of the stories that I had seen on true crime tv. Really enjoyed the anthology and felt it was well written.
elainahundley's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/4 — first two stories are pretty meh and are products of their time. It picks up significantly on the third story. Worth reading if you enjoy investigative, true crime journalism. Bowden’s work is especially focused on character development, he brings the main players in his reportage fully to life. His work (including his book length work the Last Stone) also seems interested in how memory plays a role in crime-solving (and sometimes/often trips up investigations).