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raleyv12's review against another edition
4.0
Wow I cant believe how relevant his book is to today's conflicts. It keep me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. I read this as an audiobook and I followed the event just fine. David Parrish had done his research which made you feel included to the events that took place in Jon's death. Without spoiling the end, I'm glad that Jon's family and friend were able to find peace eventually.
lauraajohnsonrn's review against another edition
5.0
Finished Losing Jon: A Teen’s Tragic Death, a Police Cover-up, and a Community’s Fight for Justice by David Parrish today (April 18, 2020). I highly recommend it. I was in shock by the gross miscarriage of and blatant disregard for justice in this case. Local, state, and federal agencies failed this family. They not only endured the tragic loss of their son, but also the ruling of “suicide” without investigation, slanderous allegations about Jon, and stalking and threats of violence to anyone who testified for them. Parrish does a phenomenal job at laying out the evidence, and giving Jon a voice. He creates an image of Jon that come s from those who truly knew him. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing Corp for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow this book was extremely intense and as a true crime junkie, I was shocked that I had never heard this. It was incredibly well-written and easy to read even though the content was extremely difficult to get through. This must be on every true crime fans bookshelf.
laurenkd89's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting and relevant true crime piece about, well, a teen's tragic death, a police cover-up, and a community's fight for justice (just as advertised!). Jon Bowie and his brother Mickey were having a little party at a Red Roof Inn somewhere in Maryland. The police got a noise complaint from the motel and went to check it out, but the situation soon turned nasty. The three officers (and more who came) on the scene didn't like the Bowie brothers' attitudes, and what was supposed to be an easy check-in turned into a disgusting display of overreactive police brutality on two innocent teenage boys. The Bowie brothers were arrested, but opened a suit against the officers for abuse of force.
A few weeks later, Jon Bowie would be found dead, hanging from the backstop of the local baseball diamond. The police ruled it as a suicide, despite assurances from everyone Jon Bowie knew (including the author, who was Bowie's baseball coach) that he would have never committed suicide. The police made insinuations and false statements about the boy's character, sometimes seemingly covering up evidence rather than leading an investigation. The small community was outraged - they knew foul play was afoot - so when the police ruled it a suicide, they decided to lead their own investigation to find out what really happened to Jon Bowie.
This is a good story, but the way it was written doesn't do the excitement justice. I had a hard time following events and people, and a lot of the "plot" is legal action and waiting for results/decisions (yes, most legal thrillers are this way, but this didn't seem like a legal thriller). In my opinion, this may have been better if told from the perspective of an objective outsider rather than a member of the community - of course, Parrish has amazing insights to offer on the details of the investigation, but I wonder if this story might receive another treatment. Lastly, there's quite a bit of "supernatural" talk here - mostly people having telling dreams, seeing things, sensing things - lots of folks with ESP. This took a bit out of the story to me. I understand what purpose these feelings and premonitions added to the story, but I'm a total skeptic, and I found myself being a bit leary of all this.
Overall, this is a good pick for a quick true crime read - a story that is little known but deserves attention. Thank you to Citadel Press for the ARC!
A few weeks later, Jon Bowie would be found dead, hanging from the backstop of the local baseball diamond. The police ruled it as a suicide, despite assurances from everyone Jon Bowie knew (including the author, who was Bowie's baseball coach) that he would have never committed suicide. The police made insinuations and false statements about the boy's character, sometimes seemingly covering up evidence rather than leading an investigation. The small community was outraged - they knew foul play was afoot - so when the police ruled it a suicide, they decided to lead their own investigation to find out what really happened to Jon Bowie.
This is a good story, but the way it was written doesn't do the excitement justice. I had a hard time following events and people, and a lot of the "plot" is legal action and waiting for results/decisions (yes, most legal thrillers are this way, but this didn't seem like a legal thriller). In my opinion, this may have been better if told from the perspective of an objective outsider rather than a member of the community - of course, Parrish has amazing insights to offer on the details of the investigation, but I wonder if this story might receive another treatment. Lastly, there's quite a bit of "supernatural" talk here - mostly people having telling dreams, seeing things, sensing things - lots of folks with ESP. This took a bit out of the story to me. I understand what purpose these feelings and premonitions added to the story, but I'm a total skeptic, and I found myself being a bit leary of all this.
Overall, this is a good pick for a quick true crime read - a story that is little known but deserves attention. Thank you to Citadel Press for the ARC!
jolene13's review against another edition
4.0
What a highly frustrating and angering book this was. A young man dead under very suspicious circumstances. Police brutality, lies, deciet, stalking and intimidation all make up this true crime read without justice, Family and friends that will never be the same and a story that must be told.
jertle's review against another edition
5.0
It’s hard to think about how often things like this happen. It’s sad to me the family never actually found out what actually happened. It’s amazing to me how long the mother and this uninvolved party kept on and kept trying.
fazila's review against another edition
3.0
TWITTER INSTAGRAM
Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
David Parrish's Losing Jon is a harrowing account of a teenager's death following a night of partying under suspicious circumstances. The whole book is written to bring out the police brutality in Howard county and the steps the police, FBI, and other officials took to cover up the crime. The book was engaging and gripping in its storytelling. I was interested in finding out what had happened to Jon Bowie and hoped to God the murderer/murderers were caught. The book takes us through Jon and Mickey's lives as they navigate their school and college. Jon and Mickey were twins and they were one night partying at a motel with 12 other friends when police came knocking on their door. Everything that happened from there is quite surreal, almost movie-like but sadly true. The accounts from the witnesses and fellow students all report that excessive force was used on the students by the police. Later the kids were harassed and followed and stalked by the police. And one night the body of Jon was seen by a jogger hanging from the baseball backstop. The whole incident is horrific and on top of that, the way the police and FBI behaved towards the victims was simply disturbing and cruel. They were intentionally framing the kids and also trying to make it seem like Jon committed suicide and not handling the proper investigation to solve the crime. The blase way the whole case was handled and the other incidents surrounding it are all one big mess of incompetency on the legal system as well. I was hooked from the beginning and the more I read the more I was drawn to the case. I felt bad for the family, friends, and victims. I was frustrated and angry and emotional through the book. I thought the book was going to be a solid 5-stars book for me and it was going to be giving us the answers to the case and how it got resolved. Let's just say that didn't happen and I was highly disappointed by it. The book ended abruptly and we don't get to see or find out how Jon Bowie dies. There are no answers to some of the questions that were frequently asked throughout the book, and adding to the confusion we have psychics and their prediction muddying everything. I am confused and disappointed by the way the case was closed and on top of that, we do not get answers to the important points made in the book. I wish the author addressed them and help resolve the issues. The book simply leaves readers with the family moving on with their lives because Jon appeared to them and told them to let it go. After all of the struggle and pain and hard work, it just seems like we are left in the dark with more questions than answers. I don't believe justice was served to the families involved, the case got closed without proper investigations, and there are too many people whose roles feels undefined in the entire case. I gave the book 3.5 stars and it would have been a 5 star read if not for the way the book ended. I sincerely hope the family got their answers and they are at peace. I can't imagine the pain and turmoil the family must have been in following Jon's untimely death. I pray the wrongdoers were all brought to justice and they answered for their failures to provide the closure for the family. I believe this is an important story and everyone should read this book to be aware of the brutality and possible cover-up of crimes committed by the police and other systems.
Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
David Parrish's Losing Jon is a harrowing account of a teenager's death following a night of partying under suspicious circumstances. The whole book is written to bring out the police brutality in Howard county and the steps the police, FBI, and other officials took to cover up the crime. The book was engaging and gripping in its storytelling. I was interested in finding out what had happened to Jon Bowie and hoped to God the murderer/murderers were caught. The book takes us through Jon and Mickey's lives as they navigate their school and college. Jon and Mickey were twins and they were one night partying at a motel with 12 other friends when police came knocking on their door. Everything that happened from there is quite surreal, almost movie-like but sadly true. The accounts from the witnesses and fellow students all report that excessive force was used on the students by the police. Later the kids were harassed and followed and stalked by the police. And one night the body of Jon was seen by a jogger hanging from the baseball backstop. The whole incident is horrific and on top of that, the way the police and FBI behaved towards the victims was simply disturbing and cruel. They were intentionally framing the kids and also trying to make it seem like Jon committed suicide and not handling the proper investigation to solve the crime. The blase way the whole case was handled and the other incidents surrounding it are all one big mess of incompetency on the legal system as well. I was hooked from the beginning and the more I read the more I was drawn to the case. I felt bad for the family, friends, and victims. I was frustrated and angry and emotional through the book. I thought the book was going to be a solid 5-stars book for me and it was going to be giving us the answers to the case and how it got resolved. Let's just say that didn't happen and I was highly disappointed by it. The book ended abruptly and we don't get to see or find out how Jon Bowie dies. There are no answers to some of the questions that were frequently asked throughout the book, and adding to the confusion we have psychics and their prediction muddying everything. I am confused and disappointed by the way the case was closed and on top of that, we do not get answers to the important points made in the book. I wish the author addressed them and help resolve the issues. The book simply leaves readers with the family moving on with their lives because Jon appeared to them and told them to let it go. After all of the struggle and pain and hard work, it just seems like we are left in the dark with more questions than answers. I don't believe justice was served to the families involved, the case got closed without proper investigations, and there are too many people whose roles feels undefined in the entire case. I gave the book 3.5 stars and it would have been a 5 star read if not for the way the book ended. I sincerely hope the family got their answers and they are at peace. I can't imagine the pain and turmoil the family must have been in following Jon's untimely death. I pray the wrongdoers were all brought to justice and they answered for their failures to provide the closure for the family. I believe this is an important story and everyone should read this book to be aware of the brutality and possible cover-up of crimes committed by the police and other systems.
brittsbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. This true crime novel grabbed ahold of me from the very first page and didn’t let go, even once I had finished. In fact, I felt so invested in Jon Bowie’s story that I found myself messaging the author on Goodreads, which is something I never do. This was such a page turner that I had a hard time putting it down and would stay up late into the night to continue reading as much as I could.
There was some stuff included in the book about the use of psychics and people having premonitions, which isn’t what I’m used to seeing in true crime books. I mean, I’ve occasionally seen the use of a psychic for an investigation, but it’s usually kept pretty quiet and there’s not much time spent talking about it. I actually liked how much David Parrish included about the premonitions people were having. I thought it was really interesting and added another layer to the book. I know some people aren’t going to appreciate that being talked about so much, but I definitely enjoyed it.
I loved the way David Parrish writes. He uses such captivating words and is able to put things down into a written format that draws the reader in. I became invested in his writing, the characters, and the story. From reading other reviews, there was a lot of disappointment at the way the story ended. I get it, I was right there with them; however, the problem of true crime is that it’s true. So, while I’m frustrated that we don’t get any official answers about Jon Bowie’s death, I can’t fault the author for giving us the truth rather than spouting lies in order to make a more interesting book. I would rather have the facts than walk around with false information in my head.
If you’re in search of a page-turning true crime book, I highly recommend this one. There were no dull moments and it was completely captivating from start to finish.
There was some stuff included in the book about the use of psychics and people having premonitions, which isn’t what I’m used to seeing in true crime books. I mean, I’ve occasionally seen the use of a psychic for an investigation, but it’s usually kept pretty quiet and there’s not much time spent talking about it. I actually liked how much David Parrish included about the premonitions people were having. I thought it was really interesting and added another layer to the book. I know some people aren’t going to appreciate that being talked about so much, but I definitely enjoyed it.
I loved the way David Parrish writes. He uses such captivating words and is able to put things down into a written format that draws the reader in. I became invested in his writing, the characters, and the story. From reading other reviews, there was a lot of disappointment at the way the story ended. I get it, I was right there with them; however, the problem of true crime is that it’s true. So, while I’m frustrated that we don’t get any official answers about Jon Bowie’s death, I can’t fault the author for giving us the truth rather than spouting lies in order to make a more interesting book. I would rather have the facts than walk around with false information in my head.
If you’re in search of a page-turning true crime book, I highly recommend this one. There were no dull moments and it was completely captivating from start to finish.
lauviv's review against another edition
3.0
*Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me a copy of this book.
This book is very strange. I think the author wrote it because he wanted people to know and remember Jon, and that is understandable. But sometimes it seemed a fictional story, with so many psychics and unrelated random things happening all the time. It was hard to remember that it is real because it's so frustrating that the case wans't even resolved and that police was so corrupt and incompetent. That is real life, I know, but I just thought we were getting somewhere with all this and that didn't happen.
R.I.P Jon Bowie.
This book is very strange. I think the author wrote it because he wanted people to know and remember Jon, and that is understandable. But sometimes it seemed a fictional story, with so many psychics and unrelated random things happening all the time. It was hard to remember that it is real because it's so frustrating that the case wans't even resolved and that police was so corrupt and incompetent. That is real life, I know, but I just thought we were getting somewhere with all this and that didn't happen.
R.I.P Jon Bowie.
fazila's review
3.0
TWITTER INSTAGRAM
Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
David Parrish's Losing Jon is a harrowing account of a teenager's death following a night of partying under suspicious circumstances. The whole book is written to bring out the police brutality in Howard county and the steps the police, FBI, and other officials took to cover up the crime. The book was engaging and gripping in its storytelling. I was interested in finding out what had happened to Jon Bowie and hoped to God the murderer/murderers were caught. The book takes us through Jon and Mickey's lives as they navigate their school and college. Jon and Mickey were twins and they were one night partying at a motel with 12 other friends when police came knocking on their door. Everything that happened from there is quite surreal, almost movie-like but sadly true. The accounts from the witnesses and fellow students all report that excessive force was used on the students by the police. Later the kids were harassed and followed and stalked by the police. And one night the body of Jon was seen by a jogger hanging from the baseball backstop. The whole incident is horrific and on top of that, the way the police and FBI behaved towards the victims was simply disturbing and cruel. They were intentionally framing the kids and also trying to make it seem like Jon committed suicide and not handling the proper investigation to solve the crime. The blase way the whole case was handled and the other incidents surrounding it are all one big mess of incompetency on the legal system as well. I was hooked from the beginning and the more I read the more I was drawn to the case. I felt bad for the family, friends, and victims. I was frustrated and angry and emotional through the book. I thought the book was going to be a solid 5-stars book for me and it was going to be giving us the answers to the case and how it got resolved. Let's just say that didn't happen and I was highly disappointed by it. The book ended abruptly and we don't get to see or find out how Jon Bowie dies. There are no answers to some of the questions that were frequently asked throughout the book, and adding to the confusion we have psychics and their prediction muddying everything. I am confused and disappointed by the way the case was closed and on top of that, we do not get answers to the important points made in the book. I wish the author addressed them and help resolve the issues. The book simply leaves readers with the family moving on with their lives because Jon appeared to them and told them to let it go. After all of the struggle and pain and hard work, it just seems like we are left in the dark with more questions than answers. I don't believe justice was served to the families involved, the case got closed without proper investigations, and there are too many people whose roles feels undefined in the entire case. I gave the book 3.5 stars and it would have been a 5 star read if not for the way the book ended. I sincerely hope the family got their answers and they are at peace. I can't imagine the pain and turmoil the family must have been in following Jon's untimely death. I pray the wrongdoers were all brought to justice and they answered for their failures to provide the closure for the family. I believe this is an important story and everyone should read this book to be aware of the brutality and possible cover-up of crimes committed by the police and other systems.
Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
David Parrish's Losing Jon is a harrowing account of a teenager's death following a night of partying under suspicious circumstances. The whole book is written to bring out the police brutality in Howard county and the steps the police, FBI, and other officials took to cover up the crime. The book was engaging and gripping in its storytelling. I was interested in finding out what had happened to Jon Bowie and hoped to God the murderer/murderers were caught. The book takes us through Jon and Mickey's lives as they navigate their school and college. Jon and Mickey were twins and they were one night partying at a motel with 12 other friends when police came knocking on their door. Everything that happened from there is quite surreal, almost movie-like but sadly true. The accounts from the witnesses and fellow students all report that excessive force was used on the students by the police. Later the kids were harassed and followed and stalked by the police. And one night the body of Jon was seen by a jogger hanging from the baseball backstop. The whole incident is horrific and on top of that, the way the police and FBI behaved towards the victims was simply disturbing and cruel. They were intentionally framing the kids and also trying to make it seem like Jon committed suicide and not handling the proper investigation to solve the crime. The blase way the whole case was handled and the other incidents surrounding it are all one big mess of incompetency on the legal system as well. I was hooked from the beginning and the more I read the more I was drawn to the case. I felt bad for the family, friends, and victims. I was frustrated and angry and emotional through the book. I thought the book was going to be a solid 5-stars book for me and it was going to be giving us the answers to the case and how it got resolved. Let's just say that didn't happen and I was highly disappointed by it. The book ended abruptly and we don't get to see or find out how Jon Bowie dies. There are no answers to some of the questions that were frequently asked throughout the book, and adding to the confusion we have psychics and their prediction muddying everything. I am confused and disappointed by the way the case was closed and on top of that, we do not get answers to the important points made in the book. I wish the author addressed them and help resolve the issues. The book simply leaves readers with the family moving on with their lives because Jon appeared to them and told them to let it go. After all of the struggle and pain and hard work, it just seems like we are left in the dark with more questions than answers. I don't believe justice was served to the families involved, the case got closed without proper investigations, and there are too many people whose roles feels undefined in the entire case. I gave the book 3.5 stars and it would have been a 5 star read if not for the way the book ended. I sincerely hope the family got their answers and they are at peace. I can't imagine the pain and turmoil the family must have been in following Jon's untimely death. I pray the wrongdoers were all brought to justice and they answered for their failures to provide the closure for the family. I believe this is an important story and everyone should read this book to be aware of the brutality and possible cover-up of crimes committed by the police and other systems.