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kaylo88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow!!
I am a huge true crime fan and have been since as far back as I can remember. However, one of the things that always annoys me in the telling of these stories, whether that be fiction, non-fiction, film or podcasts,s, is how the perpetrator is usually the person talked about. The victims are a sidenote, and we're lucky if we get a short introduction to their background.
This has been the case throughout history. Even looking at cases like Jack the Ripper. The other thing that has always got under my skin, and I feel like it's come to light more in recent years, is that when there is a serial killer or rapist on the loose, it's always women who are told to change.
Don't wear certain clothes, don't go out at night, don't run alone, don't walk in the dark, don't get in taxis until you confirm they are legit, don't be overly sexual, don't entice men etc and there is often an othering of women especially in the press making them seem less human and at times deserving of what happened to them.
This is why I absolutely loved reading this book. It was an absolute breath of fresh air. I loved the storytelling, and despite being a fictional account, it's obvious that Knoll has researched the case extensively and has gone to great depths to keep as much of the story as factual as possible.
I loved the complexity of the main characters, who seemed incredibly real. Women with complex personalities with both likeable and disagreeable qualities.
I also love the fact that the killer isn't named, and when they are referred to, it is only as the defendant. I can honestly see him rolling in his grave to think that a female author has written such a compelling story about some of the women in this case and highlighting just how incompetent and forgettable he is.
I loved it!
I am a huge true crime fan and have been since as far back as I can remember. However, one of the things that always annoys me in the telling of these stories, whether that be fiction, non-fiction, film or podcasts,s, is how the perpetrator is usually the person talked about. The victims are a sidenote, and we're lucky if we get a short introduction to their background.
This has been the case throughout history. Even looking at cases like Jack the Ripper. The other thing that has always got under my skin, and I feel like it's come to light more in recent years, is that when there is a serial killer or rapist on the loose, it's always women who are told to change.
Don't wear certain clothes, don't go out at night, don't run alone, don't walk in the dark, don't get in taxis until you confirm they are legit, don't be overly sexual, don't entice men etc and there is often an othering of women especially in the press making them seem less human and at times deserving of what happened to them.
This is why I absolutely loved reading this book. It was an absolute breath of fresh air. I loved the storytelling, and despite being a fictional account, it's obvious that Knoll has researched the case extensively and has gone to great depths to keep as much of the story as factual as possible.
I loved the complexity of the main characters, who seemed incredibly real. Women with complex personalities with both likeable and disagreeable qualities.
I also love the fact that the killer isn't named, and when they are referred to, it is only as the defendant. I can honestly see him rolling in his grave to think that a female author has written such a compelling story about some of the women in this case and highlighting just how incompetent and forgettable he is.
I loved it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
boop123's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was interesting to read as it tackles on the way women are perceived during 70s to 90s, the incompetency of the police force, and how the media portrays serial killers in a sensational way which in turn can be used as an advantage for the police force to create the narrative that they are so methodical in their ways that it's hard to track them when in actuality, they just can't do their job right.
Loved the message behind it but at times, it was hard to keep up with the stories since it's an alternating views. I recommend reading this when you have a lot of free time to really immerse yourself to the story since that wasn't the case for me.
Loved the message behind it but at times, it was hard to keep up with the stories since it's an alternating views. I recommend reading this when you have a lot of free time to really immerse yourself to the story since that wasn't the case for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief
srutiramesh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Grief
izzy_v's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I devoured this book — it might be the first book I ever re-read (it was that good and there were a bunch of details I might pick up on better the second time).
I’m not usually a thriller/scary book fan and there were definitely very dark parts of the book but it wasn’t so graphic and detailed or suspenseful that it kept me up at night. I really enjoyed the tone shift away from glorifying the killer, and instead empowering the women involved. Really phenomenal, would read again (which I never say).
I’m not usually a thriller/scary book fan and there were definitely very dark parts of the book but it wasn’t so graphic and detailed or suspenseful that it kept me up at night. I really enjoyed the tone shift away from glorifying the killer, and instead empowering the women involved. Really phenomenal, would read again (which I never say).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Incest, and Death of parent
taylormunn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
meaghancook's review against another edition
3.5
Woof. I have some conflicting feelings about this one.
Firstly, let me say that I find it incredibly unsettling that the author took real events, real people, real murders, and put a fictional spin on them. If it weren’t for the acknowledgement of a survivor of these horrific events in the acknowledgement section, I would find this completely abhorrent. As it stands, I find it distasteful and off putting, but I have to trust that due diligence was done in an attempt to publish this story responsibly and respectfully as possible. With the mix of fact and fiction, I did find it hard to keep myself immersed in the story. I think this would have been better served as complete fiction merely inspired by true events or total non-fiction written with the input and blessing of those most effected by The Defendant.
All that being said, I loved the writing style enough that this pulled up to a 3.5 stars for me. Some of the lines will stay with me for some time. I hope to read more work by this author in the future that is more solidly in the realm of fact or fiction.
Firstly, let me say that I find it incredibly unsettling that the author took real events, real people, real murders, and put a fictional spin on them. If it weren’t for the acknowledgement of a survivor of these horrific events in the acknowledgement section, I would find this completely abhorrent. As it stands, I find it distasteful and off putting, but I have to trust that due diligence was done in an attempt to publish this story responsibly and respectfully as possible. With the mix of fact and fiction, I did find it hard to keep myself immersed in the story. I think this would have been better served as complete fiction merely inspired by true events or total non-fiction written with the input and blessing of those most effected by The Defendant.
All that being said, I loved the writing style enough that this pulled up to a 3.5 stars for me. Some of the lines will stay with me for some time. I hope to read more work by this author in the future that is more solidly in the realm of fact or fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
miss_amzzz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Rape
hannahyorkey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
molliesweeney's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Picked this audiobook at random from available titles on Spotify premium. I like the idea of deconstructing the media obsession with serial killers by pointing out their flaws, actual behaviors, and places where they weren’t genius but simply taking advantage of a broken system. That said, I found Ruth’s storyline much more believable and compelling than Pamela’s, in which I was often distracted by wondering how much of the story was based in fact.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape