booktalkwithkarla's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
A friend who listened to the audiobook recommended this book to me. I’m so glad she did. I read it right on the tails of Unmasked by Paul Holes, both books in part about the Golden State Killer. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark was the first I had heard of these crimes. So grateful that killer is behind bars.
Barbara Rae-Ventner was a key player in solving that and many other crimes. In this book she details her process and her extensive experience starting with her own family history and connecting adopted families through genetics research. This was a compelling read. There was some repetition in explanation of the process throughout but the stories and understanding her background were parts I really enjoyed learning about. Other than the repetition I found the writing organized and easy to read.
Getting an inside account was great. My respect for Rae-Ventner and other amateur sleuths plus the agencies they work with is higher having heard her story. And it was already high. I am grateful for her willingness to come forward and to work so hard at meaningful work - in “retirement”. I hope more people find success at this work, getting more criminals off the streets.
cdeane61's review
4.0
Interesting account of how new technology used to help in genecology searches has been adapted by law enforcement to track down serial killers and serial rapists.
The Golden State killer is the headliner here, but there are plenty of other examples in the book.
I'm a little shocked that there is push back from the public about using commercial sites (such as 23andme) to track down matches to criminal DNA, especially when details of some of those cases contain some horrific details and the perpetrator is still out there.
Good, informative read.
The Golden State killer is the headliner here, but there are plenty of other examples in the book.
I'm a little shocked that there is push back from the public about using commercial sites (such as 23andme) to track down matches to criminal DNA, especially when details of some of those cases contain some horrific details and the perpetrator is still out there.
Good, informative read.
thelizzabee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
3.5
cpoole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
heyjude1965's review against another edition
4.0
This was super-duper interesting. The author narrates the audio, btw which is how a read it. She tells of her work with DNA, how it not only helped reunite adoptees with blood relatives, but also solved some horrible cold cases, most notable The Golden State Killer. Even though it’s about science (and complicated science at that), there is such a human element that really comes through in the author’s writing. You can tell that she really cares about the people behind the DNA samples and that her work is more of a mission than just a job. Highly recommend.
amandat's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
First 1/2 is better than second 1/2 half (a bit repetitive and disjointed).