Book Review - Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi by Susan Hendricks

 

Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi by Susan Hendricks is a nonfiction book about the murders of two young girls in Delphi, Indiana. On February 13, 2017, it was a day that began like all others in the Williams and Germans household. Thirteen year old Abby Williams and fourteen year old Libby German are best friends and decided to spend their day off from school together.

After spending some time together, they decided to explore the popular hiking trails near the Monon High Bridge that is a few minutes drive from Libby’s home. Libby asked her older sister, Kelsi, to drop them off before heading out for her day. Kelsi drops them off at the beginning of the trail and waved before driving off. Little did she know that was the last time Kelsi would see them alive again.

Little less than 24 hours later, the bodies of the two teenagers are found together near the north bank of Deer Creek. It was nearly a mile away from where they were last seen together.  The police have very littles clues to go on and the physical evidence is limited. The investigators did have snippets of a visual and audio encounter with a stranger that occurred just hours before their disappearance. The encounter was unsettling enough to the girls that they made a recording on Libby’s cellphone as it unfolded. It has been years since the murders occurred, and the audio and video recordings have been released to the public. The police released two different composite sketches of the suspect. There were no definite leads until finally in October 2022, a suspect was identified, arrested, and a trial date was set.

The book talks about the impact of the crime on the families, neighbors, and community. It was an interesting read to learn the details but also reading about the reactions of the family and how they were dealing with each development. The book was a quick and easy read but I wish it had gone into details about the trial. The trial was scheduled to take place after the book was published but I would have preferred if they had waited to include details from the trial. It felt a bit incomplete to hear all the facts and read about the community’s reaction but not read about the outcome of the trial.  

There were times that the author talked to experts and went in a different direction than the previous chapters or talked about her personal feelings and life. I felt like she was trying to add more depth to the crime but, at times it seemed like fluff that was irrelevant to the actual story about the two young victims.  In one chapter she spoke to different experts to get their opinion on the arrest but it just seemed like a recap of what was discussed earlier. If you are a true crime fan or have an interest in the case, I think you might enjoy this book.

Book Review - A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind by Ann Burgess

 

A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind by Ann Burgess is about a trauma nurse’s journey to create a process to help identify serial killers and stop them before they hurt someone else. During the 1970s and 1980s, progressive activism and sex positivity was prevalent and underneath this forward movement for change was a dark undertone brewing. As cases of sexual assault and homicide began to rise, the FBI responded to the need by creating a specialized team known as the “Mindhunters” or also known as the Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI.

Typically the FBI agents previously used their gut instincts to find and catch serial killers. They needed someone to help create a process that can be used by others to help narrow down suspect pools. The team decided to tap Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess to help them because of her role and research with interviewing rape victims.

In the book, Ann details how her research on sexual assault and trauma garnered the attention of the FBI and how she ended up working with the team. Over the course of two decades, she and the FBI agents in the BSU help create and build a specialized team that focuses on identifying, interviewing, and capturing over a dozen of infamous violent offenders.

Ann illustrates and gives a detailed, behind the scenes look of the creation of the team. She describes their triumphs and roadblocks. She gives a graphic description of the murders and explains how the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit played a role in the capture of each offender.

As a person who loves reading true crime, I found the book to be an enjoyable read. The book covered a few cases that I wasn’t familiar with. I liked reading how Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess contributed to creating a team within the FBI that was dedicated to capturing these violent criminals. I feel that women’s contributions in certain fields are not as widely known or celebrated as their male counterparts. I like reading books that showcase the talents of women in their fields as it’s inspiring to read. 

The author gave enough details about each crime to understand it and then explained how the BSU helped capture the criminal. I also like that she went into details about the methodologies they used and explained industry key terms. Her narration style was easy to understand and wasn't overly technical. It was interesting to learn about the different tools investigators can use. For example, I learned about the “check attention” type polygraph and its purpose. The book included a few photos of past crime scene evidence and photos of the team. If you loved the Netflix show, “Mindhunters”,  you will love the behind the scenes narrative in this book.

Book Review - Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother

 

On the morning of July 13, 2011 a call came in that someone is hanging from the lavish historic Spreckels Mansion. The beachfront property is owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai.When police arrive to the scene, they find the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged and bonded by her ankles and wrists behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claims to have found her body hanging by a rope from the second floor balcony. On the bedroom door in black paint they find an ominous message "she saved him can you save her".

The authorities are not sure if the message was a suicide note or if it was left by the killer. Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's son, Max, took a fatal fall while in her care. The police believe Rebecca took her own life because of the guilt. Authorities and the nation is stumped on who would commit suicide or murder in such a bizarre and elaborate way.

This is my first true crime novel by this author and I thought she did a good job. I felt like she objectively presented the case in a straightforward and consistent manner. I like that towards the end that she explains her feelings and background while writing the book. There was a few times I did get confused by the different people and how they related to that point in the story though. Overall, I thought it was an interesting case and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps

 

It was July 2015 and it was an ordinary day for Mary Yoder and her husband, Bill. Mary had returned home from their chiropractic center and was felling unwell. Mary was known for being very health-conscious but, today she was suddenly unwell with bouts of vomiting and sweating along with feeling very weak. 

Bill took Mary to the ER to help diagnose her illness. However, the doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled by the cause of her rapidly progressing illness. Bill and their children gathered around Mary in shock as they say goodbye to their beloved mother.

In the weeks after Mary's sudden death, the family received startling news from the medical examiner that Mary was deliberately poisoned. They found trace amounts of colchicine, which is a lethal substance that is very toxic if it isn't used as prescribed. The chemical is typically used to treat gout and Mary doesn't have gout.  The case takes a strange turn when the local police department receives an anonymous letter that claims Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother.

Kaitlyn Conley is Adam's ex-girlfriend and she works at the Yoders' clinic. Katie is pretty and popular but, some people speak of her ability to lie and manipulate people for her own benefit. She has been known to exhibit behaviors fueled by rage because someone had rejected her. Katie had spent time by Mary's bedside during the last few hours of Mary's life.

This was my second true crime novel and it was an interesting read. I liked that the author include the backstory and the trial proceedings. I wasn't fond of the layout of the book. I felt that some of the same information was being told multiple times and it felt like the author was jumping around a few times. However, the author  did a good job showing the compelling evidence of the murder of Mary along with showcasing Mary as beacon of the community.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - A Tangled Web by Leslie Rule

Photo Credit - Amazon

In November 2012, a thirty-seven-year-old single mother vanishes from Omaha, Nebraska. Cari was known to others as a doting daughter, a devoted mother, a thoughtful friend, and a reliable employee. She has never been the type to abandon her duties and obligations. She would never abandon her son or her dying father as he is taking his last breath. However, the texts from her phone indicated a different story. 

In a span of over thousands of text messages and emails, Cari dumps her new boyfriend, quits her promising career, plans to leave her familial home, sell all of her belongings, and give up custody of her son. Her boyfriend, Dave Kroupa, and her manager believe that this behavior is odd for Cari but, still believe and accept her texts at face value. Her mother, Nancy Raney, believes that this isn't the behavior of her daughter. She is certain that her daughter is in danger and reports her missing. The police are skeptical of her claim of someone posing to be her daughter.

Nancy and a handful of Cari's friends are afraid of what happened to Cari. However, Dave is certain that Cari is stalking him and grows fearful of her. He has never seen or heard Cari but, the stalker always remains one step ahead of him. His stalker also seems to be obsessed with his girlfriend, Shanna Liz Golyar. The stalker uses every opportunity available to be verbally abusive towards Liz and even threatens her.

In three years, the stalker sends over twelve thousand emails and texts to their victims. The stalker communicates with Cari's mother, Nancy along with stalking Dave and Liz endlessly. Dave and Liz receive threats of death, vandalism, and burglaries. While the stalker might have sent the messages in Cari's name, the identity of the real stalker is tangled behind webs of deceit and lies.

I wasn't familiar with the case and this was my first "real crime" novel. However, I must say, I am hooked. I didn't read the description of the novel so, finding out how the real culprit was a mystery to me. After a few chapters into the book, I had a feeling of the mastermind was. I was quite surprised that they were able to pull off such a ruse given how Dave describes her. The author wove an enticing read and I love getting the background behind each of the characters. A true gem for a true crime fanatic!

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**