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brittrichardsofficial's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This was such a great book! I wasn’t familiar with the case, but was very intrigued by it. I loved how Humes didn’t just discuss the details of the case, but the lives of the families, the investigators, and the various parts leading up to the resolution. He gave great background on genetic forensic genealogy and the players involved. So glad there was resolution in the case!
thepagelady's review
4.0
I love true crime books, well actually I like any book but I do enjoy the ones about a real person, place or event. I finished this one in one day, it was easy to get lost in and has some interesting facts. Good read!
lynguy1's review
5.0
The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes is a suspenseful, riveting true crime book that combines great storytelling, cold case investigations, technological advances, and genetic genealogy in a captivating crime read. In November 1987, Tanya Van Cuylenborg and her boyfriend Jay Cook leave on an overnight trip to Seattle. They vanish until a week later when their bodies are found in rural Washington. The brutal crime leaves few clues and an international manhunt turns up empty. The case and evidence eventually goes into long-term storage until thirty plus years later when Detective Jim Scharf looks at the case files hoping to find new clues that were missed in the original investigation.
The prologue gets one’s heart racing and immediately pulls readers into what is happening. Then readers get a look at the case from the beginning including the pieces of the puzzle that Detective Scharf and his team pull together of the trip taken by the young couple, the struggle the families had to get the police involved initially, and the original investigation, as well as the next steps Scharf takes.
Humes provides the latest information on their case at the time of writing the book. This includes using DNA advances to help identify suspects as well as re-interviewing people, looking for missed opportunities in the original investigation, looking at other ways to identify a suspect, and much more. Detective Scharf contacts various genealogists for help including CeCe Moore.
Meanwhile there is a discussion of technological advances in police investigations, including those involving DNA, ranging from DNA fingerprints to a national DNA database known as the Combined DNA Index System.
However, more is also occurring in the realm of DNA, with DNA matching originating from amateur genealogists searching for their roots. This includes CeCe Moore, who has had a fascination with genetic genealogy and how it can be used, not just for family tree hobbyists and adoptees hoping to find their birth parents, but also for solving cold cases.
Additionally, Parabon, a firm in Virginia, says it has the capability of creating genetic mugshots. The book covers the use of genetic mugshots and genetic genealogy in Jay and Tanya’s case and how CeCe Moore and Parabon work together to identify a suspect. There’s a fascinating discussion of the proponents and opponents to using genetic genealogy as a crime-fighting technique among genealogists, police organizations, keepers of genetic databases, and privacy advocates.
Overall, this story is startling, horrifying, thought provoking, and emotional. The author has a notes section at the end that explains who was interviewed and the sources of information used to construct this true crime story. Additionally, the author does a great job of explaining the science and the controversies in terms that can be easily understood. Those that enjoy well-written and suspenseful true crime and books involving genealogy or DNA will likely find this an amazing story.
PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Edward Humes provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 29, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
--------------------------------------------
My 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review will be coming soon.
The prologue gets one’s heart racing and immediately pulls readers into what is happening. Then readers get a look at the case from the beginning including the pieces of the puzzle that Detective Scharf and his team pull together of the trip taken by the young couple, the struggle the families had to get the police involved initially, and the original investigation, as well as the next steps Scharf takes.
Humes provides the latest information on their case at the time of writing the book. This includes using DNA advances to help identify suspects as well as re-interviewing people, looking for missed opportunities in the original investigation, looking at other ways to identify a suspect, and much more. Detective Scharf contacts various genealogists for help including CeCe Moore.
Meanwhile there is a discussion of technological advances in police investigations, including those involving DNA, ranging from DNA fingerprints to a national DNA database known as the Combined DNA Index System.
However, more is also occurring in the realm of DNA, with DNA matching originating from amateur genealogists searching for their roots. This includes CeCe Moore, who has had a fascination with genetic genealogy and how it can be used, not just for family tree hobbyists and adoptees hoping to find their birth parents, but also for solving cold cases.
Additionally, Parabon, a firm in Virginia, says it has the capability of creating genetic mugshots. The book covers the use of genetic mugshots and genetic genealogy in Jay and Tanya’s case and how CeCe Moore and Parabon work together to identify a suspect. There’s a fascinating discussion of the proponents and opponents to using genetic genealogy as a crime-fighting technique among genealogists, police organizations, keepers of genetic databases, and privacy advocates.
Overall, this story is startling, horrifying, thought provoking, and emotional. The author has a notes section at the end that explains who was interviewed and the sources of information used to construct this true crime story. Additionally, the author does a great job of explaining the science and the controversies in terms that can be easily understood. Those that enjoy well-written and suspenseful true crime and books involving genealogy or DNA will likely find this an amazing story.
PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Edward Humes provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 29, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
--------------------------------------------
My 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review will be coming soon.
casuallyreadingx's review
3.0
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
This was fascinating and heartbreaking. As a forensic science student, I was excited to read this. I am a big fan of shows, such as Forensics Files, Dateline, and The First 48: this book remind me a lot of those shows. I really enjoyed the content regarding forensic genealogy and the case itself. I think there could been more detail in certain aspects but overall really enjoyed this. I would recommend this to true crime fans!
This was fascinating and heartbreaking. As a forensic science student, I was excited to read this. I am a big fan of shows, such as Forensics Files, Dateline, and The First 48: this book remind me a lot of those shows. I really enjoyed the content regarding forensic genealogy and the case itself. I think there could been more detail in certain aspects but overall really enjoyed this. I would recommend this to true crime fans!
alexus_sb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
jessicaychambers's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
duchessofreadin's review
5.0
When a couple disappears without a trace in 1987, their families are left wondering what happened to them. Did they decide to just take off without checking in? Did they change their trip without letting anyone know? While the family's worry - evil is taking place.
When the bodies are discovered, no one could imagine the long trail that justice would have to take in order for closure to be brought about. The crimes in which Jay and Tanya lost their lives were unimaginable, and the torment that the families carried for years was buoyed with hope from one person, the detective who would not let the case go.
With DNA now being used, and people from around their world submitting their DNA to databases, it was just a matter of time before it could be used to solve crimes as well. Cold cases from decades past were being solved, and of course, controversy would arise over the use of such databases.
But it would manage to give them one thing - the name of the person who's DNA had been left behind at the crim scene so many years ago.
The Forever Witness takes you on the journey for justice - from the beginning when this couple was full of hope and dreams, to the detective that refuses to let the case die. It was a book that keeps you interested from the start, as you are hoping that, in the end, justice will be served.
When the bodies are discovered, no one could imagine the long trail that justice would have to take in order for closure to be brought about. The crimes in which Jay and Tanya lost their lives were unimaginable, and the torment that the families carried for years was buoyed with hope from one person, the detective who would not let the case go.
With DNA now being used, and people from around their world submitting their DNA to databases, it was just a matter of time before it could be used to solve crimes as well. Cold cases from decades past were being solved, and of course, controversy would arise over the use of such databases.
But it would manage to give them one thing - the name of the person who's DNA had been left behind at the crim scene so many years ago.
The Forever Witness takes you on the journey for justice - from the beginning when this couple was full of hope and dreams, to the detective that refuses to let the case die. It was a book that keeps you interested from the start, as you are hoping that, in the end, justice will be served.