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akbro's review
3.0
3.5 stars- Insanely well-researched dive into decades long corruption in southwest Louisiana. Brown does an amazing job blowing the cover off an “atmosphere of total unaccountability … on the streets, but it appeared more ominously in law enforcement…”
The lawlessness and fear that higher ups use to control these women is terrifying and you will appreciate the respect/sensitivity shown by Brown as well as his dedication to get to the bottom of the story.
There is a lot of he said/she said and it can be a bit hard to follow at times, but i feel like that is to be expected from any type of investigation reporting. Picture the board with the strings connecting all the pictures. That being said I do think this was an eye opening book in many ways.
The lawlessness and fear that higher ups use to control these women is terrifying and you will appreciate the respect/sensitivity shown by Brown as well as his dedication to get to the bottom of the story.
There is a lot of he said/she said and it can be a bit hard to follow at times, but i feel like that is to be expected from any type of investigation reporting. Picture the board with the strings connecting all the pictures. That being said I do think this was an eye opening book in many ways.
maedo's review against another edition
2.0
The thing of value in this book is the way it pokes (meteor-sized) holes in the idea that cops are extra righteous and morally virtuous because of their position as enforcers of law. The extent of corruption happening in plain sight in Jennings, LA is nearly unbelievable.
However, if you, like me, wanted to know more about the women who were killed (aside from the fact that they were sex workers and hooked on crack), you will be left feeling sort of unsatisfied. I picked it up after catching about 20 minutes in passing of an ID channel documentary featuring the sisters of Whitnei Dubois and their effort to keep pursuing justice in her memory. The show also featured the brothers of Loretta Chaisson talking about what she was like growing up. That personal touch seemed really lacking here, as Brown hurried to connect the dots from one member of the criminal underworld tangentially related to the victim to another, and then to list all of the crimes they ever committed together. Stated plainly, this is a t e d i o u s read.
However, if you, like me, wanted to know more about the women who were killed (aside from the fact that they were sex workers and hooked on crack), you will be left feeling sort of unsatisfied. I picked it up after catching about 20 minutes in passing of an ID channel documentary featuring the sisters of Whitnei Dubois and their effort to keep pursuing justice in her memory. The show also featured the brothers of Loretta Chaisson talking about what she was like growing up. That personal touch seemed really lacking here, as Brown hurried to connect the dots from one member of the criminal underworld tangentially related to the victim to another, and then to list all of the crimes they ever committed together. Stated plainly, this is a t e d i o u s read.
laurav's review
4.0
Very interesting and compelling account of the Jeff Davis 8 case. It is infuriating how such a corrupt police force has simply hung on for the past decade (and longer). It's sad that none of these women will have justice brought to their killers--unless everyone involved in the corruption is booted from office, which seems (sadly) unlikely.
rachelannebartz's review
I need a bulletin board with red string connecting each person, but it would just be a tangled mass. This story is so corrupt and convoluted. This isn’t the fault of the author, but I think the formatting of the book could have helped to clarify the timeline. It would have made more sense to have each murder and the subsequent events of that woman’s life separated into chapters. I wanted more information about each victim, outside of their professions in sex work, addictions, and violent deaths.
librarymouse92's review against another edition
5.0
I literally just finished and It's crazy how many twist and turns this book takes you on. I had to draw myself my own map of the informant. I was receiving but I Definitely would recommend.
mollydee's review
4.0
Well researched book, but do wish a broader picture of how this relates to wider criminal justice issues.