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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
I saw the Netflix documentary based on this book earlier this year. It did a good job of covering the majority of the details here, so as awful as this sounds, I think you could watch that instead of reading this and not miss anything.
As for the topic itself - a series of young women go missing in the same area. They are all sex workers, and law enforcement, as so often happens, doesn't treat them as important. Another young woman goes missing around the same time, in the same area. There are witnesses in an affluent neighborhood, but accounts are sketchy, and her body is not found with the others, indicating that her disappearance may not be related. This book is a detailed account of the young women's histories, and the search for answers to their murders. It discusses the role of the internet, particularly Craig's List, in prostitution. The worst part of all is that none of these murders has been solved. That's in the title, so it's no surprise, but in bringing these women to life, in showcasing their humanity, there is additional heartbreak in knowing there's no justice.
As for the topic itself - a series of young women go missing in the same area. They are all sex workers, and law enforcement, as so often happens, doesn't treat them as important. Another young woman goes missing around the same time, in the same area. There are witnesses in an affluent neighborhood, but accounts are sketchy, and her body is not found with the others, indicating that her disappearance may not be related. This book is a detailed account of the young women's histories, and the search for answers to their murders. It discusses the role of the internet, particularly Craig's List, in prostitution. The worst part of all is that none of these murders has been solved. That's in the title, so it's no surprise, but in bringing these women to life, in showcasing their humanity, there is additional heartbreak in knowing there's no justice.
A true crime novel of young girls that were being sexually exploited and then many who ended up being murdered and left in the same general area in NY. This is an important story to tell and I felt like Kolker did a relatively good job with the material.
I really enjoy true crime books that humanize the victims.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder
This book is...just ok. I think you’d get just as much info watching an hour-long news special (48 hours or Dateline) and you’d save yourself a lot of time.
The book is repetitive. So much so that at times it’s tedious to read. Several chapters are simply retellings of neighborhood gossip, not facts.
The way the first portion of the book is structured is also confusing. The author devoted a chapter to each victim and then to each victim’s mother/significant family member. Although I love the focus on the victims - especially since much of the true crime genre focuses on the killer - I often found myself looking back in the book to figure out which victims’ story I was reading.
The second half of the book is the investigation and, sadly, quite a bit of rehashing of the news. The gaps in actual news and police work are filled in with speculative ideas by neighbors, the victims’ families, and even the police. It’s only interesting in how sad and illogical the stories are. On the whole, I found that spending time reading gossip in a book that purports to be fact-driven and wanting to shed light on this case to be disappointing, irritating, and a waste of time. Watch the TV special. Save yourself the other hours you’d spend reading this book.
The book is repetitive. So much so that at times it’s tedious to read. Several chapters are simply retellings of neighborhood gossip, not facts.
The way the first portion of the book is structured is also confusing. The author devoted a chapter to each victim and then to each victim’s mother/significant family member. Although I love the focus on the victims - especially since much of the true crime genre focuses on the killer - I often found myself looking back in the book to figure out which victims’ story I was reading.
The second half of the book is the investigation and, sadly, quite a bit of rehashing of the news. The gaps in actual news and police work are filled in with speculative ideas by neighbors, the victims’ families, and even the police. It’s only interesting in how sad and illogical the stories are. On the whole, I found that spending time reading gossip in a book that purports to be fact-driven and wanting to shed light on this case to be disappointing, irritating, and a waste of time. Watch the TV special. Save yourself the other hours you’d spend reading this book.
Deeply engrossing, even-handed, and multi-layered. I will be thinking of those lost girls for a long time.
I just couldn't get into this book. I think knowing that it was an unsolved case going in, killed my motivation to finish. I got it from the library and wasn't upset enough when it was due to renew or purchase.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced