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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Although this is not my favorite true crime book, I highly recommend it for the way the victims are portrayed. Many true crime books focus on either the perpetrator or law enforcement rather than the victims. As a result, victims frequently end up seeming almost incidental to the story. In this book, Kolker focuses on the victims and their families, humanizing them making sure that we see who they were. He never shames them or blames them. It's a realy breath of fresh air in the true crime genre.
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
slow-paced
Run of the mill true crime that spent a lot of time setting up and low-key condescending these women (not girls) and their life choices and less on really any suspects. I know it's unsolved but expected more.
Lost Girls is a heartbreaking true story of families torn apart by the cruel tragedies humans face in this world. Robert Kolker gives a realistic, human voice to those who no longer can speak for themselves. No matter which theory of the case of L.I.S.K you believe, the bottom line is many women lost their lives. Kolker also gives voice to the world of escorts & how culture and the internet allow for commercial sex to be an “acceptable” living in the shadow. A must read for any murderinos & unsolved cases fans.
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
This audio book turned into background noise pretty quickly. I don't want to bely the tragedy of the deaths, but I had a difficult time keeping the five women's stories and families straight in my head.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Murder
The last anyone saw of Shannon was as she ran panicking from house to house in a small suburban neighborhood near New York. The police were called, but the girl was gone. So was the SUV seen in the neighborhood. As it turned out, Shannon was an escort and the SUV was her driver. She had placed an ad on Craigslist and met up with a resident of the neighborhood. At some point in the night, she freaked out and called the police (something escorts don't do very often). She ran from the house she had been working at and ran from her driver. She knocked on door after door, hoping to be let in and helped. The last anyone saw of her was her slight form darting off into the shadows.
Shannon's family pushed for the investigation, in spite of the police's clear reluctance due to her profession. The search turned up a body, but it wasn't Shannons. More searching revealed four complete skeletons, all wrapped in burlap, as well as a number of body parts and unidentified remains. Still no Shannon. Police soon pieced together the identities of the burlap-wrapped girls. Each of them was an escort, just like Shannon. They could only conclude that this was indeed the work of a serial killer.
Lost Girls is, as the title implies, the story of an unsolved serial murder case. Kolker begins by letting the reader get to know the victims. Each of their stories are told in detail and without judgement. Each woman's life is different. The one thing they all have in common is that they all found their way to the Craigslist escort game. From the girls to the circumstances of their last known whereabouts to the family, community and press response, Lost Girls tells a heartbreaking story of a broken society. To blame the women for their circumstances would be only addressing a miniscule part of the equation. Lost Girls is exceedingly well-researched and humane. The lack of resolution will frustrate, but it may also serve as a catalyst for change in how crimes like this are handled.
Shannon's family pushed for the investigation, in spite of the police's clear reluctance due to her profession. The search turned up a body, but it wasn't Shannons. More searching revealed four complete skeletons, all wrapped in burlap, as well as a number of body parts and unidentified remains. Still no Shannon. Police soon pieced together the identities of the burlap-wrapped girls. Each of them was an escort, just like Shannon. They could only conclude that this was indeed the work of a serial killer.
Lost Girls is, as the title implies, the story of an unsolved serial murder case. Kolker begins by letting the reader get to know the victims. Each of their stories are told in detail and without judgement. Each woman's life is different. The one thing they all have in common is that they all found their way to the Craigslist escort game. From the girls to the circumstances of their last known whereabouts to the family, community and press response, Lost Girls tells a heartbreaking story of a broken society. To blame the women for their circumstances would be only addressing a miniscule part of the equation. Lost Girls is exceedingly well-researched and humane. The lack of resolution will frustrate, but it may also serve as a catalyst for change in how crimes like this are handled.
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Unfortunately there are a lot of other unsolved mysteries out there just like this case. But, what Kolker has done with the limited information he has, is humanize the victims in this case. He tells us their stories, the stories of their families, and tells us how they now must survive while their loved ones are gone.
It's a reminder that just because the cameras go away, the case remains unsolved and goes cold, these women should never be forgotten.
It's a reminder that just because the cameras go away, the case remains unsolved and goes cold, these women should never be forgotten.