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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
2.5 ish stars
I didn't love the structure of the book and I think that definitely affected how I felt about this book. All of the profiles on the victims was done at the same time and it felt like a slog at times. It could be confusing and it was hard to differentiate at times. I understand that it's difficult to write about unsolved cases, but there wasn't much of a theory or an opinion of what happened / who did it.
I really hope this gets solved at some point. The apathy of the police when it comes to missing and murdered sex workers is disheartening and awful.
I didn't love the structure of the book and I think that definitely affected how I felt about this book. All of the profiles on the victims was done at the same time and it felt like a slog at times. It could be confusing and it was hard to differentiate at times. I understand that it's difficult to write about unsolved cases, but there wasn't much of a theory or an opinion of what happened / who did it.
I really hope this gets solved at some point. The apathy of the police when it comes to missing and murdered sex workers is disheartening and awful.
6/10
So, I liked the book, and I’m glad the story got written, but I’m still just not sure what the point of it was. I mean, I get that the story of these girls needs to be out there, especially as their killer still hasn’t been found.
But largely the book just caused me to dislike them and their families. And I’m sure that couldn’t have been the goal, right?
Anyhow, I still enjoyed reading it. And it’s pretty horrifying. Especially since these gurls were about my age, and all of this was happening around New York right after I moved away from New York. Pretty scary. And oh so very sad.
So, I liked the book, and I’m glad the story got written, but I’m still just not sure what the point of it was. I mean, I get that the story of these girls needs to be out there, especially as their killer still hasn’t been found.
But largely the book just caused me to dislike them and their families. And I’m sure that couldn’t have been the goal, right?
Anyhow, I still enjoyed reading it. And it’s pretty horrifying. Especially since these gurls were about my age, and all of this was happening around New York right after I moved away from New York. Pretty scary. And oh so very sad.
This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, I am concerned I am lowering the grade based on what I wanted the book to be (vs. the author's vision). On the other hand, I think the title, referring to a mystery, does imply the book is about the investigation of a crime. And this book really isn't. It's a portrait of the lives of the women lost to the Long Island serial killer, and a snapshot of some of the lives of their relatives/friends. It makes the (important) argument that prostitutes are human beings, worthy of acknowledgement as human beings in life as well as death. But it doesn't really outline, or get close to solving, a mystery--as it is clear there really isn't a solution to the question of the murderer. And that's what got me, as I kept waiting for the book to shift from humanizing the victims to telling us about the investigatory process--it just never happened.
I enjoy true crime novels (though obviously not the crimes themselves!) but this book was very hard to follow for me. I understand the desire to represent all of the women in the story but it was just too many names and a lot of the names were similar. (Missy/Maureen/Mary/Marie etc)
I'm actually more interested in hearing about the forums where the people solve cold cases!
I'm actually more interested in hearing about the forums where the people solve cold cases!
I found this book EXTREMELY hard to follow. The structure of the first part of the book is confusing and weird--even though it's by far the more interesting half of the book!--which is off-putting, in general.
And the second half of the book is...nothing. It's rumors and speculation and very little of substance. I seriously do NOT recommend this book.
And the second half of the book is...nothing. It's rumors and speculation and very little of substance. I seriously do NOT recommend this book.
Kind slow. The second half of the book took awhile to get through.
Fantastic. Well written and love that it is presented with a clear-eyed approach.
engaging, well written and I probably would have rated it higher if In Cold Blood hadn't ruined me on true crime forever. some confusing timelines, but I think when you have five different narratives to draw together that sort of makes sense. the graphics/maps were a nice touch, but I think could have been labeled more clearly to draw connections between all the women and their pseudonyms.
I'm generally wary of diving into true crime centered on violence against women, so I can't remember why I decided to give this one a shot, but I'm glad I did because the way Kolker approached the case really worked for me. A lot of people seem to take issue with the fact that the crimes are unsolved, but, you know, it says it right there in the title. If you go into this book expecting justice and/or closure, that's on you. What worked about this book, for me, is how without a perpetrator to center around, it becomes an incredibly detailed story about the victims, their families, and the communities affected by the crimes. I liked that it took the time to look at the hows and whys of the way the internet changed sex work and that it took issues like addiction, abuse, and poverty seriously without getting preachy, and I appreciated the takeaway message about how sex work and sex workers are treated in our society and the damage that it does. Probably not a book for everyone, depending on what you want from your true crime.