pjgal22 's review for:

American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse

3.0

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This story captured my interest when Monica Hesse’s multi-part feature first appeared in the Washington Post. Unfortunately there are few new details here and little additional insight into how and why this bizarre criminal collaboration occurred. Much of the story feels padded; the first section in particular, before the arrests, kind of drags along. Hesse does do a very good job of conveying a sense of time and place. By the end of the book, I felt I had actually visited Accomack County. Recommended for true crime fans who haven’t read the Post article.