4.0

Torn on this one…on the one hand, an interesting take on the subject of women and true crime stories, yet on the other, a rather narrow view of obsession.

I think what’s missing for me is an underpinning of how the obsessive translates to the average female viewer/reader/listener. Very few of us actually become obsessed the way the women in the book do. Rather, we absorb the stories because we can control a story that didn’t happen to us. So many awful things do happen in a patriarchal society, and sometimes the fascination with true crime just boils down to the desire to see the shitty man get caught. I can’t do anything about my terrible, handsy boss, but I can watch Dateline and see the jerky, cheating husband arrested and convicted and sent to prison. I can watch Snapped and see women strike back. I can feel a sense of justice.

All that said, this was interesting and well researched. An enjoyable read for true crime fans and fanatics!