Tim

This book was recommended by a podcast I heard. The premise is compelling enough. I found myself unmoved by the characters and ultimately lost interest. I finished the book but had no interest in continuing. Much of what the book was praised for was not targeted at me so I get it. Not bad, but not my favorite.

This was a great read and a great glimpse in how things work in parts of the US. After reading some of the other reviews and thoughts I have a few thoughts.Some have complained that the author's take is predatory and he is taking advantage of the players in this story. The reality is that in order to get people to tell you there story, it takes money. Criminals in particular are often self-involved and sometimes there has to be a motivator beyond their ego alone. I find this story fascinating where others found it boring. The author shows the dramas and mundane nature of real people. He does not focus on caricatures of people, but instead describes his perception. Many of the characters are flawed and are seen the story shifting their statements or beliefs to paint themselves in a better light.The story does not have a definitive ending. While some have seen this as a weakness and accused the author of simply stopping and failing to look farther, I do not believe this is the case. The case in the book is typical in many ways. There is often not a clear cut explanation from the accused as to what exactly happened and why it happened. People's perceptions of events are wildly different. There was also no great trial and no great escaped. The suspect plead and was sentenced. The facts of the case were only examined after the sentencing. The author did what he could and looked where he could to find out the truth. He never found evidence of the truth. Here in lies the point. From what I read, hard facts are hard to come by in Mississippi. The reality is that there is only so much that he could find out about two unhappy people's lives. I suppose you could say the story was sad, but at the same time this was a story of murder. I think that the author's ending was fitting for a story that happened in real life. He did a great job showing that people are messy and nothing is certain.So in closing, if you are looking for a story like [b:The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story 15654 The Stranger Beside Me Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story Ann Rule https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330072383s/15654.jpg 1353958], then this is not the right piece for you. However, if you want a look into what most murders look like and a glimpse into the disfunction of real people, then this book is a good read.

This book never really did anything for me. I felt lost the majority of the time for one reason or another. I enjoyed some of the humor in the book and I got the general idea and messaging in the book, but I never really was invested in the story. This is the first book I have read by this author and it was recommended by a number of people. Overall it was ok.

I picked this book up after watching True Detective and loving it. The author uses a tone similar to the show to tell a noir tale that was dark yet enjoyable. The author does a wonderful job of putting his characters through very human emotions and experiences. I hope that this author continues to write. I am a fan from this point on