Overall Take:
Best true crime I’ve read all year
Star Rating:
5 Stars
Genre:
True Crime
Synopsis
Barbara Graham beat the odds to survive but her beauty was both a blessing and a curse. She was left to fend for herself, and made it by committing petty crime. That is until she was catapulted to the spotlight in 1953.
A robber spiraled out of control and resulted in the victim not making it. Barbara was charged, and portrayed as a beautiful villain by the press, and the prosecution was happy to jump aboard that ship.
Thoughts:
I would say at this point in my reading journey, I dabble in nonfiction, and when I do it’s usually true crime. For me to enjoy it, it has to be very well done, and I need to become invested as a reader. That is exactly what happened here. This is one of the most beautifully written true crime books I have read in as long as I can remember. The author does a fantastic job at the research and helps lay out the facts in a compelling way so I can feel a certain way about the case. The author did such a great job at being neutral in her delivery of facts (while guiding me to come to my own conclusions) that I eagerly read the author’s note at the end hoping to hear if the author came to the same conclusion I did. However, the author inserted herself into the story but it felt so natural, like she was there holding my hand and walking through the reading journey with me, and I loved every minute of it. I loved learning that the author knew she should write a book (and she is a fantastic writer) but spendt a long time finding a case that she connected with. After reading this book, her connection and passion for this case is obvious and shines through in the best possible way.
I think that this is a true crime book that will invoke some strong feelings from readers, I don’t want to go into why because it is a mild spoiler. I also think that this is the perfect book for those who don’t necessarily think nonfiction is for them but want to try it out.
Publication Date:
December 1, 2024
Author:
Marcia Clark
Page Length:
284
Publisher:
Thomas & Mercer
Thank you to:
Thank you so much to Thomas Mercer @amazonpublishing @thatmarciaclark @mbc_books for my gifted book. All thoughts are my own.
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