I'm not usually a true crime fan, but I liked this
Who killed Mary Yoder? Was it her seemingly loyal husband, who may have been keeping secrets? Her introverted son, who was the first to have accusations flung at him? The son’s jilted ex-girlfriend, who was not at all the person she presented as? Or could the son and the ex-girlfriend have conspired together? One thing is certain: Someone Mary trusted had poisoned her.
I won’t try to sell you something this isn’t. The writing was not eloquent. The details were a bit choppy. It all reminded me of a low budget made-for-TV mystery movie from the eighties and I could hear the “dun dun dun” sound effect in my head as chapters revealed shocking details to close things out. But I suppose different formats work for different people and these qualities were exactly what kept me glued to the story.
A part of me wished this was fiction. As I became more invested in it, I felt devastated for Mary, who suffered greatly before succumbing, and broken-hearted for the people who had loved her. I can’t imagine having to live with the aftermath, especially in the face of such evil scheming.
This wasn’t a perfect read, but I was incredibly intrigued by the information. I’d been unfamiliar with the case before learning about this book. I’ve now found myself researching things further, although the author was very thorough, so there isn’t a lot to discover beyond what’s presented in the book.
Will this be a hit for all true crime fans? I cannot say. It certainly worked for me, someone who doesn’t love the genre. Even if it isn’t appreciated by everyone, it is definitely a narrative that will spark interesting conversations. I think this would be especially fascinating to discuss within a book club, given the convoluted nature of the crime and the controversial divisiveness about the verdict.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
I am immensely grateful to Kensington and BookishFirst for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
I won’t try to sell you something this isn’t. The writing was not eloquent. The details were a bit choppy. It all reminded me of a low budget made-for-TV mystery movie from the eighties and I could hear the “dun dun dun” sound effect in my head as chapters revealed shocking details to close things out. But I suppose different formats work for different people and these qualities were exactly what kept me glued to the story.
A part of me wished this was fiction. As I became more invested in it, I felt devastated for Mary, who suffered greatly before succumbing, and broken-hearted for the people who had loved her. I can’t imagine having to live with the aftermath, especially in the face of such evil scheming.
This wasn’t a perfect read, but I was incredibly intrigued by the information. I’d been unfamiliar with the case before learning about this book. I’ve now found myself researching things further, although the author was very thorough, so there isn’t a lot to discover beyond what’s presented in the book.
Will this be a hit for all true crime fans? I cannot say. It certainly worked for me, someone who doesn’t love the genre. Even if it isn’t appreciated by everyone, it is definitely a narrative that will spark interesting conversations. I think this would be especially fascinating to discuss within a book club, given the convoluted nature of the crime and the controversial divisiveness about the verdict.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
I am immensely grateful to Kensington and BookishFirst for my review copy. All opinions are my own.