Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to like this, I tried to read it several times before I finally had to succeed that it just wasn't for me... I found it difficult to read due to the format (interrogation play by plays) which ultimately I just couldn't get into. I've read a lot about this crime so I was definitely looking forward to this one, but it just didn't do it justice.

'She's So Cold' by Donald E. McInnis delves into the chilling true story of the Stephanie Crowe murder case, providing an insider's perspective on the legal proceedings and the impact on those involved. Through meticulous detail, McInnis navigates the complexities of coerced confessions and the quest for justice in a gripping narrative that sheds light on the flaws within the justice system.

This read like a play by play of the interrogations in which it seemed like every other word was “okay”. It was annoying and difficult for me to finish which is disappointing because the case itself was tragic and worth knowing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Ng for the free copy of this book in exchange for a copy of this book
I’m just going to start this honestly: THIS BOOK MADE ME SO ANGRY!!!! I cannot think of any other word because my mind just shut down just about every chapter. Unbelievable!! I have read hundreds of true crime books and it is so frustrating how often the law just wants to solve a crime so they will just pick someone and hyperfocus on that person. So I infuriating! There is so much wrong with the criminal justice system it makes me want to vomit. And I hate saying that because my baby cousin ( ok she is 40) is married to a police officer and I know what an amazing job he does, but I think the statistic is out of every 10on death row 1 is actually innocent? And that is 1 too many. To have been this short sighted as the police were in this book is appalling. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is a true crime buff or anyone who is interested in social justice. This is America; we can do better than this.

A horrific ending to a true story where three boys were manipulated into falsely confessing for a crime. The author recounts the story of Stephanie Crowe, found brutally murdered in her bedroom during the winter of 1998 in the small town of Escondido, CA.

This book was tough to read but I must say it was very well done!

I love reading about true crime cases and somehow I had never heard of this one. 12 year old Stephanie Crowe was found stabbed to death in her bedroom and police had no suspects. But she had a teenage brother who was into violent video games, so they used horrifying coercion tactics to get a confession out of him and his two best friends for her murder. They were completely innocent.

That is so scary and mind boggling to me. And while I can appreciate everything this case has done in regards to how police interrogate minors today, the writing of this book was just not well done. I do feel for Stephanie’s parents and those teenage boys for all the tragedy that they went through. But this book is just so repetitive and the author does not have that great of flow of story telling. I enjoyed the book but felt it could have been better.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review She's So Cold.

I honestly had to give up reading this book. It just wasn't what I expected and was more about the criminal justice system and its failings (which I get) than the crime itself. It was clear that the author had an agenda to pursue; I just wish I had realized that before I started reading it.

This was a good look into a case I'd never previously heard of and it was an interesting read that was easy to follow, my only negative was that it was longer than I thought nessacary and could of been shorter without the repeating of information.

In January 1998, Stephanie Crowe was discovered stabbed and dead in her bedroom. The police then coerce three fourteen year olds, including her brother, into confessing to the murder. Donald McInnis was the attorney for Aaron Hauser and saw problems associated with interviewing the boys in this case. He proposed changes to the interrogation process for children to help keep these false confessions from happening.

This is not your normal true crime story. Although we do see what happened all because of Stephanie being murdered it revolves around the way the confessions were obtained. I don’t agree with the way it happened in the book. I mean I understand the police were under a lot of pressure to find the killer(s). I also understand that sometimes you have to do things to get the killers trust to get a confession. Having said that I don’t believe children and teens should face the same inquires. I am glad that Donald McInnis stepped up and changed procedures for the children and teens.

I learned a lot from this book. I recommend those that like true crime read the story. They will get so much more from it than just the mess that the police and others made trying to get a confession.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

This was a very well-written, chilling true crime that give some good insight into false confessions and police interrogations. It was interesting to read a true crime that was less victim/killer focused and more focused on the process of the interrogations and discovery of subjects.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author and publisher for providing me this book to review.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. However, it was hard to get through at the beginning since the interrogations were very hard to get through. I understand that the author may have been trying to make a point about how stressful they were, particularly for her brother Michael, but it was extremely repetitive, which also caused the reason for why it took me so long to read this book,
I applaud Mr. McInnis on his proposal for improving children's rights, with emphasis on the Miranda Rights change for minors, but I definitely feel like the book could have been a lot shorter.

This book is so horrifying in what happened to the Crowe family and the two other boys families that the cops messed with. I have no problem with cops using lies to get people to confess but when they do it this way and skirt the law constantly because they wanted to wrap up this case just disgusts me. I am glad the truth came out and they were set free but I can't imagine the psychological damage this created. A book all cops should read to know what not to do!

This was a good true crime book that talks about false confessions that people make to police. The book isnt about the victim its about the interview process. It was very well written and researched. It kept my interest and was a different true crime book than the ones I usually read.

This book made me so angry. The police should truly be ashamed of how they treated these boys. The type of harassment that the three boys endured was horrible. I felt so bad for the boys. My own children are about the same age and I can not imagine them being treated like the boys. Of course they confessed, with the police sitting there telling them that they know they are lying and will be in more trouble if they don't confess...what did the police really think would happen.

I truly hope this book is an eye opener for anyone that reads it. Children need to be treated better than this by our legal system!

She's So Cold: Murder, Accusations and the System that Devasted a Family was an interesting and a sad true crime book. I felt sorry for those boys. I give this book four stars.

In the winter of January 1998, the small town of Escondido, California, was horrified when the body of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe was found brutally murdered in her own bedroom. The police used psychological manipulation to force three 14-year-old boys to falsely confess to the murder. She's So Cold traces the twists and turns of a real-life mystery which eventually changed the lives of fifteen people and cost a district attorney his job. To protect children and teens from such manipulation in the future, McInnis proposes a new Children's Miranda Rights Warning and a Bill of Rights for Children who are being questioned as suspects. These proposals must be adopted in order to prevent minors from making false confessions that could destroy their futures.
This was a pretty good book. I’m a fan of true crime so this drew my attention. This one was a bit different from others I’d read. After laying the bare facts of what happened, the author starts to tell how the family was treated. It was a horrifying thought to think of what everyone went through after such a devastating loss. I’ve seen some true crime specials that show where the police have forced confessions on family members, but not very many. I highly recommend it to anyone whose a fan of this genre.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is a true crime book with a difference! As a true crime fan, I'm used to these books starting with alot of background information but this one delves immediately into the murder case from page 1. This is the story of 12 year old Stephanie Crowe's murder, and the subsequent immoral and borderline illegal interrogation techniques police used to gain false confessions from her 14 year old brother and his two friends. The author warns in the preface that the book may make readers so enraged they'll have to put it down for a while or step away for a time but that was impossible. I couldn't have put this one down if I tried. From page 1 I was hooked and felt like I was thrown into the interrogation room with the boys. The author was factual, informative and unbiased in regards to his own opinions on the case but made sure Stephanie Crowe is a name that will not be forgotten. I will rave about this book to whoever will listen. An absolute must-have on any true crime fan's bookshelf.

She's So Cold is the devastating story of how the Children's Miranda Rights Warning and Bill of Rights for Children came to be. In 1998, 12 year old Stephanie Crowe was found murdered in her own bedroom. Quickly, her brother and two of his friends were prime suspects and taken into custody. Through a series of torturous and psychologically exhausting interviews, the three boys are manipulated into making false confessions.

She's So Cold was a fascinating story, but it is also truly horrifying. I was also 12 in 1998 and I remember the war on violent videos games at the time. Assurances that they would turn a generation into murderers, blah, blah, blah. These three kids happened to enjoy video games and knives, and were brought up to believe that the police are always right.

It is a little dry in some places. It's written by one of the lawyers involved in the case, and it's very obvious that it's not written by a true crime author. But still, I cannot believe that I was 12 years old before the Children's Miranda Rights were effected. All in all, though it was heartbreaking to read and got a little boring, I'm glad that I read it.

4/5 stars
*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

4-5 stars. I found this book to be well written, researched, and a very important topic many just don’t understand about false confessions. I think it was done in a way you could tell that the author did his due diligence and really researched to write a well informed, amazing, and riveting book! It really made me think about the case, the confession, and much more! I highly recommend to those who may question police getting people to confess falsely, as I think it shows how it happens and why. I think those who love true crime and political type books will enjoy it! I highly, highly recommend!
Will make sure to buzz it up and use my low amazon reviewer number on release!

It was never going to be rated anything BUT five stars! This was an absolutely fantastic read. For me personally it was up there with In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I enjoyed it THAT much.

Thank you SO much to the publishers via Netgalley for giving me this to read. I really hope Donald E McInnis writes more (and keeps the good Defence work up).

As a Defence lawyer who dealt with the Police Station side of things here in the UK, representing clients at the early stage of an investigation, I understood a lot of what went on here on a legal level. Over the years, I've become familiar with some of the US law as I considered moving over and working over there a while ago. Reading the interrogation bits of this therefore particularly interested me. However, it made me so angry. It is one thing for "investigators" (I cannot call these individuals Police Officers because they never acted like them, once during this case) to make mistakes but to outwardly lie to defendants, to coerce them and subject them to inhumane processes with the potential to do such damage to innocent people. That is non justifiable. I think severe penalties should exist for "investigators" who turn to such methods because this complete undermines the whole principle of what justice is supposed to be about.

This read like a novel in the sense it felt as though I was reading about something currently happening and told as though it was a story but obviously factual. Fascinating in the way in which it was written. I could not put this down. Absolutely compelling.

If I ever had a chance to meet this guy and talk law and injustice, I would take it!

Brilliant book.

Thank you again to the publishers and Netgalley