The case of Rebecca Zahau, who was found hung outside in 2011, with her arms bound behind her back, her ankles tied, her mouth gagged, all while naked, has fascinated true crime followers for a decade. The author follows all of the main people in Rebecca's life at the time of her death and provides context and details that the police had never released to the public. This book really does ask though, was Rebecca murdered, or did she commit suicide?.

Two days before Rebecca was found dead. she was watching Jonahs son Max. Max was seriously injured when he mysteriously ended up on the ground from the top floor of their home. He was found unresponsive with pieces of the chandelier around him. Rebecca did CPR while her sister who was visiting called 911. Things just get more chaotic and crazy from there.

The author did a wonderful job giving details and information without giving her opinion. As someone who has followed this case for the past decade I enjoyed the new information that the author gathered. I do wish that Rebeccas family would get the closure that they deserve.

https://timesofsandiego.com/arts/2021/04/24/crime-writer-rother-tackles-zahau-naked-hanging-mystery-this-time-its-personal/

This is my first investigative book and the author did a good job providing different perspectives, especially a perspective that is not within law enforcement. I had seen the 20/20 episode when it aired many years ago and I think this book provided some additional revelations.

The writing style made the book easy to read, the case itself is quite complex making at moments difficult to follow, some parts felt a little stretched but over all it was a decent book.

Rebecca Zahau lived with her boyfriend, Jonah, and his three children. Jonah had shared custody with both his ex wives. Rebecca experienced some hostility from both wives and Cindy, Jonah's daughter.
Rebecca was very loving, especially with Jonah's youngest son, Max. His mother, Dina, had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role.
In July 2011, Max suffered severe injuries from a fall, though no one is able to determine how it happened. Two days later, Rebecca is found at the mansion, rope around her ankles and hands, nude, hanging from a balcony.
Ruled a suicide, Rebecca's family fight for the truth knowing their daughter would never kill herself.
Harrowing story. Why did the police rule suicide and fail to investigate other possibilities? Such as homicide?

"SHE SAVED HIM, CAN YOU SAVE HER."

Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Yahau was found hanging naked, gagged, and bound from a balcony at her boyfriend's (Jonah Shacknai) historic Coronado mansion in 2011. This message "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER" was found written on a door. Her death was deemed a suicide, but was it?

It was the second time that the police were called to that residence. The first time was when they responded to a call for help for Jonah's six-year-old son, Max who took a fall while under Rebecca's care. Did Rebecca commit suicide out of guilt? Did she feel responsible for Max getting hurt?

Jonah Shacknai was not home on the night of Rebecca's suicide. His son, Max was in Rady Children's hospital in San Diego. He was staying at a hotel close to the hospital so he could be at the hospital at any given moment.

But Rebecca was not alone, Jonah's brother Adam had arrived and was staying at the mansion as well. Could he have been involved?

Rother takes readers through the events beginning with the 911 call to get help for Max after his tragic fall. She leads us through the days with information given from all involved including Max's mother and aunt. She provides the facts in a comprehensive manner. I had not about this case when it occurred (was I living under a rock?), so all the information was new to me. Readers presented with information and theories from the authorities and experts. Rother takes reader through the trial and after.

The author's research was impressive and extensive. She took nine years to research and write this book. She uses her personal interviews with both experts and witnesses. Her dedication to detail and providing the facts results in a comprehensive and informative book. There is a lot of information, but this book does not feel bogged down with it.

Fans of true crime will enjoy this book. In addition to be well written, it is informative, comprehensive and riveting.

I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the account of a tire murder mystery. The author has new evidence detailing what really may have happened. The writing is concise and easily read. It is detail oriented. I definitely keeps your attention. Great read!

Caitlin Rother did an amazing job writing this book. I thought I knew quite a bit about this case and was certain that Rebecca Zahau was murdered. After reading this book, finding out about new details, I'm really not sure anymore. This was one of those books that I couldn't wait to pick up and read more. I truly feel sorry for everyone involved in the case and wish we could know for absolute certain what really happened that night!

Was it murder or suicide? Seems like a simple question but nothing was simple in the case of Rebecca Zahau, who was found bound and gagged, and allegedly hanging from the balcony of her boyfriend Jonah Shacknai's home. I wasn't familiar with this case which has an incredible number of twists which Rother has carefully and succinctly examined. She looks at Zahau's life as well as her death. She also delves into the tragic death of Jonah's son Max and, most importantly, his brother Adam, who was found responsible for her death by a civil jury. This may well be one of those cases which is never solved to everyone's satisfaction but Rother has done an excellent job of laying out the issues. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Great true crime read.

I had recently watched a documentary series on this case so I was very excited to see this one on my #netgalley shelf! I think Caitlin Rother has done a wonderful job in providing a neutral in-depth look at this case and in building out both Rebecca and Jonah’s background stories so we can get a sense of who they really were as people prior to the tragedies. You can really tell the amount of research and work that Caitlin has put into this and as an avid true crime reader I really thank her for that! If you like interesting cases then definitely add this to your TBR list!
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This was a very well researched true crime book. The writing kept you interested and gives you tons of information on the case. I will definitely recommend this one to fans of true crime.

I've heard about this case through true crime podcasts and so when I see there is a book written about it, I immediately requested a review copy. Rebecca Zahau's death was a mysterious one - suicide or murder?

I was really excited to read this book. The first part grabbed my attention and there were a lot of new-to-me information. I really liked the information presented in this book but unfortunately the writing style wasn't for me. It felt disjointed and there were too much dialogue in the book, going back and forth, repetitive and I lose interest. I did not finish this book. I am frustrated that this book wasn't for me.

***Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.***

Caitlin Rother has done an amazing job of presenting the facts in one of the most bizarre crimes of the death of Rebecca Zahau in the book Death on Ocean Boulevard : Inside the Coronado Mansion Case.

Is it suicide or is it murder.

Experts disagree .

I thought I knew this case from Dateline, 20 20 but this book brought so much out that I did not know.

Caitlin's honesty and forthrightness made her novel stand out. She brought the characters to life.

At one point I had made up my mind it was murder, the next I thought a bizarre suicide.

Sadly for the family , I don't think we will ever know.

This will not be my last Caitlin Rother novel by any means

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Citadel for perplexing and fascinating read.

So I heard about this case, eons ago it seems. Ann Rule talked about it in one of her anthologies, and I always thought it was weird she didn't finish it or come back to it. I found out via this book though, she got threatened via a lawsuit so that explains that. But the case of Rebecca Zahau, who was found hung in 2011, with her arms bound behind her back, her ankles tied, her mouth gagged, all while naked, has fascinated true crime followers for a decade. The author follows all of the main people in Rebecca's life at the time of her death and provides context and details that the police had never released to the public. This book really does ask though, was Rebecca murdered, or did she commit suicide because she thought her relationship with her live in boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai was about to end.

For readers who don't know, "Inside the Coronado Mansion Case" starts at the "beginning" of the story and we get details about Jonah Shacknai's son, Max, who was hurt a few days before Rebecca's murder or suicide. Jonah's son Max was 6 and while playing or sliding down a bannister, somehow went over the banister at his father's mansion, tried to grab onto the chandelier and then was found on the ground covered with glass and unresponsive. Rebecca and her sister were the only ones at home at the time and Rebecca apparently tried to give Max CPR while her sister was on the phone trying to give directions to the 9-1-1 operator that they called for help. Police and ambulance converge on the mansion and take him to the hospital. Rebecca is asked to not go to the hospital by Jonah because she and Max's mother (his second wife) don't get along. For a time many people thought that Max would recover, but when all signs point to him not, Rebecca is found dead by Jonah's brother Adam. From there Rother follows whether Rebecca would have committed suicide over the accident or was she murdered.

I think that Rother does a great job of giving a lot of development to Rebecca. You get to see how she was a contradictory woman throughout her life. She had a long time husband who she was separated off and on from for years while they both perused relationships with other people. You find out that relationship was abusive, but she still seemed reluctant to leave it. She seemed to fall in love with men and they fell in love with her, but she seemed to want to be independent from them at times too. We get backstories on her parents, her sisters, her ex-husband, and ex-boyfriends. All of that I think was to try to give us details about why Rebecca may have been hiding something or been scared to say what happened to Jonah's son Max. I also felt really sorry for her at times because I think all signs were pointing to her relationship with Jonah ending. He seemed like a cold fish and at times made it seem like she was getting overly emotional about things and I was all, ehh well your second wife has pretty much called her a gold digger, your daughter doesn't sound much better, I don't blame her for being emotional.

Rother also provides us backstories on Jonah, his first two wives, his children, and his brother Adam.

You have Rother following up with private investigators and providing us information from medical reports on both Max and Rebecca.

I think that Rother did a great job of staying neutral with this book. She provides us facts and contexts around things many readers may not have known. Heck, I don't know if most of the participants had any idea. But from my point of view it seems like the San Diego County Sheriff Department bungled this whole case from beginning to end. I do think that Rebecca was murdered. My only question is though, was only 1 person involved, or more.

Like many people, I am incredibly interested in this case. And like many people, I started this book thinking I was well-versed in this case and that I knew what had happened.

It turns out there was a lot of stuff I didn't know (A LOT) and this book made me rethink a lot of things.

I don't want to spoil anything and I also don't want to be like, "Here are the biggest things we didn't know!" because you need to read the book. (It's great and it won't take you long.) But I started from a place of "I don't think she killed herself; I think she was murdered" and went to a "Well...maybe...?" and back and forth about three more times. I don't know if we'll ever know everything.

If this is also one of the stories that's gotten stuck in your brain, read this. And then talk to me about it because I have some real thoughts and questions.

"Thank you to NetGalley, Caitlin Rother and Citadel Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/death-on-ocean-boulevard/

Death on Ocean Boulevard tackles one of the most bizarre true crimes in recent history: the deaths of Maxfield Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau. These deaths occur two days apart in the same house in Coronado, California, and while both are ruled accidental, the evidence points to murder. Caitlin Rother has written a book about this unusual case, tackling evidence and personal interviews that were not presented in the trial.

On July 11, 2011, 6-year-old Max Shacknai took a tumble off of a 2nd floor railing while home with his Father’s girlfriend, Rebecca and her younger sister. According to police, he grabs onto a chandelier and swings, falling down two flights and lands on his face, breaking facial bones and severing his spinal cord. What stands out to the first responders is that somehow a scooter lands on top of him, along with the chandelier. He is rushed to the hospital, where he dies a few days later. Max’s death is ruled an accident, but was it?

During Max’s hospital stay, Jonah Shacknai’s brother, Adam, comes to stay to support Jonah. Adam is an interesting character and the complete opposite of pharmaceutical magnate, Jonah. He is a tugboat Captain who has been with the same woman for decades but has not introduced her to family. The morning after he arrives, he leaves the guest house and sees Rebecca’s nude body hanging off a second floor balcony with her hands and feet tied behind her and a gag in her mouth. He calls 911 while simultaneously cutting her down and trying to resuscitate her. Despite mounting evidence that points to murder, including a strange sign outside the bedroom door, that the balcony railing was above her center of gravity and other evidence that points to her being murdered before she goes over the balcony, the responders rule it a suicide. They believe she committed suicide out of guilt over what happened to Max, who was under her care at the time of the accident. But if a murder, who would have murdered a woman who had no enemies?

Rebecca’s family, not believing she would ever commit suicide, especially suicide by hanging while in the nude, files a wrongful death civil suit against Adam Shacknai, stating he sexually assaulted her and then murdered her. Claiming evidence of the intricate knots that only a riverboat captain would know. The Zahaus win the civil suit, having said all along that Rebecca would never embarrass her family like this. Since then, there have been multiple investigations to explain how Rebecca went over a balcony with both her hands and feet bound, and no one has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Rebecca committed suicide.

Ms. Rother has done an amazing job giving her readers a detailed description of who Rebecca really was, which serves to thicken the mystery surrounding her death. Her extra-marital affairs, lies, and a covered up shoplifting crime only muddle the truth. She also admits to a strong personal connection with the case, as her husband also died by suicide. In the last chapters of Death on Ocean Boulevard, Rother talks about her personal interviews with all involved, including Jonah and Adam Shacknai. It is interesting to hear their takes on Rebecca’s death and to see their personalities which come across in the interviews. She also brought other theories in, including the idea that Jonah Shacknai was the original target. Death on Ocean Boulevard is a fascinating view of an unsolved crime, even after a decade has gone by. The perfect book for true crime junkies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel for providing me with a copy of this eARC.

This book details the death of Rebecca Zahau following the fatal accident of her boyfriend’s son whilst in her care. The circumstances around both deaths were bizarre and have never been fully explained, and this has led to quite a lot of interest and speculation. Several years later, a civil suit brought forth by Rebecca’s family against her boyfriend’s brother resulted in damages awarded to the family.

The author has clearly put a lot of work and research into this case. She makes it clear she has an extra interest in it due to her ex husband’s death by suicide. She has also interviewed many of the main people, attended the civil suit trial, and looked at the documents she was able to get.

There is no definitive ending. Rotham doesn’t make any allegations against anybody, but instead provides the reader with all the information at her disposal so they can come to their own conclusions.

I enjoyed reading this so much. I found it was paced really well, I loved the writing style, and it was easy to keep track of what was going on. The author didn’t feel intrusive or opinionated when she talked about what she was doing, but rather it felt quite organic.

Who do I think did it? Was it murder or suicide? Was little Max’s death an accident or something more sinister? I still don’t know, but read it and see what you think!

I have followed this true crime case since it first occurred and was thrilled to be given an ARC! This book goes into gripping detail about the bizarre circumstances of this mystery and was basically impossible to put down once I started reading! I highly recommend it to any other true crime fans!

I don't know how I haven't heard about this case or there hasn't been a Netflix documentary about it because it is extremely intriguing and Caitlin Rother really tells the story in such a way that you're hanging on to every word. With extensive research, you feel like you're discovering this case through a microscope. Excellent work.

Not a good book, in my opinion. The writing style jumped between novel and narration, it was irritating.
Also, the author jumped from one thought to the next with no flow. There was a topic which was not entirely explored and developed, then came the next which was only mentioned for about a page...
Also, there was too much personal narration in the book. If I read about a true crime case, I want to read about the case, not about the author's work on the book...

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really was not familiar with this case, guess I missed the TV shows, and I live on the East Coast, and life got in the way! That being said, the author presented the case, actually, almost as it unfolded. We get to know more that those who read about it, or listen to news reports. What an excellent job the author did in presenting this.
Tragically, some facts may never be made know, and someone may get away with murder. I know reading this I was certain that I knew the answers, but with the help of Caitlin Rother we make headway, and find out about the trial. Even then, we have doubts, and keep reading!
I admire how much work the author put into this book, and at times she had to really fight to get this information, including being harassed!
I received this book through Net Galley and Kensington Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.