The story of the nearly 30 year obsession of detective Jim Scharf to solve the murders of two young Canadians on a trip to Seattle for business. Reads a lot like a Dateline or Unsolved Mysteries episode but takes the details much further.

When Scharf enlists the help of geneticist CeCe Moore who uses public DNA databases to fin familial matches, the story ramps up. Humes also adds discussion on the ethics of law enforcement using DNA without consent. Overall, very interesting.

Maybe someday it will solve Amy Mihaljevic’s murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forever Witness
Edward Humes
5 stars
It is hard to say a true-crime book is good considering the circumstances; however, Edward Hume's has written a very compelling case of the first case ever tried with genetic DNA. Humes has done a remarkable job of not glorifying the crimes or the murderer, as far too many true crime authors do.
This was truly a fascinating look at the birth of and use of genetic genealogy and a cold case cop who refused to give up.
I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, where we get to know the victims, Jay and Tanya. Then we learn about the crime, the evidence, the lack of evidence and the man leading the cold case unit.
It was a lot of detail, but it kept the story going.
I also loved the Parabon introduction in regards to the DNA found at the scene of the crime. I had no idea that there was such a company and how it was founded.
For me, the story started to get bogged down when it went into the Golden State Killer, CeCe Moore, and the Genetic Detective stuff.
I felt that the book was too heavily into the DNA and it made my eyes glaze over from repetition.

Overall, a good book about the intersection of DNA and solving crime, just be prepared to have a few moments of yawning to keep awake while reading the book.

This I haven’t read true crime since…probably 20 years. I used to love true crime but when I stopped reading I never picked it back up until now. We have a fair share of crime here in the Pacific Northwest, maybe you’ve heard of the Green River killer or Mary Kay Letourneau. This book focuses on another pivotal case, Tanya Van Cuylenborg & Jay Cook.

One day, Tanya and Jay left their home on Vancouver Island, Canada and headed to Seattle, WA via the ferry in Port Angeles. The couple never made it. It was the 80’s, cell phones weren’t a thing, yet the couple made some stops along the way. After they were supposed to have returned home, Tanya is found dead. For the first few days, Jay is the prime suspect, but then his brutally beaten body is also found. After a fruitless search the case goes cold.

In the early 2000’s detective Jim Scarf has the case come across his cold case desk. Jim is determined to solve this crime; it’s his only unsolved double homicide. Jim tried for years but gets nowhere, until DNA testing becomes bigger. Jim connected with CeCe Moore, a genealogy expert from California and they set off to try to solve the crime via DNA. CeCe, using family tree DNA, solves the crime. There is no doubt, there’s only one option. Jim and his team set off and make history as the first cased prosecuted using genetic genealogy DNA in 2018.

I remember the outcome of this case. I recognized so many towns in the book it was eery. I’ve been to the places Tanya and Jay stopped, I’ve taken a ferry from Vancouver Island to Seattle. Talk about close to home! At times this book got a little lost in side projects and boring, but overall I enjoyed the story. Special thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. If you’re into true crime, or from the upper PNW this book may be for you! This book comes out November 29th. Strong 4/5 stars.

Great book and research done on the field of dna and how it pertains to bringing criminals to justice. It explains how dna research developed and the way in which it has been used to successfully prosecute perpetrators of crime. I found it moving to see the impact this technology has had in changing how investigations are dealt with and the great impact on victims family members. Strikes a good balance between the human side of an investigation and the scientific evidence.

The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is an engrossing read from first to last page. Great writing. Highly recommend.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

This book was INCREDIBLE. If you care about true crime, genealogy, or the intersection of privacy and justice, you'll really love this one. Highly, highly recommend.

I’m not sure what I was expecting with this book but it wasn’t an in-depth discussion of DNA testing and how it evolved to become a tool for law enforcement. The story itself was very interesting, discussing cold cases and how they came to be solved. The author did a huge amount of research and talking with witnesses, family members and jury members and should be commended for the way the book is written and the considerations he gave family members of crime victims. If you are interested in true crime and cold cases solved with DNA evidence this book is one you shouldn’t miss. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is packed with details, intrigue and suspense. A tale that doesn't hold nothing back. This is seriously any true crime lovers dream right here. And it's one you aren't going to want to miss.
I love a good true crime novel. I must say this was one of the greatest non-fiction stories I've read in some time. Humes did a spectacular job breathing life into these characters, transporting me back to 80s and creating a gripping story that had me flipping the pages till the early morning hours.
Totally satisfying, extremely entertaining and phenomenally written.


“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Dutton,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

So good!! I am a huge fan of science and biology and true crime so any time I'm able to get both in one I'm a happy reader. This was very well written.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was very interesting. It is heavily research information and history of genetic genealogy. If that is not your thing I would not read this book. It is a lot of information to process and a slower read. I more so enjoyed the parts about the murder cases and reading from a detectives pov. The genetic genealogy aspect wasn’t for me. This is a mix of true crime and educational research. This was researched very well! The author did an exceptional job writing the whole story and explaining a newer concept.

Edward Humes’ “The Forever Witness” details the hunt for the killer of the young Canadian couple Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg in 1987. With the trail gone thirty years’ cold, there seems to be little hope of finding the perpetrator—until the advent of genetic genealogy makes it possible to identify the killer from DNA found at the crime scene. Using ancestry databases, genetic genealogist CeCe Moore is able to pinpoint the killer through DNA distant relatives had uploaded to such a database.

That’s only the beginning of the story. Humes goes into detail about the lives of Jay and Tanya, as well as nearly every person involved with the investigation, from cold case detective Jim Scharf to genealogist CeCe Moore. At times, the book includes far too much detail, and it feels as though the author is trying to jam in every single thing he’s heard pertaining to the case. That made for some irrelevant tangents that bog down the main narrative. Humes also discusses in detail many of Scharf’s other cold cases, which takes the focus away from the story of Tanya and Jay. Because of all this meandering, the book seems to have a lack of focus and a lack of a clear protagonist, which makes the narrative a bit unwieldy at times.

Overall, this is a well-written and well-researched book, but it would have benefited from some editing and streamlining.

I love true crime (however controversial this statement may be...) and this book did not disappoint! I recently read Unmasked by Paul Holes as well, and found that this was equally engaging and delved into genetic genealogy in an accessible way. Humanized the victims, while still adding the splash of sensational flare that makes true crime darkly 'enjoyable.'

This is a well-written and thoroughly researched book following detective Jim Scharf solving 30 years old double-murder cold case with the help of amazing genetic genealogy. If I could call this anything, boring would be the one word I wouldn't use. Each chapter, each insight into how things worked, the whole process of detective and police work is amazing and I was deeply intrigued by all the details and procedures. This book also includes the background of the victims, what their personal goals were, their dreams, posters offering rewards for catching the killer, statements from the family, and their last moments with their loved ones.

Liked this True Crime novel! It introduces the reader to genetic genealogy. And how police and police detectives use it to solve crimes and find criminals. It’s about the murders of teenagers Tanya Cuylenborg and Jay Cook. that happened in November of 1987. Jim Scharf is the police detective who finally solved the murders with genetic genealogy. The book is filled with a lot of complexities of the genetic genealogy that was used and how it was used. So be prepared for that. A lot of times I found myself wondering what was being talked about, but I kept reading and would pick up somewhat of what was meant. So don’t give up. I want to thank #NetGalley , the publishers, and the author for the opportunity to read and review #TheForeverWitness with my honest thoughts and opinions.

I devoured this novel, though I shouldn't have as it was dark and heavy at times. Being a true crime fan, I need to know now, and then be scared of my own shadow later.
Science doesn't lie the way people can. Scientific processes have come so far that an indescribable speck of dust can shed light on long-ago cold cases.
In this case, genealogy and the be-all, end-all, of DNA takes the stage.
There are real people at the start of this journey, living and dead.
Edward Humes weaves together science, emotions, and skepticism. Yes, readers (watchers & listeners) will be intrigued from page one. BUT others who have a connection to the crime or location, or even those with a curiosity about these DNA companies and where their findings are headed, will find this an exceptional read.

From the publisher: A relentless detective and an amateur genealogist solve a haunting cold case — and launch a crime-fighting revolution that tests the fragile line between justice and privacy. Genetic genealogy, long the province of family tree hobbyists and adoptees seeking their birth families, has made headlines as a cold case solution machine, capable of exposing the darkest secrets of seemingly upstanding citizens. But as this crime-fighting technique spreads, its sheer power has sparked a national debate: Can we use DNA to catch the murderers among us, yet still protect our last shred of privacy in the digital age—the right to the very blueprint of who we are?

I’ve been reading a lot of true crime, and The Forever Witness is a great example written by an experienced and talented writer. Edward Humes is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who pays extreme attention to detail and can really turn a phrase. This book weaves together multiple cold case murders with fascinating information on how far genetic genealogy has come. It challenges us to think about the ramifications of using genetic genealogy to uncover criminals using the DNA of innocent relatives.

The story focuses on the murders of two young Canadians, Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook, who travelled to the US in November 1987 to pick up a furnace for his father’s service and repair business. Their bodies were found in two separate remote locations a few days after they disappeared, and they had been killed in very different ways. Thirty years later, the crime still had not been solved; then came new developments in genetic genealogy.

The author does a great job helping us get to know the young couple by presenting little details about their lives. He sympathetically presents the anguish of their friends and relatives. As fascinated as he is by the science used to uncover the truth, he is sensitive to the fact that he is writing about real people.

The segue into discussion about genetic genealogy was technical but also fascinating. I learned a lot. In 2016, a company called Parabon NanoLabs introduced cutting-edge DNA technology called Snapshot that can generate a composite sketch of a suspect from DNA trace evidence. A couple of examples are included in the book, of Snapshots and the actual killers, and the similarities are striking.

In the end, a true crime novel that reveals a killer is both sad for the victims and satisfying when justice is done. The Forever Witness adds a riveting layer of science to the true crime template. If you enjoy true crime works that also cover science and discuss pressing social issues, you may enjoy The Forever Witness. I read an advance reader copy of The Forever Witness from Netgalley, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it once it is released in late November

This was such a quick read for me as I could not stop turning the pages to find out what happened next! It’s amazing how technology has advanced for us to be able to solve cold cases, this being an amazing example!

Thank you Net Galley, Penguin Random House and the author Edward Humes for the chance to read an arc of the book:The Forever Witness. My thoughts are that Edward spent a lot of time interviewing everyone involved in the case because it is very detailed. I felt like I was watching a true crime show like Dateline. Also the other research he done make the book very detail like the new technology used on this case. Lastly how the author writes made me feel glad I decided to pick this up because I wanted to continue reading to find out what will happen next. I glad at the ending the cold case detective was able to solve who Jane Doe was. If you like true crime you should pick this up.