The details in Laurah Norton’s Lay Them to Rest are absolutely fascinating!

The book takes a deep dive into revisiting a cold case, following the case of Ina Jane Doe throughout the book. From re-examining the skull and teeth to redrawing a sketch and everything in between this book goes into all the details. The author also interacts with many experts in forensic science along the way.

I did not know that the author also had a podcast, but after reading this book I am going to check it out. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. This was a great read.

Laurah Norton does a fantastic job explaining new forensic methods of solving cold cases, specifically Jane and John Doe's. She alternates between explaining the various methodology and showing how they work in practice as she and her colleagues work to solve the case of Ina Jane Doe. Included methodology is boutique DNA retrieval, odontology, skeletal analysis, and investigative genetic genealogy, among others. The alternating chapters really help readers get a general grasp on the techniques before then seeing their practical application on Ina Jane Doe's case. It is fascinating work that Laurah showcases within the framework of her own love for the unsolved. After reading this, I may have to even start listening to her podcast! It is wonderful knowing that there is an entire community of people dedicating their time, money, and expertise to identifying the countless unidentified remains across our country.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for this ARC. All views expressed are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the author Laurah Norton and publishers Hachette Books for an advance hardback copy of LAY THEM TO REST. Thank you also to NetGalley for an accomanying widget. All views are mine.

LAY THEM TO REST is a brilliant concept, a book in which an author experienced in true crime and forensics presents a set of criminal cases and the forensic skill or technique responsible for solving those cases. I'm sorry to say, I didn't find the execution to live up to the concept's potential. Certain style issues dragged on the piece, like the first-person narrator's inconsistent distance. Every time the narrator referred to herself as though she were a character in a story, I just couldn't. I wasn't expecting the book to be so heavily dedicated to forensics, which is not one of my interests. However, those readers of true crime who are particularly interested in forensics will really love this book! 3.5⭐️

A fantastic look at what it takes to really solve true crime cases! Well written and a great read! I really enjoyed this book and the narrative style of the story, it felt like you were along for the ride.

Absolutely fascinating, especially for anyone interested in true crime and forensic science.  Laurah Norton, a host of a popular true crime podcast, takes us on a behind-the-scenes journey into the many steps and layers it takes to identify the unknown.  In this case, it revolves around the partial remains of a woman known only as "Ina Jane Doe."  Norton details her personal experiences as well as offers chapters explaining some of the science involved.   I found this to be informative while also paying homage to the many victims who have yet to be identified and laid to rest.  Highly recommend.

I was drawn to this book because I listened to and enjoyed Laurah Norton's podcast, "The Fall Line", but unfortunately the book was just okay for me. The details about the case were interesting and I liked learning about all the different parts that go into identifying a Jane/John Doe. The writing style, however, was rambling and hard to follow. It took almost 3 weeks to read because I couldn't read more than a few pages at a time without losing interest. The premise of this book is solid and I think it could be great with some edits.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love books like this. True Crime is a fascinating subject for me, and I listen to several related podcasts as well.

This is the kind of book that jumped out at me immediately with the description, and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed learning more about forensics, and seeing how they apply to unsolved cases. I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my shelves.

I found “Lay Them to Rest” extremely hard to get into and maintain my attention. It was extremely detailed on the scientific components which appeared that the author did proper research. However, it just came across to me to be boring. On the other hand, there were portions of personal story telling and narration that didn’t add much more for me except for drawing the book out even more. I could’ve done without it. Overall, I found it long winded and distant. I felt it could’ve delivered the same message in a much more condensed version of writing.
I would like to add that I did not realize the author had a podcast and have never listened. If this is her typical style of narration/story telling, it may be something that works for listeners but not for me as a reader.
I would only recommend this book to people who want more of an in-depth research perspective of disciplines within the forensic science field that are not usually discussed.

The severed head of “Ina Jane Doe” is found in an Illinois park in 1993. If you’re a fan of true crime, or the plethora of crime related shows out there, you probably already know what follows; often years of frustrating investigations searching for the identity of and truth of what happened to the victim.

What you may not know is the exhaustive work put in by the forensics teams assigned to these cases. Here we follow true crime podcast host Laurah Norton as she works with a forensic anthropologist to uncover who this victim was.

This is not your typical episode of your favorite docuseries, but an in depth look at the science of forensics and the history of the research that makes this all possible. While much of it is explained in fairly easy terms, there’s a good deal more that will lose readers who aren’t well versed in the more complicated aspects.

It did fascinate me though and the perseverance shown in these cases to bring closure to families is to be applauded. It often takes decades to give a name to the unknown and the relentless pursuit of that is awe inspiring.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book, but nothing new for people who are already familiar with true crime and cold cases. I expected this book to be more about the cases and less about the podcast than it was, which was why I docked a star. I have never listened to the author's podcast, so that felt out of place for me. However, the investigation and how non-professionals could help with cold cases was very informative and interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette books for access to this arc.

Death and DNA fascinate me. Last year I read and reviewed “The Forever Witness” which discussed, in terms of a horrific crime, new and amazing things being done with DNA to catch criminals. This book is similar but talks about other means as well that are being used to identify John and Jane Does and give them their identities back. It’s a book that rewards a bit of patience and perseverance.

I’ll be honest and say that I found the start of the book to be very scattershot and a little disorganized – which didn’t surprise me anymore after the information (far too much, IMO) about how author Laurah Norton packs for a trip. At times there was way too much of her in this. Some things were overexplained while others weren’t explained enough. Norton is a writer (and teaches college classes) but at first this reads like an early draft. I hope that this has another round of editing and polishing before it gets published. The writing style is also more like a spoken podcast (of which she has two). There’s also a feel of a too earnest amateur tagging along with her friend the forensic anthropologist as they go to the recovery scene of a crime that Norton is interested in.

Estimates of the number of unidentified decedents in the US range from 40,000-60,000. I think Norton does a good job in getting across to the lay public just how hard it can be to identify a decedent or to get journalists interested in continuing to cover cold cases after a news cycle flips to something new. Those involved with these investigations know that publicity is important as it can help keep cases from going “cold” and maybe lead to a clue that cracks the case. Kudos to her for emphasizing that just because a police/sheriff department is small, it doesn’t necessarily mean those LEOs are yahoos or uninterested in keeping up with the latest technology or that they don’t care about solving cases.

Those who do continue to follow people with no name have all kinds of websites and reddit threads they read, contribute to, and obsess over. There are some amazing sites out there (which Laurah Norton discusses a bit about). Most of them are labors of … well I won’t say love as that sounds macabre given the subject but let’s say these people care about the Does who end up lost to their loved ones, families, and friends. There are also sites focusing on trans and other LGBTQIA+ Does. Through her podcast, Norton has met and worked with artists, dentists, and scientists in various fields who all work to reunite the UID (unidentified dead) with their names. The chapters on what forensic dental odontologists can and have done is fascinating. The skill and flair that forensic artists employ to give a (hopefully) identifiable face to a victim have solved decades old cold cases. The new DNA technology such as DNA Phenotyping is mindblowing. I was glad to see the care and respect that forensic anthropologists are trained to render to the remains they work with.

Most of these skills and professions (no phenotyping was done for this case that I remember) were put to use to try and identify a woman known for almost thirty years only as Ina Jane Doe. (WARNING – GRAPHIC) Her head was found in a southern Illinois recreation park by two twelve year old girls. The interval between her death and discovery was thought to be fairly short. Sadly the area was no stranger to violent deaths and the police department along with the Illinois State Police got straight to work but as time dragged on, the case went cold. Then Norton and her friend, Dr. Amy Michael, contacted them to offer to reevaluate the skeletal remains. Thankfully genetic genealogy had just become a thing, a lab managed to obtain DNA in excellent shape, this was uploaded to GEDmatch, the genealogy wizards at Redgrave Research Forensic Services did their magic and Ina Jane Doe had her name back.

As this case moved into high gear either the writing smoothed out or I was so interested that I didn’t notice the earlier ticks that were annoying. I do wish that some of the other cases in the book had a follow-up of where things stand with them including a mummy discovered at a private school and a mummified head gifted to another school which Laurah and Amy were trying to link genetically to descendants or ethnic communities. I’m glad I stuck with the book as I ended up getting to see the inside details of some amazing tech and the hard work of caring people.

Lay Them to Rest is a great read for anyone interested in true crime mysteries. Podcast host Laurah Norton is the author of the book, that brings readers through the search for cold crime killers. The book includes detailed information about forensic, crime scene investigation, and work of 'amateur detectives'. Norton tells a great story and keeps the reader engaged, but spends too much time detailing the interactions of Dr. Amy Michael and others who work to solve the 1990s cold case involving missing twins. Overall an entertaining book.

Cold cases are hard to solve. Time, distance, and the loss of witnesses and evidence can make it difficult to close a case out. However, every now and then, someone comes along that can help make or break a case.

Through "Lay Them To Rest" Laurah discusses several cases that they worked on, and the one that takes center stage - the one that they worked diligently on to solve. It was an interesting mix of science, internet sleuthing, and know-how.

Enjoyed this read! It was a really good one, and a lot of fabulous information.

I'm fascinated with the ability of those cold case investigators who fight for their victims using every scrap of evidence and the technology of today's crime lab. Their jobs are made harder with time and mother nature as enemies. LAY THEM TO REST follows several cases that rate 5 stars for difficulty alone. Yet these dedicated investigators will accept no excuses for the cases to be closed unsolved. A fascinating look at a job that is no meant for everyone. It takes special people to follow through and give the victims and their families the resolutions they deserve.

This is the account of how a group of people, with only a years old skull found in a state forest to work with, identified a victim and brought peace to a family. Norton is an academic, writer and most pertinently, a true crime podcaster. She takes the reader behind the scenes to show us how genetic genealogists, forensic dentists forensic anthropologists and forensic artists work. She shares the background of those who helped identify this Jane Doe. I very much enjoyed this book and learned a lot.

You know how sometimes you pick up a book based on the cover & the title, with only a vague understanding of what it might be about, & then it blows you away? That’s ‘Lay Them to Rest’ for me. (In fact, that seems to be happening a lot with me when I pick something up from Hachette Books.) ‘Lay Them to Rest’ is a book that breaks down all the ways that the unidentified (mostly the unidentified dead) are given back their names. And it is so incredibly interesting & inspiring & fascinating…& sometimes a little over my ability to understand ha. (But I appreciate that the book treats the reader as an intelligent human being who might be able to understand these complicated processes.)

In the age of advanced DNA identification techniques & genetic genealogy, it feels like there’s a “famous” true crime case getting solved every day, whether the unidentified is the suspect (as in the Golden State Killer) or the victim (as in The Lady of the Dunes). But outside of the vocabulary that is familiar, I don’t think I ever gave too much thought to how these identities are discovered & how it’s more often a collaborative effort of investigators & techniques. Focusing on mostly one case, this book breaks down all the different techniques that might be used - facial reconstruction, composite sketches, dental identification, citizen detectives, & genetic genealogy.

While I didn’t make the connection at first - having picked up this book blindly - I realized that I was already familiar with the work of the author, Laurah Norton, through her podcast ‘The Fall Line.’ I have always enjoyed Norton’s work because of the care that she puts into the cases she works on & shares. We see this in her book, too, which gives us a blend of beautifully written narrative & easy-to-digest technical explanations of the various processes. It’s easy to become attached to her story, along with the stories of the other professionals & families that she works with.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in missing person cases, true crime, genealogy, & the justice system. It truly illustrates the reality of it all, which is sometimes upsetting, but also incredibly inspiring. It’s easy to assume that the behind-the-scenes work is “easy” or automated in the age of better technology & more robust reference databases, but this book shows that it’s anything but. It also shows that there are a lot of good people out there putting their skills, time, & money toward finding answers for families who have been waiting too long. These are “The Helpers” that Mr. Rogers told us to look for & they deserve all the attention & support needed to give the names back to many, many more of the too-long unidentified.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Books for providing an advanced digital copy of this book for review. All opinions & thoughts expressed are my own.

This follow everything involved in investigating Jane/John Doe cases. How things have changed through the years. Through most of the book we are following one case and the journey that they went through to find the identity of the person. I had no idea the cost of the techniques and the difficulties they went through with DNA analysis. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lay Them to Rest by Laurah Norton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thanks to @netgalley and @hachettebooks for the ARC. Pub day is October 17!

For lovers of medical nonfiction and true crime, add this to your TBR pile.

This book follows the author’s quest to solve a cold case for Ina Jane Doe. Norton is a podcaster/researcher/professor. I found her perspective successful because she was able to explain what was happening in language that could be understood to me.

She was personable in her writing and while I did enjoy that, sometimes I felt like it distracted from the overall goal of the book. There were times when personal antidotes were kind of like a dog being like SQUIRREL! When they weren’t out of left field, sometimes they felt a little unnecessary where they were placed in the flow. It would be right in the middle of a scientific explanation, so I would be reading this aside as if it was also super relevant info to the case. A little editing with this would have made it a 5-star read for me.

The organization of the book was super successful. The main focus was the cold case, but it flipped between the cold case and the methods that were being used to work on the case. Each of the method explanations had additional examples. This offered a great framework that was easy to digest and track.

All in all, this was a great read that explained the intricacies of figuring out who someone was. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves true crime.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for the ARC of this!

Perfect for fans of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, this follows the investigation(s) into specific Jane/John Doe cases. Well explained the difficulties and costs that can come up when trying to solve such as case. Overall, the main thread of the book was easy and interesting to follow, and the author had an interesting narrative voice.

Amazingly well written, informative, and interesting book. I have Always had an interest in forensic anthropology and this was incredibly easy for me to understand. I will be reading more by this publisher and author.