Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I have following this case since it was first televised on the news. My heart breaks for the families involved. Even though I knew a lot of the information, it was still an interesting read.

"Former CNN/HLN anchor and veteran broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks takes an investigative deep-dive into the still-unsolved double homicide of two teens in Delphi, Indiana—and its lasting impact on the community"

I thoroughly enjoyed this and read through it pretty quickly. I'm quite familiar with the case and thought the author did an excellent job detailing the victims, the crime, the suspects, and big players, including investigators and family members. "This wasn’t really about me. It never was. It was about the families and telling their stories." Not too bogged down in details like Gregg Olson or Richard Chizmar.

For fans of I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Unmasked; if you love true crime, this is a must grab! Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books & the author for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.

I've been fascinated by this case ever since I first heard about it on the True Crime Garage podcast. When I saw that there was finally a book about it I really was interested to read it because I thought it would shed some more light and get into specific detail about the case. Especially now that a suspect has been arrested. I was kind of disappointed though as the writing is very fluffy, often focusing too much on things that aren't really pertinent to the case. I understand that you want to humanize the victims and give us a glimpse into what they were like as young people but there was just so much about who their favorite music groups were and what kind of videos they liked to post to social media, favorite clothes, food, etc... I would have liked a more in-depth dive into the actual investigation and how the police eventually figured out who their man was. It was an okay read but I think a different author may have brought some more professionalism and forensics to the account of what happened.

Admittedly, I have been obsessed with the Delphi murders since 2017. I have listened to every podcast, watched every documentary, am a member of Facebook groups about the case, etc., so when I saw this book on Netgalley, I had to read it!

As someone who has followed the case, I really could appreciate the different perspective of someone who not only is a member of the media, but now also a friend of Abby and Libby's families. I felt like a "local" when the author described Delphi. It definitely made everyone seem so much less a news story and more human. I could feel the agony of the long wait for justice through her words.

I hope that this book (or a subsequent one) will be updated to include the newest developments in the case as they are unfolding - and hopefully it will develop into a story of how justice was served.

I've watched all the documentaries on this curious case of little Abby and Libby going missing in Delphi. It's chilling. So, of course I had to read this book.

On Valentine's Day of 2017 that missing persons' case switched to a double homicide investigation. And the list of suspects was hairy. A frenzy ensued and the whole town was involved.

"It was like a sick 'locked-room' mystery--a killer among them--with a villain more devious than any that Agatha Christie could muster up."

This was a quick read but a good one. It was objective and informative. I appreciated the angles it took.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

What an absolutely heart breaking read. Once I started I could not put the book down. Poor Abby & Libby will never see where life would of taken them. I feel for their families as they wait for justice for their babies. It’s crazy how in broad daylight in this day and time. A crime can happen and no one really seen anything.

This book is about the murders of two young girls in Delphi, Indiana. It's a fascinating case and deserves a book, but this isn't it. I feel that writing a book before the conviction of a suspect is premature. Also, because there aren't many details about the murders themselves that are publicly available (not that we are entitled to such details), it just feels unfinished.

Thank.you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy that I received in exchange for an honest review.

An investigative look into the Delphi murder case by broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks.

3.5 ⭐️ I’ve been invested in this case since it happened. My husband and I would regularly visit nearby Lafayette, Indiana, and we still pass Delphi on our drive home for the holidays, so it all felt close to home.

If you’ve followed the case closely, much of this book will rehash things you know and interviews you’ve already heard. However, the book also relies on firsthand interactions and interviews the author has had with Libby German’s family. It appears as though she’s struck a close friendship with the family and that definitely shows through and sets the book apart. While the book felt a bit repetitive at times, it was nice to get to know the girls outside of the crime - Abby as an animal lover, crafter and reader, and Libby as a good student and someone who loved to laugh. 🩷 I also enjoyed the interview with Paul Holes included at the end of the book. For the family’s sake, I very much hope the Indiana State Police have gotten their man and they’ll soon have some much needed closure.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.

I would rate this a 3.5/5 overall. I'm familiar with the case but haven't followed it in recent years. I found this to be a concise overview of the case, from the interesting perspective of someone who has been covering it since day one. It doesn't dive into deep analysis, but if you want an overview of the case I think it's sufficient.

I don't really understand criticism from others about the author writing this book and its timing; she has a clear connection to the case, seems to have the acceptance of the victims' families, and doesn't come across as trying to hype up her role in everything. Sometimes it does wander into some unnecessarily personal areas (I was confused by the section about Rutgers University), but I'm not too upset about the author mentioning things like her uncertainties and anxieties - after all she, like everyone else in this case, is human, and that's an important thing to remember. I would probably choose to tone down some of the personal emotions myself, but I don't think it's some grave sin that the author feels emotionally involved with this case.

Overall, if the victims' families are okay with this book being written and published, then so am I.

Funny how shortly after the police make an arrest there are two books released about this case, both of which keep going off on tangents about the author's life. With this one the author is at least connected but the timing is a bit too good and everything about this is just all over the place.

I was quite disappointed with this book and a little horrified. Oh certainly about the murders. Millions of people have been horrified for about six years. No, a little horrified at the author’s mindspace. With bated breath she hurries to tell us how, 3,2,1 I’m on the air, having to relay the latest drivel. There’s nothing in this book we haven’t read before, except for Paul Holes explanations on killers and his own guesses about the Delphi killings of two young girls.
I expected more. Why read this if it is nothing more than a regurgitation of other media regurgitations. She writes with bated breath, which is offensive. She doesn’t know anything extra. She just wants to get out there with the “first book “.

I had never heard of this true crime, so I appreciated Susan Hendricks bringing this case to light. It was well written and does everything that I was expecting. Susan Hendricks does a great job in presenting the facts and was a great true crime book.

4 stars

This is written very well, and you get a different pov from most true crime books (journalists side). There isn’t anything new here for people that follow this case closely though.
If you’re new to the case this will cover everything you need to know.

Like the author, this is a case I became obsessed with and it was such a relief when an arrest was made last year. The author gives a viewpoint from a journalist covering this event which is a perspective unique to most books. Having said that, if you are familiar with the case, you aren’t getting new information here—just a new perspective. The book does cover events through spring of 2023 so it is up to date.