There are thousands of tourists that go missing every year so did this missing persons investigation warrant the time and resources that t actually took. And why was the case just categorized as missing person instead of a homicide. You can find stats missing hikers here https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htm. There are many holes in this story including the fact that the suspect was never charged with homicide but ended up with a 210 year sentence for violating a federal law on traveling to foreign countries to obtain child sex trafficking. It’s a weird story but the reason there is difficulty investigating these crimes on public lands is that are often many different jurisdictions involved as the criminals know that.

I thought this was something different than what it was. I honestly thought it would be a true crime book and it was in some ways but it was more of a research book than anything. It went down this rabbit hole and had some pretty sensitive topics that I wasn't expecting.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

Overall I really enjoyed this book but it was definitely not what I thought I was getting into. I went into this book thinking it would be a adult true crime and murder case, knowing a little about the Bermans. I was not expecting the rabbit hole this case takes. So for those sensitive to it know that this case also contains a great deal of detail about CSA and CSAM. Despite this troubling material the authors writing is interesting, informative and entertaining.

This is a short book but it took me a long time to get through it. It’s well researched and rich with descriptions of the people and places that inhabit the case, yet there is nary one photo included. So I spent a good deal of time googling. I found this to be an interesting case, but also frustrating because even though they were pretty sure who did it, there was never an arrest. This book just reenforced my belief that the Mojave Desert has a dark and dangerous side in addition to all the beauty that is found there. Thank you to @netgalley and @rowanandlittlefieldbooks

Well-written and thorough, but at times lacking good flow and readability. They always say that good nonfiction should read like fiction, and this doesn't always due to long beats spent on specific elements which may not seem entirely relevant.

Be mindful of content warnings (check reviews, because there is discussion of sexual abuse of children)

Overall should be an enjoyable read for people who enjoy true crime and want a very detailed dive into an unsolved case.

This is a very well-researched and well-written true crime narrative about a still unsolved case. He interviews family members of the victims as well as witnesses who saw the Bermans at the park and Hot Springs where they were last seen alive. There is one person in particular of interest and the author effectively follows his story to present day including other horrific crimes he ended up in jail for (involving child trafficking in Cambodia). While justice has not yet been served in the Berman murders, the fact that this suspect is in jail for these other horrific crimes gives Louise's son some sense of closure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rowman & Littlefield for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Firstly - Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for this opportunity to read and review The Berman Murders by Doug Kari.

This book was tough to read at times (and I am an avid reader and watcher of true crime). So if you’re someone deeply affected by sensitive subjects such as sexual assault I would take caution in reading this book.

While the author kind of veers off track from the Berman Murders themselves I feel that Doug Kari was effective in weaving this unsolved case throughout the course of the book and it still manages to flow really well. It doesn’t feel like you’re jumping around and it’s easy to follow. It’s through no fault of his own that he veers as this unsolved case has very little in the way of evidence. It is evident Doug Kari spent a tremendous amount of time and effort into research so as to remind us readers that the victims in this book are people just like us. Doug Kari shows respect to the victims and as a reader and human being that is something I admire and respect. It is so easy to get caught up in and feed into the offender and shock value of such heinous crimes. I would definitely be interested in reading more of Doug Kari’s work and I plan on recommending this work, and others of Doug Kari’s, to friends, family and other folks where I post my reviews.

While I'm a true crime fan, I do not like to read "just the facts" dry recitations of a criminal case. Doug Kari is NOT that kind of author. He obviously spent considerable time and efforts reearching this cold case, then put them together in book form that displayed the Berman couple, their lifestyle and their disappearances. Then we learn how Doug Kari followed leads and a few clues to identify the man most likely to have killed this couple. The case has never been closed, the majority of the evidence is circumstantial with too many questions left unanswered. Kari's work contributed to the suspect's arrest and conviction on other crimes, but was unable to connect all the dots to stand trial for the Berman's deaths. This is the first of Kari's titles I have read. Now I'm on my way to look at his back library.

Not for the faint-of-heart, but really well written. I've been a big fan of true crime books since I encountered Ann Rule when she was the queen of the genre. As a woman who has raised two daughters, I found parts of this book difficult to read; spoiler alert: graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and violence inflicted on pre-pubescent girls. But Kari's diligent research into the case keeps the reader riveted.

I loved this cover and it draws you in to want to read it and then the title of this book makes it intriguing to want to read.

True crime is one of my favorite genres! This was a great read and I had never heard of this case of Barry and Louise Berman who went camping for a romantic getaway. The author did great at bringing facts to the story and to learn what happened to this couple. It was well written by an attorney and journalist. The story is heartbreaking and i am glad i received an advanced copy.

I will read more by this author and loved the writing.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

It felt incomplete. Now I know how it is with true crime, how unlike fictional murder mysteries where everything’s eventually tied up, real-world crime is seldom that settled; there are always unanswered questions.

Despite this, I expected to hear more about the crime mentioned in the title, than a possible (though never proven) suspect. If the book had been an expose about the guy, I might have been okay with this, but when you tie the story to a specific crime (as the title and summary clearly does), I expect it to be about the crime.

This was a true-crime page-turner, it was impossible to put down!


On the morning of  January 6, 1986, Barry and Louise Berman set off for a hike in the Saline Valley located in the Mojave Desert National Park. Once they left, they have never been heard from again. After multiple different agencies tried to locate the couple with all leads exhausted and the search yield nothing, their disappearance became a cold case.
 
In November of 1988, the remains of the couple we found in a shallow grave and identified through dental records. Kari did a wonderful job of telling us about the Bermans, and how they come to stay at the Saline Hot Spring. The beginning of the book really gives us a peek into who the Bergman’s were and how they lived. The second half of the book is more about what happened after their remains are found and who they think could have done this. 
 
Then we are introduced to Michael J Pepe, a former Marine who has connections to a Cambodian sex crimes against children and trafficking case. Kari sheds light on how Pepe could be tied to the Bermans. Kari did a wonderful job on making you feel like you are watching this story unfold.
If you love true crime this book is a must-read. It is a book that will stay with you  long after you have reached the end of the book. that will linger in your thoughts even after you've reached the final chapter.
 
My thanks to Ecco Books, Doug Kari, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Berman Murders.

I was surprised to hear about this case. I was surprised because it took place very near where I was visiting my mother, who unlike the victims was in a cult, at the exact time that they went missing. I was left to wander the mountains. I knew those hot springs. This hit all too close to home, That being said, it was written in a very bland way. i felt like I was reading a report. If I hadn’t felt a connection to this place I don’t think I would have continued. Maybe I would have. I was still interested in what had happened to this couple.

In 1986, married couple Louise and Barry Berman went to the Mojave Desert for a romantic getaway and never came home. Years later, their remains were found in the desert, but despite a strong suspect, and investigation by state and federal law enforcement, the crime has never been solved. In this book, the author lays out the facts of the case, and what happened to the prime suspect following the death of the Bermans. I had never heard of this case before reading this book, and found it fascinating. Both Louise and Barry seem like they were incredible people, and their loss was devastating to their families. It is a true tragedy that no one has ever been brought to justice for their murders. Reading about what happened to the suspect after their deaths was truly disturbing, as he was involved in some truly heinous crimes. I found this book to be well written, and detailed without getting bogged down in too much information. The timeline was clear and easy to follow. The author did a great job at painting a picture about who Barry and Louise were as people, something not all true crime books do. I thought this was a good book, and would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When you first start to read this story, you will think that Barry and Louise Berman are a fairly normal couple who venture out on a trip to an area of the Mojave Desert that has hot springs and not much else. It is definitely not a place you want to get lost in. This place reminds you of the old west where individualism is valued. It turns out that Barry comes from money as you will see and makes you if this will be a tie in the story when the couple go out for a stroll and never come back. So begins a massive search for them. There are parts in the story that make you wonder if there had not been some perceived missteps from law enforcement if anything would turn out different. Be forewarned that there is or should be a trigger warning because about halfway through the book it turns dark concerning the exploitation of children so be prepared. Overall, this was informative and really good read. Give it a look.

I often find such non-fiction books very interesting and this was no exception. Here, Doug Kari explores what happened to Barry and Louise Berman who went missing in the Mojave Desert in the mid-1980s.

Much of this is about what brought the couple to the location and also, it focuses on their backgrounds - two different individuals who ended up falling in love. There is also a strong concentration on others, particularly Michael Pepe who is clearly the main suspect. Much of the book is about Pepe’s crimes (horrific and sickening) in Cambodia - and how he becomes incarcerated back in the USA for child sexual abuse crimes.

Pepe is never found guilty of the’ murders. However, it is very likely, given his position at the time and his background, plus other pieces of evidence, that he is guilty. Kari leaves the book open, perhaps one might say with a fairly ‘swift’ ending. I was expecting more when I got to the textual references at the end. One issue with this, and likely linked to the digital format, is it is hard to link references to their position in the text. It would be easier - and more interesting - to have immediate access when reading.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this very interesting book about the disappearance of Barry and Louise Berman who were camping and went for a stroll in the Movave Desert on January 6, 1986 never to return. The author did an excellent job researching and writing this fascinating story.

Thank you NetGalley and Rowman and Littlefield Publishers for the ARC of this very interesting book.

This was a fantastic true crime not a book, I had never heard of this case before. this book does a great job in bringing the facts to the reader and that we get to learn the whole story. I thought it was well written in the fact that Doug Kari is a journalist and attorney. He understands the genre of this non fiction book. I'm glad I got to read this. And I look forward to reading more.

"The Berman Murders" is a wild ride through a fascinating true crime story. Kari tells the story of "a colossal assembly of lapses, mistakes, miscues, and derelictions, at multiple levels of officialdom", that prevents this crime from being solved. He masterfully takes the reader from Saline Valley's "aura of unfettered freedom" to the wilds of Cambodia to tell the story of the murder of Barry and Louise Berman.

Kari does a great job of researching this true crime story by interviewing many involved across many years. It is clear that this book took a lot of work to complete and has personal meaning due to Kari's appreciation of the valley's "adventure, inspiration, and solace."

I would recommend this book to all fans of true crime and adventure stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for this ARC!

Compelling true story of the mysterious disappearance of a unique married couple with the husband who is the son from a wealthy family. In the search for answers to their disappearance the book turns into a murder mystery which is pretty much solved by the author’s piecing together the details of the topography and layout of the specific area of the Mojave Desert, witnesses’ facts and the presumed killer’s weird, kinky, sadistic life compiled with his lifestyle in Cambodia.
The writer’s style flowed without being overly flowery or trying too hard. The book goes a lot of places I wouldn’t have anticipated from the start and I enjoyed that!
I always looked forward to picking the book back up and I read this book quickly as I do every good book.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy. Highly recommend!