This is a powerful and eye-opening account of Marty Goddard’s groundbreaking work to protect survivors of sexual assault and revolutionize forensic evidence collection. Kennedy tells Marty’s story with care and respect, highlighting both her determination and the challenges she faced as a woman fighting for justice. The book is deeply moving and informative, shedding light on an essential piece of history that deserves recognition.

This book is a hard one to review. I'm a SANE nurse, so I found the topic applicable. I am a woman and found the topic timely. This is a well-researched, well-written, and engaging look at something that seems straightforward.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit is a powerful and sobering account of how one of the most important tools in the pursuit of justice for sexual assault survivors nearly vanished from history. With meticulous research and compassion, the author traces the invention of the rape kit—a groundbreaking development that finally provided concrete evidence to support survivors’ voices in courtrooms. Along the way, readers learn about the determined individuals who fought for its creation, the systemic barriers that almost buried it, and the ongoing struggle to ensure it is used effectively. Both a gripping history and a testament to resilience, this book illuminates an overlooked chapter in the fight against sexual violence and serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding progress hard-won.

I actually received an Kindle ARC of this, but I prefer listening to nonfiction rather than reading it so I held out for release day and made sure I was first in line at the library for an audio version. I don’t have many notes – if this history interests you, then this book delivers by being well researched with regard to these “kits” and rape forensics in general.

Really, the only thing worth mentioning is a negative in that I felt the author’s personal history should have been left aside. I knew nothing of her before reading this, but she makes sure it is known she has written about / has published the details of her life prior to this so it was even more unnecessary to be included here. I equivocate those asides to being on a forum (such as this), where contributors take everything to a personal level with complete strangers who were not aware they were signing up for a trauma dump on a simple post/book review. It was jarring and out of place.

Still Four Stars for not only holding my interest, but getting me out of the garage “gym” and walking outdoors despite it being 20 degrees outside. Oh and once again, I had zero awareness that a famous person was narrating this to me. I am oblivious! (But she did a good job LOL.)


ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This was an interesting look at a history I didn't know anything about. I think Kennedy is a good writer, although I did find the narrative structure of this one a little disjointed at time. I could see what she was trying to do, weaving the history of the "rape kit" with her own memoir of sexual assault, but it sometimes felt like the story jumped from one thing to another without any transition, which could be jarring. I still think it's an interesting history, and would recommend picking it up.

Fascinating book on an important topic. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the journey for justice. A real life example of women stepping in and filling in the gaps to provide agency to others.

Pagan Kennedy’s writing is excellent - engaging and worthwhile. I appreciate tackling this forgotten history and challenge topic - which takes a skilled and thoughtful writer such as this

I read a love of crime novels/true crime stories so learning about the advent of this tech was really cool! Not sure I agree with the way everything was presented, but a good historical piece nonetheless.

Kennedy gives the reader part memoir, part biography and part extended essay to examine the inception of the rape kit, Marty Goddard's advocacy behind it, and her own experience with sexual assault to better scrutinize how victims of sexual assault have historically been treated and how they are treated today by those who are expected to support them. The kit was developed in the 1970s and Chicago cop, Louis Vitullo has long been given credit for its creation, but without Marty Goddard, it more than lucky never would have developed into what it is today. Ironically enough it was with the help of the Playboy Foundation through Goddard's friendship with Christie Hefner that she was able to acquire funding for the creation of the kits (as police departments were not interested in funding the program.) If the reader is expecting a forensic understanding of rape kits, this is not the book for them. Instead it a basic history of the rape kit, a slim biography of its actual creator, and the author's own reflections on her history with sexual assault. If anything, despite the rape kit being in existence for over 50 years, the narrative shows how sexual assault is still dismissed (for the most part) within law enforcement.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy is one of those most intense reads I have read last year. Devastating and a must read - this should be put in all university libraries!

What an interesting read! Marty Goddard fought hard during a time wherenwinen's rights were in question to develop a way tonconvict rapists and developed our modern day rape kit. Informative, interesting and well-written.

This was an interesting topic but I found it strange the way it was handled. It’s written more memoir than informational and on the flip side it was marketed as true crime (not to fault the author; that would be on the publisher) and while it did cover criminal cases it was much more reflective than factual. As long as you go into it understanding it’s heavily personal but also touches on the history of the rape kit I do think people will find it intriguing.

This book dives into the origin of the rape kit and Marty Goddard, the woman who created it. This book felt like a mix between a memoir, true crime, and historical non-fiction. I truly enjoyed this book even though some parts were tough to listen to due to the nature of the content. It gives you such insight in how far society has come with dealing with several adult and how it’s processed in the legal system. I highly remind this book to anyone interested in true crime.

Pagan Kennedy has compiled a compelling story about Marty Goddard and her role in the creation, distribution, and use of the rape kit. She has taken her own curiosity for answers and hunted down the truth about the little-known woman responsible for so much. In the 1970’s Marty was upset with how the criminal justice system was handling rape and sexual assault cases. She was a victims’ advocate in a city where an estimated 16,000 women were raped a year. It seemed like there was an epidemic at the time, but all the “take back the night rallies” could never truly bring justice for its victims. The problems lie with collecting evidence for prosecution and the misogynistic tendency to blame and disbelieve the victims. Working with a law enforcement Marty had a plan to change this. She created a kit that would be given to ER’s and training that would be given to medical staff to ensure that evidence was properly gathered, and the chain of custody was intact. She brought her idea to the top forensic specialist in the Chicago police crime lab and was initially turned away. His name is the name that appears on the patent for the first rape kit, but he is not its inventor. He is not the one who approached Playboy for help in distributing these boxes to ERs. He is not the one who begged police forces and politicians to implement this system for their citizens. He had very little to do with anything, but she used his name to gain credibility and to ensure the right thing would prevail. After almost 20 years of fighting for victims of rape and CSA, Marty disappeared almost completely and without explanation. Pagan dives into this mystery that has been hidden from the pages of criminal justice history and provides you background into who Marty was through the eyes of her friends, family and the people who worked alongside her. This story was quick and informative but also slightly aggravating. How is it that we, as a society, have not changed! We have made no progress in how we handle Rape and sexual assault cases, and we continue to blame the victims and let the perpetrators walk free among us. The upside is that there are new agents of change picking things up from where Marty left off. They are out fighting for what’s right and I think this book does a good job of showing us what can be done and what direction the future of reporting these crimes may look like. This is one of those books that I feel every true crime aficionado should get their hands on.

TITLE: I find the title to be pointed, clear and relevant to the contents of the story. It caught my attention and was the initial captivator that made me want to see what the book was really about.

STORY: While the contents of this story are difficult to get through – meaning it's dealing with heavy and sensitive content – I really found the information interesting, and am leaving the story having learned quite a bit about the invention, implementation and roll out of the rape kit. Surprise surprise, another invention of a woman hidden behind and credited to a man for one reason or another...I don't know if I will ever get to the point that I get over this being a persistent fact about pretty much anything invented and out in the world.

I personally thought the author did a lovely job of keeping the information and story engaging, informative and varied with representation and dynamic elements that were relevant to a multifaceted issue which she was seeking to address. I liked that she took the time to be transparent of the challenges the issue and the solution and women in general phase across many different levels, how a win for one group of women can still leave gaps for others who need additional battles remaining and needing help to win, and how we sometimes have to choose our lesser of evils to persevere for what is right.

I enjoyed how the author was able to tie in her own personal experiences and how that drove her passion and curiosity in some cases with the subject matter and with Marty Goddard.

I think with the limited accessible and documented information, Kennedy did well. If nothing else, she's raised awareness, curiosity and insight into what is otherwise really just simply not talked about. I learned much and grew curious to know more with the content shared in this story.

I will say, Kennedy's account of her own traumatic experiences, and quite frankly, that of Goddard's childhood, I would have liked to have been prepared for the contents. It was difficult to be exposed to that information without the full knowledge that it, in the way it was shared, was coming.

WRITING: I felt the writing was good, it was very journalistic in it's style, but I personally so not mind that, so it did not bother me to read what felt like a journalistic investigation.

OVERALL: I would recommend this to close friends who enjoy women's issues, justice, true crime, investigative journalism and historical documentation and histories.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit is sad (because these things still happen), tragic (because society still victim blames), and informative. The kit has saved lives and helped so many. It’s about time that we learned about the real person behind its invention, implementation, and dispersement.

This is an important story to tell, but this book was not the right platform. It felt like multiple articles combined into one. It was repetitive and disjointed. I wanted to hear a more organized timeline. I also wanted less of the authors speculation Ms. Goddard's actions.

This book was something else! I was not expecting it to be how it was. That is a good thing! It brought up so many emotions in me. How could something so significant be treated the way it was and still is. When the story started at the beginning years and years ago I thought that is where it would remain but I was so very wrong. This continued all the way up until a few years ago. Why on earth is the rape kit still struggling to find ground in this day and age?!? I was astounded. I did not know the history of how it came to be and it was a long, tragic, and tough history that should not have been. This was a book that kept me reading to know more and to hear something good. Overall it was a good book but the story it was telling was so tragic and should not have had to been.

For anyone who has watched the myriad of "Law and Order: SVU"-type shows available on cable TV and online, the rape kit is often a central part of the plot, helping catch the bad guy and (sometimes) bring justice to their victims. But where did rape kits come from? In 1972, while volunteering for a crisis hotline and listening the story after story from girls who were assaulted by family and friends, Martha "Marty" Goddard couldn't help but wonder why so many men seemed to be getting away with these horrendous crimes, over and over? Thus launched a decades-long, often one-woman campaign to bring justice and dignity for assault survivors, culminating in the development and adoption of "the rape kit" in hospitals and police departments across the country. But why isn't Marty Goddard revered alongside other champions of women's rights over the decades? Journalist Pagan Kennedy invites readers to join her as she sets off in search of one of history's forgotten heroes, documenting Marty's public works and her personal life along the way.

Like most books in the genre of women's health, this was incredibly informative, I learned a lot, and I am full of rage even days after reading. This was a unique half-biography, half-science non-fiction book that I think anyone interested in medical care or women's progress would be interested in, and would also be especially important for anyone who has ever wondered why they may here every once in a while in the news that there's an epidemic of unsolved rape kits (and hopefully, be mad about it enough to contact your local congressperson). Kennedy really kept the mystery flowing as she chronicled her attempts to track down the elusive Marty while interspersing her own research with Marty's actions in a really well-documented and referenced, but accessible and interesting read. I learned quite a bit about rape kits and the absolutely vertical battle Marty and her compatriots made to bring such a monumental tool to the people, and the work that still needs to be done to ensure that this invention was not in vein. This was a fantastic, frustrating, furious, hopeful, and heart-wrenching read, both for the title content and in the story of the woman who brought us here, and I commend Kennedy for doing a fabulous job in bringing Marty the recognition she deserves.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. The history of the Rape Kit is not something I have considered reading more about, and I should have! This book was very informative.