This is a true crime book about the 1981 disappearance of Janice Starr, a student at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. I am very familiar with this area, and ODU, so I was interested in reading this. Janice Starr was an army veteran who was pursuing her degree and ROTC program at ODU. She was 23 years old when she went missing.

Kay Schucker was a new detective on the Chesapeake Police force. She was also the first female detective on the force. Kay is first concerned that this is a homicide when she visits Janice's apartment after receiving a call from a concerned friend. Janice has not been seen in over a week. When Kay enters the apartment, it is very clean, but there is a dried ring of a brownish substance in the tub. The forensic investigator agrees with Kay that there is something suspicious.

Kay has difficulty convincing her male superiors and fellow detectives that this needs to be investigated, even after discovering Janice's very descriptive diaries. She continues to investigate this case, and also continues to go against the male hierarchy.

I found the story of Kay fascinating, and inspiring. She pursues the case, while possibly jeopardizing her career. Even when she gets hard evidence, it is not until some peer pressure happens, that she is able to proceed.

I also understood how Kay connected to this case. As she looked into Janice Starr, she found a kindred spirit. Janice was also going against the male hierarchy in the army. Both women put up with name calling, sexual harassment, reminders that they should "leave it to the men". The strength and perseverance that it took for them to pursue their dreams in a man's world was inspiring.

The unfolding of the case is straight forward and fast paced. It was eye opening to see how far we have come in forensics!

There were times that too much background was given on each character. There is a scene where Kay and her daughter are driving (the daughter is 17), and they have a discussion on when Kay lost her virginity and sex. This was very unnecessary, and kind of jarring in the middle of a high point in the investigation. I understand that the author wanted us to see all sides of Kay, but maybe he could have used another scene?

Overall, this is a very fast paced, interesting story. Kay went on to have a stellar career with the CPD. I highly recommend to readers who like true crime- and maybe are looking for something a little less known.

Thank you NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC. This is my honest, voluntary review.

this true crime book, following the disappearance and murder of Janice Starr, was such a mind gripping read. i have always had a love for true crime and this story did not disappoint. as always, it was such a heartbreaking account of what goes into finding out what happens to victims of crimes. the author did such an amazing job at describing in detail of the accounts leading up to the discovery of Janice Starr. 30 years later, and my heart still goes out to the family and friends of this sweet girl. i highly recommend reading this book!

Before reading this book, I was unaware of Janice’s case. The author’s writing is highly engaging and had me hooked me from the very first page. The author used vivid descriptions but in a story-telling type of way that made it easy to picture the events unfolding in my mind.

The book not only delves into Janice’s case but also explores the challenges faced by Kay Schucker, the lone woman detective in a male-dominated police force. Kay’s unwavering determination and persistence, even when dismissed by her male colleagues and superiors, bring Janice’s story to light. Kay’s journey exemplifies the strength and determination of women and it shed light on the gender disparities and power dynamics.

Having read numerous books about murder and true crime, this one hit different. I felt an overwhelming sadness for Janice and her tragic fate after finishing this book. I also enjoyed the author included a “where are they now?” section at the end. May she rest in peace.

Thank you to the publisher Post Hill Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book. I love anything true crime and I had never heard of Janice Starr and her disappearance in 1981. Her investigation took longer than it should have based on the fact that an all male investigative team refused to look at the clues right in front of them. The only female detective on the case took a lot of grief and hardship proving that Janice did not simply go off on her own freewill. In The Wind is well written and does a great job at explaining the timeline of Janice's disappearance. If you enjoy true crime, this book should be read.

There is almost absolutely nothing to be found online about this case.

A very, very frustrating story with a case that never would have been solved if it wasn't for one determined female detective.

Very heavy on the misogyny and sexism (as goes with the time)

The military is shady as and will do anything to protect its own.

Janice Starr, a young college co-ed, goes missing in 1981 without a trace. Or, actually, there were tons of traces. The all-male cops on the case simply didn't want to pay attention to them. Kay Schucker, the lone woman on the force, takes up Janice's case and brings her story to light, ultimately proving that she is a badass and the men around her were trash.

Peterson's writing was very comprehensive and flowed in an exhilarating narrative. Kay and Janice's story is that of feminine strength, resilience, and the gender inequalities and power struggles that shaped their fates. While much of the inequality is "of the time," sadly women still frequently face such unfairness in judgement.

Peterson told Janice Starr’s story in a way that really captivated the reader. I was intrigued and wanted to know more about the life and death of Janice, which kept me reading. A well researched and written book.

"In the Wind" by Ron Peterson is a non-fiction true crime story of tragedy and perseverance. Janice Starr, 23, transfers to the Army Reserves in hopes of obtaining her degree so she can commission. Many describe her as sweet, kind, smart, and focused. Janice goes to Old Dominion University in Virginia, until one day she just disappears. Officer Kay Schucker is determined to find Janice and arrest the perpetrator, however, she faces tough obstacles as being the first female cop in their district. While Kay navigates the system, she's told to tread lightly and to quickly solve the case-whether that includes finding Janice or not.

This story highlights how foul play among our service members has been happening for decades. I recommend reading to keep Janice Starr's memory alive.

This was a very enjoyable true crime read about a tenacious woman detective who has to overcome and ignore her male counterpart's derision to solve a case and ultimately recover the victim’s body for the family. Very inspiring story of detective investigating a sad loss in a crazy case.

Oh, how I love me some good true crime. I thought I might not like this very much since it’s very dated (disappearance was in 1981) but it was very good. Very good.

In 1981 Janice Start, 23, a college student, Army veteran and ROTC member at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia went missing. One of the only clues in her disappearance was her daily diary.

Detective Kay Schucker who was the first female police officer with the Chesapeake Police Department and who, believe me, went through some stuff which is so infuriating to read about, was the lead on Janice’s case. She began to suspect Janice’s ODU ROTC professor Dwight Beddingfield, a real ass, and who was married and had three kids. Kay’s superiors…”warned her off” would be a nice way to put it…Bedfingfield as a suspect, him having the support of the Army and all.

Other than my sorrow for Starr, which is obvious, and my dismay at all Schucker went through, I’m also sorry that out of Officers Tillett, Forelli and Dilday only one of them survives to read this book to be faced with their misogynistic, horrific treatment of both Starr and Schucker. Read this to be reminded of the bad old days that some politicians would like to see us return to. Give this to your true crime-crazy younger daughters so they can see the way that women, both victims and law enforcement officials were treated not so long ago (and it’s not like things are fixed.)

This is a great true crime account which includes a great deal of balanced information about the parties involved and the investigation process. Much of this, for me, was a bit overshadowed by the fury I felt when reading of the discrimination experienced by the women - including the victim herself and the police officer who solved the case. It’s an important piece of context of the time but, with a modern eye, it is just infuriating to see the barriers put in place for these women. This is not to say the author should not have included this - it is an important contextual factor - but more a reflection of how well they represented it! I appreciated the concluding information about where the various parties “ended up” as this left no loose strings to what was a very interesting case.