While this is an important story that absolutely needs to be told [and that is why this gets 2 stars and not just 1; I had never heard of these boys and this murder and I have to give it a star for teaching me something new], unfortunately, this is NOT that book.
At times very confusing [there is a lot of jumping around, and it seems a BILLION characters <--it seems that every single person who had maybe even heard about this case was interviewed and that bogged everything down often], very jumbled [again, so. many. people. that. were. not. important. to. the. story. and that just made for a lot of extraneous blahblahblah], and often boring [the daily minutia of the author's life, teaching, students, children, marriage etc etc etc made me just want to scream] that in the end, this book was not even close to being a book about 4 men who were incorrectly accused of murder and jailed, but a hot mess of a book that just happens to have that event IN IT. I was so close to DNF'ing, but I realized I was almost finished, so I soldiered on; a day later, I am unsure that was worth it and am, overall, very disappointed as this was one book I was very much looking forward to.

Mr. Coffey is a new-to-me narrator and for the most part, his narration was okay, but there were enough aspects of the narration that I didn't really like/enjoy [one of the things he did was weird, oddly-paced pauses that just about drove me crazy] that made it just a 2 star listen for me. I'd maybe try and listen to him again, especially if it was a book that was written better than this one was [because I think, outside of the pausing issue and a couple other things that I am sure are just me, I think he did the best he could with the material he was given].

Thank you to NetGalley, Brian Patrick O'Donoghue, Chris Henry Coffey - Narrator, SOURCEBOOKS [non-fiction], and RB Media/Recorded Books for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

This title was hard for me to get through. I'm not sure if it was just the dryness of the written or what. I am a fan of true crime so I had expected to be interested in the title, but it just didn't hold my interest.

I love a good true crime story and I hadn’t really heard anything about this case before. The narration was done very well and the facts of the case were interesting, but the way the information was presented was a little hard to follow at times. I found that I had a lot of trouble especially at the beginning keeping track of all of the names and who they all were in relation to the case. I think it is definitely worth a listen though and I would recommend it overall.

I was really interested in the story of the Fairbanks Four, it’s an important case and one that deserves attention. But I struggled to stay engaged because the writing felt all over the place. Granted I usually read more fiction.. I do love true crime non-fiction. The timeline was confusing for me, and there were too many side stories that pulled me away from the main point. I also had trouble keeping track of all the people mentioned. I wanted to like this more, but the way it was told just didn’t work for me.

Am I a 40something women who loves audiobooks and true crime documentaries? Yes. This book I feel was written for me to take on long walks and listen to then unfolding of one amazing professor who took his students on a journey of discovery and truth.

But seriously the narrator of this story sounded like Booger from Revenge of the Nerds and for me…. I don’t know I found that all more intriguing until I looked it up and was disappointed it wasn’t him.

I found this book to be a mixed true crime account that struggles with focus.

"The Fairbanks Four" tackles the harrowing 1997 case of four young men wrongfully convicted of murder in Fairbanks, Alaska. The book aims to expose the systemic failures and racial bias that led to their convictions and eventual exoneration nearly two decades later. While the subject matter is undeniably important, the execution left me underwhelmed, resulting in an overall MEH reading experience.

Let's talk about the strengths first:

- The book is well-researched and succeeds in highlighting the injustices faced by the Fairbanks Four, as well as the tireless efforts of the community and investigative journalists who fought for their freedom.
- O’Donoghue’s inclusion of journalism students in the investigation adds an interesting dimension.
- I felt the book did a good job of showcasing the challenges and emotional toll of cold case reporting.
- The audio production was clear and professional. The issues with the book stem from its structure and writing rather than the audio presentation.

Now, let's look at the longer list... The weaknesses:

- The narrative is often chaotic and difficult to follow. Chapters are broken into rapid-fire sub-sections, introducing a flood of characters and side stories that muddle the central thread.
- The author’s tone can feel biased and, at times, unnecessarily hostile. He also added far too many personal anecdotes and opinions, often inserting them in ways that detract from the main story.
- O’Donoghue admits to taking “liberties” in reconstructing conversations. To me, this COMPLETELY undermines the trustworthiness of a nonfiction account, especially in a case hinging on the accuracy of testimony and evidence.
- There is an overabundance of detail, with lengthy interviews and tangential stories that add confusion rather than clarity. This makes the book feel like a slog in places, sapping momentum from what could have been a gripping narrative.

In conclusion, *The Fairbanks Four* is an informative but uneven true crime account. While it shines a necessary light on a miscarriage of justice and the community’s fight for truth, its disorganized structure, excessive detail, and the author’s distracting presence prevent it from reaching its full potential. If you’re deeply interested in the case or the workings of wrongful convictions, you may find value here, but for general true crime readers, there are more compelling and focused books in the genre.

I really liked the the book itself, but the narrator was a bit weird with pronunciations and emphasis at times. It was very sparse, but just enough that I kept thinking about it.

The Fairbanks Four presents a powerful true story about injustice, racial bias, and the determination of a community to right a devastating wrong. The subject matter is deeply important, and journalist Brian Patrick O’Donoghue’s role in reopening the case brings a compelling layer to the narrative. That said, the book occasionally feels uneven—strong on details but sometimes slow in pacing. While it didn’t completely pull me in, I appreciated its message and the spotlight it shines on systemic flaws and the people fighting to fix them.

I really wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Mainly, it boiled down to the structure of the book. There were so many asides about different news stories happening at the same time as the main story and there were so many people and opinions. It became difficult to follow what was happening and frankly, I couldn't seem to remember the names of the accused.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that this book does justice to all the work that was done to help the Fairbanks Four.

Thanks to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley for my audio arc!

I will be slightly biased for this book since I grew up in Alaska, so books from there will always have a soft spot in my heart. I had not heard the story of the Fairbanks Four prior to listening to this book. I feel as though the author did a very good job presenting the facts of the case along with all of the research and reporting that was required to free those four from incarceration, which can be difficult to do when the timeline spans so long. I am so incredibly disappointed with how the case was handled by the state and the prosecutors' office, and am so heartbroken that the four wrongfully convicted men cannot seek any compensation after having so many years of their lives stolen.

The Fairbanks Four audiobook tells the story of four Indigenous teens— Marvin Roberts, George Frese, Kevin Pease, and Eugene Vent—in Fairbanks, Alaska, wrongfully convicted of murdering John Hartman in 1997.

Narrated by Chris Henry Coffey, the audiobook is delivered with calm, respectful clarity. The narration is clear, steady, and respectful, which really suits the tone of the book. There’s no dramatization or overproduction — just a solid delivery that lets the story and the voices of the wrongfully convicted men shine. I appreciated how the audiobook allowed space for the emotional weight of the material to sink in, especially during the more intimate, personal moments.

The book itself is well-researched and thoughtfully written. It exposes deep flaws in the justice system — from rushed police work to racial bias — and centers the real human cost behind the headlines. The author also does a commendable job amplifying Indigenous voices and communities that are so often overlooked in mainstream true crime. It walks you through the legal missteps, the racial biases, and the human cost of a justice system that failed four young men simply because they were indigenous. It’s eye-opening and heartbreaking, but also filled with resilience and community strength.

I’m giving it four stars rather than five only because parts of the book, especially the mid-section focused on legal battles and court documents, can get a bit dense and harder to follow in audio format. I had to rewind a few times to keep track of names and timelines.

Still, this is a must-listen for fans of true crime that focus on justice, not just crime.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

The Fairbanks Four was a new case to me. It is properly subtitled injustice, for this was the overarching theme that stuck with me the most. There were lots of contributing factors as to why the four locals were charged with murder in the first place, but it was clearly a case of shoddy detective work and an effort to get quick arrests and subsequent convictions to put the public at ease. The fact that this kneejerk response results in wasted lives and heartache for all involved is rarely taken into account at the onset.
I felt that there was a bit of drudgery in this telling which bogged down my listening experience. I do usually like lots of details and backstories. But overall the facts were displayed and tension rose and the ending result was sort of just blurted out, I felt. I also wanted to hear what, if anything, is going on since the trial ended. Overall this is likely a good account of this case if you're interested in a lot of details.
The narration was decent, but did not necessarily enhance the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

I really struggled with this book. It took me forever to get through and this last time I went back to it, netgalley had taken it off the new website completely so I was unable to listen to the whole book.
Firstly, the story felt really hard to follow. It felt like it just jumped from one detail to the next, never fully setting the scene for the reader but rather just starting fact after fact. Yes it's a nonfiction book, but it felt really dry and boring. Even though the story itself is pretty cool. The execution was not.


The narration of the audiobook felt very flat. It lacked depth so I had a hard time following even more so because there was nothing to latch onto. No major shifts in tone or inflection enough to shift the story from scene to scene.

Overall I don't think this is terrible but I wouldn't not recommend it. I think it's an important story but it needs to be rewritten in a way where people will actually pay attention to it.

I didn't know anything about this story before reading this book, and I appreciated the author's investigative journalism approach to the book. I think investigating wrongful convictions in an effort to get them overturned is an important work, and this author did a good job with shining light on all the angles of this case.
If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy The Sing-Sing Files, which also deals with wrongful convictions, but the author, Dan Slepian, was a more entertaining writer.

"The Fairbanks Four" tells the harrowing true story of George Frese, Kevin Pease, Marvin Roberts, and Eugene Vent—four young Indigenous men wrongfully convicted of murder in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1997. The book follows the brutal assault and death of teenager John Hartman and the subsequent investigation, which led to the four men's convictions despite a lack of credible evidence. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a tight-knit Alaskan community and a justice system marred by prejudice and procedural failures. Over nearly two decades, a grassroots movement—led by local journalists, university students, and the Fairbanks Indigenous community—fought to overturn the convictions and expose the systemic flaws that led to the miscarriage of justice (BookBrowse, Barnes & Noble).O'Donoghue, a longtime journalist and professor emeritus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, draws from his own investigative reporting and the work of his journalism students to reconstruct the events and the fight for exoneration. His background in local journalism shapes the narrative, offering an inside look at how collective action and persistence can challenge entrenched legal injustices (Alaska Public Media, BookBrowse).The audiobook, narrated by Chris Henry Coffey, runs about 11 hours and 21 minutes. Listeners have noted Coffey’s performance as clear and engaging, helping to make the complex case accessible even to those unfamiliar with the legal intricacies or Alaskan context (Audible).O'Donoghue’s writing style is heavily journalistic—fact-driven, methodical, and detailed. For some listeners, this approach makes the book a compelling page-turner, loaded with information and keen insights into the workings of local justice and activism (BookBrowse, BookPage). Others, however, find the style at times disjointed or choppy, with the sheer volume of information occasionally overwhelming the narrative flow (NetGalley, Goodreads). Still, even critical reviewers acknowledge that the story itself is gripping and important, and that O'Donoghue’s commitment to uncovering the truth is admirable

This book tells the story of an interesting case, one that I admit to being unfamiliar with before now. I commend the author on the years of work he put into investigating what really happened that night. I would have taken in the facts of the case better in a more narrative approach. The story really being told in this book is that of the work done to free the Fairbanks Four in the years following their conviction.

[1.5 stars rounded down]
[DNF at ~35%]

What am I supposed to be paying attention to here? So many names are being thrown out at me. Too many strange tangents into random, barely related things that I can never tell if it’s actually important to the main story or not until after it ends.

Chapters are divided into sometimes short, sometimes strangely long subchapters that are only sometimes related. This is usually my preferred format for nonfiction books but they are executed so horribly in this case. Often, the next subsection continues just after the first one ended and I’m left wondering why it was even separated in the first place.

We spend a weirdly large amount of time on random things that, from what I could tell, had nothing to do with the story or case itself. Why are we constantly bringing up the Iditarod as if it has some importance here? Why do I need to hear about the author’s one off case he took on that lasted two subchapters and seemingly does not relate to anything other than that the author wanted to brag about his involvement in another thing in the area at the time? Maybe this all comes together in the end in some huge, amazing way, but I can’t make myself read in far enough to get to that point.
The author’s narration feels very hostile and self righteous against everything. I don’t think that it’s appropriate for a book covering this story. Though the portion of the book that I read and what the description states makes it understandable that he is rightfully proud of what he was able to accomplish, it becomes distracting and ultimately takes away from the story.

I’m not going to make myself finish this one. I can’t stand the author’s voice, the descriptions of events, or the formatting of the book. It’s a shame because I am interested in the story itself, but I guess I just won’t get it from O’Donoghue’s mouth himself.

The audiobook's narrator had a somewhat unique but very welcome voice. I don't often hear narrators with a slight draw or the roughness of his voice, but it was very nice to listen to. He did a good job in differentiating the subchapter's titles versus the bodies of text themselves.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think it was written well and engaging, but also made me mad at the failing 'justice' system. There's a line somewhere that I'm going to butcher that goes something like 'Do you really think they're innocent' 'It's more that they should have never been accused let alone convicted because of a huge lack of evidence'

I didn't really know a lot about the Fairbanks Four before reading this, so I felt like I learned a lot. I liked getting the information from a reporter and journalism teacher who was there at the time and had access to a lot of the info and people involved.

The narrator did a brilliant job, I very much loved his voice.

The story behind The Fairbanks Four is powerful—and heartbreaking. The synopsis pulled me in immediately, and I was really excited to receive an ARC through NetGalley (huge thanks for that!). Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t live up to the weight of the story.

The case itself is incredibly important and deserves to be told with care and clarity. But this book felt jumbled, messy, and at times hard to follow. There were so many characters introduced quickly, and the chapters were broken into sub-sections that made it hard to stay grounded in the timeline. I found myself rereading parts trying to figure out what was happening and who was who.

The author’s perspective and personal involvement could’ve added something unique, but instead, it often distracted from the core story. The writing at times felt scattered and even hostile in tone, which made it hard to connect with. And the admission of taking “liberties” in reconstructing conversations in a nonfiction book, especially with such high stakes, really didn’t sit well with me.

I deeply respect the work that went into helping the Fairbanks Four and bringing awareness to a broken justice system. But I just don’t think this book did the story justice. It had the potential to be impactful, but the execution made it feel chaotic and unfocused.

The Fairbanks Four is a compelling and deeply researched account of a tragic and infuriating true story — one that sheds light not only on the wrongful convictions of four young men in Alaska, but also on the wider issues of systemic injustice, racial bias, and the power of grassroots activism. Brian Patrick O'Donoghue brings a journalist’s eye for detail and a local’s sense of urgency to this complex case, and I found myself fully drawn in from the beginning.

I really appreciated how the book carefully reconstructs the timeline of events surrounding the 1997 murder of John Hartman and follows the years-long struggle to expose the truth. The dedication to accuracy is clear, and O'Donoghue does a fantastic job weaving in courtroom moments, media coverage, and personal testimonies from the people involved. The pacing is mostly strong, and I found myself emotionally invested throughout.

That said, I’m giving this four stars instead of five because there were sections that read more like a textbook than a narrative nonfiction story. While the level of detail is admirable (and probably necessary for a case this complicated), at times it slowed the momentum and felt a little dense. Readers looking for a smooth, novelistic flow might find these parts a bit challenging. However, the heart and message of the book still come through clearly and powerfully.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The Fairbanks Four from NetGalley, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. I'm very glad I had the chance to read it — it's a thoughtful, important book that deserves attention, especially for readers interested in justice reform and investigative journalism.