True Crime Addict by James Renner | LJ Review

by LJ Reviews
Mar 08, 2016 | Filed in Reviews+
Former investigative journalist Renner (The Great Forgetting) takes the reader on his dark journey unraveling the disappearance of University of Massachusetts Amherst student Maura Murray, who went missing in 2004.
518o0Ak4V2L._SX329_BO1,204,203,200___1456867025_22020redstarRenner, James. True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin’s. May 2016. 288p. ISBN 9781250089014. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250089021. CRIME Former investigative journalist Renner (The Great Forgetting) takes the reader on his dark journey unraveling the disappearance of University of Massachusetts Amherst student Maura Murray, who went missing in 2004. Having to sift through over a decade’s worth of stories and evidence, Renner keeps digging until the toll of his obsession creeps into his personal life. The author first heard of Murray’s story on a 20/20 episode and, having experience with similar cases, dives right in. Renner shares snippets of his own life while collecting bits of Murray’s, almost balancing out the scales of information. The mystery of ­Murray’s whereabouts is baffling. From descriptions of her father who doesn’t want to talk about the case to potential ties to Dennis Rader, the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer, Renner keeps searching for the truth before the case consumes him. His chipping away at the facts of a ten-year-old case makes the reader hope that, in the end, the answers will be uncovered. ­VERDICT An entrancing, brilliant next step for fans of the podcast Serial, Netflix’s Making a Murderer​, and other true crime cases.—Ryan ­Claringbole, Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison, WI This review was published in Library Journal's March 1, 2016 issue. Subscribe today and save up to 35 percent off the regular subscription rate.
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