Two couples in Florida make up a close knit quartet of best friends, until one husband vanishes while out duck hunting, sparking a long running mystery that will remain unsolved for more than a decade.
In the annals of true crime, murder as the solution to an affair is a common occurrence, mundane even when stacked up the ranks of serial killers and mass murderers who generally get top billing. But even a ‘mundane’ crime is a story in itself, and the people they victimize deserve just as much attention as those that generally grab headlines. In this book, Brottman works to bring that well-deserved attention to the murder of Mike Williams.
This is a quick read, but an engrossing one. Brottman does a good job bringing the socially stifling world of the subjects to life, grounding us in their lives and the path to Mike’s murder. She treats everyone with an even hand, making it easy to visualize them as they are – that is, the kind of people that we all know. By not ‘othering’ the murderers, the case only seems more immediate and tragic.
What’s really astonishing about the case though is the aftermath. It was fascinating to see Brian and Denise continue to carry on with their lives as they slowly splinter under the weight of their consciences. I also liked that there was just enough supporting information to contextualize what happens between the pair and how they are treated in the media and by their community without pulling focus away from the story itself.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.