The Case of the Vanishing Blonde: And Other True Crime Stories is a collection of six fascinating true-crime stories, spanning Mark Bowden’s long and illustrious career as a crime journalist. It covers a variety of complicated crimes; both thought-provoking and fascinating.
From a story of a rape at the University of Pennsylvania that sparked a debate over the nature of consent to a case of entrapment in a pedophile case. Followed by three cold cases featuring the genius of private detective Ken Brennan and a startling investigation into a cold case that reveals an unexpected murderer. Each of these stories is masterfully narrated and often the interpretation; relating to ethics involved in the case is left to the reader.
The first two cases Incident at Alpha Tau Omega and why don't u tell me wht ur into delve into the fundamental questions involving the nature of the crime but leaving the judgment to the readers open-ended. The Case of the Vanishing Blonde, The Body in Room 348, Who Killed Euhommie Bond? all Sherlock type unsolvable mysteries involving Mr. Brennann. Ken Brennan, a Private Detective, with a magic touch, who seemingly can solve even the most unsolvable cases. Bowden spins the narrative in such a manner that it keeps the readers hooked till the end and the best example of it is A Million Years Ago another cold case but narrated it such a unique way that it will shock the readers as it gradually reveals the entire story.
There have been several crime books in recent times like Mindhunter. The key difference being most books narrate a crime from the perspective of either the criminal or the investigator. This book is unique because as a crime journalist, Bowden could cover the perspective of every party involved including key eyewitnesses. Also, the book covers a variety of cases which different kinds of mystery. Bowden gives you enough background info about the case and explains the implication of every possible missing piece to make it interesting.
Each of these stories is fascinating and intriguing. This book is a fairly quick read and I found it to be a page-turner; mainly due to some excellent narration and some thought-provoking cases. If you are a fan of the True Crime genre, this book is categorically a must-read. 4.5 stars out of 5
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