Book Review IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS Kim Cross

Thank you to the author Kim Cross, publishers Grand Central Publishing, and also to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS. All views are mine.



Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The richness of detail is spectacular. (Maybe too much at times?) No, no, it's good, it's good. Honestly, in the details, I can really notice the depth of Cross's research. She's able to provide multiple descriptions of things, perspectives, or theories, because she has so many resources from which to pull.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. I grabbed this book at least partly because it sells itself as being "paced like a thriller!" Won't be the first true crime nonfiction that pulled me in with that, but plods along, plotless! True crime fascinates with other magic, it doesn't have to break necks-- or at least not with twists or high speeds!

2. There is so much information in this book! So much of it is unnecessary. For example, Cross goes on for pages about the history of America's Most Wanted and its host, John Walsch, whose information is interesting, but not relevant, since his son Adam was kidnapped and murdered in the 80's. They only connect to the case at hand in a superficial way. Cross does this a lot; that's a big part of the reason the book is over 400p long.

3. This book is too long. 100 pages of superfluous length is because of all the detours, it's almost painful.

4. I realize there is an audience for this level of detail, but I'm not in it. I don't want to read an entire interview with a suspect. They say so much during these that's predictable and dull. Every hem and haw! And I definitely don't want to read multiple interviews with the same suspect.

Rating: ðŸĶī💀☠️.5 human bones
Recommend? Sure, for readers looking for true crime nonfiction with a lot of details 
Finished: Oct 3 23
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley 
Read this book if you like:
⚗️ forensics 
ðŸĐļ murder stories
🔎 true crime

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