Murder Book

By: Frank F. Weber

Narrated by: Jonathan Strait

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Murder book (n): A new term for a cold case where a homicide is suspected.

Jon Frederick spent his adolescence protecting his mentally ill brother and worrying about his parents' farm as it headed toward bankruptcy. So when Mandy Baker, the alluring new girl in town, pursued him, he was easily enamored. But on the day he ended their tryst, Mandy vanished. There is no doubt in the small Minnesota town of Pierz that the flirtatious girl is dead, and there is little doubt that Jon got away with murder.

A decade later, Jon is made an investigator with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. While investigating a case near his hometown, Jon quietly reopens the murder book on Mandy Baker and begins to see commonalities between Mandy's disappearance and his new case. Digging up the past raises intriguing possibilities with an old friend, Serena Bell - but also forces them to work through old betrayals. As the investigation intensifies, Jon realizes he has crossed paths with the killer before.

Frank Weber, a forensic psychologist, expertly examines the intricacies of investigations, victim impact, and predatory thought in his debut thriller.

©2017 Frank F. Weber (P)2020 Frank F. Weber

Murder Book

Great mystery crime read. Very well written!Learned something new about forensic science and psychology. Liked the Narrator too- a Great choice! He was perfect to listen to with different voices of characters.

suspenseful

i like that it's a true story and I enjoyed all of the 1st person narrative

Love! Great listen

I have been wanting to read this book since Frank presented to my Psychology class a few years back and when I seen it on audible I was ecstatic since I don’t have much time to read with college. But I loved the story and how the character I thought was guilty didn’t end up being the guilty one. Highly suggest to people it’s a great book and I can’t wait to listen to the rest.

Compelling Story, Keeps you Listening!

Murder Book has a compelling plot. It reads a little like an investigator's report, although the dialogue is authentic. I'm from the area where this story takes place, and I can hear the voices of neighbors in the conversation. It's through these conversations that Weber truly develops the characters and gives them distinct voice and personality. The details of a 10-year-old case of a missing (and murdered) girl are linked to a current case of a young girl who is abducted, sexually abused, and left for dead. The main character, Jon Frederick, is caught up in both. It has similar elements to the podcast "Serial" where the boyfriend is accused of the crime, or like watching an episode of "Longmire," with that rural, small town feel. It's a rather male dominant book where the females all seem to be in need of rescuing. The details of solving these crimes keep you turning the pages. Not recommended for young readers, or people who are sensitive to violence against women. Contains sexual violence.

I "reread" this book when it came out on audio. The narrator is good. Weber's use of first person POV for three different characters stands out more in the audio. It works well for the main character, Jon, and the killer who calls himself Panthera, but not as much in the female lead Serena's voice. Something about hearing a guy read aloud her thoughts sounded inauthentic, and it made the romance part a little cheesy. Still a 4 overall. I'm planning on reading Weber's second book, "The I-94 Murders" which features the same main character Jon Frederick. It was a good refresher since I read this one three years ago and didn't remember hardly any details!