Submerged

Ryan Widmer, His Drowned Bride and the Justice System

By: Janice Hisle

Narrated by: Janice Hisle, Mike Landis

Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A young bride drowns in her bathtub. Her husband of four months is accused of murder. What happened in their tiny suburban bathroom - and why - was never resolved.

Based on exclusive new information, Submerged, a compelling true crime drama, exposes hidden angles of a case that captivated and divided an ordinary American community, tore apart two families, and tested the criminal justice system.

Compelled by conscience and curiosity, former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Janice (Morse) Hisle - who covered the saga of Ryan and Sarah Widmer from the start - returns 10 years later to dig deep to tell the untold story: dozens of interviews, 6,000 pages of trial transcripts, and previously unrevealed records such as:

• Ryan’s first written statement about Sarah’s death
• Attorneys’ notes and trial-preparation documents
• Ryan’s personal journal, notes, and correspondence
• More than a thousand pages of police notes and reports

Submerged will draw you into the depths of a stranger-than-fiction story that you will ponder long after listening to the final word.

©2018 Janice Hisle (P)2018 Janice Hisle

Listen To Feel The Story

Love audio books, love the audio of Submerged. It's not often a listening reader has the opportunity to hear the author tell his/her story, Janice gives an outstanding performance communicating the nuances of the Ryan Widmer story, piecing together the who, what, how, when and why Sarah drowned followed by the trials and tribulations of Ryan's legal battle.

Good Novel But...

This true crime novel was good but the narration left something to be desired. The repetitive use of "quote, unquote" was tiring and almost made me not finish the book. However, the story itself was quite good.

Narrator is TERRIBLE - but good book.

everything good except narrator. She is terrible and should not be allowed to do this ever again. way to overdramatic - and in the wrong areas.

OMG! QUOTE, UNQUOTE ~ DRAMA

I'm not really sure if the story was any good or not because it's difficult to separate from the constant "quote, unquote" language of the reading. This reader is obviously used to reading bedtime stories to children rather than reading a serious murder story. The dramatic reading was so distracting. It almost sounded ridiculous. It might have been good with a different narrator. Ugh

intrigued till the end

Brilliant job of presenting facts, taking me along the journey as if I was there.

REAL CRIME, REAL PEOPLE

Wow - this was a very compelling story and it checked every box for me. The writer was a seasoned newspaper reporter who covered a lot of crimes. I looked it up and she has a boatload of journalism awards. And it kind of reads like a long but interesting newspaper story. Hisle may not be a professional narrator, but I found her voice to be soothing. I'm betting her use of "quote, unquote" is part of her training to ensure stories are factual and accurate. I like the fact that she personally interviewed the key figure in this story first-hand and shares all with the readers/listeners. I highly recommend this book if you want to read about a real crime with real people.

Heartfelt and Evidence Based

Wow! Heartfelt and Evidence Based is not generally written in the same sentence but it fits for this book. Janice Hisle takes a personal approach to covering the Ryan and Sarah Widmer story. This is a case I saw on the news headlines and thought I knew. I was comfortable with a guilty verdict and believed justice had been done. However, after reading this book and the problems with the evidence, I find myself second guessing that notion. Janice takes a deep look through the forensic evidence, the testimonies, and the handling of the case that leaves me wondering if justice has truly been served. Perhaps, I was too quick to trust the headlines. Don't misunderstand. This book is not a Free Ryan book. HIsle lays out the facts, evidence and science so readers can make up their own minds. She does it in a way that you are drawn into the stories of those involved. You feel their pain and their confusion, their joy, their hope and their despair. Yet, at the same time you see the flaws and lack of science clearly. All in all it is a wonderful blend of humanity and facts in one book. Highly recommend.

Compelling

I was worried that I might not enjoy this book with reviews about narration. It took a bit to get used to the quote unquote, but now understand why that technique was used. Because we are talking about an actual case, it is important to know when the writer is telling us word for word what a person said. I can appreciate that and the use of quotes in its reading. If it bothers you, stick with it the book is worth it!
As a citizen and teacher of forensics in Warren county where this case occurred, I was absolutely intrigued. It was quite interesting to hear the about the details of evidence that were presented in court as well as those that were not. I appreciated that aspect of the book very much. As the title reads, another thread of this book is about our justice system. And from what I have seen in this case, I am quite unsettled. This book will challenge your assumptions about justice and the process of investigation.
Janice is a skilled writer and I hope that she will continue writing investigative books! Might I suggest that Carrie Culberson case?

Quote, End Quote

Quote, end quote. Quote, end quote. Quote, end quote. Quote, end quote. Quote, end quote. Etc. Horrid narration. Wish I could return.

Ruined by the Narration

For me this audiobook was ruined by the narration, which was performed by the author. There is a reason they call narrators THE TALENT. This sounded like a school teacher reading to a class of 3rd graders. I'm stymied by how Audible could have allowed this to happen when you have so many excellent narrators. Hisle merrily bounced her way through a serious, true crime story. Shame.