Chris Russo Blackwood

The story of Gary Kergan's disappearance and murder holds all sorts of allure for people interested in true crime. We have a wildly successful man, lots of money, and prostitution; we don't have a body. The murder went unsolved for three decades, during which time Gary's brother Ted pursued answers. But, while all the ingredients are there to make this a riveting tale, I was more intrigued by what was left out of the story than all that went into it.

The book is structured well and the writing is okay, though repetitive at times. I wasn't riveted, but it was enough to keep me reading.

The things that bothered me:

First, Ted is portrayed as a larger-than-life hero. Yes, he is to be commended for the time and effort he put in to the investigation. But his wealth gave him immediate access to resources that made his pursuit possible. I don't want to take away from all he did to find his brother's killer, but I think it's important to note that his money was an even more important factor than his persistence. Ted is not all that unique in his drive to find justice for his brother. The unique aspect was his money and connections.

Second, and most problematic for me, the crux of the story is not explored - at all. Gary is portrayed as an upstanding man of principles, married with children. Yet he was spending his time in a low-class strip club. He was leaving that strip club with a prostitute. He was, in fact, last seen leaving that club with the prostitute. This entire aspect of the story is glossed over. We learn about it only because it's necessarily to the story, but the author never goes deeper than the surface facts. By no means am I looking for a 'blame the victim' sort of thing, but, come on, this is the heart of the story and it demanded an honest exploration.

The way this story wrapped up left me figuratively scratching my head. Despite arrests and convictions, we still have many unanswered questions and, for me, doubts. Ted's frenzy toward the end, coupled with the victim impact statement he made at the sentencing, made me feel that his pursuit was about a long-simmering need for vengeance at any cost.

In the end, the intrigue of the story was lost within the grandiosity of Ted and the absence of exploration into the reality of his brother's life.

*Wildblue Press provided me with an ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.*… (mere)