By Melissa Manzella on February 9, 2017 [Verified Purchase]
A magnificent work here on the third and final installation of the immensely popular series of narratives,The Craven Silence. I've read Van der Leek and Wilson's work now for several years, and appreciate each and every effort, but for those who haven't, I think the first thing you might notice is just how intelligent they are. This is a boon for obvious reasons, but perhaps the most beneficial asset as regards a quick mind and this case, is the ability to quickly separate at least some of what's relevant, from what isn't. This is invaluable in a case fraught with a voluminous amount of clutter, any number of rabbit holes one could foolishly scurry down at any turn, and one that presents with existing opposing theories.
This is no easy feat, but tackle the job though they do, they do it brilliantly, and with aplomb.
A trademark of their work, is the effort they put into research, and in my personal experience in reading other books on the Jon Benét case, this effort sets them apart from others.
This brings me to the second point a new reader will readily notice and appreciate, which is their work ethic and determination. They provide supporting documentation to accompany any and all of their reasoning at each step along the way, dots are connected, and the end result is a theory of this case that finally has legs.
Turns out, this case wasn't nearly as complicated as it initially seemed, but just needed the help of a couple of independent thinkers to apply a healthy degree of discernment, and in some cases, skepticism, to the existing facts of the case, and then present it all in a cohesive manner to the reader.
Van der Leek and Wilson have certainly done that.
They can also write. This is a gift that truly can't be underestimated in any genre, but is especially the case in true crime, where good writing is sometimes lacking. With their objectivity, reliance on existing facts and new ones they've most certainly established, these two, Van der Leek and Wilson, could have made darn good detectives should they have chosen the profession. As luck would have it, though, they didn't, and readers everywhere can raise a glass to that.
