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reviewsbylola's review
4.0
Elizabeth "Beth"" Andes had just turned 23 in December 1978 when she was killed in her apartment in Oxford, Ohio. Having just graduated from Miami University almost two weeks before, Beth was in the process of packing up her apartment for an upcoming move. She called her boyfriend, Bob, at his parents' home in Fairborn around 7pm that night. After packing and hopping in the shower, Bob drove the 90 minutes to Oxford, but when he arrived at Beth's apartment at 9:30 that night, he found her dead.
It's been 40 years since Beth Andes was killed, and her friends and loved ones still pray for answers. A suspect was zeroed in on within hours of the murder, but he was acquitted in a criminal trial as well as a civil trial a few years later. Oxford detectives and prosecutors believe they had the right man all along, and consider this case all but officially closed. Because of that, Beth's case remained stagnant. It doesn't even appear on the list of Ohio's cold cases. However, journalist Amber Hunt from the Cincinnati Enquirer, began looking into the case, and the more information she uncovered, the more convinced she became that the original suspect wasn't actually the killer.
The format of this book is actually a transcript of the 9 episode podcast that Hunt did on this case, titled "Accused". It proved to be extremely popular, so much so that this book was born. I was hesitant when I first started reading, because I had no idea that the book was set up in this way. It surprisingly worked really well for me. I'm an avid fan of true crime, but I'll be honest--the monotony of the same formula every time (crime, investigation, trial, aftermath) leaves me bored to tears occasionally. It was a breath of fresh air to have a different structure. In that sense, this book reminds me of Michelle McNamara's new book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, about the Golden State Killer.
I hope that there is eventually closure in this case, even if the perpetrator ends up being deceased. Having finished the book, I have drawn my own conclusions as to who committed this brutal murder, but I'd love to know what actually happened that night. I was disappointed to see that there have been no new episodes on this particular murder. I definitely need to know if Amber has uncovered any explosive new information. I definitely think she needs to record an updated episode once the book is released.
It's been 40 years since Beth Andes was killed, and her friends and loved ones still pray for answers. A suspect was zeroed in on within hours of the murder, but he was acquitted in a criminal trial as well as a civil trial a few years later. Oxford detectives and prosecutors believe they had the right man all along, and consider this case all but officially closed. Because of that, Beth's case remained stagnant. It doesn't even appear on the list of Ohio's cold cases. However, journalist Amber Hunt from the Cincinnati Enquirer, began looking into the case, and the more information she uncovered, the more convinced she became that the original suspect wasn't actually the killer.
The format of this book is actually a transcript of the 9 episode podcast that Hunt did on this case, titled "Accused". It proved to be extremely popular, so much so that this book was born. I was hesitant when I first started reading, because I had no idea that the book was set up in this way. It surprisingly worked really well for me. I'm an avid fan of true crime, but I'll be honest--the monotony of the same formula every time (crime, investigation, trial, aftermath) leaves me bored to tears occasionally. It was a breath of fresh air to have a different structure. In that sense, this book reminds me of Michelle McNamara's new book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, about the Golden State Killer.
I hope that there is eventually closure in this case, even if the perpetrator ends up being deceased. Having finished the book, I have drawn my own conclusions as to who committed this brutal murder, but I'd love to know what actually happened that night. I was disappointed to see that there have been no new episodes on this particular murder. I definitely need to know if Amber has uncovered any explosive new information. I definitely think she needs to record an updated episode once the book is released.
krista7's review
4.0
Note: This unbiased review is based on an ARC given me by Netgalley for review purposes.
"Accused" is the transcript of the "Accused" podcast, which was the work of Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The podcast itself was a great success, driven largely by the team's transparency about their journalistic process. (Also, Amber Hunt trying repeatedly to get one obnoxiously resistant politician to either answer a question or just give her the dignity of a "no comment" is an A++ moment in podcast history.)
In written form, the same characteristics that made "Accused" work so well as a podcast serve the text version, too--Hunt has a conversational style, a realistic world view, and an obvious passion for journalism. Within the words of the work, we can sense a bit of the roughness of first-time podcasters, which serves to remind us again of why we're listening--we're not here to be entertained, but to be informed about Beth Andes and the police and prosecutor failures that brought about left this woman's death unsolved. That's journalism, and it is no surprise that we come away from the text with a renewed respect for it (often maligned in today's age of idiocy and propaganda channels a la Fox).
What's not so great? As someone who did listen to, and love, the podcast, I was disappointed the book didn't appear to push more beyond the words of the podcast. While the inclusion of photographs from the case was appreciated, a better addition would have more new commentary from Hunt/Rossmann. Still, as the book is transparent in saying it *is* the podcast, I can't really blame it for delivering exactly what was promised.
Finally, the book, like the podcast, leaves us wanting more. I am aware that the "Accused" team has worked on the very important podcast, "Aftermath," detailing the aftermath of gun violence. I look forward to more of their fine reporting in the future.
"Accused" is the transcript of the "Accused" podcast, which was the work of Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The podcast itself was a great success, driven largely by the team's transparency about their journalistic process. (Also, Amber Hunt trying repeatedly to get one obnoxiously resistant politician to either answer a question or just give her the dignity of a "no comment" is an A++ moment in podcast history.)
In written form, the same characteristics that made "Accused" work so well as a podcast serve the text version, too--Hunt has a conversational style, a realistic world view, and an obvious passion for journalism. Within the words of the work, we can sense a bit of the roughness of first-time podcasters, which serves to remind us again of why we're listening--we're not here to be entertained, but to be informed about Beth Andes and the police and prosecutor failures that brought about left this woman's death unsolved. That's journalism, and it is no surprise that we come away from the text with a renewed respect for it (often maligned in today's age of idiocy and propaganda channels a la Fox).
What's not so great? As someone who did listen to, and love, the podcast, I was disappointed the book didn't appear to push more beyond the words of the podcast. While the inclusion of photographs from the case was appreciated, a better addition would have more new commentary from Hunt/Rossmann. Still, as the book is transparent in saying it *is* the podcast, I can't really blame it for delivering exactly what was promised.
Finally, the book, like the podcast, leaves us wanting more. I am aware that the "Accused" team has worked on the very important podcast, "Aftermath," detailing the aftermath of gun violence. I look forward to more of their fine reporting in the future.