First published 2020
In May 2010, Shannan Gilbert vanishes after fleeing through Oak Beach, screaming for help. Police show little interest in the missing twenty-four-year-old escort until seven months later, when they discover four bodies wrapped in burlap along a highway. The victims are Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. All shared striking similarities with Shannan: young, petite, from out of town, advertising escort services on Craigslist and Backpage. None of the bodies belonged to Shannan herself. Robert Kolker reconstructs the lives of these five women whose paths crossed with a serial killer. He exposes how society's indifference toward sex workers allowed the murders to continue undetected. The investigation reveals the dark corners of internet commerce and the secrets communities harbor. Mari Gilbert, Shannan's mother, transforms the search for her daughter into a relentless campaign for justice. This updated edition includes new developments in the case.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, 21st-century, true-crime
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: true-story, underdog
Setting: Oak Beach, New York
Period: 2010
432 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: murder, sexual-assault, trafficking