Loved this story. I read it with my daughter (6) who has cystic fibrosis, and she loved that the story has a character she could relate to. The message of "take a breath" is a wonderful one. ( )

I struggled with this book. The case was interesting but it took me a good third of the book to get into it. Honestly, I think the narrator was the problem. His voice just grated on me. I mean, he added some emotion to the reading but I think I would have enjoyed the book much more had I read it with my eyeballs.

I'm a huge fan of true crime books and documentaries but I don't think I'd recommend this one. At least not the audiobook.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to give an author I'd not heard of a try. ( )

I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the publisher and Bookish First Impressions in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first true crime book I’ve read by this author but won’t be the last. He has a unique manner of presenting all the facts from every perspective. It is obvious that extensive research has been done to write such a compelling book.

As Mark Twain is noted for stating: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”

Since this is true crime there really are no “spoilers” as the case has been followed and reported by the media outlets. I will add my review regarding my personal comments and opinions.

The author goes to great lengths to make the story about the victim Mary Yoder and not the sensationalized media attention or conspiracy theories. I admire the presentation of the facts and evidence as they are and not what some would like them to be. Just because people “can’t imagine” someone being capable of such heinous acts doesn’t mean she didn’t commit them!

It is obvious that Kaitlyn “Katie” Conley is a person with deep rooted psychological issues. An example of a sociopath with whom we should all take note as there are many people in world just like her. The conniving and manipulative mastermind of those people should not be underscored.

Another appalling aspect was that regarding Dateline and their coverage of the case. I don’t recall whether I watched that episode. The author is respectful but does share information that he received from several reliable sources. As much as we hope that media presentation will be accurate we must always remember that people are human. The human spirit is strong and wants to believe the best of people and shun the possibility of such evil. The most difficult task is to put all feelings aside and examine facts without emotion or judgment. I believe that M William Phelps possess that ability.


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Another great true crime book by M . William Phelps.. Mary and Bill were married for many years and had a chiroprctor business. Mary suddenly became ill and died.. a few weeks after her death it was discovered she'd been poisoned.. Lots of detail and questions about the 'suspects' in the poisoning. A really good. book ! ( )

I'm a huge fan of anything true crime, so I was excited to receive this one! It's my first book by Phelps and won't be my last.

The murder of Mary Yoder is one I hadn't heard of before reading this. The entire story just left me at a loss of words. How can someone who looks like such a normal, young girl do something as horrific as this?

Phelps did a phenomenal job researching the case. It may seem a little one-sided, but the author does explain why. Phelps tried to get the other side of the story, but Katie's family refused to talk. In my opinion, that's because they know deep in their hearts that Katie is guilty.

(I promise I'm not spoiling anything. This one isn't about figuring out who did it, necessarily. It's all about WHY she did it.)

I noticed some readers didn't like the transition between each chapter or the flashbacks, but I think both are essential to any true crime story.

5 huge stars for this one!! ( )