I doubt that this case merited much attention nationally, but it appears it created quite a stir in the vicinity of Oakland and Berkeley CA area where it occured.
The facts? A young mother disappears without a trace. Her van is found, but the case picks up steam as it becomes obvious that there are any number of possible suspects. The potential perps include an estranged husband, a former boyfriend/best friend of the hubby upon whom the victim appears to be financially dependent on, and a current boyfriend the victim picked up on the net. In fact, the missing woman seems to have no fear of making social connections via the internet which results in a lot of dead ends from an investigative pov.
As the authorities hone in on the evidence, the husband becomes the clear suspect. Nutty and controling beyond description and totally devoid of basic social skills, he has CREEP written all over him. The core of this story focuses on the husband and his consistently peculiar and controlling behavior, his continual contradictory statements, and how his presumed perception of his peculiar 'genius' and his inherent arrogance really does him in on a lot of levels. Despite not having any physical evidence such as a body to prove that a murder took place, the autorities bring te husband to trial. In the end, the case is resolved in an odd and somewhat unpredictable way.
The author Henry Lee is a local Oakland reporter and this is his first book. It is well-written and meticulously detailed. The end result is that very little, if anything, is left unanswered.
This is an interesting book that has its share of cliches, but the actual facts and circumstances surrounding this case lack a certain amount of suspense because the husband's inherent nature points to him early on.
