17 Days: The Katie Beers Story (Paperback)

~ Arthur Herzog (Author)
Key Phrases: Katie Beers, John Esposito, Bay Shore (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

On December 28, 1992, two days before her tenth birthday, Katie Beers disappeared. She had left for an outing with a close family friend, John Esposito, and her whereabouts remained mysterious as the year drew to a close and her family grew frantic, fearing the worst. On January 13th, Katie was found alive in a secret, dungeon-like vault beneath Esposito's Bay Shore, Long Island house. Families nationwide followed the story of Katie's heartwrenching ordeal, as she bravely survived the isolation until her nearly miraculous rescue from a setting reminiscent of The Silence of The Lambs.

Katie's harrowing story reveals a chilling side of human nature, even in the seemingly peaceful suburbs. And her fate as the smiling survivor of a troubled family raises disturbing questions about the plight of children across America: children like Katie, whose trust can be so easily betrayed.

About the Author

Arthur Herzog is an award-winning novelist, non-fiction writer and journalist, renowned for his best-selling novels The Swarm, Orca (both made into popular movies), Make Us Happy, Heat and IQ 83, hailed by the British press as one of the best science fiction works ever written. His non-fiction best sellers include Vesco, which Publishers Weekly hailed as “A brilliantly researched story…one of the year’s remarkable biographies” and The Woodchipper Murder. A New Yorker, avid reader, and world traveler, Herzog continues to write fiction and non-fiction books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: IUniverse (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595271464
• ISBN-13: 978-0595271467
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,425,571 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Island Abduction is a Suspenseful Read, July 10, 2004

By	Jody Mondo "jodymond2" (USA) - See all my reviews

Before the Michael Jackson case in 1993-94 there was the Katie Beers case. Both focused on pedophilia and men who prey on children. The first, Michael Jackson was famous already and the second, John Espositio became famous almost overnight through intense media coverage. In 17 DAYS: THE KATIE BEERS STORY Arthur Herzog presents a suspenseful, coherent account of a scenario that defies explanation: the abduction of nine year old Katie Beers by neighbor John Esposito and her imprisonment in an underground bunker for 16 days.

Pedophilia or adult sexual attraction to children has been little understood by the general public. They usually mistake the word to mean some quirky foot fetish. In 17 DAYS Herzog examines the daily doings of a pedophile and his MO in attracting young children. To summarize:Marilyn Beers, mother of John and Katie Beers, was an unwed Long Island mother who only worked intermittantly. Always short of money, she was easy for John Esposito to befriend and to "groom" her two children with presents, outings, and attention. He seemed a nice guy, trustworthy with a job and nice home in Bayshore. Although Marilyn had reported him for sexual misconduct with "Little John" she still allowed him to see Katie.

In a strange turn of events, Esposito , with his construction worker skills, built an underground bunker under his garage, seemingly to capture and confine youngsters. Katie was his first prisoner. But she was tough and resiliant and did not break down during incarceration, in a way, outfoxing Espositio by playing along with his anxiety and not getting upset. But out on the street it was a different story: the daily stress of the search for Katie consumed law enforcement, the media, her mother, and her godmother, in a nationwide frenzy. Even Esposito's lawyers got into the act. In a well-written, well-researched book, Herzog takes a close look at a high profile case and its outcome.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 20, 2008

By	Daniel E. Otten "Dan" (New Jersey, but miss Long Island) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story (Paperback)

If you grew up on Long Island when Katie was taken, it remains with you much like when Kelly Tinyes was murdered by Robert Golub. Katie Beers was kidnapped on Long Island in 1992 at age 9 by a close family friend. Where he hid her from Police is unbelievable.