Mad City: The True Story of the Campus Murders That America Forgot

Very interesting read. Lots of research done by the author and his students.

I would like to respond to some of the advanced / negative reviews. Often a book will be made accessible to Prime members in advance for free in exchange for a review. The problem with this is that often the reviewers have no interest in the content / subject matter, and will quickly glean over specifics.This is a GREAT true crime book. It builds on Arntfield's earlier books, Murder City and Murder in Plain English; it helps to know the author's background in criminology and literature. It reads great, it's a page-turner, the narrative never lets up. All is clear if you have the patience - which in the internet age no one appears to possess - to commit to reading.Criticism that the book jumps in time (and is therefore confusing), or that the author has a right-wing and (paradoxically) anti-police bent is completely unwarranted. Arntfield sums up the state of criminal investigations in North America, as is, and it's not an easy view. A bleak look at where we have come from in terms of criminal investigative failures, and where we are headed if we don't hold justice agencies accountable for their lineage of errors.

Yes, all the negative reviews are valid to an extent. I found myself wanting to tell the author, get to the point. This book feels like the author was getting paid by the word. One of my favorite lines was "Intrusive thoughts intruded" The story could be better told. And I found myself resorting to a technique I've used before: skimming and skipping a few pages. But I'm glad I finished it: I could not have predicted where it was going. Not that the killer got what he deserved, (I kept wishing the woman would go slash his tires or something) but the main story is unique. Be prepared for lots of digressions. (DIsclaimer: I got this book free on the monthly KIndle First plan.) (Lastly, I'm skeptical on the title: I live ~270 miles from Madison WI, not too far, and I have never heard it called Mad City, but perhaps it is.)

Lots of ramblings and no proof to back any of his claims. I love the parts about Jack the Ripper not being real and author's own ignorance of the Madison killings show. Maybe it's the author's arrogant ego getting in the way of telling a good story but this book is anything but well written. I would not recommend spending time on this book.

The persona of Linda in the book has been gravely fictionalized and sensationalized. She did not run around the country in pursuit of her best friend's killer. Contact with him was achieved after years of meticulous research and countless interviews. The factual account of Chris Rothschild's murder, investigation and aftermath was written by Linda herself after 51 years. The story is entitled MURDER ON THE 56TH DAY by Linda Schulko. On amazon.