By the River’s Edge by Gregg Olsen

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for By the River’s Edge:

Donna has a lot of explaining to do.

Quick synopsis:

The story of a Spokane, Washington serial killer.

Fact for Non-History People:

California has produced the most serial killers in the U.S.

Fact for History Nerds:

Alaska, however, has the most per capita when accounting for population.

My Take on By the River’s Edge:

Do you know what I love most about Gregg Olsen’s books? He just understands the assignment. With great true crime, you just tell the story. Give the victims and their families a voice. Don’t make excuses for the killer but make them human. Finally, give the reader the story points they need to understand all the twists, turns, and investigative pitfalls. Once again, Olsen nails it with By the River’s Edge.

This is not a story with an unknown killer lurking in the shadows until the final act. You know from the book summary that they were killed by Douglas Perry. The twist is that Douglas is now Donna. Where others would editorialize this fact, Olsen stays on task. He tells the story of the murders of Yolanda Sapp, Nickie Lowe, and Kathy Brisbois. I listed them out because this is one of the few serial killer books where I could actually name the victims from memory because Olsen makes them matter to the story. Each of these women was a sex worker, but also a mother, daughter, sister, or all three. Perry’s murder of each of them is a tragedy and not book fodder.

I’ve read a few of Olsen’s books, and I am somehow always surprised at how easily they flow. The book is north of 300 pages, but they fly by to the point where it feels like 100 pages. There aren’t extensive diatribes or the author trying to show off how much work he did in researching. This shows towards the end when he expertly provides the essential text of the family members in court. What can I say? The dude is really good at this.

(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Thomas & Mercer.)

Verdict:

Great true crime. Buy it here!

If You Liked This Try:

• Gregg Olsen, American Mother
• Valerie Bauerlein, The Devil at His Elbow