The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir

This is not an easy book to read. Lots of trigger warnings - child abuse, pedophilia, murder.

That said, what the author does in bringing these two stories together is somewhat remarkable. Once the reader realizes why Marzano-Lesnevich is so obsessed with this particular case, the intricate ways in which she has weaved the two narratives together is apparent, and fascinating. Hard but excellent.

The best parts of the book are the passages that connect the writer's life with the killer's. Taken alone, the two stories are interesting, but it's her finding meaning in the parallels between them that is truly compelling.

On a stylistic note, I wasn't a fan of everything in present tense. For a narrative that jumps around in time so much, it's hard to grasp a frame of reference if everything feels like it's happening all at once. I understand that the effect could be intentional, but it jarred me every time she used the will future tense, e.g. “five years from now, I will do so-and-so.” But it's obviously all in the past.