Kim Cross has taken a story we thought we knew and shown so much more, a life beyond the headlines. I cut myself on parts of it, as the author put a human face — and spirit — on this great sadness, and the mystery that haunted us. It is written without adornment, but still rich in details. That is a hard thing to do.” —Rick Bragg, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"Riveting… reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching revelations."—Beth Macy author of Dopesick and Raising Lazarus
"A terrifying story told with compassion, empathy, and insight. Meticulously researched, In Light of All Darkness illuminates a murder that stunned the nation and the complex forensic science used to solve the case. Try as I might, I couldn’t turn these heart-thumping pages fast enough – and neither, I suspect, will you."—Kathryn Miles, author of Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders
“Writing with extraordinary care and compassion, Kim Cross shows not only the crime and its impact on the victims, but how the Polly Klaas case forever changed the way such crimes are investigated by law enforcement and viewed by the American people and mass media. In Light of all Darkness is not just another ‘true crime’ title, but real and essential American history.”—Glenn Stout, author of Young Woman and the Sea and Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid
"The Polly Klaas kidnapping haunted my childhood. Now, thanks to Kim Cross's thoughtful, and deeply sourced book, I have a much richer understanding of this heartbreaking case, and its profound and lasting impact. In Light of All Darkness is a gripping look into a police investigation, a community galvanized by grief, and the girl at the center of it all." —Rachel Monroe, author of Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession.
“Kim Cross has obsessively spun banker boxes of research into an against-the-clock thriller. In Light of all Darkness transcends the true-crime genre. It’s a page-turner built on deep research, literary empathy, and a personal involvement with the real people—the ones who suffered, who did the work, those who paid the price.” —Charles Graeber, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Nurse and The Breakthrough
"Searing...a riveting tale that demonstrates the investigation's effect on solving cases even three decades later."—Kirkus
“Cross’ coverage is polished and respectful, with a clear expression of ideas and heartfelt but dispassionate reporting. True crime and police procedural aficionados will find her treatment thoroughly informative and incredibly moving.” —Booklist
"One of the best true crime books out there. It shows the anguish and toll on the investigators and witnesses to a heinous crime. True-crime and public-affairs readers will devour this well-researched book."—Library Journal (starred review)
"In this deeply compelling and carefully reported book, journalist Kim Cross examines why the Polly Klaas case struck such a chord and the lasting impact it has had on investigative techniques...a fascinating and heartbreaking read."—BookPage
"Cross handles well the anxiety and fear that this story produces; she is clear in the facts and compassionate in the telling."—Book Reporter
PRAISE FOR WHAT STANDS IN A STORM: "A new star has appeared in our literary sky.”—Ron Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-author of Flags of Our Fathers
"Her verbs pulsate, her narrative web sucks you in. Mostly, Cross makes you care."—Beth Macy, New York Times-bestselling author of Factory Man
"A splendid reporter, and even better writer."—Diane McWhorter, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Carry Me Home
"Kim Cross has brought the real people behind the headlines vividly to life in these stirring pages. She is an amazing writer, a great reporter with a novelist's gifts for character and scene.”—Lee Smith, author of Guests on Earth
"Kim Cross is gifted, whirlwind of a writer who weaves coherence, meaning, and yes, even beauty from chaos."—Kevin Fedarko, author of The Emerald Mile
"Kim Cross could teach of few novelists about how to tell a gripping, spell-binding, heart-wrenching tale."—Clarion-Ledger
“Sumptuous… a startlingly intimate document, chockablock with family snapshots, that goes beyond steel decking, glass walls, concrete caissons, and the geometry of H columns and I beams. It’s a love song to a global icon that was, for the residents themselves, no museum.”—Vanity Fair, Praise for The Stahl House
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child
Narrated by Lisa Flanagan
Kim CrossUnabridged — 13 hours, 24 minutes
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child
Narrated by Lisa Flanagan
Kim CrossUnabridged — 13 hours, 24 minutes
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Overview
Told with the tension of a well-plotted thriller, this investigative narrative is rich with never-before-known details of a case that haunted many. This is the kind of true crime that makes the genre so popular.
Paced like a thriller and full of insider information on the history and science of Crime Scene Investigation, In Light of All Darkness embeds readers in*one of the most famous true-crime stories of our generation-the kidnapping of Polly Klaas-a case as pivotal in the history of the FBI as the Unabomber or Oklahoma City bombing.*
On October 1, 1993, a 12-year-old girl was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom in Petaluma, California, during a sleepover with two friends, while her mother slept soundly in the room next door. This rarest of all kidnappings-a stranger abduction from the home-triggered one of the largest manhunts in FBI history. *Many Americans remember Polly's face, which appeared on the national news every night, on the cover of People magazine, and on more than 8 million flyers distributed as far as China. The emotional gravity of Polly's story touched every agent, police officer, and forensic technician who worked on her case. Many of these investigators have never shared their stories-until now.
New York Times bestselling author Kim Cross has written the first comprehensive account of what happened on that fateful night in October, as well as how the case forever transformed the Bureau's approach to solving crimes. With unprecedented access to case files, crime scene photos, a videotaped murder confession, and*inside sources,*In Light of All Darkness*follows the investigators who pieced together the evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of the kidnapper-and made the victim a household name and a girl who will never be forgotten.
Editorial Reviews
Sumptuous… a startlingly intimate document, chockablock with family snapshots, that goes beyond steel decking, glass walls, concrete caissons, and the geometry of H columns and I beams. It’s a love song to a global icon that was, for the residents themselves, no museum.
Writing with extraordinary care and compassion, Kim Cross shows not only the crime and its impact on the victims, but how the Polly Klaas case forever changed the way such crimes are investigated by law enforcement and viewed by the American people and mass media. In Light of all Darkness is not just another ‘true crime’ title, but real and essential American history.
Kim Cross could teach of few novelists about how to tell a gripping, spell-binding, heart-wrenching tale.
Kim Cross has brought the real people behind the headlines vividly to life in these stirring pages. She is an amazing writer, a great reporter with a novelist's gifts for character and scene.
A splendid reporter, and even better writer.
Riveting…reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching revelations.”
Her verbs pulsate, her narrative web sucks you in. Mostly, Cross makes you care.
Kim Cross is gifted, whirlwind of a writer who weaves coherence, meaning, and yes, even beauty from chaos.
A terrifying story told with compassion, empathy, and insight. Meticulously researched, In Light of All Darkness illuminates a murder that stunned the nation and the complex forensic science used to solve the case. Try as I might, I couldn’t turn these heart-thumping pages fast enough – and neither, I suspect, will you.
Riveting… reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching revelations.
Riveting…reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching revelations.”
★ 09/08/2023
This book benefits from access to insiders. Historian/journalist Cross (What Stands in the Storm) is the daughter-in-law of the FBI agent in charge of the 1993 Polly Klaas kidnapping and murder case, the abduction of a 12-year-old girl in front of her friends at a slumber party that caused a national outcry. The author had virtually unlimited law-enforcement cooperation with this book, and she interviewed more than 300 witnesses. As a result, the book explains all steps of the investigation, shows how the FBI and local authorities marshalled and mishandled key evidence and witnesses, and details the roles of fingerprint specialists, forensic artists, and profilers. While police now have better investigative techniques, the author's findings indicate that luck is a major factor in solving crimes. In this case, they encountered the killer early on but had no idea. This book contains crime scene photos. VERDICT One of the best true crime books out there. It shows the anguish and toll on the investigators and witnesses to a heinous crime. True-crime and public-affairs readers will devour this well-researched book. It's as good as the outstanding Unmasked by Paul Holes with Robin Gaby Fisher.—Harry Charles
2023-07-26
An in-depth account of the lengthy investigation into the 1993 abduction of 12-year-old Polly Klaas from her home in Petaluma, California.
Cross, author of What Stands in a Storm, writes, “I am the daughter-in-law of Eddie Freyer, the FBI case agent in charge of the [Klaas case],” a connection that granted the author unprecedented access. She was drawn to this project in part because of the case's significance in terms of how it used technology “at the dawn of the Internet age” and investigative skills that, as one agent told her, “changed the way the FBI does business.” Over 42 tight chapters, each as searing as the next, Cross chronologically pieces together the narratives: the knifepoint “stranger abduction” during a slumber party at Klaas’ house; reports from neighbors and police of a trespasser the same night; and forensics work of the FBI’s Evidence Response Teams (“these mavericks were initially considered rogues”) and their lifting of a partial palm print that ultimately helped to convict. The author accounts for all of the investigative angles and tactics, worthwhile and otherwise, in addition to logistics—e.g., reports being “handwritten or typed” and the challenge of a “paper-based lead-tracking system.” Word of Klaas’ disappearance spread via the news, word of mouth, and flyers. This suspenseful narrative includes the trails of clues that led to the arrest and conviction of Richard Allen Davis, who was found guilty of abducting and murdering Klaas. Cross points to the “brutal interrogation” of the victim’s two sleepover guests as “one of the biggest mistakes of the case." Despite her family’s involvement with the case, the author comes across as objective. Her credibility stems from her criticisms of systematic failures and her orchestration of innumerable personal and technical details, and she effectively humanizes the victim and others involved in the case.
A riveting tale that demonstrates the investigation's effect on solving cases even three decades later.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940178105863 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 10/31/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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