She's Gone: Five Mysterious Twentieth-Century Cold Cases

Title: She's Gone : Five Mysterious Twentieth-Century Cold Cases
Author: Kathleen Brunelle
Publisher: Prometheus
Release Date: May 21, 2004
Page Count: Unknown
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

In this compilation of true crime cases, the author delves into five unsolved murders, ranging from 1910 to 1977. I had heard of some of the cases (Dorothy Arnold and Jean Spangler) but the other cases were unfamiliar to me. 

In each case, the author does an excellent job in creating a narrative that gives us the facts of the case, a good understanding of the time and setting, and insight into how the murders affected their families and loved ones. The bibliography shows the extensive job done in researching the cases and interviewing family members.

Dorothy Arnold was an attractive young woman from a wealthy family, who disappeared in New York City mid-December 1910. 

Anna Locascio was married at 15, had four children, and a husband who disapproved of her working outside the home. Anna disappeared in 1918, and after a very casual investigation by the police, her husband was tried, resulting in a hung jury. Anna's body was never found. 

Agnes Tofverson was an amazing woman - a well-respected corporate lawyer with a substantial amount of money earned by her hard work. At age 42, she falls madly in love and marries a man who claims to be a millionaire, who wants to take her to India for a honeymoon, then to live in England. Agnes is never seen again after December 20, 1933. 

Jean Spangler was a Hollywood bit actress and dancer slowly working her way into movie roles. A devoted mother of five-year old Christine, Jean leaves Christine with her sister-in-law before heading out supposedly to a meeting and then work. Jean's disappearance on October 7, 1949 has never been solved. 

The final brief case involves Simone Ridinger, a 17-year-old just on the cusp of her adult life, who disappears while hitchhiking to Martha's Vineyard in 1977. 

In each of these tragic cases, the women were never found. There was no body and no closure for the family. Kathleen Brunelle tells their stories no matter their status or celebrity and her narrative is so well done and insightful, although I thought the chapter on Agnes Tofverson was a bit too long and unnecessarily detailed. I think anyone interested in true crime would find the stories particularly interesting and moving. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.