Kevin Pierce is the best “True(?) Crime” narrator out there so of course he earns a 5.
The book is engaging and well written, so I could have given up to 4 stars on “Story” if you think of “Story” as strictly entertainment value. Unfortunately, if you market the story as “The Truth” then fail so miserably living up to that claim, the end result is not a “bad” book—you wind up with a story worth your contempt . The author bends every remark and circumstance encountered toward his pet theory of the to the case to the exclusion of other interpretations—and presents them as fact. Here and there we see some excellent analysis, but the foundation of the entire book is built on sand that never stabilizes and long trees of analysis stemming from dubious premises. I was also very put off by the author’s insistence on always saying “Father” this and “Father” that when referring to his dad as a suspect. Serves to highlight the author’s confirmation bias and lack of objectivity. Also, be warned that around hour 12 or 13 we increasingly descend into full blown tinfoil hat territory.
If facts really matter to you, this book will infuriate you and you should avoid it. On the other hand, if you like engaging with strange ideas and their overall coherence doesn’t really matter, there is certainly a lot to like here.