A False Report by T. Christian Miller, Ken Armstrong

A False Report

by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong

Now the Netflix Limited Series Unbelievable, starring Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, and Kaitlyn Dever • Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists tell the riveting true crime story of a teenager charged with lying about having been raped—and the detectives who followed a winding path to arrive at the truth.
 
“Gripping . . . [with a] John Grisham–worthy twist.”—Emily Bazelon, New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
 
On August 11, 2008, eighteen-year-old Marie reported that a masked man broke into her apartment near Seattle, Washington, and raped her. Within days police and even those closest to Marie became suspicious of her story. The police swiftly pivoted and began investigating Marie. Confronted with inconsistencies in her story and the doubts of others, Marie broke down and said her story was a lie—a bid for attention. Police charged Marie with false reporting, and she was branded a liar. 

More than two years later, Colorado detective Stacy Galbraith was assigned to investigate a case of sexual assault. Describing the crime to her husband that night, Galbraith learned that the case bore an eerie resemblance to a rape that had taken place months earlier in a nearby town. She joined forces with the detective on that case, Edna Hendershot, and the two soon discovered they were dealing with a serial rapist: a man who photographed his victims, threatening to release the images online, and whose calculated steps to erase all physical evidence suggested he might be a soldier or a cop. Through meticulous police work the detectives would eventually connect the rapist to other attacks in Colorado—and beyond.

Based on investigative files and extensive interviews with the principals, A False Report is a serpentine tale of doubt, lies, and a hunt for justice, unveiling the disturbing truth of how sexual assault is investigated today—and the long history of skepticism toward rape victims. 
 

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America is a well researched and annotated account of the multiple failure of the criminal justice system in the USA painted across the larger context of toxic masculinity, sexism and racism. Written by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, it's 304 pages and available in hardbound, paperback, ebook, and audio versions. Published by Crown Publishing, it was released 6th Feb, 2018.

Both T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong are award winning journalists and experienced authors and educators and they bring meticulous research and clarity in writing to bear. Make no mistake, this book is a difficult read. The subject matter is uncomfortable and I found myself putting the book down fairly often because I was angered, disgusted, and enraged in about equal measure.

I never considered myself a particularly naive person. I work in the healthcare sector, and even though I don't have direct patient contact, I'm not shielded from the reality of the horrific ways humans can inflict suffering on one another. This book goes beyond the pathology and calculated planned horror of a serial rapist to an examination of the fallout from the utter failure of the safety net which is supposed to protect victims in the aftermath of a crime.

Pretty much everything about this book upset me. I am appalled that the machinery of investigation and punishment was brought to bear on the victims of a serial rapist. I almost can't imagine anything worse than not being believed and trusted by those around me. When that callous disregard is turned on people without the same safety net and support, it is really awful.

This book has stark and horrifying relevance to today's headlines. When there's blowback from the #MeToo movement and people deride others for the strength to speak out, it points to a much larger underlying problem.

I sometimes despair for humanity. When politicians can joke about sexual assault, and they do every day, and whine about the unfairness of a serial assaulter suffering professional repercussions when he's exposed for the crimes he perpetrated on his former wives, it's not ok.

This book made me angry. It's also an important book. I sincerely hope that we can create a dialogue about rape which leads to real change in the process.

Four stars, very well written and VERY uncomfortable. Obvious trigger warnings apply.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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