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Justice for Bonnie
When Karen Foster was told that something had happened to her eighteen-year-old daughter, Bonnie Craig, she knew what it meant. The Alaska State Troopers investigating the scene ruled it a hiking accident, but for Karen, the pieces didn’t add up. Bonnie would never have ditched class to go hiking. And she didn’t drive—so how would she have reached McHugh Creek, miles out of town, in the first place? Armed with little more than her own conviction, Karen set out to find the truth behind her daughter’s death.
After a long series of false leads and dead ends, it seemed the case would forever go unsolved. Then, after twelve years of public campaigning, private despair, and increasingly tense dealings with the detectives working the case, Karen received an e-mail that would change everything; the system, at long last, had produced a match for the unknown DNA in the case—from a man in a jail all the way across the country.
Here is the chilling tale of a mother’s unflagging fight to track down the monster who stole her daughter’s life—and the battle to ensure that he, and others like him, would no longer be able to evade justice.
After a long series of false leads and dead ends, it seemed the case would forever go unsolved. Then, after twelve years of public campaigning, private despair, and increasingly tense dealings with the detectives working the case, Karen received an e-mail that would change everything; the system, at long last, had produced a match for the unknown DNA in the case—from a man in a jail all the way across the country.
Here is the chilling tale of a mother’s unflagging fight to track down the monster who stole her daughter’s life—and the battle to ensure that he, and others like him, would no longer be able to evade justice.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 7, 2020
After Karen's daughter, Bonnie, was murdered, she went through 17 YEARS of hell trying to get a straight answer from the police, trying to keep Bonnie's case fresh in the minds of the public, not to mention the grieving that she, and her family, suffered. This is one mother who never gave up. Very compelling read.
Also, Alaska changed their DNA Laws to "Collection of DNA on All Felony Arrests" in 2007 in honor of Bonnie (Bonnie Craig Amendments).
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
Bonnie Craig, Karen's murdered daughter
Also, Alaska changed their DNA Laws to "Collection of DNA on All Felony Arrests" in 2007 in honor of Bonnie (Bonnie Craig Amendments).
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
Bonnie Craig, Karen's murdered daughter
August 29, 2014
It's my story and IJ Schecter did an incredible job at weaving it into an amazing book that chronicles the 17 years of hell I went through after my 18 year old daughter was abducted, raped and murdered. I cried reading it, even the 5th time! And I knew it like the back of my hand. Thanks to IJ this is an incredible read.
April 13, 2015
Interesting read but the Mother was so self absorbed it grew tiring at times. Sad story of a nice teenaged girl gone too soon.
December 21, 2018
Karen Foster walks you through the nightmare of getting a phone call telling her that her Daughter Bonnie has been found dead. Karen suspects right away that she was Murdered and did not die in an accident. What a nightmare for the whole family. I found myself skimming here and there. I found Karen to be a bit self adsorbed and so driven she overlooks others around her. She uses I a lot, when in fact she has a husband and other kids that are going through the nightmare too. Ok book, interesting True Crime story.
September 24, 2014
I don't write a lot of reviews and yet am compelled to this time around. Justice for Bonnie is an emotional and important read.
It's emotional because the reader is taken on a 17 year journey through the ups-and-downs Karen experiences. It's written in the first person and relays Karen's inner-most thoughts and experiences and the experiences of her family. I'm a father of two young kids and I really wasn't sure I would get past the second chapter. Suddenly what Karen's family has gone through is so real. You *feel* the loss, the hurt, and the uncertainty of whether justice will ever be done.
This book is also important. Most of us experience stories like this as a news story. We 'tsk tsk' after the 25-second radio report at how truly awful a situation is....I can't do that any longer. No. Now I feel so very connected to what a family who experiences this kind of trauma and loss may be going through. It's heart breaking. This book is important not just because it connects us to the very very compelling arguments that Karen makes for DNA testing on felony arrest. The book is equally important because it forces the reader to walk slowly through the agony of loss, the grind of our judicial system, and the importance of justice.
For as difficult as the subject matter is, Justice for Bonnie is so deftly written that you really can't put it down. It is, in short, a remarkable book and I thank the authors for having the strength to share the story.
It's emotional because the reader is taken on a 17 year journey through the ups-and-downs Karen experiences. It's written in the first person and relays Karen's inner-most thoughts and experiences and the experiences of her family. I'm a father of two young kids and I really wasn't sure I would get past the second chapter. Suddenly what Karen's family has gone through is so real. You *feel* the loss, the hurt, and the uncertainty of whether justice will ever be done.
This book is also important. Most of us experience stories like this as a news story. We 'tsk tsk' after the 25-second radio report at how truly awful a situation is....I can't do that any longer. No. Now I feel so very connected to what a family who experiences this kind of trauma and loss may be going through. It's heart breaking. This book is important not just because it connects us to the very very compelling arguments that Karen makes for DNA testing on felony arrest. The book is equally important because it forces the reader to walk slowly through the agony of loss, the grind of our judicial system, and the importance of justice.
For as difficult as the subject matter is, Justice for Bonnie is so deftly written that you really can't put it down. It is, in short, a remarkable book and I thank the authors for having the strength to share the story.
September 6, 2014
Karen’s book is a great read, a fast read. Started and finished it in one day. I was Bonnie’s English teacher at the university, and it brought back a flood of memories—good and bad: Bonnie's can-do attitude, her fierce love of life, her determination. And then all that other stuff. I'm amazed at Karen’s resilience and fight. I don't know how she lives this every day of her life, but she manages to take the horror of life and turn it into something beautiful and meaningful to help others.
July 1, 2014
As a schoolmate of Bonnie's, I remember very well the terrible announcement during class, the memorial services, her face on billboards and posters, and the nagging pressure that this was not coming to a close. I went to college, and my family moved away (from the same neighborhood as hers) but I kept checking the Anchorage paper online for any news. It was a shock to see the article about the DNA match, and so frustrating from afar to see the delay and delay and delay in the trial.
What i saw and felt was nothing compared to what her mother went through and this book reflects the hurt and loss so well, but not overdramatically.It was well written and edited and read very easily
The cause that Karen now fights for is to have every state and every Canadian province collect DNA on felony arrest. This has ben legalized in many states, but not all of them, whether because of politics or economics. Collecting DNA on arrest would lead to so many more connections to cold cases, rapes, kidnappings, and murders that remain unsolved. This closure for the families would be just as important as convicting the criminals that deserve to be behind bars.
What i saw and felt was nothing compared to what her mother went through and this book reflects the hurt and loss so well, but not overdramatically.It was well written and edited and read very easily
The cause that Karen now fights for is to have every state and every Canadian province collect DNA on felony arrest. This has ben legalized in many states, but not all of them, whether because of politics or economics. Collecting DNA on arrest would lead to so many more connections to cold cases, rapes, kidnappings, and murders that remain unsolved. This closure for the families would be just as important as convicting the criminals that deserve to be behind bars.
Read
August 29, 2014This was an emotionally tough read because I know the people involved, but it's a compelling true-crime drama that offers moving insights into the way one act of violence can ripple through an entire family and community, changing lives and world-views forever. Reading that the mother became an advocate for victims and that the family remained strong and close-knit helps to offer an uplifting angle to a sometimes heart-wrenching dramatic arc.
August 31, 2014
This book is very close to my heart.
I went to UAA when Bonnie went missing, and remember well the news, stories, and speculation surrounding her disappearance.
My Mother, Sandy Cassidy, is mentioned in the book, and was instrumental in keeping Bonnie's story in the headlines.
Like all true crime (not my favorite genera), this book goes through the evidence, and tries to keep to a linear timeline.
I thought the book was well written, covered the facts, and had good closure.
I went to UAA when Bonnie went missing, and remember well the news, stories, and speculation surrounding her disappearance.
My Mother, Sandy Cassidy, is mentioned in the book, and was instrumental in keeping Bonnie's story in the headlines.
Like all true crime (not my favorite genera), this book goes through the evidence, and tries to keep to a linear timeline.
I thought the book was well written, covered the facts, and had good closure.
October 26, 2014
This book was an emotional story. Very well written and easy to read. Once you start it's hard to put down. You really get a good sense of the journey Karen endured for all those years. What an inspiration she is!!
September 22, 2014
A very well-written & heartbreaking book.
Just wanted to add that I had trouble putting this book down, it was such a compelling read!
Just wanted to add that I had trouble putting this book down, it was such a compelling read!
July 29, 2015
This is a gripping and well written book about Bonnie Craig.
March 22, 2026
4.5 stars, which I will round down to 4 stars overall.
I picked this book up cheap, not knowing about the case. I also don't read a lot of true crime. I watch it but never read it. For anyone interested in a true crime story, I would recommend this one.
Karen's loses her 18 year old daughter to a violent crime, and then spends years having to fight to have her daughter remembered and the killer brought to justice.
What I liked: The story itself is very engaging. I think the writers did a great job of telling the story from the true crime side but also Karen's side. In the end, this is Karen's story of how she lost her daughter. I feel like that might get missed here. This book is Karen's story in this, not Bonnie's, not her ex-partner's, not her other children. This is Karen's story about getting the news of her daughter's death, and what happened afterwards to her. She talks about her personal life, marriages, moving around, trying different careers, and being a single mom. She talks about being a volunteer undercover police woman, something that I didn't know existed anywhere. She talks about the investigation from her point of view; what she felt was missed by the police, what she felt they got right, and what they got wrong. She talks about how it affected her life moving forward, and what she saw in how it affected her other children as well. I am really glad that Karen did not speak for her other's children's experience in this because, as the daughter of someone who lost their life to a violent crime too, my mother could not speak to my experience either. The experiences are different and I appreciated how Karen focused on how SHE was dealing, how SHE was doing, and what her children told her about how they were doing. I think this showed a lot of respect to her other children through this experience. I also think this story shows Karen's resilience. At the end of this book, she says you can either deal with what has happened and move on, or you get stuck in it. I agree. You have a choice when an event like this, or any traumatic event happens to you. You deal with it the best way you can.
What I did not like: The one thing was the trial chapters. While interesting, I found it very dry, almost like it was copied from the record and pasted into this book. Instead of knowing every questions asked of the witnesses, I would have liked to have known more about how did Karen and her children get out of bed and sit in that courtroom every day. Did they ever just stare at the alleged killer and fight the urge to go after them? I wanted to raw human side of it, not the transcript.
I picked this book up cheap, not knowing about the case. I also don't read a lot of true crime. I watch it but never read it. For anyone interested in a true crime story, I would recommend this one.
Karen's loses her 18 year old daughter to a violent crime, and then spends years having to fight to have her daughter remembered and the killer brought to justice.
What I liked: The story itself is very engaging. I think the writers did a great job of telling the story from the true crime side but also Karen's side. In the end, this is Karen's story of how she lost her daughter. I feel like that might get missed here. This book is Karen's story in this, not Bonnie's, not her ex-partner's, not her other children. This is Karen's story about getting the news of her daughter's death, and what happened afterwards to her. She talks about her personal life, marriages, moving around, trying different careers, and being a single mom. She talks about being a volunteer undercover police woman, something that I didn't know existed anywhere. She talks about the investigation from her point of view; what she felt was missed by the police, what she felt they got right, and what they got wrong. She talks about how it affected her life moving forward, and what she saw in how it affected her other children as well. I am really glad that Karen did not speak for her other's children's experience in this because, as the daughter of someone who lost their life to a violent crime too, my mother could not speak to my experience either. The experiences are different and I appreciated how Karen focused on how SHE was dealing, how SHE was doing, and what her children told her about how they were doing. I think this showed a lot of respect to her other children through this experience. I also think this story shows Karen's resilience. At the end of this book, she says you can either deal with what has happened and move on, or you get stuck in it. I agree. You have a choice when an event like this, or any traumatic event happens to you. You deal with it the best way you can.
What I did not like: The one thing was the trial chapters. While interesting, I found it very dry, almost like it was copied from the record and pasted into this book. Instead of knowing every questions asked of the witnesses, I would have liked to have known more about how did Karen and her children get out of bed and sit in that courtroom every day. Did they ever just stare at the alleged killer and fight the urge to go after them? I wanted to raw human side of it, not the transcript.
November 25, 2025
I felt compelled to jot down only two thoughts into my notes app as I read this book.
1. remarkably human
2. A truly uninhibited depiction of grief.
I absolutely loved this book as someone who typically does not read non-fiction and tends to always gravitate toward made-up stories, this one had me seated the entire time! I got this book, actually, as a blind date with a book from Barnes and Noble. Wrapped in paper, this book came to me as a surprise. I am so grateful that I got to experience it.
I. J. Schecter did a fantastic job capturing Karen's story and allowing her to share Bonnie's story with the world.
But this book is so much more than the trying times after the brutal murder of 18-year-old Bonnie. This is also the story of grief, and a beautifully told one at that. Grief is many things. And some people may find those aspects of grief annoying, or selfish, as other reviews seemed to point out - just as Karen does in the book itself. But grief is never pretty. It is never neat and orderly. And this book captures the way grief can consume and change a person in a very human way.
At one point during reading this book, I turned to my boyfriend and said "I don't think I have ever interacted with a piece of media so genuinely human before in my life." And no review should need more than that.
This book captures so much. The grief of what losing a love one can do to an individual and a family. The frustration that victims and families must feel when shrouded behind the scenes of a crime. The injustices and pain that can be experienced within our justice system. From the courts to the physical computers they store information on, having the knowledge of cases like Bonnie's and navigating the world differently because of it is so important in this ever-changing world in society.
I took so much away from this book. But I mainly walked away with a newfound understanding of what it means to be a member of society, and all the little ways we can all still work to be there and be human for one another.
1. remarkably human
2. A truly uninhibited depiction of grief.
I absolutely loved this book as someone who typically does not read non-fiction and tends to always gravitate toward made-up stories, this one had me seated the entire time! I got this book, actually, as a blind date with a book from Barnes and Noble. Wrapped in paper, this book came to me as a surprise. I am so grateful that I got to experience it.
I. J. Schecter did a fantastic job capturing Karen's story and allowing her to share Bonnie's story with the world.
But this book is so much more than the trying times after the brutal murder of 18-year-old Bonnie. This is also the story of grief, and a beautifully told one at that. Grief is many things. And some people may find those aspects of grief annoying, or selfish, as other reviews seemed to point out - just as Karen does in the book itself. But grief is never pretty. It is never neat and orderly. And this book captures the way grief can consume and change a person in a very human way.
At one point during reading this book, I turned to my boyfriend and said "I don't think I have ever interacted with a piece of media so genuinely human before in my life." And no review should need more than that.
This book captures so much. The grief of what losing a love one can do to an individual and a family. The frustration that victims and families must feel when shrouded behind the scenes of a crime. The injustices and pain that can be experienced within our justice system. From the courts to the physical computers they store information on, having the knowledge of cases like Bonnie's and navigating the world differently because of it is so important in this ever-changing world in society.
I took so much away from this book. But I mainly walked away with a newfound understanding of what it means to be a member of society, and all the little ways we can all still work to be there and be human for one another.
January 28, 2024
Well written & worth the time
As someone who is the same as Bonnie & having lived in Anchorage when she was murdered, I celebrated for the family when Kenneth Dion was charged & convicted of killing Bonnie. He made a lot of young women of anxious Anchorage fearful in the mid-90's because random kidnapping & murder just didn't happen to those of us who were "good girls" that lived non-risky lifestyles. Reading Karen's story & heading her perspective of things was heartbreaking. She keeps the story flowing without dwelling on inconsequential things. The relationships are easy to keep track of, the timelines are clear & she does a great job of conveying her story. It took me a couple of nights to finish so it's an easy read without being flimsy or superficial.
As someone who is the same as Bonnie & having lived in Anchorage when she was murdered, I celebrated for the family when Kenneth Dion was charged & convicted of killing Bonnie. He made a lot of young women of anxious Anchorage fearful in the mid-90's because random kidnapping & murder just didn't happen to those of us who were "good girls" that lived non-risky lifestyles. Reading Karen's story & heading her perspective of things was heartbreaking. She keeps the story flowing without dwelling on inconsequential things. The relationships are easy to keep track of, the timelines are clear & she does a great job of conveying her story. It took me a couple of nights to finish so it's an easy read without being flimsy or superficial.
December 20, 2022
I feel like the description is inaccurate. "Karen set out to find the truth behind her daughter's death." While she may have advised the SP that she thought it was murder, she didn't do the investigating to figure it out or change the technology to make it possible. The SP did along with the changes in DNA testing. I thought this book would focus more on the victim and the technology that made the changes instead of the mother's many marriages and issues within the family. Very little was mentioned about the actual crime lab details and they were very glossed over. There is so much potential to make this a much better book.
September 6, 2020
This was a difficult book for me to get through. Some parts of it caused tears to begin to well up. This is not an easy read, but I think it is a necessary one. This book advocates for victims of terrible crimes. It offers readers a glimpse into the heart and soul of an innocent family sentenced to a life without one whom they love.
I recommend this book, but this is not a fiction novel. This is a true account. The people in this narrative are real people who are still living with the pains to this very day.
I recommend this book, but this is not a fiction novel. This is a true account. The people in this narrative are real people who are still living with the pains to this very day.
January 26, 2021
This is a tragic story and real. The author made me feel every bit of the pain of a mother losing her child. Her life became a battle for justice. It's a topic that should be looked at closely by everyone who wants to see the right people hired in agencies that are supposed to protect us and in the system as a whole. I couldn't put the book down. This story will stay with me for a long time.
October 2, 2023
A book of raw emotions without a doubt written by a mother whose daughter has been raped and murdered in Alaska. The police are convinced that the murder was an accidental fall and possibly would have closed the case except for the persistence of Karen who would not let the case be handled like that. Every moment of hope, despair, devastation, anger is felt through nearly two decades of the investigation. Well written and highly recommended.
September 23, 2025
I gave this book a 4.75 rating. I really enjoyed the book although it was very heart breaking. I thought at times there wasn't enough evidence to convict but they made it happen. I did wonder if it was because of the family and there connections. What would have happened without those connections.
February 17, 2017
A well written book and an easy read. Very interesting to read about the whole process, start to finish, of every parent's nightmare. How agonizing it would have been for the wheels to turn so slowly.
March 30, 2021
This book is both a true crime novel and memoir. It makes for an interesting story and I think you learn more about what a victim's surviving family goes through when the police are (or aren't) working behind the scenes.
June 29, 2018
Telling, not showing, but I read it all the way through.
May 8, 2021
The girl who got murdered was my niece Bonnie. Very sad! :(
August 2, 2022
Being from Alaska, this really hit different. LOVED how raw it was and real despite such a tragedy.
December 10, 2024
Interesting, captivating story, but the writing was just “ok” in my opinion. My first true crime read!
February 27, 2020
The little that I was able to learn about Bonnie made me realize she was a wonderful person with a very bright future ahead of her. She was taken from the world much too soon and in a cruel manner. I enjoyed reading about the investigative work and the trial but I was a little disconcerted by how much the mother spoke about herself. I would have liked to know more about Bonnie.
March 7, 2016
I loved everything about this book, I loved how honest Karen was. I literally felt what she was saying she made it so easy to understand her and really connect you with what she saying. incredibly emotional story.
October 31, 2015
I found it really interesting and I found how strong mother was on the fact she knew her daughter was murder but it took long time but justice avail
Want to Read
March 5, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13118679
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13118679
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews