A Viable Suspect: The Story of multiple murders and how a police force's reach proved too short for Canada's most notorious cold case.

by Barry Ruhl

For more than 30 years, retired Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Barry Ruhl has believed that a criminal with whom he had a violent encounter early in his career might be responsible for a string of unsolved murders of young women in Ontario, including the 1959 death of 12-year-old Lynne Harper. The only suspect ever investigated in that sensational case was 14-year-old Steven Truscott, who was convicted and sentenced to hang before being cleared almost 50 years later. But in the 1980s, Ruhl had approached his superiors with a theory about an alternative suspect in the Harper murder and other similar cases. A Viable Suspect tells the story of how Ruhl arrived at his conclusions, his frustrated attempts to prompt the OPP to thoroughly investigate Talbot and the tragic irony of how, just when it seemed police were finally taking Ruhl’s theory seriously, the suspect slipped out of reach, permanently.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2014

Reviews

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, while this one was good in the fact that the author kept trying to get other officers and other cities and divisions to look at all these cases and try to get this guy off the streets, the book, I found, was poorly done.

I went into this thinking it was about this one main case that remains unsolved and there was barely anything said about it except that the author thought a certain guy did it. There were a string of other cases that also followed the same MO, but little was said about those as well. There was more said about the investigators run in with the suspect, then all the other cases. The entire book was mainly the authors sending all these reports to all these different officers, investigators, and others trying to get it looked at. Unfortunately, all these other people kind of swept it under the rug and/or played hot potato with it saying not my problem, I'll pass it to someone else.

It really makes it kind of sad that no one wanted to see this case closed other than the author, who had absolutely nothing to do with the case at all. He wasn't even a cop when it happened. The whole books was mainly him saying who he sent the reports to this year, and next year, and so on. It was too much like him tooting his own horn stating what he was trying to do about it.

I just don't think the book was done well at all. A lot of name dropping was in it, but no real stuff about all cases that he was trying to get closure on.

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a Little Free Library. I love those things. This book wasn’t as interesting as I thought it would be but I did want to finish it and enjoyed the crime talk so that’s why it’s a 3 star and not a 2.

It’s not a True Crime book like I thought it was because it’s not the full story of a crime from beginning to end. I’m having trouble explaining what the book is about so please refer to the summary for that.

The book was interesting because it felt like watching crime shows which I love to do. So crime lovers may still love this book. It was just not fulfilling because the criminal doesn’t get charged in the end. (this is not a spoiler, it says it in summary.)

I also enjoyed that it was Canadian. I always love reading about my home country.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is clearly a dedicated and thorough investigator. His grasp and presentation of the evidence is methodical and convincing, although extremely circumstantial is places. His description of their first meeting with Talbot is riveting and unforgettable, making any thinking person question themselves as to what they would do in a similar circumstance. His bravery saved his girlfriend, no doubt. This book makes you wonder about the priorities of the OPP and the degree to which they are prepared to cover the butt of their executive brass just to save face.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps Barry Ruhl's

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! Sad and so frustrating that no one would listen to anyone about the situation! Talk about tunnel vision!

[Shelley Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Ruhl certainly has an interesting and thought provoking theory about "Larry Talbot" and his opportunities for murder. What seems to be highlighted more is the lack of cohesion between Police Forces and even Regional detachments. Because the suspect has passed, an opportunity to heal families (including Steven Truscott) has been lost.

[Susan Butt]

interesting!