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Missing Collection
The Woman in the Strongbox
In this tantalizing true mystery of a stolen life, an acclaimed reporter and an identity theft investigator follow a series of incredible revelations about the actual identity of a wife, mother, and friend turned perfect stranger.
Days after Lori Ruff’s suicide, her family discovered her hidden strongbox containing stunning evidence that her entire life had been invented. Her real identity was buried so deep it would take five years to unearth. Who was Lori Ruff?
Maureen O’Hagan’s The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives—from the mysterious to the inspiring. Each story can be read—or listened to—in a single sitting.
Days after Lori Ruff’s suicide, her family discovered her hidden strongbox containing stunning evidence that her entire life had been invented. Her real identity was buried so deep it would take five years to unearth. Who was Lori Ruff?
Maureen O’Hagan’s The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives—from the mysterious to the inspiring. Each story can be read—or listened to—in a single sitting.
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
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706 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
August 16, 2020
I listened to The Woman in the Strongbox, a short story that is part of Kindle Unlimited's Missing collection of short stories. After Lori Ruff committed suicide in the driveway of her estranged mother in law's home, the family began looking for clues to explain Lori's past and her strange behavior, over the years of her marriage. The search led them to a strong box that then led to more questions and few answers. An identity theft investigator recruited an acclaimed reporter (the eventual author of this book) to help him search for answers to Lori's past because he knew that Lori had stolen her present identity.
Both the investigator and the reporter make use of many people and methods to search for the true identity of Lori. One place that provides assistance is the website Websleuths, a site that I have been a lurking member of for many years. Because I have been on Websleuths, I recognized Lori's pictures and story. But, I hadn't known her case had been solved until I listened to this book.
In the end, despite all that the investigations reveal about Lori's real identity, we will never know why Lori decided to run away from her real life and hide her identity so well. I enjoyed listening to the story, mostly because I'd been familiar with parts of it already but felt uncomfortable about how much was revealed about her past and present family and friends. The information seems so intrusive to the lives of people who have done no wrong and had no desire for their personal information to be broadcast to the public, just because a family member/friend had decided they wanted to leave their past behind.
The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives—from the mysterious to the inspiring.
Both the investigator and the reporter make use of many people and methods to search for the true identity of Lori. One place that provides assistance is the website Websleuths, a site that I have been a lurking member of for many years. Because I have been on Websleuths, I recognized Lori's pictures and story. But, I hadn't known her case had been solved until I listened to this book.
In the end, despite all that the investigations reveal about Lori's real identity, we will never know why Lori decided to run away from her real life and hide her identity so well. I enjoyed listening to the story, mostly because I'd been familiar with parts of it already but felt uncomfortable about how much was revealed about her past and present family and friends. The information seems so intrusive to the lives of people who have done no wrong and had no desire for their personal information to be broadcast to the public, just because a family member/friend had decided they wanted to leave their past behind.
The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives—from the mysterious to the inspiring.
December 10, 2022
“The Woman in the Strongbox” is a true story mystery of a woman who died by suicide; when the family went through her belongings, they found a strongbox in her closet which revealed she had different identities.
The woman, Lori Ruff, was a mother recently divorced. The family was shocked by her death, and especially shocked by the revelation that she used someone else’s identity, twice, to restart her life. The reader learns that she left her home when she was 18, without a high school diploma. She managed to get a GDA and a college degree with her stolen identities. Her story is remarkable.
This is part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited Missing collection of short stories. I found the investigation and reporting well done!
The woman, Lori Ruff, was a mother recently divorced. The family was shocked by her death, and especially shocked by the revelation that she used someone else’s identity, twice, to restart her life. The reader learns that she left her home when she was 18, without a high school diploma. She managed to get a GDA and a college degree with her stolen identities. Her story is remarkable.
This is part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited Missing collection of short stories. I found the investigation and reporting well done!
March 14, 2022
“She stole another’s identity, and took her secret to the grave. Who was she?”
In Maureen O'Hagan's The Woman in the Strongbox, shortly after her suicide, Lori Ruff's family discovers that her life had been invented. Documents in the strongbox suggest that her previous identity had been invented as well. O'Hagan investigates this mystery while asking who Lori really was and why she had felt the need to leave her old identity behind. There was some interest in following this mystery, but I think it fell short in its goal of figuring out who Lori was.
In Maureen O'Hagan's The Woman in the Strongbox, shortly after her suicide, Lori Ruff's family discovers that her life had been invented. Documents in the strongbox suggest that her previous identity had been invented as well. O'Hagan investigates this mystery while asking who Lori really was and why she had felt the need to leave her old identity behind. There was some interest in following this mystery, but I think it fell short in its goal of figuring out who Lori was.
December 9, 2018
Lori Ruff was a bit different. She avoided talking about her life before college, said she had no living family, and made few friends. Following a divorce from her husband Blake, Lori killed herself. Only after her death was it discovered that she was not the person she said she was. She had stolen the identity of a dead child years before, and her real identity was unknown. The Woman in the Strongbox is the story of the search for Lori's true identity. A reporter, online amateur sleuths and an expert in tracking down similar cases all worked together to piece together this woman's life.
This was such an interesting story! This woman basically erased her real life at the age of 18 and created a new one....then spent her entire life hiding the truth. Even her husband had no idea. Strange, sad and engrossing, The Woman in the Strongbox is definitely worth reading! This is a non-fiction story outlining the facts of the case. Anyone who enjoys true crime or non-fiction stories will enjoy this tale. I read a lot of non-fiction books (and audio books/podcasts on the topic) about history, true crime and interesting facts, so this was perfect for me. Readers who don't enjoy non-fiction/true crime should probably pass this one by.
I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell, the audio is just under two hours long. Campbell read at a nice steady pace and was easily understandable. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand this entire novella.
The Woman In the Strongbox is the first story in the Missing Collection from Audible/Amazon Originals. The collection has six true stories about life changing events, ranging from the mysterious to the inspiring. I'm looking forward to the rest of the collection!
This was such an interesting story! This woman basically erased her real life at the age of 18 and created a new one....then spent her entire life hiding the truth. Even her husband had no idea. Strange, sad and engrossing, The Woman in the Strongbox is definitely worth reading! This is a non-fiction story outlining the facts of the case. Anyone who enjoys true crime or non-fiction stories will enjoy this tale. I read a lot of non-fiction books (and audio books/podcasts on the topic) about history, true crime and interesting facts, so this was perfect for me. Readers who don't enjoy non-fiction/true crime should probably pass this one by.
I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell, the audio is just under two hours long. Campbell read at a nice steady pace and was easily understandable. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand this entire novella.
The Woman In the Strongbox is the first story in the Missing Collection from Audible/Amazon Originals. The collection has six true stories about life changing events, ranging from the mysterious to the inspiring. I'm looking forward to the rest of the collection!
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December 15, 2022“Our minds,” Darby said, “were blown.”
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This was a compelling, sad tale about a woman who was a total mystery to everyone. What happened to her that lead her to do what she did? My suspicion is someone in her family or close to her, abused her and she fled from it by completely changing her entire identity so she would never be found-the sad part is that it's obvious she ran from it physically, but mentally, she was damaged.
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This was a compelling, sad tale about a woman who was a total mystery to everyone. What happened to her that lead her to do what she did? My suspicion is someone in her family or close to her, abused her and she fled from it by completely changing her entire identity so she would never be found-the sad part is that it's obvious she ran from it physically, but mentally, she was damaged.
November 7, 2022
Mystery and intrigue for a woman unknown. This short true crime story was both fun to listen to and read ( I started off reading it, switched to audio while driving and finished reading when I returned home. I think I prefer the audio, but it was solid either way.
If you’re looking for a quick true mystery that’s reads partly like a novel, this is a good one for that.
If you’re looking for a quick true mystery that’s reads partly like a novel, this is a good one for that.
August 8, 2018
Don’t miss this short story if you have Amazon Prime! This is one of 6 Amazon Original Stories just released as part of the ‘Missing’ series. They are free to Prime members as part of the Prime Reading perk. You can get the Audible add-on for free, too. If you’re not a Prime Member, they are on sale for $1 each right now. All are non-fiction, short stories.
This first one is a case of a stolen identity that wasn’t known about until the woman died. Since it’s a short story, I’m not going to say much else except it’s very interesting how her past was put together by a detective, a journalist, and a forensic genealogist. If you like true crime/real-life mystery kind of suspense, this will pique your interest. All of these can be read in less than an hour. On to the #2 in the series. 4.5*.
This first one is a case of a stolen identity that wasn’t known about until the woman died. Since it’s a short story, I’m not going to say much else except it’s very interesting how her past was put together by a detective, a journalist, and a forensic genealogist. If you like true crime/real-life mystery kind of suspense, this will pique your interest. All of these can be read in less than an hour. On to the #2 in the series. 4.5*.
May 14, 2021
I don't read much true crime
I have mixed feelings about the speculation and family information shared in this audiobook.
Well written somewhat interesting and whelp I'm nosey.
I have mixed feelings about the speculation and family information shared in this audiobook.
Well written somewhat interesting and whelp I'm nosey.
October 28, 2024
Assuming the identity of a dead child is an old scam that starts with the birth certificate. Velling called this a “breeder document. You can start to turn that into a legitimate government ID.” That’s because a dead child is a blank slate, with no criminal record, no work history, and no financial history. There’s a whole category of crooks called “tombstoners,” who troll cemeteries looking for children who died decades earlier, then establish fake IDs in their names.
This is such a bizarre but fascinating story. You would think that a suicide wouldn't turn into opening a literal pandora's box or in this case the stronbox she had hidden in the house.
Lori Kennedy Ruff seemed to have a normal life during the morning of Christmas Eve in 2010. But things will change forever when that morning she drives to her in-laws' house and shot herself in the head. During the investigation they discovered that Lori was not who she'd claimed to be which they end up also finding the name of Becky Sue Turner... a name that also seemed to be another stolen identity.
Who was she really? Even after years of identifying her real name, Kimberly McLean, nobody knows much about her. Her family says she had a normal life and enjoyed the normal things a girl her age enjoyed. She didn't had a lot of friends and even the neighbors couldn't say much about her. Even knowing her real identity, there's a lot of mystery around her disaperience... was she running away from someone or she simply decided to steal identities and move around to have a new life?
This is such a bizarre but fascinating story. You would think that a suicide wouldn't turn into opening a literal pandora's box or in this case the stronbox she had hidden in the house.
Lori Kennedy Ruff seemed to have a normal life during the morning of Christmas Eve in 2010. But things will change forever when that morning she drives to her in-laws' house and shot herself in the head. During the investigation they discovered that Lori was not who she'd claimed to be which they end up also finding the name of Becky Sue Turner... a name that also seemed to be another stolen identity.
Who was she really? Even after years of identifying her real name, Kimberly McLean, nobody knows much about her. Her family says she had a normal life and enjoyed the normal things a girl her age enjoyed. She didn't had a lot of friends and even the neighbors couldn't say much about her. Even knowing her real identity, there's a lot of mystery around her disaperience... was she running away from someone or she simply decided to steal identities and move around to have a new life?
August 28, 2018
As I read through this, I kept thinking of the old tv show "Unsolved Mysteries" where it presents some great mystery that is supposed to shock and titillate. But not in a good way. And I loved that show.
The premise is interesting, but that's the only interesting thing about this novella. That gets covered in the first chapter, and then spends several more not really saying anything. It's really more a story about the author's journey to hunt down the mystery woman's identity, which isn't what I was expecting to read. For example, the author rambles about meeting up with online amateur sleuths who were hunting for information. They serve no purpose to the mystery woman's story, provide no leads or clues, do really nothing to forward the plot, but they were part of the author's journey, so they were included. For no reason.
Even for a short story, this felt bloated. There isn't enough to the story to fill 50 pages, and you know it's bad when a novella (though this is really so short, it's more of a short story) is too long.
In the end, the story isn't satisfying. Though some answers are found, the real mystery is never solved, and it left me with the big question, "What was the point of that?" There are plenty of other cases of hidden identities that are far more compelling. (For example, check out the documentary "The Imposter". Fascinating!)
The premise is interesting, but that's the only interesting thing about this novella. That gets covered in the first chapter, and then spends several more not really saying anything. It's really more a story about the author's journey to hunt down the mystery woman's identity, which isn't what I was expecting to read. For example, the author rambles about meeting up with online amateur sleuths who were hunting for information. They serve no purpose to the mystery woman's story, provide no leads or clues, do really nothing to forward the plot, but they were part of the author's journey, so they were included. For no reason.
Even for a short story, this felt bloated. There isn't enough to the story to fill 50 pages, and you know it's bad when a novella (though this is really so short, it's more of a short story) is too long.
In the end, the story isn't satisfying. Though some answers are found, the real mystery is never solved, and it left me with the big question, "What was the point of that?" There are plenty of other cases of hidden identities that are far more compelling. (For example, check out the documentary "The Imposter". Fascinating!)
January 13, 2022
Honestly, felt a bit bored while listening.
April 9, 2019
This was such an interesting and sad story.
June 1, 2023
Interesting, a twist on typical missing persons cases. Well written and good narration. It's so sad how many go missing every year. I can't imagine being a parent, sibling, or other close relative or friend going through that.
August 5, 2018
Beautifully written book
I wonder what caused Lori to leave? The abuse thing sounds reasonable. But it might be more related to everything going on, the family pressures, just accumulating and she responded by leaving. For someone described as shy and not communicative, with her psychological makeup, it might feel like the sensible thing to do.
It sounds like she might be ADD or Aspergers. But that wouldn't be the cause of why she left. It would help explain why she used that method--leaving, avoidance--as a response. And as a child of alcoholics, she'd grow up with a wall around her.
It's interesting. But I agree with what the author wrote at the end. Lori wanted to get away, not be found. And now she's been found--kinda sad and not fair.
The book just flows, so well written. High recommend.
I wonder what caused Lori to leave? The abuse thing sounds reasonable. But it might be more related to everything going on, the family pressures, just accumulating and she responded by leaving. For someone described as shy and not communicative, with her psychological makeup, it might feel like the sensible thing to do.
It sounds like she might be ADD or Aspergers. But that wouldn't be the cause of why she left. It would help explain why she used that method--leaving, avoidance--as a response. And as a child of alcoholics, she'd grow up with a wall around her.
It's interesting. But I agree with what the author wrote at the end. Lori wanted to get away, not be found. And now she's been found--kinda sad and not fair.
The book just flows, so well written. High recommend.
August 9, 2018
i think for me this was the book or stories i did feel most close 2, it was like i can not imagine going through this ... from so many different sides, u feel for the family, for all who were involved and there were so many, thank you to the people who searched and look for her story, thank you, thank you, the dedication of those folks, i am so thankful, i think then we have to remember let it go ,,, u know what i mean??! she needs to rest in peace, but it is hard to let it go, like u wanna know more and why??! u could drive yourself silly trying to understand the point or reasons, guess u gotta think she is in a better place and at peace, loved this series ... i think it is called the Missing Series by AMAZON ...such a great listen ... opens your mind and hearts more. ( ;
March 2, 2021
This is really nicely written and an interesting read. Only 69 pages and tells the story really well.
October 23, 2018
This short novella is part of the Amazon Prime Reading Missing Series. It’s the true story of Lori Ruff who commits suicide, at the age of 43, in the driveway of her former’s husband’s house on Xmas eve. The resulting investigation turns up a strong box that literally opens up a mystery that takes many years and several different resources to unravel. Even though Lori had been married for several years and had a daughter with her husband, he did not know much about her past and it was only after her death that he learned she’d assumed new identities not once, but twice before they were married. The book lays out the path that the both police and an investigative reporter followed to trace Lori back to her birth family. While we find out who Lori is from a familial standpoint, we don’t know who she is a person and what drove her to leave her family and change her identity twice. It’s a fascinating look into one women’s brief, mysterious life.
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September 12, 2025Maureen O’Hagan’s The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives—from the mysterious to the inspiring. Each story can be read—or listened to—in a single sitting.
I'm having a hard time rating this true crime short. I admit, I was sure there was some scandalous reasons why a young woman would suddenly up and leave her, by all accounts, loving family and change her name not once, but twice.
And why would that same woman decide to commit suicide in her vehicle in her in-laws driveway during CHRISTMAS?!
No one was willing to tell the reporter-author what may have caused Kimberly/Lori to do what she did. It's just a sad story all around and I feel so sorry that her daughter will grow up and have to learn the truth about her mom.
Because I didn't exactly "like" this, I decided not to give it a star rating.
I'm having a hard time rating this true crime short. I admit, I was sure there was some scandalous reasons why a young woman would suddenly up and leave her, by all accounts, loving family and change her name not once, but twice.
And why would that same woman decide to commit suicide in her vehicle in her in-laws driveway during CHRISTMAS?!
No one was willing to tell the reporter-author what may have caused Kimberly/Lori to do what she did. It's just a sad story all around and I feel so sorry that her daughter will grow up and have to learn the truth about her mom.
Because I didn't exactly "like" this, I decided not to give it a star rating.
January 13, 2023
Narration can only be described as perfection.
A woman dies and her name is questioned. Her identity is traced through a voluntary DNA submitted website, years later.
This short story did run a tad long; however overall it is well worth the time spent. Who should have access to the DNA used? law enforcement? family members? The concept is here and problems are as well.
A woman dies and her name is questioned. Her identity is traced through a voluntary DNA submitted website, years later.
This short story did run a tad long; however overall it is well worth the time spent. Who should have access to the DNA used? law enforcement? family members? The concept is here and problems are as well.
July 2, 2023
An interesting case but I am left with so many questions. An extremely short read therefore it was pretty rushed. They discovered her birth name but not much else. The story would have benefitted from some more depth at the least.
All in all, she is still a mystery...
All in all, she is still a mystery...
April 1, 2022
Confusing. Fascinating. Intruging. Tragic.
Knowing who someone is, isn't the same as knowing who that someone is .
Knowing who someone is, isn't the same as knowing who that someone is .
August 12, 2025
Quick, interesting read. Not so much substance but enough to entertain me for an hour or so
April 10, 2023
The overall writing of the book left something to be desired, with occasional name changes that confused things, and it wasn't even from our jane doe. Dr Fitzpatrick would become Dr Fitzgerald and then switch back also despite being a short book some parts definitely felt slightly padded.
But onto the subject matter itself, it really feels so tragic following this woman, or retracing her steps i suppose. There seems to be an unfortunate isolation to her story, she was surrounded by people but could never connect, either due to fear of being discovered or due to her own personality quirks. I feel like she probably did love her family, her original family but once her father died if she actually got the letter notifying her, she must have become untethered. In most divorce cases a child will usually side with one parent over the other and in this case i feel that Lori likely sided with her father, especially since she seemed to not get along with her mother's new husband.
I feel like Lori created her own completely new life as a way to gain some control that she felt she lacked in other parts of her life, as the quiet, tall girl. In a new life she could reinvent herself from the ground up, and when she got divorced that probably crushed her, she had an idealised white picket fence dream of life and she saw it crumbling around her, so she decided to end it.
I don't know if i SHOULD have sympathy for her, but i do
But onto the subject matter itself, it really feels so tragic following this woman, or retracing her steps i suppose. There seems to be an unfortunate isolation to her story, she was surrounded by people but could never connect, either due to fear of being discovered or due to her own personality quirks. I feel like she probably did love her family, her original family but once her father died if she actually got the letter notifying her, she must have become untethered. In most divorce cases a child will usually side with one parent over the other and in this case i feel that Lori likely sided with her father, especially since she seemed to not get along with her mother's new husband.
I feel like Lori created her own completely new life as a way to gain some control that she felt she lacked in other parts of her life, as the quiet, tall girl. In a new life she could reinvent herself from the ground up, and when she got divorced that probably crushed her, she had an idealised white picket fence dream of life and she saw it crumbling around her, so she decided to end it.
I don't know if i SHOULD have sympathy for her, but i do
April 3, 2019
I found this to be an intriguing mystery which is part of the Missing collection. It's an Amazon Prime series of true short stories.
Lori Ruff left home at 18 and was never seen again by her family. When she committed suicide at age 43, a strongbox contained papers that showed Lori was not who everyone thought her to be. I found it to be quite a fascinating story and all the detective work that went on to solve her real identity. But did it really answer all the questions?
Lori Ruff left home at 18 and was never seen again by her family. When she committed suicide at age 43, a strongbox contained papers that showed Lori was not who everyone thought her to be. I found it to be quite a fascinating story and all the detective work that went on to solve her real identity. But did it really answer all the questions?
August 8, 2018
This is a true mystery.
What a sad story of a young woman leaving her entire past behind. There is closure but still so much that is unknown and most likely will never be told.
This is very well written. If you like Missing Person or Unsolved Crime books or television shows you will want to read this.
What a sad story of a young woman leaving her entire past behind. There is closure but still so much that is unknown and most likely will never be told.
This is very well written. If you like Missing Person or Unsolved Crime books or television shows you will want to read this.
January 10, 2019
Highest Recommendations
This captivating story consumes the reader as it's pages reveal a bizarre mystery that further baffles the mind in a mysterious sequence of events. The Author has a unique way in which she words this story that makes the read even better than it already is.
This captivating story consumes the reader as it's pages reveal a bizarre mystery that further baffles the mind in a mysterious sequence of events. The Author has a unique way in which she words this story that makes the read even better than it already is.
September 9, 2018
Interesting book
Wow didn't realize a person could be so hard to find if they didn't want to be found.interesting book to read
Wow didn't realize a person could be so hard to find if they didn't want to be found.interesting book to read
November 21, 2018
My expectations are usually pretty low when it comes to these short, free (Kindle Unlimited) crime ebooks, but this one is actually quite good. One advantage is that it was authored by a real writer, a reporter for the Seattle Times). A second advantage is that she actually researched the story, it's not the usual summary/paraphrasing of an existing book. Third: it is a very interesting tale (the mysterious life and death of an identity thief), and fourth: it is well-told.
January 29, 2019
I listened to the audio of this and really enjoyed it. Cassandra Campbell does an excellent job of narrating. Although most of Lori Ruff's mysterious life was eventually revealed, there are still some unanswered questions; I think this would make a great novel for someone to write and fill in the blanks!
I got the ebook and audio from Amazon Prime.
I got the ebook and audio from Amazon Prime.
September 18, 2018
Missing person found
A mother kills herself in the driveway of her in laws. This begins a decades long mystery to find out who she really was and why she left the only life she ever knew at 18. She was gutsy, a little strange too. The reader is left wondering what really did happen.
A mother kills herself in the driveway of her in laws. This begins a decades long mystery to find out who she really was and why she left the only life she ever knew at 18. She was gutsy, a little strange too. The reader is left wondering what really did happen.
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