That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away

by Lorimer Shenher

An ex-police detective's searing personal account of sexism, racism, and mishandling in the investigation of missing and murdered women. In That Lonely Section of Hell, police detective Lori Shenher describes her role in Vancouver's infamous Missing and Murdered Women Investigation and her years-long struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of her work on the case. From her first assignment in 1998 to explore an increase in the number of missing women to the harrowing 2002 interrogation of convicted serial killer Robert Pickton, Shenher tells a story of massive police failure--failure of the police to use the information about Pickton available to them, failure to understand the dark world of drug addiction and sex work, and failure to save more women from their killer. That Lonely Section of Hell passionately pursues the deeper truths behind the causes of this tragedy and the myriad ways the system failed to protect vulnerable women.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Memoir, Crime, Canada, Biography, Mystery

320 pages, ebook

First published August 31, 2015

About the author

Lorimer Shenher is a Canadian writer living and working in Greater Vancouver, BC.

Lorimer is a dynamic and insightful public speaker and storyteller, speaking on a wide range of topics, from the toxicity of police culture and its impact on our society to the fight for human rights of marginalized people and the plight of “other” in an increasingly polarized political climate. And television. He loves to talk about television.

Recently retired from a 27-year career in policing and the recipient of a MA in Professional Communication in 2017, Lorimer ecstatically embraces a full time writing career in multiple media. Lorimer has worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer, film extra, TV technical consultant, pharmaceutical sales representative, basketball coach, advertising account executive, shoe seller, greenskeeper, and Calgary Stampede bingo caller.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should have been titled "The autobiography of Lori Shenher". If you want to learn about the Pickton trial this in not the book for you as it consisted 5% of Pickton, 5% of the missing women and 90% of Lori's personal life. I found the constant cutting up of the VPD, RCMP and fellow coworkers unprofessional and frustrating to read.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was initially not really sure what to expect from this book. I had originally heard about it on CBC radio when I was driving.
I immediately went to my library and took it out. I think I am the second person to have read it.
First off, I read the front page and it says "a horrifying and compelling read" from Peter Vronsky.
I expected this book to be a totally gruesome account of all the disgusting and horrible stuff Robert Pickton had done to the women he terrorized and murdered.

In the end, the book was nothing like that.
The local newspaper in Vancouver had way more detail about the Pickton murders that I would read while chomping on my breakfast.
This was a book way more about how even the most amazing and competent people can be dragged down and around by work and workplaces. Lori wrote a very factual, clear and concise book on her experience as a police officer in Vancouver BC looking into missing and murdered women over a period of time. That was about 80% of the book.

The last 20% was about her life after being completely sucked dry (emotionally, mentally, and physically) by working in a place that was no longer a healthy place for her to work.
I think a lot of people can relate to this.
I definitely can.

Overall, good book.
I think Lori wrote this book more of a personal accomplishment through her PTSD and life after a career that she envisioned would be 30 years in policing, and ended up being cut much shorter based on unforeseen circumstances.

Thank You for writing this Lori.
I hope that you find peace and comfort and happiness.

[Lisa Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I felt the title of the novel (and every chapter in it) could rightfully be called "I F@$&ING TOLD YOU SO, YOU ASSHOLES!" because that was the phrase running through my head over and over.
The writing style was a bit unpolished and disjointed, but it was more than made up for by Shenher's candid and personal account of a sick sick bastard, and the shameful disregard for the sex workers of the Downtown Eastside shown by the people who are supposed to help them. Her own personal struggles as a result of not only working an incredibly difficult case but having to fight just for the barest resources to do so are laid bare in this novel, and that very same writing style that sometimes confuses the narrative is the writing style that makes the reader feel her frustration, helplessness, and determination.
Shenher also does something that is almost unprecedented in the true crime genre: she does not give the killer centre stage. This book is about the investigation and the victims first, and Pickton is only mentioned as much as is needed to comprehensively tell this story. She refuses to give him any more notoriety than he's already gotten, and I think that was a very smart choice.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up thinking it would be an escapist true crime story. Instead I found a book about a woman who invested herself in finding a serial killer. To read about the mismanagement of the investigation and how her attempts to move things forward were often blocked or dismissed made me feel angry and helpless with the author. For anyone who has ever suffered PTSD as the result of a stressful work place, dealt with sexism and the "old boys club," and/or worked for an organization where communication and oversight are nil, this woman's story is one you will be able to relate . I appreciated learning about an officer and colleagues who did truly care but were hindered by bureaucracy. For a first book, this is good though there is some uneven story telling and repetition that could have been edited. Still, I would say this is a good read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth take on an important case - and a lesson that should be shared with LE agencies worldwide. The author details the many missteps, the fallacious thinking and the egos that got in the way of catching a serial killer years sooner than they did. I commend her for also exploring the toll it took on her, not only professionally, but also personally, as it's something that likely afflicts a lot more LE professionals, but shouldn't be something to be viewed shamefully. All that said, the readability wasn't the best - it got redundant and monotonous, and nothing really drove it forward a lot of times.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book on Pickton yet and the only one that really made sense as far as him and the investigation. Also, despite On The Farm 's obvious attempt to individualize the murdered women, only Shenher really manages it. I felt I knew these women and the investigation by the end of the book. On The Farm was lacking in order and sense and this one was not. It answered the questions I had. Mostly. And Aside from the very end, which was repetitive and unnecessary, she covers PTSD well too. Good read. Emotional. Tragic. Unfortunate.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to shit on someone's personal journey and introspective outlet for trauma, but I just expected something different from the book and found it really difficult to get through. It was just a bit of a slog.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hey let's check out this Pickton guy, hello ... hello ... hello?"

[mica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I liked/appreciated this book. I tend towards the "ACAB" side of the spectrum, so my initial response to hearing about this book was to be suspicious of Lorimer Shenher's intentions in writing such a book. (I did not watch him testifying at the Inquiry, but I came of age just prior to Pickton's arrest, in the brief window when the issue of women missing front Vancouver's East End was national news for activist/social justice groups, yet still prior to the discovery of their remains). I probably would not have read this book, except that Shenher did an interview with Canadaland Commons, and I found him to be compelling and compassionate enough that I chose to read his book. (Just took me a few years).

This is not a gorey details "true crime" book - this is essentially Shenher's recollection of his time as the lead investigator regarding the female sex workers missing from Vancouver's East End, and the internal hurdles that the investigation faced from the Vancouver Police Department. It gives a unique and critical view of how policing works behind the scenes in Canada, and particularly, in Vancouver at that time.

The latter part of the book is largely dedicated to Shenher's description of his own issues with PTSD, largely connected to his inability to actually intervene in the murder of nearly 50 women, and the culture and lack of support from the VPD itself.

Again, this is not a "gorey and titillating details" account of the investigation into the disappearance and murder of these women. (And there are plenty of those around, particularly about this instance). It is more of a deep dive into the failures of this particular investigation, its under-funding, the lack of internal support, and general ambivalence towards the people who disappeared, due to their status as sex workers, drug users, and, for many of them, being First Nations women.

[Cathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Lori Shenher speak at Edmonton's LitFest two years ago. It has taken me that long to crack open her book. Not surprisingly, this is a difficult read in all manner of ways, although Shenher is a good writer.

For those of us raised on a constant diet of police procedurals and forensic TV shows, Shenher's book is an eye-opener regarding the many dead ends that had to be explored and the slow pace of a real-life investigation. Personalities, interagency miscommunication, and lack of resources led to roadblocks in the investigation and immense frustration. Readers will also began to appreciate the difficulty of finding women who have no fixed address and erratic lifestyle. When Shenher started her investigation, it was not even clear that women were missing from Vancouver's downtown Eastside...they might have found different temporary housing or possibly moved to another city.

Shenher and many of her colleagues brought passion, precision, and persistence to the search. As we know, however, there is no happy ending to this story.

[Maneki Neko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I did not expect such elegant and thoughtful prose when I picked up a book I thought would be about Robert Pickton. (Reader take note: If you want to learn about the Pickton case in all its gruesome detail, this is not the book for you. It really barely even delves into the case. But you can just catch up quickly on Wikipedia for that). Lori (now Lorimer) Shenher is a fantastic story teller. From the first page of the story of him hitting a flock of birds in his truck, I was completely sucked in. He handles such a difficult story with complete grace. I mean, how do you take a story as horrific as Pickton's, write pretty much only about yourself, and still come out on top? This book is really something special.
Lor's experience as the detective on the case, his PTSD, and the BS he had to deal with as an FOD (First, Only, Different) were really compelling stuff. I commend him for turning a clearly exhausting and traumatic time in his life into something as powerful as this book.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a riveting and disturbing first person story about the Pickton investigation and everything that went wrong with the investigation, from one of the police officers who was heavily involved with the investigation. Lori suffered PTSD and severe mental problems as a result of their involvement with the investigation. It's impossible to read this book and not feel angry and haunted by this story. The book really reveals the failures of the Vancouver Police Department.

This was an important book, and I'm so glad that Lori wrote it. Lori was also careful to honour and respect the women, and humanize the women and their loved ones. This was very respectful book and the author avoided sensationalism in the story.

[Carrie Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much more an autobiography than an in depth look at a crime. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did feel a little like the women who were killed were pushed to the side (even with the 'letters'). As it's a first person take there's no way to get other people's versions of events and at times it did feel like a plea for forgiveness/a desperate attempt to show she'd done nothing wrong. It's an odd one. But the writing is clear and to the point, although the dialogue is rough and stilted. It was interesting to read about crimes that took place in the city I now live, and recognise many of the areas mentioned. I think I'd probably prefer a less personal take on it though. It's a bit raw.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I liked that it was from Lori's perspective and about her and the VPD, rather than about Pickton specifically. I enjoyed the in-depth look at Canada's biggest criminal investigation, and I could definitely understand Lori's concerns and frustrations about the lack of resources provided for such an important investigation. Sex workers and drug addicts are people too and deserve to be treated like anyone else would be by the police, and I like that she showed that through her writing. I felt especially emotional reading her letters to some of the victims. A great, eye opening and personal read.

[Kelly Dennison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated three stars, but actually it's more like 3.5. I enjoyed this book, and liked that she focused more on the victims than Picton himself - that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of talking about him too much.

A couple of criticisms: I would have liked to see pictures of the women to put their faces to the names. (I did, however love her "letters" to them. I found that very moving. Perhaps that's why I wanted a photo to access, to carry on that emotional attachment, maybe?) I also must say that the book was a little repetitive in parts and the end dragged on and on. It was tough for me to plow through those last 40 pages or so.

All in all, a good read though.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating first hand account of the investigation into one of Canada's most notorious serial killers. Not for the faint of heart - some of the descriptions gave me nightmares. Shenher, a junior female detective who was in charge of this under-resourced police investigation, provides a pretty cutting critique of how the police managed, or didn't manage, this investigation. But it should probably be on the must read list for anyone living in proximity of the downtown East side, as it provides some real insights into this community, and puts a face to the women Pickton targeted.

[Claire Franceschetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading. It will make you question how investigations are conducted, why police forces still don't cooperate with each other, and how only one person could be assigned to track down one of Canada'e most heinous serial killers.

As the memoire shows, Pickton could have been stopped a lot earlier if more value was placed on the disappearance of sex workers from the lower east side of Vancouver.

Well written and the author should be commended for telling about the investigation without giving any extra, lurid attention to Pickton's crimes.

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deeply personal memoir about the search for the serial killer on the Lower East Side who turned out to be Robert Pickton.

You get a clear view of the ins and outs of police investigation even if it sometimes feels a bit unfocused as Shenher skips across swathes of time.

It's a good perspective of one part of the case but is obviously too deeply involved to give you a look at all aspects of the case. You get a sense of just how big and impersonal the justice system can be, and are by no means surprised by Shenher's decision to part ways with the VPD in the end.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and harrowing memoir of the botched police investigation of serial killer Robert Pickton. Author and ex Vancouver police detective Lori Shenher pulls no punches, telling her story in such a way as to reveal the emotional and psychological cost of this investigation for the victims' families, and for some members of the investigative team. Among many other things, an important piece of contemporary Vancouver history.

[Vivian Hilder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking memoir of the author's attempt to do what was assigned to her about what we eventually came to know as the Pickton murders. Her struggle to do a thorough and professional investigation at an early stage was sabotaged by a lack of resources, will or caring by those assigning the work. She names names and describes the terrible personal cost to her of feeling that she failed the street workers and their loved ones who she came to know during her investigation.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important Canadian book that highlights the difficult sometimes traumatic profession of law enforcement but more importantly the systemic problems in the RCMP, police, Canadian legal system and broader Canadian society that would devalue lives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was very thorough, written like a police report at times. The true highlights in the book are in Lori's memories of these missing women and her battles with corruption within the VPD.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! More memoir than true crime, and really fascinating.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read “That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away” because I wanted to learn more about Robert Pickton and his case. The title of this book needed to be clearer. It is not so much about the Pickton case and it is about Shenher’s experience with the Pickton case: the before, during, and after. It is about the emotional and mental toll that the case had on Shenher. It was a good book, just not the angle I was expecting. It was interesting and increased my sympathy for the police and what they go through with their work.

This book was not at all what I wanted. Shenher kept going on about the search of the Pickton farm, but never provided detail about what was found there when they searched it. This is partially because Shenher was not at the farm when it was searched. I wanted to read about Pickton and what happened, how he was caught, and what they found on the farm. Instead I got a story about Shenher and everything that Shenher went through. I was disappointed.

It is not a bad book. When I go into a book wanting one thing and am given something else it definitely effects what I think about the book. The writing was heavy. At times it was a struggle to read because it felt like it was taking me two or three times longer than normal to read the pages. The organization of events was alright, but sometimes I felt there were moments when they were jumping between different moments in time. It made it feel disjointed. It followed a primarily chronological timeline, but there were certain moments that Shenher fixated on and kept mentioning over and over again throughout the book.

Overall, I managed to read the whole things, so it wasn’t too bad. Again, it just was not the narrative I was looking for. It is a good story about the struggles of working hard cases.

[Ziiyol Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book to read because I was interested in how poor investigations can affect everyone and everything. I learned several things I would have never found out on my own. This memoir of the Pickton case ultimately showcases the systemic failure to obtain justice for Missing Persons, especially Missing Women. Justice was obtained but after numerous, avoidable incidents of death. The legal obstacles, inept administration, lack of support from management are the reasons why the Pickton case was closed and only reopened by chance through a weapons search warrant- the search warrant for the missing women was never supported.

The administrative duties of police officers, although boring to the majority of the public, is important because it affects the outcome of the case. Evidence and search warrants are never supported by legal means if the administrative work was never done correctly. This book does not shy away from telling how poor administrative work led to a botched investigation that almost let a criminal get away with multiple murders. It was interesting to read Lori's memoir of how the botched investigation broke her spirits- it shows that officers take their work seriously.

I enjoyed this book for enlightening me on the process of investigations and how easily it can go so wrong.

[Marie Schatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel the book topics (missing women, the lack of a male dominated bureacracy giving a crap) are important and rate a 5 but I'm not sure the author captured the importance as it was mostly a book about her journey. But see my last comment as I think that's what the book really represents.
That said....
I often felt she was writing my story. Not that I was ever under the pressure of finding murdered women and hopefully saving some.
But for 14 years I was in charge of an operational support type job section in the military. Building filled with operational males, a unit run by alpha males who used my section to give inappropriate people a job, didn't get my section the equipment it needed, gas lighted me, told me I was thin skinned when I complained etc etc etc. It was all there. Right down to the military paying to have software developed for my career only to have it be fielded out of date, clunky, no training useless. Over and over. Such are bureaucracies I guess. I wouldnt go so far as to say I had PTSD but something. Anxiety for sure. Hard to perform my job under total lack of support and always worrying about it. Trying to care of the few good workers . Sleep issues Later some depression.

Anyway she did a great job describing what it can be like to be responsible but have no authority. Really just a horrible place to be.

[Mark Day · Rating 1 out of 5]

To this reader, this story is primarily about an obviously intelligent and sensitive police woman's failure to disassociate police work from her self-identity. Given the nature of police work; that is a formula for disaster. During her brief tenure as a team leader in the Vancouver Police Department's Missing Person Unit, Shenher built a circumstantial case against Robert Pickton for the murder of prostitutes (aka sex workers) in Vancouver. She was unable to get support from her supervisors within the Vancouver Police Department or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As a result she was not able to obtain a search warrant for Robert Pickton's farm, which would have uncovered hard evidence and stopped the killing. Years later, Pickton was arrested and convicted. He became one of Canada's most notorious serial killers. Over half of the book was dedicated to Shenher's diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from her sense of failure at stopping the murders. Although Lori Shenher was honest and self-depreciating in the book, she also came across as whiney and self-aggrandizing. As a true crime story, this was a dud.

[Cynthia L'Hirondelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is an important memoir about the Pickton investigation in Vancouver, BC, its failings, unexplained gaps, and final conclusion. However, it was a conclusion that had long-lasting trauma for not just the families of victims, but also for the author, who brings to life a shocking part of her life that she struggled to come to grips with. Shenher was the first detective assigned to the Missing and Murdered Women Investigation in Vancouver. There was a massive gulf between Shenher's key investigative role and a gut-wrenching sense of urgency on one side, and on the other side, isolation and a massive lack of resources. The book is the author's detailed and sensitive account of what happened, and more importantly, what didn't happen, during and immediately after this long investigation. It is sensitively written and flows well. One gets the feeling of a determined person setting sail in stormy waters in what they think is a sound boat, only to find out, once far from shore, that their boat is just a rickety raft that keeps threatening to break apart underneath them.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew to like Lori a lot through this book, but a gentle warning to those who are interested in this for an in-depth, internal perspective on one of Canada's most infamous crimes: this is not the book you're looking for. It's mistitled, mostly because Lori fails to provide us with much in terms of the botched nature of this investigation. It mostly deals with her own struggle (so the first part of the title is apt) with PTSD and other mental health issues; topics most certainly worth having a discussion about, especially when it comes to the hardened world of law enforcement. While I'm positive military personnel and police officers can identify with Lori and learn something from this book, it leaves the average reader without a good grasp of what made the system so difficult to work with in the first place. If you're seeking more on this fascinating tale in our history, perhaps turn to another place.

[Bails · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book frustrating. This is not a true crime book In any way. Perhaps one chapter is about the Robert Pickton crimes. This is an autobiography of Lori who clearly wrote this book when she was at the brink of a breakdown. She constantly made excuses for her role in this investigation as EVERYONE else made mistakes but NEVER Lori.... I found how she handled herself at times during this investigation utterly unprofessional as well as the constant bashing of the police service and all her coworkers also unprofessional... most of this book sounds her like desperate attempt to ensure we all know Lori did nothing wrong and was an amazing police officer. I am disappointed...