Whispers in the Willows: Who killed Rebekah Gould? Who killed Amanda Tusing? And why?

by George Jared

Best-selling author and award-winning journalist George Jared takes his readers on another spell-binding journey with his third true crime book, Whispers in the Willows. Whispers is an anthology style, true crime book that chronicles three unsolved murders, a series of Death Row executions, and tells the harrowing stories of two Holocaust survivors. A 22-year-old college student, Rebekah Gould, vanished from a friend’s house Sept. 20, 2004, near the town of Melbourne, Arkansas. Her partially clothed, bludgeoned body was found near a rural road not far from the house a week later. Her case has never been solved. It’s been profiled on The Dr. Oz show, and was featured on the Hell and Gone podcast, one of the top performers in 2018. Jared has written about her case since the day she vanished. There’s a glaring amount of evidence in the case that points in several directions, and he has dedicated another chapter about her in his newest work. Amanda Tusing, a 20-year-old aspiring veterinarian, left her fiancée’ home on a rain soaked night. A few hours later she would be dead, and her case has baffled law officers for almost 20 years. Karen Johnson Swift was a mother of four that vanished just before Halloween, 2011, in Dyersburg Tennessee. Her body was found in a cemetery a couple of months later. Her killer remains free. Four men who committed unspeakable acts of violence and torture were set to die on Death Row in April, 2017. Jared was there for the planned executions and gives a detailed look into one the darkest places on Earth. The book also includes two Holocaust survivors and their tales of survival. The murders they witnessed cannot be imagined. Jared has also written two other true crime books, Witches in West Memphis … and another false confession and The Creek Sides Bones … Reality is more horrifying than fiction. Those books included chapters about the internationally famous West Memphis Three case. Jared wrote more news stories about the WM3 case than any other journalist in the world and includes Death Row interviews with Damien Echols. Those books also detail a series of the heinous capital murders he’s covered through the years. The best-selling author’s stories have been featured on the Discovery Channel, in the New York Times, the Hell and Gone podcast, the USA Today, and in many other media outlets around the world.

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2019

About the author

My name is George Jared, and I'm an author and investigative journalist that has written three, true-crime books, “Witches in West Memphis … and another false confession,” and “The Creek Side Bones … reality is more horrifying than fiction," and "Whispers in the Willows."
I followed those with my first fiction novel, co-written by my daughter, Megan, "A Novel Wait."
My fifth book is a true crime "Silent Silhouette" co-written by Jennifer Bucholtz.

Witches chronicles the West Memphis Three case and another murder case involving a false confession in Gosnell. I've written more news stories about WM3 than any journalist in the world. I was cited in the Academy Award nominated documentary about the case, “Paradise Lost Three: Purgatory” and I was also cited in Damien Echols' New York Times best-selling autobiography, “Life After Death.” I interviewed him while he was still on Arkansas' Death Row, and I broke the story when he and his cohorts were released from prison in 2011.

I've won numerous accolades including 11 first place awards with Associated Press Managing Editors and Arkansas Press Association for investigative journalism, feature writing, spot news, headline writing, and others. The front cover of Creek Side was selected in 2017 by the Arkansas library system for its poster chronicling the best works produced in the state during the last year. I've been interviewed by numerous newspapers, and media outlets for my coverage of that case and other capital murder cases I've covered through the years.

I'm very passionate about journalism and these cases I've covered. I hope readers enjoy both these books, and I'm always open to fair criticism and comments.

Reviews

[Judy Gottfried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative read.

Enjoy anything from Mr. Jared. I live in northeast Arkansas and have read about these cases. Hope they will be solved and the families can obtain some closure.

[Gay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book as it was written really well. I am from Dell where Amanda Tusing is from and picked this up to read about her ordeal but found the book was really well written so I enjoyed reading the rest of it. Looking forward to reading more of Jared's books.

[Sarah Kelly-Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to say the least. His style of writing is choppy, I expect some of that with investigative reporter background; but it’s a bit broken leading between cases.
Mandy Tusing was a classmate of mine, it pains me to know her family, and sweet father has no closure. Her brothers, as I recall were very nice people. It’s unreal to me that it’s been so long. She’s a reminder to me that life is completely unfair.

[richard luper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent sources and very interesting facts on the unsolved cases. Moving stories from Holocaust survivors .

I am from Northeast Arkansas and remember these tragic events very well. Although it was sometimes hard to read (because i remember) it was needed to remind us. These families deserve closure and the victims deserve justice. Keep up the good work sir.

[Roxanna Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

In my opinion this author is the best true crime writer of his generation. George the book flows well and kept me interested from the first words to the last, "Never Married."

[Anjuli Steer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and informative read! Love all his books !

[GERALD GENTRY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. A MUST_READ!!!!!!!!!!!!