Wish You Were Here

by John Allore, Patricia Pearson

As compelling as Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark or James Ellroy's My Dark Places , this is the story of a brother's lifelong determination to find the truth about his sister's death, a police force that was ignoring the cases of missing and murdered women, and, to the surprise of everyone involved, a previously undiscovered serial killer.

In the fall of 1978 teenager Theresa Allore went missing near Sherbrooke, Quebec. She wasn't seen again until the spring thaw revealed her body in a creek only a few kilometers away. Shrugging off her death as a result of 1970s drug culture, police didn't investigate.

Patricia Pearson started dating Theresa's brother, John, during the aftermath of Theresa's death. Though the two teens would go their separate ways, the family's grief, obsession with justice and desire for the truth never left Patricia. Little did she know, the shockwaves of Theresa's death would return to her life repeatedly over the next forty years.

In 2001, John had just moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with his wife and young children, when the cops came to the door. They had determined that a young girl had been murdered and buried in the basement. John wondered: If these cops could look for this young girl, why had nobody even tried to find out what happened to Theresa? Unable to rest without closure, he reached out to Patricia, by now an accomplished crime journalist and author, and together they found answers far bigger and more alarming than they could have imagined--and a legacy of violence that refused to end.

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

376 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2020

About the author

John Allore is the co-author of the Canadian true crime best seller Wish You Were Here and has worked in victim advocacy since 2002. His website, Who Killed Theresa, is one of the first crime blogs on the internet. It began as an investigation into the unsolved murder of his sister, Theresa Allore. The website is widely consulted by police agencies, public officials, academics and students for its volume of information. In 2017 John started the podcast, Who Killed Theresa, which focuses on unsolved murders, as well as other issues of criminal and social justice. John is currently the Acting Director of Budget & Management Services for the city of Durham, North Carolina.

Forthcoming: That Case Is Not Here, from Rowman and Littlefield.

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish You Were Here: A Murdered Girl, a Brother’s Quest and the Hunt for a Serial Killer by John Allore and Patricia Pearson is an accounting of the search for a killer over a period of forty years. Theresa Allore, a young college student disappeared without a trace near Sherbrooke, Quebec. It would be a year before her body was found abandoned in the wilderness. Here is where this story becomes completely unbelievable. The police, in the seventies, declared this to be a drug death and closed the case because in those days there were many incidents of drug abuse. Property crimes were more important to the police than sexual assault and murder of young women. It was their belief that if a woman refused sex, it was impossible to force her. It was almost like a crime had not been committed. Theresa’s body had been found nude but still alarm bells did not go off. She had not been part of the drug culture and her family was devastated that police basically dealt with this as if it was her fault. Many years later her brother, the author, with the help of an old friend who is a crime journalist, decided to find out what had happened to Theresa. What was revealed was appalling and led to the discovery of a serial killer who had murdered many young women. This is a fascinating investigation told with heart and certainty that this crime needed to be solved. Highly recommended.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1978, Theresa Allore went missing near Sherbrooke, Quebec. Her body was found months later and was dismissed as a drug-related incident by the police. Her brother, John, and the rest of their family never accepted the that explanation, and John would dedicate much of his life to finding out the truth. Alongside co-author and crime journalist, Patricia Pearson, John uncovered a history of police negligence and signs of a serial killer who was active in Quebec and Alberta between the 1970s and 1990s.

My rating is not a reflection on the case itself or the incredible work that John and Patricia have done, but rather a reflection of the way the book was presented. I listened to the audiobook, which might be the issue, but I found Wish You Were Here difficult to follow at times with a lot of information that didn’t really seem relevant to Theresa’s case. I also wasn’t a fan of the narrator, which impacted my enjoyment. I will, however, continue to follow this case via the website that John has created.

Theresa’s case remains unsolved, as do many of the other cases mentioned in this book. My condolences to all the families. I sincerely hope that they receive closure in the future.

[Kirsty Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I moved back to Montreal in 1972 after living in Brasil for a few years. I attended a boarding school in New Brunswick from 1976-1980. I have never been scared for my life or threatened. I am fortunate and privileged.
I remember seeing pictures of missing children on milk cartons.
I remember seeing pictures of missing children taped to electrical posts.
I remember viewing blurbs of missing children and women on TV.
I remember the time a young woman was found beaten to death in a parking lot next to Vendome metro.
I remember many times when someone was missing, it was in the media, and then it was not.
I remember thinking how awful it must be for the families of missing individuals.
I remember the day we found out on campus that John's sister, Theresa was missing, then found, dead.
I remember feeling how could anyone cope with this tragic loss. Theresa's parents must have lost their minds. How was it possible that John was back in school.
I remember life went on, for me.
John's and his family's story has no ending.
Theresa was now just a faded photograph on an electrical post.
This is a story of how the family tried to find answers.....how a school and a police force offered nothing more then 'she must of been a druggie', she did hitchhike....
This is a story about a brother who wouldn't, couldn't, accept his sister's fate. Something was very wrong in the Townships, his mission became to find out how and why Theresa really died(not an over dose, no evidence) which led to the discovery of similar deaths of other women.
This story has changed how the police force now handle murdered female victims.
This story is raw and honest and believe it or not sometimes funny.
This story has no ending, there will always be evil, but at least we're learning how to combat and track down evil and most importantly respecting the victims and their families.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few things as heart wrenching as true crime written by the family of a victim. John Allore lost his sister Theresa in the 70’s when he was a child and now as an adult investigates her disappearance and mysterious death. Faced with indifference and incompetence from her school and law enforcement he manages to put together a very compelling case for her murder and uncovers a previously unknown serial killer who was likely responsible. In the style of Michelle McNamara he includes a lot of personal elements and completely immerses himself in the research. Thankfully he manages to pull himself back from the edge before the darkness consumes him and his obsession destroys his life. We all know that sadly McNamara wasn’t so fortunate. Finding balance was obviously a huge struggle for Allore and he also had to deal with his own grieving family. I have to say that I truly admire these true crime writers and bloggers who give so much of themselves to these cases. It must be awful to immerse oneself in murder and real life horror all day, every day.

This memoir/investigation uncovered some truly chilling things that absolutely gave me goose bumps, especially when describing the movements of a serial killer through Alberta and Quebec. One of his stops was to visit a small town that just happens to be my hometown and where I was a teen at the time. He would go on to kill repeatedly in a nearby city where I often spent time with friends. It’s the thought of “there by the grace…” This book did make me feel a bit like serial killers were absolutely everywhere. This is of course not really the case although poor Theresa seemed potentially surrounded by more than one.

The plethora of information this book contains is mind boggling. You just have to look through the pages and pages of notes and references at the end to see just how much work went into this. It is a truly astonishing feat of research. The way it is presented isn’t always super cohesive and I felt like it jumped around a lot, throwing in little asides that didn’t necessarily feel directly connected to the narrative. Despite this minor issue it was a very compelling story and I learned a ton, some things that I would rather not have known. (Serial killer Pickton’s ground meat business for one.) I don’t mind falling down the dark rabbit hole of true crime but there are some things I wish I could wash out of my brain. I think that true crime fans will eat this one up (and that phrase feels entirely inappropriate in the same paragraph as Pickton.) It is truly dark and horrifying but gives true crime information junkies exactly what they are looking for in an accessible and morbidly fascinating manner.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

[Courtney Maum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect this book to be the manifesto against misogyny that it is. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the rampant sexism, misogyny and misanthropy that raged throughout the district where the book takes place. It was enraging and horrific, but also enlightening. For me, this was a real page turner-- I was totally unable to put it down and loved the writing style. Will be following both the authors behind this book and their careers in victim rights, as well.

[Lisa Harker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes us back to Montreal in the 1970’s where despite multiple reports of sexual assaults and missing women, law enforcement authorities did very little to investigate and solve these crimes.

Co-written by John Allore whose sister, Teresa, was murdered. His family’s anger and resentment at the authorities and how the investigation was conducted is present on every page. There are many shocking revelations throughout regarding the lack of skills and effort of law authorities.

Many of these cases (including Theresa’s), remain unsolved to this day.

[Cathy Dubreuil]

I went to Bishop's University in 1977/78, my sister went in 1970. My daughter graduated from there in 2010. In 1977, I used to take the Montreal bound Voyageur bus from Sherbrooke terminal on a Friday afternoon and have the bus driver drop me off on the highway at a certain point and I'd hitchhike into Knowlton and meet up with my boyfriend. I could have very easily been one of these victims.

I can very easily identify with the culture and mindset of this particular time in Quebec. I can understand the families frustration of dealing with the Quebec police force/government bureaucracy. Not much has changes in 40 years either. What did bother me however was some errors that the authors made e.g. Bishop's is not one of only 2 English language universities in the province of Quebec, McGill being the other. The authors did not mention Concordia University in Montréal which was established in 1974 with the amalgamation of Sir George Williams University and Loyola College. The authors further mention the father Bob went to Loyola and then state that the information was found in Bob's McGill alumni magazine. In addition, the Golden Lion Pub is simply referred to as the Lion. Another oversight is that Petawawa, Ontario is located west not east of Quebec. The book referenced common law however Quebec laws are different than the rest of Canada and is governed by civil law. I found the ending weak and that part could have been written better, with the understanding that it still open ended with no conclusion. Thank you for enlightening us on what happen in this province at this particular time in our history. My sincere condolences to the families.

[Kelly Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This I have learned about crime victims: they have the warmest smiles and the most haunted eyes.”

Living in the Eastern Townships, and also living nearby where the killer frequented - I HAD to get my hands on a copy of this book. Although some people complained that a lot was said that had nothing to do with Theresa Allore - it’s interesting to know firsthand what the crimes were like back in the 1970s, and how police responded to it. There was a noticeable pattern.

This is a heartbreaking story on the murder of Theresa Allore, a young woman attending college in Lennoxville Québec in the 1970s. After her disappearance, her family went on a quest to find the truth on what happened to Theresa. The parents eventually couldn’t do it anymore, as they kept getting let down by police. So her brother went to try and find out what happened to her and who her killer was.

Although a lot of people seemed to have complained that there was a lot said in the book that had nothing to do with the murder of Theresa, it’s important to point out that all the information was helpful, as it let you know what the crimes were like back then and how the police responded to it. There was definitely a pattern. But the lack of help from the police on the cases left a distasteful taste in my mouth.

The lack of justice was saddening, but I hope John knows that he has helped many people with his work.

[Harmony Brownfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just not what I was expecting since I read so many true crime books. I really didn’t like how the author plugged so many people/stories from the true crime culture. It almost felt like they were poking fun of people who enjoy it, that we are exploiting, and yet we are the target audience for their book. Example: The book speaks of the Delphi murders and how no one was at the girl’s parent’s booth at Crimecon, and it made me wonder if they asked permission to talk about them. They used every podcaster’s tag lines from the genre. Stay sexy and don’t get murdered, shut up and give me murder, etc. they name dropped why we drink, wineandcrime, billy Jensen and more, also constantly comparing the main story to other true crimes. It felt like it was added just to make the book longer. Yikes. It distracted from the main story of the book.

[enrichingerinreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book however, after struggling through it for 3 days I had to put it down. I was not a fan of the writing style and often felt confused because the story jumped around a lot. There was way too many details thrown in that didn’t seem relevant to the case or story.

[Raya Mackenzie]

Another “dnf.” I tried to listen to this one on audiobook and that may have been a mistake! The audio-narrator (not the author) does the most obnoxious voices for the characters (who in this case are real people). It was very distracting for the deceased’s mother to sound like a stoned Snow-White and the deceased’s boyfriend to sound like a New Yorker with a slight Slavic accent. Some of her friends were made to sound seriously deranged — like how I would imagine manic My Little Ponies. All of the cops had phoney Francophone accents. So unnecessary and really pulled me out of the narrative.

However, the main reason I did not finish this book was because the focus kept shifting aware from Theresa Allure (the deceased victim) and towards police negligence in other cases. These other cases could not hold my focus. I wanted the story to focus on one case - Theresa. If the book has kept on track with the narrative, I could have ignored the terrible voices. As it is, I’m throwing in the towel here.

[Fannie ND · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est un livre assez intense ! Il dénonce/montre à quel point la police était incompétente et ne faisait pas son travail et aussi à quel point la société ne se souciait pas tant que ça du sort des femmes. On a fait beaucoup de chemin depuis les années 70, mais on est loin d'avoir terminé!
Le livre montre bien plus large que le cas de Theresa et laisse place à plusieurs théories.
Le secret de ce qui est arrivé à Theresa est trop bien caché. RIP Theresa et que ta famille puisse enfin un jour faire leur deuil.
Que les familles de toutes les victimes citées dans le livre puissent enfin un jour comprendre ce qui arrivé à leur proche.

[Liv Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know what it was about this book but it just did not do it for me. I found the writing hard to follow and I found it put me in a reading rut.

[Courtney MA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really had trouble putting this down! I enjoyed the personal journey of John Allore and his family, as well as the immense research and work both authors put into this book. I had not heard of any of these cases - I’m from Ontario and a true crime aficionado - and I was quite surprised. The connections the author made were expertly done. The gross miscarriage of justice, either because of prevailing biases at the time or something else, is heartbreaking. Particularly since there are loved ones still trying to find the truth and do not receive help from authorities. My heart is with these families and I thank the authors for not only telling a well researched and thought out (and devastating) story, but also for humanizing what it means to be a victim and also family members or friends of someone who so violently met their end.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for true-crime aficionados. Canada's version of I'll Be Gone In The Dark.

[Riccardo Lo Monaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, I was engaged but they lost me along the way and it became a convoluted book grasping for purpose. Sad story. The rage is apparent. The helplessness becomes shared. And the uncomfortable feeling you are left with doesn’t do much in the way of inspiring you to help seek change. Just leaves you at a loss.

[Victoria Hawco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody said it better than the authors: “It does not take ‘knowing’ these people to get involved. You know them. They are of your communities. They are you. And they are lost.”

[Katrina Feraco · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exemplary work of crime journalism from start to end. I appreciated the immersive approach to the context of Theresa’s murder and was compelled by the extremely personal nature of John’s involvement with helping not only his family but also the loved ones of other cold case victims find answers. I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the narrator immensely.

[Judy Nappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, it was difficult to continue reading this book because I was angry at the treatment the family was getting from various law enforcement agencies while trying to find out what exactly happened to their daughter. I could not imagine what it was like being told that my dead daughter/sister/girlfriend was a whore/prostitute/druggie and the other crap by men who were supposed to be protecting citizens from criminals -an utterly appalling old boys club. If not for the family's unflagging persistence, they would never have found resolution.

[Allie Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish You Were Here is, in part, the story of the murder of Theresa Allure, a college student in Quebec's Eastern Townships in 1978. The happy, hard-working 19-year old student was picked up while hitchhiking, raped, strangled, and her body left facedown in a creek for five months until her body was found. To the fury of her family and friends, the local and provincial police force viewed her death as drug-related, and didn't look hard for her killer; in reality the coroner's toxicology reports showed that she had no drugs in her system.

Fast-forward twenty years and the book finds Theresa's younger brother, John, who has been obsessed for years about the death of his older sister, and who can blame him? He travelled frequently from his North Carolina home to Quebec to look for clues, to question the police force, to take the advice of experts on homicide. He is assisted by a friend, writer Patricia Pearson, whom he has known for decades, and whom he dated for a couple of years long ago. Between them they search for answers, and in so doing uncover other murders of young women in the Eastern Township in the 1970s, and believe that they were committed by the same person: a serial killer.

The book is chock-full of interviews with criminologists, psychologists, and police agents of many different types, most of whom agree that there is a link between the murders in the Townships. It details John's psychological breakdown, and his relentless search for answers. If you are a fan of true crime, this book is a must-read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish You Were Here by John Allore and Patricia Pearson was a very interesting and informative read about an unsolved murder that happened in the 1970s in rural Quebec, Canada. This book dives into the facts and events that lead up to and followed the brutal murder of Allore's own sister- Theresa. John Allore dedicated his entire life to investigating the murder and complete the job that was so poorly done by the police. Evidence discarded, interviews not recorded and neglect of service were all issues the Allore family had to endure while the investigation took place. So Allore and Pearson take it into their own hands and dive into the police files and find connections that tie multiple murders in the area together and lead to a likely suspect.

This book was very well researched and easy to read. I felt that Allore and Pearson did a phenomenal job of relaying all the information they have on the case in a way that was easy to understand. I appreciated the map at the front of the book and I frequently went back to it while reading. There was plenty of compelling evidence presented throughout this book and really makes the reader wonder- Who killed Theresa Allore and why was the murder so poorly investigated by the police?

If you are a fan of true crime and unsolved mysteries I recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Allore, Patricia Pearson and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced copy!

[Maia Bent · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the fall of 1978, Theresa Allore vanished from her college residence. Her frantic family were brushed off by the small town police force who attributed her disappearance to the youth drug culture. Even when her body was discovered in the spring the police were indifferent, not even informing the family that Theresa had been murdered. After decades of suffering with unanswered questions, a freaky visit to his house from a homicide squad galvanizes Theresa’s brother, John, to discover the truth about her death.

Following a trail gone cold, John and his friend and crime writer, Patricia Pearson, dig for clues about Theresa’s death and uncover the path of a prolific but unrecognized serial killer. Most astonishingly, they reveal a plausible suspect previously unlinked to numerous killings in the area and beyond.

The narrative deftly weaves the story of heartbreaking family trauma with the wider political and social context that allowed the sexism, incompetence, and victim-blaming of the “investigating officers” to exist and persist.

Engrossing, riveting, enraging and enlightening.

[kortnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this. Thank you to John and Patricia for this awesome story !

Personally I found this book very slow moving at first with lots of information and lots of people involved. There was a lot of information that was repeated and information that had nothing to do with the death of Theresa .

After a few chapters the book was very interesting. This book is very sad it wasn’t just about finding the killer but it also put light on other murders and missing people around the same time. Plus how the police just didn’t care, how the didn’t help and how lazy they my really were. Maybe if they would have done something sooner... this wouldn’t have happened!

I enjoyed how this book started, the life story of who Theresa was even as a child. To where she ended up. Then it got more in depth with what happened to her.

The research this family did for answers is amazing!

If you can handle a book of a lot of research and investigation this is a great book to read.

[Virginia Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

A student at Champlain College in Lennoxville, Quebec, Theresa Allore went missing in the fall of 1979, her body not found until the following spring in a nearby creek. Casually dismissing her death as drug related, the local police never followed it up.

Years later her younger brother John, now living in the states, became interested in finding out what the police actually knew about his sister's death. Along with his teenage girl friend, Patricia Pearson, now an accomplished crime journalist and author, John began research which would reveal police incompetence and collusion at many levels and reveal the presence of an unknown serial killer stalking the rural Eastern Townships.

This book is not just a fascinating whodunnit, but also a moving look at the devastating effect loss, grief and guilt can have on a victim's circle of family and friends for generations.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true account of the disappearance of a Champlain University student -Theresa Allore - who months later is found dead.
The tragic account of the family (John, brother of the victim is co-author) simply trying to get Quebec Police to take an interest in the apparent crime which is deemed "cold."
Written almost forensically yet remaining very readable, this sad and disturbing story left me feeling hollow. I cannot fathom how any family could endure such frustration resulting from unspeakable loss.

[Tracy Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unable to put it down, I cried, I laughed and I raged. This is so much more than a murdered girl, a brother's quest, it will punch you in the gut. It's about the collateral damage that unsolved murders and disappearances leave behind. It's about advocacy and having a voice for those who are voiceless or silenced. I am proud to call you my friend John.
Patricia Pearson thanks John and the other family members for sharing the event that changed their lives, their views and destroyed their confidence in society's most fundamental institutions. She remarks that their stories are hard to tell; it is my opinion that their stories are harder to hear, because Theresa is me, she is you, she is your sister, she is your daughter...

[Hugh Stowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!! Checked out this book from the local library (Nov. 28). Stayed up and finished it last night. OMG.
In the "wee small hours" I had to go downstairs and check that all the doors were locked. Peered out into the blackness of the night and felt very vulnerable (I am a strong, fit guy and would tackle most anything). However, I started wondering about what I would do if somebody broke in and tried to assault my wife. I started thinking about a weapon that I would use in self defense... SPOILER ALLERT. What would I do if the attacker came after me with a roofing hammer?
I lived in Calgary during the 1990s prostitute murders and the stories came pretty close to home.

[Gillian Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story with a lot of depth and surprises. It's about the determination of John Allore to find answers about how his sister died, and it's far more than a story of a crime and following the evidence. Patricia Pearson writes so movingly about this family, and readers feel the powerful sorrow of how hard it is to move on when tragedy goes unsolved. As well, there's deep insight about the history of investigations into missing women, and how policing has always been politicized. A very satisfying read.

[Casandra Leitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be a woman today is hard enough but I’m so grateful for all the brave women and men who have helped our law enforcement progress to taking sexual crimes against women more seriously. I was appalled at some of the facts I learned in this book about some law enforcement agencies attitudes towards women who have been victimized by a sex crime. I struggled to keep track of all the names (I have zero French speaking abilities) so that’s why I rated this a 4. I got kind of lost in the tangles of the story, but otherwise I think this book is well done. I learned a lot!

[Mel T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing and enlightening read, highlighting the rape culture in law enforcement that still exists today. John Allore's recount of the disappearance of his sister and the later search for justice is poignant and heartbreaking, as his investigation reveals the school's and law enforcement's failure of not just Theresa Allore, but many other women and girls in Quebec and beyond.