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Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case
Bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the mysterious death of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanging from a second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend's San Diego mansion in 2011. She was naked and gagged, with her ankles tied and hands bound behind her. On the door to her bedroom investigators found a hand-written message: "SHE SAVED HIM, CAN YOU SAVE HER." The death was deemed a suicide, but Rother reveals there's more to the story...
"I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house."
The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER.
Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way?
Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers-including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases.
"I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house."
The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER.
Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way?
Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers-including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2021
498 people are currently reading
2719 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Rother
25 books320 followersNew York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.
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February 8, 2025
The six-year old son of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO mysteriously falls from a mansion staircase while in the care of the man’s younger live-in girlfriend. Two days later, with the boy’s chances of survival dwindling, she’s found hanging from an exterior balcony of the home gagged and naked with her hands bound behind her back and her ankles bound together with red nylon rope. A message is scrawled in black painted block letters on a bedroom door:
SHE SAVED HIM
CAN YOU SAVE HER
The CEO’s younger brother is the only other person on the property at the time, and he claims he cut the rope to get her body down before authorities arrived.
The police say it’s suicide. Her family and friends say “ No way” and are convinced the brother murdered her.
Is this the latest thriller I’ve read?
Sadly no. It’s the 2011 case of the suspicious deaths of Rebecca Zauhau and six-year-old Max Shacknai, the girlfriend and son respectively, of one-time Medicis CEO Jonah Shacknai.
In a case where most of the people on both sides of the story are as questionable as the investigative findings, it’s nearly impossible to walk away with any firm conclusion about what really happened to Rebecca and Max other than … wow, it’s all so messed up.
Try as I might, it’s hard to buy into the investigation’s finding that Rebecca Zauhau went to such elaborate and dramatic lengths to stage her own death. That’s asking too much of most rational people, though I’ll admit, much of the evidence certainly seems to back that conclusion. I’ll leave readers to discover what that evidence is.
Guilty or not, Jonah’s brother Adam has done himself no favors in the eyes of many with his bizarre angry rantings and behavior. Was he simply a good Samaritan who got caught up in another person’s darkest moment or is his true involvement in Rebecca’s death yet to be determined?
That answer may never come, though not if the Zauhau family has anything to say about it.
Investigative journalist Caitlin Rother’s book had its interesting moments, but I finished it with the same feeling I have when I’ve gotten invested in a story and am waiting for the big revelational moment to come, only to find out there is none. For all intents and purposes, the story is just over - the epilogue has no real promise of actual truth to come, which is so sad for everyone involved.
If you enjoy non-fiction, true crime stories, a deeply complicated investigation and civil trial, and stories of wealth, power and influence, all wrapped in mystery, secrets and real-life drama … this will work. Despite Rother’s best efforts, though, the book left me with more questions than answers. I hope the full truth eventually comes out.
SHE SAVED HIM
CAN YOU SAVE HER
The CEO’s younger brother is the only other person on the property at the time, and he claims he cut the rope to get her body down before authorities arrived.
The police say it’s suicide. Her family and friends say “ No way” and are convinced the brother murdered her.
Is this the latest thriller I’ve read?
Sadly no. It’s the 2011 case of the suspicious deaths of Rebecca Zauhau and six-year-old Max Shacknai, the girlfriend and son respectively, of one-time Medicis CEO Jonah Shacknai.
In a case where most of the people on both sides of the story are as questionable as the investigative findings, it’s nearly impossible to walk away with any firm conclusion about what really happened to Rebecca and Max other than … wow, it’s all so messed up.
Try as I might, it’s hard to buy into the investigation’s finding that Rebecca Zauhau went to such elaborate and dramatic lengths to stage her own death. That’s asking too much of most rational people, though I’ll admit, much of the evidence certainly seems to back that conclusion. I’ll leave readers to discover what that evidence is.
Guilty or not, Jonah’s brother Adam has done himself no favors in the eyes of many with his bizarre angry rantings and behavior. Was he simply a good Samaritan who got caught up in another person’s darkest moment or is his true involvement in Rebecca’s death yet to be determined?
That answer may never come, though not if the Zauhau family has anything to say about it.
Investigative journalist Caitlin Rother’s book had its interesting moments, but I finished it with the same feeling I have when I’ve gotten invested in a story and am waiting for the big revelational moment to come, only to find out there is none. For all intents and purposes, the story is just over - the epilogue has no real promise of actual truth to come, which is so sad for everyone involved.
If you enjoy non-fiction, true crime stories, a deeply complicated investigation and civil trial, and stories of wealth, power and influence, all wrapped in mystery, secrets and real-life drama … this will work. Despite Rother’s best efforts, though, the book left me with more questions than answers. I hope the full truth eventually comes out.
April 24, 2021
"SHE SAVED HIM, CAN YOU SAVE HER."
Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Yahau was found hanging naked, gagged, and bound from a balcony at her boyfriend's (Jonah Shacknai) historic Coronado mansion in 2011. This message "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER" was found written on a door. Her death was deemed a suicide, but was it?
It was the second time that the police were called to that residence. The first time was when they responded to a call for help for Jonah's six-year-old son, Max who took a fall while under Rebecca's care. Did Rebecca commit suicide out of guilt? Did she feel responsible for Max getting hurt?
Jonah Shacknai was not home on the night of Rebecca's suicide. His son, Max was in Rady Children's hospital in San Diego. He was staying at a hotel close to the hospital so he could be at the hospital at any given moment.
But Rebecca was not alone, Jonah's brother Adam had arrived and was staying at the mansion as well. Could he have been involved?
Rother takes readers through the events beginning with the 911 call to get help for Max after his tragic fall. She leads us through the days with information given from all involved including Max's mother and aunt. She provides the facts in a comprehensive manner. I had not heard about this case when it occurred (was I living under a rock?), so all the information was new to me. Readers a presented with information and theories from the authorities and experts. Rother takes readers are through the trial and after.
The author's research was impressive and extensive. She took nine years to research and write this book. She uses her personal interviews with both experts and witnesses. Her dedication to detail and providing the facts results in a comprehensive and informative book. There is a lot of information, but this book does not feel bogged down with it.
Fans of true crime will enjoy this book. In addition to be well written, it is informative, comprehensive and riveting.
I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Yahau was found hanging naked, gagged, and bound from a balcony at her boyfriend's (Jonah Shacknai) historic Coronado mansion in 2011. This message "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER" was found written on a door. Her death was deemed a suicide, but was it?
It was the second time that the police were called to that residence. The first time was when they responded to a call for help for Jonah's six-year-old son, Max who took a fall while under Rebecca's care. Did Rebecca commit suicide out of guilt? Did she feel responsible for Max getting hurt?
Jonah Shacknai was not home on the night of Rebecca's suicide. His son, Max was in Rady Children's hospital in San Diego. He was staying at a hotel close to the hospital so he could be at the hospital at any given moment.
But Rebecca was not alone, Jonah's brother Adam had arrived and was staying at the mansion as well. Could he have been involved?
Rother takes readers through the events beginning with the 911 call to get help for Max after his tragic fall. She leads us through the days with information given from all involved including Max's mother and aunt. She provides the facts in a comprehensive manner. I had not heard about this case when it occurred (was I living under a rock?), so all the information was new to me. Readers a presented with information and theories from the authorities and experts. Rother takes readers are through the trial and after.
The author's research was impressive and extensive. She took nine years to research and write this book. She uses her personal interviews with both experts and witnesses. Her dedication to detail and providing the facts results in a comprehensive and informative book. There is a lot of information, but this book does not feel bogged down with it.
Fans of true crime will enjoy this book. In addition to be well written, it is informative, comprehensive and riveting.
I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
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October 31, 2020I followed this case from the day Rebecca Zahau was found dead in the courtyard of the Spreckels Mansion in July 2011. I spent the next nine years researching and writing this book, with the goal of presenting the most comprehensive, objective, and authoritative version of what happened. This book is based primarily on my own personal interviews with witnesses and experts, reading the sheriff's investigative file, and the facts, theories, and opinions that came out in the civil courtroom where a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death. There is a lot of information in here that will be new to readers, and some of it will not be what they are expecting to read. I felt it was important to stay neutral and not take a position in this case, I just laid out the evidence and told the story the best I could, based on more than 30 years of experience as an investigative journalist and author, and my own personal experience being married to a man who ultimately hung himself in a motel room in Mexico. The rest is up to readers to decide.
April 16, 2021
I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
So I heard about this case, eons ago it seems. Ann Rule talked about it in one of her anthologies, and I always thought it was weird she didn't finish it or come back to it. I found out via this book though, she got threatened via a lawsuit so that explains that. But the case of Rebecca Zahau, who was found hung in 2011, with her arms bound behind her back, her ankles tied, her mouth gagged, all while naked, has fascinated true crime followers for a decade. The author follows all of the main people in Rebecca's life at the time of her death and provides context and details that the police had never released to the public. This book really does ask though, was Rebecca murdered, or did she commit suicide because she thought her relationship with her live in boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai was about to end.
For readers who don't know, "Inside the Coronado Mansion Case" starts at the "beginning" of the story and we get details about Jonah Shacknai's son, Max, who was hurt a few days before Rebecca's murder or suicide. Jonah's son Max was 6 and while playing or sliding down a bannister, somehow went over the banister at his father's mansion, tried to grab onto the chandelier and then was found on the ground covered with glass and unresponsive. Rebecca and her sister were the only ones at home at the time and Rebecca apparently tried to give Max CPR while her sister was on the phone trying to give directions to the 9-1-1 operator that they called for help. Police and ambulance converge on the mansion and take him to the hospital. Rebecca is asked to not go to the hospital by Jonah because she and Max's mother (his second wife) don't get along. For a time many people thought that Max would recover, but when all signs point to him not, Rebecca is found dead by Jonah's brother Adam. From there Rother follows whether Rebecca would have committed suicide over the accident or was she murdered.
I think that Rother does a great job of giving a lot of development to Rebecca. You get to see how she was a contradictory woman throughout her life. She had a long time husband who she was separated off and on from for years while they both perused relationships with other people. You find out that relationship was abusive, but she still seemed reluctant to leave it. She seemed to fall in love with men and they fell in love with her, but she seemed to want to be independent from them at times too. We get backstories on her parents, her sisters, her ex-husband, and ex-boyfriends. All of that I think was to try to give us details about why Rebecca may have been hiding something or been scared to say what happened to Jonah's son Max. I also felt really sorry for her at times because I think all signs were pointing to her relationship with Jonah ending. He seemed like a cold fish and at times made it seem like she was getting overly emotional about things and I was all, ehh well your second wife has pretty much called her a gold digger, your daughter doesn't sound much better, I don't blame her for being emotional.
Rother also provides us backstories on Jonah, his first two wives, his children, and his brother Adam.
You have Rother following up with private investigators and providing us information from medical reports on both Max and Rebecca.
I think that Rother did a great job of staying neutral with this book. She provides us facts and contexts around things many readers may not have known. Heck, I don't know if most of the participants had any idea. But from my point of view it seems like the San Diego County Sheriff Department bungled this whole case from beginning to end. I do think that Rebecca was murdered. My only question is though, was only 1 person involved, or more.
So I heard about this case, eons ago it seems. Ann Rule talked about it in one of her anthologies, and I always thought it was weird she didn't finish it or come back to it. I found out via this book though, she got threatened via a lawsuit so that explains that. But the case of Rebecca Zahau, who was found hung in 2011, with her arms bound behind her back, her ankles tied, her mouth gagged, all while naked, has fascinated true crime followers for a decade. The author follows all of the main people in Rebecca's life at the time of her death and provides context and details that the police had never released to the public. This book really does ask though, was Rebecca murdered, or did she commit suicide because she thought her relationship with her live in boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai was about to end.
For readers who don't know, "Inside the Coronado Mansion Case" starts at the "beginning" of the story and we get details about Jonah Shacknai's son, Max, who was hurt a few days before Rebecca's murder or suicide. Jonah's son Max was 6 and while playing or sliding down a bannister, somehow went over the banister at his father's mansion, tried to grab onto the chandelier and then was found on the ground covered with glass and unresponsive. Rebecca and her sister were the only ones at home at the time and Rebecca apparently tried to give Max CPR while her sister was on the phone trying to give directions to the 9-1-1 operator that they called for help. Police and ambulance converge on the mansion and take him to the hospital. Rebecca is asked to not go to the hospital by Jonah because she and Max's mother (his second wife) don't get along. For a time many people thought that Max would recover, but when all signs point to him not, Rebecca is found dead by Jonah's brother Adam. From there Rother follows whether Rebecca would have committed suicide over the accident or was she murdered.
I think that Rother does a great job of giving a lot of development to Rebecca. You get to see how she was a contradictory woman throughout her life. She had a long time husband who she was separated off and on from for years while they both perused relationships with other people. You find out that relationship was abusive, but she still seemed reluctant to leave it. She seemed to fall in love with men and they fell in love with her, but she seemed to want to be independent from them at times too. We get backstories on her parents, her sisters, her ex-husband, and ex-boyfriends. All of that I think was to try to give us details about why Rebecca may have been hiding something or been scared to say what happened to Jonah's son Max. I also felt really sorry for her at times because I think all signs were pointing to her relationship with Jonah ending. He seemed like a cold fish and at times made it seem like she was getting overly emotional about things and I was all, ehh well your second wife has pretty much called her a gold digger, your daughter doesn't sound much better, I don't blame her for being emotional.
Rother also provides us backstories on Jonah, his first two wives, his children, and his brother Adam.
You have Rother following up with private investigators and providing us information from medical reports on both Max and Rebecca.
I think that Rother did a great job of staying neutral with this book. She provides us facts and contexts around things many readers may not have known. Heck, I don't know if most of the participants had any idea. But from my point of view it seems like the San Diego County Sheriff Department bungled this whole case from beginning to end. I do think that Rebecca was murdered. My only question is though, was only 1 person involved, or more.
January 31, 2022
When my book club chose this book I was really excited. Being from Southern California, I was surprised I hadn’t heard of this case before. The book was about the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau, a woman found naked hanging from her balcony. On the door to the bedroom the police found a handwritten message that said “she saved him, can you save her”. This occurred just a few days after her boyfriend’s son was seriously injured in her care. What unfolds is one of the most baffling and unique true crime stories I’ve read.
Thoughts: This book was not what I was expecting at all. I loved learning about the case, because there was so much detail here. It was way too much detail in my opinion, and this book could have been much shorter with the same impact. It is so well written and has lots of intriguing information, but it was really repetitive and added in a lot of unnecessary detail.
I listened to this book on audio and thought the narrator did a great job. The case was so strange that it felt almost like a movie. This book has no answers and is not the type where you find out what happened in the end. The author brought her personal experience with suicide into the book which was unnecessary and distracting. I felt awful for everyone involved and it seemed that this is a case we may never get answers from. 3-stars for this true crime book.
Thoughts: This book was not what I was expecting at all. I loved learning about the case, because there was so much detail here. It was way too much detail in my opinion, and this book could have been much shorter with the same impact. It is so well written and has lots of intriguing information, but it was really repetitive and added in a lot of unnecessary detail.
I listened to this book on audio and thought the narrator did a great job. The case was so strange that it felt almost like a movie. This book has no answers and is not the type where you find out what happened in the end. The author brought her personal experience with suicide into the book which was unnecessary and distracting. I felt awful for everyone involved and it seemed that this is a case we may never get answers from. 3-stars for this true crime book.
February 20, 2021
This story was was really big news and captured the attention of many. People were fascinated by the case, wondering what happened and was it ever going to really be known. In 2011, when Rebecca Zahau was found dead, hanging from the balcony of the Spreckels mansion, it just seemed such a bizarre thing to happen. Then you read about Max Shacknai’s injury just 2 days earlier, and you’re really intrigued! Rother followed the story from the time Zahau died, writing and researching the story for 9 years all with an eye to doing this book. She was keeping tabs on the story all along, writing as it went, waiting for the right time. I have seen many shows done on TV about this case, but this book is the latest word and likely the deepest dive into the story. I’ve liked previous works I’ve read by Rother like Poisoned Love, Lost Girls, and Then No One Can Have Her. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Caitlin Rother, and the publisher.
May 4, 2021
“Death on Ocean Boulevard, Inside the Coronado Mansion Case” is the “real-life” saga of the unique circumstances surrounding the hanging death of Rebecca Zahau in Coronado California. There were actually two tragedies in 2011 in the Spreckels Mansion, one a few days prior to the sensational death of Rebecca. How could these two unimaginable events happen? Were they independent events or were they sequentially causal with some unthinkable connection. Author Caitlin Rother knew from the start that this case would be of interest to the public, so Rother conducted extensive research and tracked the case in detail as it unfolded. The case made headlines across the nation and created enormous media frenzy. More than half a dozen news outlets and documentaries featured this controversial and hotly debated mystery. There were five possibilities in Rebecca’s death; it was not natural or accidental, and no one wanted to say “‘undetermined.” That left homicide or suicide, and everyone wanted to be very sure which one it was.
Right from the start, circumstantial evidence, unreliable statements, and overlooked details clouded the already murky waters of Rebecca’s case. Someone was dishonest, or perhaps everyone was. There were a lot of people involved, so Rother systematically introduces them to readers and provides detailed information on their backgrounds and relationships to others; readers get to know them well. Most are not consistent in their recollections of these tragic events, and many have secrets to protect.
“Death on Ocean Boulevard” is a comprehensive look at a disturbing and complicated series of events. This is not a mystery-thriller book that can be quickly wrapped up on the last page. The case itself lingered over multiple years, cost millions in legal fees, racked up uncountable hours of law enforcement time, and caused unimaginable grief for those left behind.
Right from the start, circumstantial evidence, unreliable statements, and overlooked details clouded the already murky waters of Rebecca’s case. Someone was dishonest, or perhaps everyone was. There were a lot of people involved, so Rother systematically introduces them to readers and provides detailed information on their backgrounds and relationships to others; readers get to know them well. Most are not consistent in their recollections of these tragic events, and many have secrets to protect.
“Death on Ocean Boulevard” is a comprehensive look at a disturbing and complicated series of events. This is not a mystery-thriller book that can be quickly wrapped up on the last page. The case itself lingered over multiple years, cost millions in legal fees, racked up uncountable hours of law enforcement time, and caused unimaginable grief for those left behind.
August 25, 2020
I've read pretty much every book Caitlin Rother has written and they have all been amazing. I just know this one is going to be an amazing 5 star book as well and I can't wait to read it!!
April 16, 2021
This was an audiobook for me and narrated by Rachel Perry who by the way did a great job.
This crime was such a mystery to me and it had a million unknowns. I watched some of this on tv and was excited to get my hands on this. This book takes an
in-depth look into this tragedy.
What happened in that house??
What. Happened???
If you read this you’ll see a biography on really all the people mentioned in this story. I thought it was very informative and interesting. I love true crime. I would definitely recommend it and read another book by this author.
Thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for this. I’m voluntarily leaving my review.
This crime was such a mystery to me and it had a million unknowns. I watched some of this on tv and was excited to get my hands on this. This book takes an
in-depth look into this tragedy.
What happened in that house??
What. Happened???
If you read this you’ll see a biography on really all the people mentioned in this story. I thought it was very informative and interesting. I love true crime. I would definitely recommend it and read another book by this author.
Thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for this. I’m voluntarily leaving my review.
July 20, 2021
Two bizarre deaths occurring within days of each other in a California mansion. This book by a true crime reporter will keep you reading trying to figure out how the deaths occurred, were they accidents, or murder, or was one possibly a suicide?
Lots of interesting trial evidence and testimony. We’re the police investigations shoddy work or perhaps manipulated by powerful wealthy people?
Were the deaths revenge killings or targeted hits to influence the stock price of a corporation?
Lots of interesting trial evidence and testimony. We’re the police investigations shoddy work or perhaps manipulated by powerful wealthy people?
Were the deaths revenge killings or targeted hits to influence the stock price of a corporation?
March 13, 2021
The story of the death of Rebecca Zahau is so freaking bizarre! I first heard about it on a podcast and it was so off the wall, I was so curious…so I sought out other podcasts, resulting in total confusion. So I was happy when I read that Caitlin Rother, well-known author of true crime stories, had written Death On Ocean Boulevard. I thought surely I would at least come away from it with less confusion than I felt after the podcasts…
During the several years that I lived in San Diego, I spent more than my fair share of time bodysurfing near the Hotel Del in Coronado and hanging around on the island (actually a peninsula, but whatever), so I was familiar with the location. Reading that Rebecca Zahau and her very rich boyfriend Jonah Shaknai were staying in his “vacation home” (the Spreckels mansion, located across the street from the water, right on Ocean Blvd) with his young son and Rebecca’s visiting sister Xena when the crimes occurred, I had a clear picture in my mind of the location. That was just about the last clear picture I had about this crime. Or should I say crimes?
The first “crime” (?) is the death of Jonah’s young son Max, who was staying in the mansion in July 2011, entertaining himself as a young boy would (apparently riding his scooter around the second floor balcony), when he somehow went over the railing and ended up on the floor downstairs, along with the chandelier and his scooter. He was rushed to the hospital and died a few days later, with the death being ruled an accident. Jonah’s ex wasn’t a fan of the new woman in his and Max’s lives, and she seemed to blame Rebecca for the death of her son.
While Max was in the hospital, Jonah’s brother Adam came to stay, and early one morning he called 911 when he discovered the second “crime” — Rebecca, hanging over the outside balcony, with her hands and feet securely bound and a gag in her mouth. The first responders ruled it a suicide, despite the fact that she had gone over the railing with her hands securely tied behind her back.
Rebecca’s family won a civil suit for wrongful death against Jonah’s brother Adam (who seemed a likely suspect as he had found the body which had been tied with some intricate knots, and as a riverboat captain, he was familiar with such knots). There have been lots of investigations and attempts to explain how the bleep Rebecca killed herself, particularly since those close to her strongly objected to it even being a suicide.
Ms. Rother has done her usual fully detailed research, perhaps even more than usual as she admits to a strong personal feeling of connection to cases involving suicide after her husband took his own life. I’m fascinated by this particular story, and was hooked on the book right away, although my personal opinion is that it would have been improved by edits that took the author’s personal experiences etc. out of it. While interesting, Ms. Rother’s story is not what I was interested in, and I don’t think the book would have been diminished if it were limited to Ms. Zahau’s story. I also recall that the law enforcement and public officials in San Diego have long had a reputation for less than squeaky clean operations, and my takeaway from the book was that Mr. Shaknai’s money likely had an impact on the investigation that ruled Rebecca’s death a suicide. (In actuality, I think my reaction was along the lines of “suicide? Yeah, right…”)
Thanks to Kensington Books/Citadel and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Four stars (would have been five if it had just told the story of the crimes and left out the author’s personal story).
During the several years that I lived in San Diego, I spent more than my fair share of time bodysurfing near the Hotel Del in Coronado and hanging around on the island (actually a peninsula, but whatever), so I was familiar with the location. Reading that Rebecca Zahau and her very rich boyfriend Jonah Shaknai were staying in his “vacation home” (the Spreckels mansion, located across the street from the water, right on Ocean Blvd) with his young son and Rebecca’s visiting sister Xena when the crimes occurred, I had a clear picture in my mind of the location. That was just about the last clear picture I had about this crime. Or should I say crimes?
The first “crime” (?) is the death of Jonah’s young son Max, who was staying in the mansion in July 2011, entertaining himself as a young boy would (apparently riding his scooter around the second floor balcony), when he somehow went over the railing and ended up on the floor downstairs, along with the chandelier and his scooter. He was rushed to the hospital and died a few days later, with the death being ruled an accident. Jonah’s ex wasn’t a fan of the new woman in his and Max’s lives, and she seemed to blame Rebecca for the death of her son.
While Max was in the hospital, Jonah’s brother Adam came to stay, and early one morning he called 911 when he discovered the second “crime” — Rebecca, hanging over the outside balcony, with her hands and feet securely bound and a gag in her mouth. The first responders ruled it a suicide, despite the fact that she had gone over the railing with her hands securely tied behind her back.
Rebecca’s family won a civil suit for wrongful death against Jonah’s brother Adam (who seemed a likely suspect as he had found the body which had been tied with some intricate knots, and as a riverboat captain, he was familiar with such knots). There have been lots of investigations and attempts to explain how the bleep Rebecca killed herself, particularly since those close to her strongly objected to it even being a suicide.
Ms. Rother has done her usual fully detailed research, perhaps even more than usual as she admits to a strong personal feeling of connection to cases involving suicide after her husband took his own life. I’m fascinated by this particular story, and was hooked on the book right away, although my personal opinion is that it would have been improved by edits that took the author’s personal experiences etc. out of it. While interesting, Ms. Rother’s story is not what I was interested in, and I don’t think the book would have been diminished if it were limited to Ms. Zahau’s story. I also recall that the law enforcement and public officials in San Diego have long had a reputation for less than squeaky clean operations, and my takeaway from the book was that Mr. Shaknai’s money likely had an impact on the investigation that ruled Rebecca’s death a suicide. (In actuality, I think my reaction was along the lines of “suicide? Yeah, right…”)
Thanks to Kensington Books/Citadel and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Four stars (would have been five if it had just told the story of the crimes and left out the author’s personal story).
April 4, 2021
I really was not familiar with this case, guess I missed the TV shows, and I live on the East Coast, and life got in the way! That being said, the author presented the case, actually, almost as it unfolded. We get to know more that those who read about it, or listen to news reports. What an excellent job the author did in presenting this.
Tragically, some facts may never be made know, and someone may get away with murder. I know reading this I was certain that I knew the answers, but with the help of Caitlin Rother we make headway, and find out about the trial. Even then, we have doubts, and keep reading!
I admire how much work the author put into this book, and at times she had to really fight to get this information, including being harassed!
I received this book through Net Galley and Kensington Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
Tragically, some facts may never be made know, and someone may get away with murder. I know reading this I was certain that I knew the answers, but with the help of Caitlin Rother we make headway, and find out about the trial. Even then, we have doubts, and keep reading!
I admire how much work the author put into this book, and at times she had to really fight to get this information, including being harassed!
I received this book through Net Galley and Kensington Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
April 4, 2021
Not a good book, in my opinion. The writing style jumped between novel and narration, it was irritating.
Also, the author jumped from one thought to the next with no flow. There was a topic which was not entirely explored and developed, then came the next which was only mentioned for about a page...
Also, there was too much personal narration in the book. If I read about a true crime case, I want to read about the case, not about the author's work on the book...
I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Also, the author jumped from one thought to the next with no flow. There was a topic which was not entirely explored and developed, then came the next which was only mentioned for about a page...
Also, there was too much personal narration in the book. If I read about a true crime case, I want to read about the case, not about the author's work on the book...
I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2021
Began reading this morning. Did not know this was about Rebecca Zahau. If there is one true crime happening that is a mystery it is this one. Normally I do not read books about unsolved crimes but some times I make exceptions. (Lost Girls by Robert Kolker comes to mind which was fabulous)
Haven't read much but so far it is good.
Update: Finished this morning.
What to say about this book. I thought it was interesting and I liked that she wrote a bit about thr time in Rebecca's life before she lived with Jonah Schacknai.
I do think the relationship between this couple was not as good as I first thought it was. She took care of the children and he paid her for it. At first she had a job but this seemed to both a good idea. This did make her dependent of him though which is never a good thing in my opinion. Money was important for her because she had been poor and she wanted to take care of her family.
Then she had to endure the older daughter's animosity (which is hard as it is for a couple) but not just that also Dina the mother of Max was very critical of her and to say the least,not very friendly.
She did not have a support system and they were not sure they should stay with each other.
Why I think it is a murder: No woman wants to die naked plus why would she bind and gag herself and do all this trouble, plus the weird message?
Why I think it is a suicide: I think at first I did not even consider that it could be a suicide but reading about her crazy ways dealing with her lovers I began at least contemplating it.
She hated confrontation that's for sure but that being said she acted normal during the time right after Max his accident.
I do not believe one thing and that is that outsiders came in the house to kill Max.
This book gave me all the facts but I am still just as confused about this case as I was before reading.No I am more confused.
At times I did become a bit bored reading but all in all a good book. This wasn't an easy book to write.
Haven't read much but so far it is good.
Update: Finished this morning.
What to say about this book. I thought it was interesting and I liked that she wrote a bit about thr time in Rebecca's life before she lived with Jonah Schacknai.
I do think the relationship between this couple was not as good as I first thought it was. She took care of the children and he paid her for it. At first she had a job but this seemed to both a good idea. This did make her dependent of him though which is never a good thing in my opinion. Money was important for her because she had been poor and she wanted to take care of her family.
Then she had to endure the older daughter's animosity (which is hard as it is for a couple) but not just that also Dina the mother of Max was very critical of her and to say the least,not very friendly.
She did not have a support system and they were not sure they should stay with each other.
Why I think it is a murder: No woman wants to die naked plus why would she bind and gag herself and do all this trouble, plus the weird message?
Why I think it is a suicide: I think at first I did not even consider that it could be a suicide but reading about her crazy ways dealing with her lovers I began at least contemplating it.
She hated confrontation that's for sure but that being said she acted normal during the time right after Max his accident.
I do not believe one thing and that is that outsiders came in the house to kill Max.
This book gave me all the facts but I am still just as confused about this case as I was before reading.No I am more confused.
At times I did become a bit bored reading but all in all a good book. This wasn't an easy book to write.
May 8, 2021
Rebecca Zahau is the much younger girlfriend of Jonah Shacknai, a wealthy business owner. They seem to have a close relationship and Rebecca loves his six-year-old son Max like her own. She has a contentious relationship with Adam's ex-wife, Dina, and his daughter, Cindy, from his first marriage. Max fell from the second story balcony, Rebecca tried to revive him and he was taken to the hospital. A couple days later Rebecca's naked body is found bound and gagged hanging from a second story balcony.
This is rounded up from 2.5. I felt that the book was very well researched but I have read books by Ann Rule and enjoyed them. I found the second half of this book to just be speculation. A lot of time was devoted to a civil suit against Jonah's brother, Adam by the Zahau family but there were no real conclusions. Was it murder or suicide? Was Adam, responsible because he was staying at the guest house at the time? It read like a 20/20 episode. One chapter recounts the findings of a website called Websleuths where 90% of the members felt that Adam was responsible and any of the posts advocating the suicide were removed because they were thought to come from the Shacknai family. From that point on I lost interest and skimmed to the end to find that I was right and they still don't know what happened.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book.
This is rounded up from 2.5. I felt that the book was very well researched but I have read books by Ann Rule and enjoyed them. I found the second half of this book to just be speculation. A lot of time was devoted to a civil suit against Jonah's brother, Adam by the Zahau family but there were no real conclusions. Was it murder or suicide? Was Adam, responsible because he was staying at the guest house at the time? It read like a 20/20 episode. One chapter recounts the findings of a website called Websleuths where 90% of the members felt that Adam was responsible and any of the posts advocating the suicide were removed because they were thought to come from the Shacknai family. From that point on I lost interest and skimmed to the end to find that I was right and they still don't know what happened.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book.
July 6, 2021
Nonfiction account of two bizarre deaths and the resulting scandal and court cases. I ended up skimming much of the second half of the book because there were so many tangents and references to unrelated information.
April 23, 2021
Rebecca Zahau lived with her boyfriend, Jonah, and his three children. Jonah had shared custody with both his ex wives. Rebecca experienced some hostility from both wives and Cindy, Jonah's daughter.
Rebecca was very loving, especially with Jonah's youngest son, Max. His mother, Dina, had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role.
In July 2011, Max suffered severe injuries from a fall, though no one is able to determine how it happened. Two days later, Rebecca is found at the mansion, rope around her ankles and hands, nude, hanging from a balcony.
Ruled a suicide, Rebecca's family fight for the truth knowing their daughter would never kill herself.
Harrowing story. Why did the police rule suicide and fail to investigate other possibilities? Such as homicide?
Rebecca was very loving, especially with Jonah's youngest son, Max. His mother, Dina, had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role.
In July 2011, Max suffered severe injuries from a fall, though no one is able to determine how it happened. Two days later, Rebecca is found at the mansion, rope around her ankles and hands, nude, hanging from a balcony.
Ruled a suicide, Rebecca's family fight for the truth knowing their daughter would never kill herself.
Harrowing story. Why did the police rule suicide and fail to investigate other possibilities? Such as homicide?
August 20, 2025
Horribly written! Wowza- who edited this? After page 10 I knew this was a no go for me - written as if extracted verbatim from media reports - weirdly inconsistent and/or unexplained relationships - sentences don’t tie to each other - a real mess
August 7, 2021
This was a wild ride. I couldn’t put it down all day
December 6, 2021
I rarely read true-crime books and I'm not sure how I found my way to this one, but what a strange case it was and remains and what an interesting and balanced investigative dive it was to read.
June 21, 2022
I have long been fascinated by this case as I've heard it featured on many true-crime podcasts. I've always thought Adam was guilty straightaway but reading here about Rebecca's DNA being all over the pertinent places has given me pause.....I just couldn't get on board with her hanging herself naked like that for the world to see and the spotlight it would shine both on her family and Jonah at the time. It was appalling just how long her body was left outside in full view. It reminded me of the kids in Columbine whose bodies laid in situ for hours and hours outdoors...I also wonder at the massive drop in her hanging and her neck not being broken. I find that pretty unfathomable, too.
However, who can say where her mind went upon receiving the voicemail from Jonah that night ? I believe Max's death was only a terrible accident. He was often known to play ball indoors and mess around and I believe he could've been playing with Rebecca's dog or her sister and just made a grab for his ball and went over the rail. Plus he'd been diagnosed with a heart problem, something I had never heard till now.....the mention of his postmortem exhibiting an affect similar to drowning I was puzzled by, though.
The message on the door I think Rebecca painted because of the broken sort of English utilised, but I don't really know what she meant by it in all fairness. I was worried about Ocean so I am happy the author gave us an update on him as I looked online and couldn't find any news. The table with its 3 legs also bothered me as I really can't see how it held Adam up. I wouldn't have climbed onto a 3-legged table !! I had spotted the lividity on the backs of her legs in close-up photos and that doesn't ring true, either, for the hanging idea......so very, very confusing altogether. We never learned what happened to the ring Jonah had gifted Rebecca, either, which I found strange.
I googled Restalyne but it seems it should read Restylane, there were a few needless spaces in words and one apostrophe error but that was all I noticed regarding mistakes, which is to be commended.
The author made me laugh aloud at her Ambien aside after her conversation with Adam. I watched him on the news and he did himself no favours whatsoever, in all honesty. He came across as bloody abrasive and rude, and didn't care about Rebecca's death at all. I was saddened to read of her own loss, though it gave her an intriguing insight herself. She has done a lot of research but I still left the ending not really knowing what she thought had actually happened. I doubt none of us will ever know, now.
However, who can say where her mind went upon receiving the voicemail from Jonah that night ? I believe Max's death was only a terrible accident. He was often known to play ball indoors and mess around and I believe he could've been playing with Rebecca's dog or her sister and just made a grab for his ball and went over the rail. Plus he'd been diagnosed with a heart problem, something I had never heard till now.....the mention of his postmortem exhibiting an affect similar to drowning I was puzzled by, though.
The message on the door I think Rebecca painted because of the broken sort of English utilised, but I don't really know what she meant by it in all fairness. I was worried about Ocean so I am happy the author gave us an update on him as I looked online and couldn't find any news. The table with its 3 legs also bothered me as I really can't see how it held Adam up. I wouldn't have climbed onto a 3-legged table !! I had spotted the lividity on the backs of her legs in close-up photos and that doesn't ring true, either, for the hanging idea......so very, very confusing altogether. We never learned what happened to the ring Jonah had gifted Rebecca, either, which I found strange.
I googled Restalyne but it seems it should read Restylane, there were a few needless spaces in words and one apostrophe error but that was all I noticed regarding mistakes, which is to be commended.
The author made me laugh aloud at her Ambien aside after her conversation with Adam. I watched him on the news and he did himself no favours whatsoever, in all honesty. He came across as bloody abrasive and rude, and didn't care about Rebecca's death at all. I was saddened to read of her own loss, though it gave her an intriguing insight herself. She has done a lot of research but I still left the ending not really knowing what she thought had actually happened. I doubt none of us will ever know, now.
May 31, 2022
You know those cases where it's obvious we're never going to know what actually happened? Well, that's how I feel every single time I get new information about the deaths of Max Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau.
I highly recommend watching the Dateline or 20/20 episode about this case before reading Death on Ocean Boulevard. So many of the people involved in this case have the same names, and I found it much easier to differentiate who was who having already seen them on Dateline.
Jonah and Rebecca spent their summers at Spreckels Mansion, in Coronado, California. Rebecca was gearing up for a beach day with her sister and Jonah's son, Max. That trip was over before it began when Max suffered a fatal fall from the banister. Two days later, Jonah and his ex-wife, Dina, were hearing their son's grim diagnosis, while Rebecca was living out the final moments of her life.
Rebecca was found nude, hanging from her balcony, hands and feet bound, with a tshirt fashioned into a gag in her mouth. Jonah's brother, Adam found this horrific scene the next morning and called the police. In his 911 call, Adam made the assumption that this was a suicide, police grasped onto that idea and have yet to let go.
Caitlin Rother's book is the first full-length true crime book to fully explore this case from all angles. Death on Ocean Boulevard was released in 2021 and contains the most current information about Max and Rebecca's deaths. It lays out new unbiased theories on both sides of the murder/suicide debate. It even details the findings of the civil lawsuit against Adam Shacknai in 2018.
I won't post my personal opinions about the case because I feel different people will take away different things from the information Caitlin provided in this book. But I will say, I have very little hope that this case will ever be reopened. My hope is that since then-Sheriff Bill Gore has finally retired, maybe someone will get to look at this case with a fresh set of eyes. Gore's questionable ethics and statements surrounding the case and other cases he's been involved with (see The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge ) irk me to my very core.
More true crime reviews at A Reader's Diary!
I highly recommend watching the Dateline or 20/20 episode about this case before reading Death on Ocean Boulevard. So many of the people involved in this case have the same names, and I found it much easier to differentiate who was who having already seen them on Dateline.
Jonah and Rebecca spent their summers at Spreckels Mansion, in Coronado, California. Rebecca was gearing up for a beach day with her sister and Jonah's son, Max. That trip was over before it began when Max suffered a fatal fall from the banister. Two days later, Jonah and his ex-wife, Dina, were hearing their son's grim diagnosis, while Rebecca was living out the final moments of her life.
Rebecca was found nude, hanging from her balcony, hands and feet bound, with a tshirt fashioned into a gag in her mouth. Jonah's brother, Adam found this horrific scene the next morning and called the police. In his 911 call, Adam made the assumption that this was a suicide, police grasped onto that idea and have yet to let go.
Caitlin Rother's book is the first full-length true crime book to fully explore this case from all angles. Death on Ocean Boulevard was released in 2021 and contains the most current information about Max and Rebecca's deaths. It lays out new unbiased theories on both sides of the murder/suicide debate. It even details the findings of the civil lawsuit against Adam Shacknai in 2018.
I won't post my personal opinions about the case because I feel different people will take away different things from the information Caitlin provided in this book. But I will say, I have very little hope that this case will ever be reopened. My hope is that since then-Sheriff Bill Gore has finally retired, maybe someone will get to look at this case with a fresh set of eyes. Gore's questionable ethics and statements surrounding the case and other cases he's been involved with (see The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge ) irk me to my very core.
More true crime reviews at A Reader's Diary!
February 18, 2021
This was a very good book covering a very strange case. Caitlin Rother does a very good job at trying to make some sense of a terribly strange case. No one will ever know exactly what happened in July of 2011 but she does put things into probable order.
Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the mysterious death of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanging from a second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend's San Diego mansion in 2011. She was naked and gagged, with her ankles tied and hands bound behind her. On the door to her bedroom, investigators found a hand-written message: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER. The death was deemed a suicide, but Rother reveals there's more to the story...
I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house.
The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER.
Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way?
Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers--including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases.
Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the mysterious death of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanging from a second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend's San Diego mansion in 2011. She was naked and gagged, with her ankles tied and hands bound behind her. On the door to her bedroom, investigators found a hand-written message: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER. The death was deemed a suicide, but Rother reveals there's more to the story...
I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house.
The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER.
Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way?
Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers--including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases.
May 29, 2021
trigger warning
Two days after a tragic accident that send a child to intensive care, the adult who was supervising is found hanged.
We have two events that are investigated in this book. The author, who is an investigative journalist, followed the news from the beginning because they thought this could potentially make a good book. Since they have their own experience with being related to a person who died by suicide, there are a few instances in this book in which parallels are drawn between personal recollections and the researched events.
I found the way the facts are presented easily comprehensible. It was a huge mess, but that was due to what happened - life is messy. And unsatisfying, this true crime book does not come with a neat solution wrapped with a bow, which frustrates me, but as it depicts true happenings, I can not fault the book, the author, or anyone else.
This was a hard read. While nobody can exactly say at this point what really happened, some of the people mentioned in this went through a lot of stuff, and I hope that those who are still alive now have had their share of traumatic events and will have the chance to recover and heal.
If you're into true crime, give it a go. If you need trigger warnings, really make sure to look them up before picking up this book.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
Two days after a tragic accident that send a child to intensive care, the adult who was supervising is found hanged.
We have two events that are investigated in this book. The author, who is an investigative journalist, followed the news from the beginning because they thought this could potentially make a good book. Since they have their own experience with being related to a person who died by suicide, there are a few instances in this book in which parallels are drawn between personal recollections and the researched events.
I found the way the facts are presented easily comprehensible. It was a huge mess, but that was due to what happened - life is messy. And unsatisfying, this true crime book does not come with a neat solution wrapped with a bow, which frustrates me, but as it depicts true happenings, I can not fault the book, the author, or anyone else.
This was a hard read. While nobody can exactly say at this point what really happened, some of the people mentioned in this went through a lot of stuff, and I hope that those who are still alive now have had their share of traumatic events and will have the chance to recover and heal.
If you're into true crime, give it a go. If you need trigger warnings, really make sure to look them up before picking up this book.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
February 15, 2025
"Common sense says Rebecca did not paint the amateurishly painted message on the door. And if she did not, someone else did . . . This was only one of numerous pieces of circumstantial evidence that puts the sheriff’s conclusion into question. As a result, it is not unreasonable to still ask, who killed Rebecca Zahau?"
Well people it appears that common sense took the last train out of town on this case, nothing in this makes any sense! Little boy appears to have gone over a second floor railing, grabs a chandelier on his way down, hits the floor and off to the hospital nearly dead, wtf? Then, not two days later his father's live in girlfriend, alone in the mansion with Adam, the boy's weird uncle commits "suicide" by tying herself in fancy knots and hanging herself naked, outside in the balcony!🙄
I will say this, I have no idea what kind of shenanigans went on in that house, but I do not believe any reasonable person (specially a woman), can buy that Rebecca Zahau committed suicide in such a manner.
If I were a betting woman my money would be on Adam as the killer, with his brother the millionaire using his money and influence with the authorities, to get the desired results, but heck we may never know. This book left me with more questions than answers and that tends to irritate me.😡
Well people it appears that common sense took the last train out of town on this case, nothing in this makes any sense! Little boy appears to have gone over a second floor railing, grabs a chandelier on his way down, hits the floor and off to the hospital nearly dead, wtf? Then, not two days later his father's live in girlfriend, alone in the mansion with Adam, the boy's weird uncle commits "suicide" by tying herself in fancy knots and hanging herself naked, outside in the balcony!🙄
I will say this, I have no idea what kind of shenanigans went on in that house, but I do not believe any reasonable person (specially a woman), can buy that Rebecca Zahau committed suicide in such a manner.
If I were a betting woman my money would be on Adam as the killer, with his brother the millionaire using his money and influence with the authorities, to get the desired results, but heck we may never know. This book left me with more questions than answers and that tends to irritate me.😡
April 20, 2021
I used to live in San Diego so this story felt extra interesting to me. I am familiar with Hotel Del and the Spreckles Mansion. I did not hear about these deaths- are they murder??? Rother does a great job presenting evidence for both sides and really leaves you wondering what actually happened?! I am biased obviously so I feel like I know what happened 🙃 and there was plenty of detail in the book to support my theory. It was such a good read! A real life true crime mystery!!!!
February 16, 2021
First let me thank Netgalley,, the publisher, and Ms. Rother for the opportunity to read this book for a review. The opportunity to read a Caitlin Rother book ARC?! You did not have to ask me twice! As always she did not disappoint. Ms. Rother starts the book telling how the story came close to home for her emotionally and end with how the story came close to home for her professionally and personally. When reading true crime I do often think about what the author has to go through to get the book written. In this case, Ms. Rother shares the experience with the reader. The deaths in this book are a decade old, yet still has no definitive ending. How could Rebecca Zahau have committed suicide the way it is suggested? Who wrote the message on the door? Was six year old Max the victim of foul play? Did Rebecca's Millionaire boyfriend's brother have anything do do with her death? There are so many questions about this case that are still unanswered. Yes, there was a trial in civil court, but with the death still listed as a suicide could we see a murder trail in the future. I had not heard about this case previously. This is a book that is 10 years in the making and was well worth the wait Any fan of true crime and/or Ms. Rother's books will be thrilled reading this story. I am giving this book a solid 5 star review.
May 7, 2024
This case is so full of mystery. It’s a really sad one! No really clear answers. The author did a great job exploring theories, remaining neutral and kind to the decedents. I so wish there was a way to know what really happened here.
February 25, 2021
Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbor by Ann Rule. This book came out in 2012. That’s the first time I read about Max & Rebecca. Then I did see the Dateline episode about these two at the end of 2018.
I was thrilled to be reading this book. I have always wondered what really happened to these two. There are just too many how or why. Makes you wonder if money, can influence people.
I was thrilled to be reading this book. I have always wondered what really happened to these two. There are just too many how or why. Makes you wonder if money, can influence people.
April 28, 2021
"I got a girl. Hung herself in the guest house."
So starts the investigation into the death of Rebecca Zahau, a beautiful young woman who was the live-in girlfriend of the wealthy and older Jonah Shacknai. According to friends and family, Rebecca was not the type to commit suicide, much less by hanging. She, like the crime scene, seemed to be a bundle of contradictions, from a smart, ambitious professional to an estranged wife with a tale of kidnapping in between the reconciliations with her husband. What made Rebecca's case so newsworthy was not only the unusual way in which she died, be it suicide or homicide, and the location - a historic beachfront mansion built in 1908 by one of San Diego's most powerful men in the affluent resort city of Coronado - but that the six-year-old son of Rebecca's boyfriend suffered a fatal fall in the same home only two days before Rebecca's death.
How could this lovely home be the scene of two deadly incidents within two days? Were the deaths of Max and Rebecca related? Did the authorities do their jobs in both cases or did they close the investigations too quickly?
As a true crime aficionado who has studied abnormal psychology and read more books in the genres than your average reader, the cases of Max Shacknai or Rebecca Zahau are two of the strangest that I have ever come across. I have an additional "connection" to this case, besides just being a "fan" of true crime. I lived in San Diego at the time Max and Rebecca died and my former husband and I not only spent a good amount of time in Coronado but we also got married there. Despite the miles of newsreel on this case, and gallons of ink spilled, I still knew very little about the cases.
Investigative journalist and author of more than a dozen books, Caitlin Rother was present from the start, when news broke that Rebecca Zahau had been found hanging from the balcony of the Spreckles/Shacknai mansion. As an enthusiast of Ms. Rother's books (see my reviews for Lost Girls, I'll Take Care of You, Poisoned Love, and Hunting Charles Manson: The Quest for Justice in the Days of Helter Skelter), she does not disappoint with her newest offering. Her stellar investigative skills allow her to go deep into Death on Ocean Boulevard, laying bare the backgrounds of Rebecca, her family, Jonah Shacknai, his brother Adam and Jonah's former wife, and Max's mother, Dina. Through Ms. Rother, we, the readers, get a first-row seat at the trial where we hear the full length of evidence, both for and against the suicide theory, as well as the inexplicable areas in which there was a lack of investigation and/or answers.
I found Death on Ocean Boulevard akin to diving down a rabbit hole of questions and definitely at least a mystery or two. Ms. Rother spent nine years researching this bizarre and uncommon case, which is evident in her strong and solid writing, which is more in the style of narrative nonfiction than that of gratuitous violence. Additionally for Ms. Rother, Rebecca Zahau's official cause of death has a more personal link for her and her late husband's suicide, with the pain and unanswered questions it brings.
Although Death on Ocean Boulevard is brimming with more facts than has ever been publicly shared before, the book itself is not swallowed up by it and proves to be a worthwhile read. While others have given their take on the Zahau/Shacknai cases, Ms. Rother's Death on Ocean Boulevard does the events justice and is the definitive source of the sad and sordid tale.
I would not hesitate to recommend Death on Ocean Boulevard to anyone wanting to know about this tragic case and/or anyone who needs confirmation as to why Caitlin Rother remains one of my favorite true crime authors.
Death on Ocean Boulevard is available for sale at most booksellers, as well as Audible if you prefer audiobooks.
For more information on Caitlin Rother, please visit her website.
FTC Disclosure: The review copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. The provision of this book did not affect the outcome of my review. I was neither paid nor compensated for this review.
(Originally published at Psychotic State Book Reviews.)
So starts the investigation into the death of Rebecca Zahau, a beautiful young woman who was the live-in girlfriend of the wealthy and older Jonah Shacknai. According to friends and family, Rebecca was not the type to commit suicide, much less by hanging. She, like the crime scene, seemed to be a bundle of contradictions, from a smart, ambitious professional to an estranged wife with a tale of kidnapping in between the reconciliations with her husband. What made Rebecca's case so newsworthy was not only the unusual way in which she died, be it suicide or homicide, and the location - a historic beachfront mansion built in 1908 by one of San Diego's most powerful men in the affluent resort city of Coronado - but that the six-year-old son of Rebecca's boyfriend suffered a fatal fall in the same home only two days before Rebecca's death.
How could this lovely home be the scene of two deadly incidents within two days? Were the deaths of Max and Rebecca related? Did the authorities do their jobs in both cases or did they close the investigations too quickly?
As a true crime aficionado who has studied abnormal psychology and read more books in the genres than your average reader, the cases of Max Shacknai or Rebecca Zahau are two of the strangest that I have ever come across. I have an additional "connection" to this case, besides just being a "fan" of true crime. I lived in San Diego at the time Max and Rebecca died and my former husband and I not only spent a good amount of time in Coronado but we also got married there. Despite the miles of newsreel on this case, and gallons of ink spilled, I still knew very little about the cases.
Investigative journalist and author of more than a dozen books, Caitlin Rother was present from the start, when news broke that Rebecca Zahau had been found hanging from the balcony of the Spreckles/Shacknai mansion. As an enthusiast of Ms. Rother's books (see my reviews for Lost Girls, I'll Take Care of You, Poisoned Love, and Hunting Charles Manson: The Quest for Justice in the Days of Helter Skelter), she does not disappoint with her newest offering. Her stellar investigative skills allow her to go deep into Death on Ocean Boulevard, laying bare the backgrounds of Rebecca, her family, Jonah Shacknai, his brother Adam and Jonah's former wife, and Max's mother, Dina. Through Ms. Rother, we, the readers, get a first-row seat at the trial where we hear the full length of evidence, both for and against the suicide theory, as well as the inexplicable areas in which there was a lack of investigation and/or answers.
I found Death on Ocean Boulevard akin to diving down a rabbit hole of questions and definitely at least a mystery or two. Ms. Rother spent nine years researching this bizarre and uncommon case, which is evident in her strong and solid writing, which is more in the style of narrative nonfiction than that of gratuitous violence. Additionally for Ms. Rother, Rebecca Zahau's official cause of death has a more personal link for her and her late husband's suicide, with the pain and unanswered questions it brings.
Although Death on Ocean Boulevard is brimming with more facts than has ever been publicly shared before, the book itself is not swallowed up by it and proves to be a worthwhile read. While others have given their take on the Zahau/Shacknai cases, Ms. Rother's Death on Ocean Boulevard does the events justice and is the definitive source of the sad and sordid tale.
I would not hesitate to recommend Death on Ocean Boulevard to anyone wanting to know about this tragic case and/or anyone who needs confirmation as to why Caitlin Rother remains one of my favorite true crime authors.
Death on Ocean Boulevard is available for sale at most booksellers, as well as Audible if you prefer audiobooks.
For more information on Caitlin Rother, please visit her website.
FTC Disclosure: The review copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. The provision of this book did not affect the outcome of my review. I was neither paid nor compensated for this review.
(Originally published at Psychotic State Book Reviews.)
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