What do you think?
Rate this book
You Have a Very Soft Voice, Susan: A Shocking True Story of Internet Stalking
This is not a typical story of Internet stalking. It is an unusual case of friendship and deception so pitiless and unyielding that it opened a door to Hell into the author’s life. This is an unforgettable story for today’s digital world driven by social media in all of its permutations and cruelest forms.
The story begins with Susan Fensten’s online search for her father’s family, a search that soon turns into a two-year frightening odyssey of internet stalking and threats when a posting on a genealogy message board brings her into contact with what she thinks are distant cousins, but what turns out to be a sociopath.
Through email correspondence with her new “family”, evidence of mental illness, dark family secrets, a struggle over wealth and bizarre criminal histories emerge. She quickly becomes the focus of sexual obsession and suspicion, and her life is completely turned upside down. She soon becomes the target of dozens of frightening characters including real verifiable convicted sex offenders in an elaborate cyber-hoax that includes threats of kidnapping, murder, rape, torture and cannibalism.
Remarkable in its complexity, this story of Internet stalking is also a sinister and shocking journal of madness. Described by the FBI as a case “in a category by itself,” This book is a story about the Internet, the search for family, a friendship and a journey into the underbelly of American crime that raises questions about safety online and pushes the boundaries of our perceptions of what is real and what is not.
The story begins with Susan Fensten’s online search for her father’s family, a search that soon turns into a two-year frightening odyssey of internet stalking and threats when a posting on a genealogy message board brings her into contact with what she thinks are distant cousins, but what turns out to be a sociopath.
Through email correspondence with her new “family”, evidence of mental illness, dark family secrets, a struggle over wealth and bizarre criminal histories emerge. She quickly becomes the focus of sexual obsession and suspicion, and her life is completely turned upside down. She soon becomes the target of dozens of frightening characters including real verifiable convicted sex offenders in an elaborate cyber-hoax that includes threats of kidnapping, murder, rape, torture and cannibalism.
Remarkable in its complexity, this story of Internet stalking is also a sinister and shocking journal of madness. Described by the FBI as a case “in a category by itself,” This book is a story about the Internet, the search for family, a friendship and a journey into the underbelly of American crime that raises questions about safety online and pushes the boundaries of our perceptions of what is real and what is not.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2019
331 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
January 24, 2020
This book is a mind-bending trip!
Stalkers are the worst sort of criminal. The harassment can go on for years, completely upending a person's life. Living in constant fear makes life paralyzingly unbearable. In this case, the situation was made even worse due to the lack of protection given by law enforcement- which was especially true when this story took place. But now, with the internet and social media, stalking has become easier, more common, creepier, and even more terrifying and harder to trace.
This book is a non-fiction accounting of one of the most bizarre incidences of internet stalking I’ve ever heard of. In 2003, after the death of her father, publicist, Susan Fensten, went online hoping to locate any paternal relatives she might have. She hit pay dirt- or so she thinks- but she soon comes to regret her decision when it becomes clear her new ‘cousins’ have a few sociopathic tendencies.
For the next few years, her life became a living nightmare. Susan’s small support system could be less than consistent with their support, often leaving her feeling even more lonely and isolated.
However, when the FBI finally got involved in the case, they uncovered an unbelievable web of mind-boggling cruelty and depravity they described as a case “in a category by itself.”
There have been many online advancements since 2003, both good and bad, and I couldn’t help but think of how different things are now. High speed internet was just taking a fast hold in 2003, making dial up mostly a thing of the past for most users. Facebook launched in 2004, followed by Twitter in 2006, which provided predators, scammers, and stalkers entirely new avenues to explore and exploit.
However, I think we have also become more careful and cautious, and less trusting now. We’ve all heard horror stories about online crimes and creepy stalkers, and countless other ways people have devised to harass, bully, shame and embarrass people- not to mention all the daily ‘hacks’ where personal and sensitive information is stolen.
Still, despite knowing how dangerous the internet is- how dangerous it has ALWAYS been, this story was absolutely shocking! I can’t even begin to imagine going through something that bizarre. This is one of those books you will have to read to believe!
This may be one of the strangest true crime books I’ve read, and it is beyond creepy. It will make you stop and think about a lot of things- especially trust. Although we take as many precautions as possible, protect our privacy the best we can, and stay hyper aware about phishing and scams, sometimes despite all our preparedness, we are still vulnerable, often betrayed and blindsided in ways we never would have seen coming or thought possible.
Overall, this was a troubling, edgy story that will leave you thinking twice about your interactions online and wondering if it’s worth the risk...
4 stars
Stalkers are the worst sort of criminal. The harassment can go on for years, completely upending a person's life. Living in constant fear makes life paralyzingly unbearable. In this case, the situation was made even worse due to the lack of protection given by law enforcement- which was especially true when this story took place. But now, with the internet and social media, stalking has become easier, more common, creepier, and even more terrifying and harder to trace.
This book is a non-fiction accounting of one of the most bizarre incidences of internet stalking I’ve ever heard of. In 2003, after the death of her father, publicist, Susan Fensten, went online hoping to locate any paternal relatives she might have. She hit pay dirt- or so she thinks- but she soon comes to regret her decision when it becomes clear her new ‘cousins’ have a few sociopathic tendencies.
For the next few years, her life became a living nightmare. Susan’s small support system could be less than consistent with their support, often leaving her feeling even more lonely and isolated.
However, when the FBI finally got involved in the case, they uncovered an unbelievable web of mind-boggling cruelty and depravity they described as a case “in a category by itself.”
There have been many online advancements since 2003, both good and bad, and I couldn’t help but think of how different things are now. High speed internet was just taking a fast hold in 2003, making dial up mostly a thing of the past for most users. Facebook launched in 2004, followed by Twitter in 2006, which provided predators, scammers, and stalkers entirely new avenues to explore and exploit.
However, I think we have also become more careful and cautious, and less trusting now. We’ve all heard horror stories about online crimes and creepy stalkers, and countless other ways people have devised to harass, bully, shame and embarrass people- not to mention all the daily ‘hacks’ where personal and sensitive information is stolen.
Still, despite knowing how dangerous the internet is- how dangerous it has ALWAYS been, this story was absolutely shocking! I can’t even begin to imagine going through something that bizarre. This is one of those books you will have to read to believe!
This may be one of the strangest true crime books I’ve read, and it is beyond creepy. It will make you stop and think about a lot of things- especially trust. Although we take as many precautions as possible, protect our privacy the best we can, and stay hyper aware about phishing and scams, sometimes despite all our preparedness, we are still vulnerable, often betrayed and blindsided in ways we never would have seen coming or thought possible.
Overall, this was a troubling, edgy story that will leave you thinking twice about your interactions online and wondering if it’s worth the risk...
4 stars
September 19, 2023
When I started reading this, I said that it was a bit like watching a multi-car collision in slow motion. I've finished.
Reading this book WAS like watching a multi-car crash...from a rickety carnival ride.
Reading this book WAS like watching a multi-car crash...from a rickety carnival ride.
Read
September 2, 2025Ok that was insane
April 2, 2019
I'll admit that I am a sucker for a good book cover and this one nails it, that's if you like creepy covers of course, and I do!
This story is absolutely bonkers and it's true which is why it is all the more frightening.
Imagine it's the early 2000's when internet, email, and social media are really beginning to take hold. You post an innocent inquiry on Genealogy.com searching for long lost relatives and to your utter amazement when two weeks later your contacted by someone claiming to be your cousin. Now imagine that these "long lost family members" turn your life into a living hell for the next two years. Profane & pornographic emails, threats of death and cannibalism, rape, torture. It goes on and on and on and on. You are no longer safe even at work. Your boyfriend is now being harassed via phone calls threatening his death. You are spiraling down the rabbit hole of despair and can not find any police officer or FBI agent to take you seriously.
"Dear cousin, my cousin, Oh cousin so sweet. I've seen where you live, I know what you eat. I want to see your eyes when we first meet."
He was getting closer, I could feel it. He was emerging from my email inbox, coming into the real world. My world.
Finally with the push of her boyfriend demanding some action FBI agent Waller finally steps in to see what he can find out and you will be shocked as to what he discovers.
This is what happened to Susan Fensten. As you read this you will have your mouth agape and you will want to close all social media accounts. (Except Goodreads!)
If I learned anything from this it's to keep your personal information just that - PERSONAL. *Shivers*
Thank you to NetGalley and WildBlue Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This story is absolutely bonkers and it's true which is why it is all the more frightening.
Imagine it's the early 2000's when internet, email, and social media are really beginning to take hold. You post an innocent inquiry on Genealogy.com searching for long lost relatives and to your utter amazement when two weeks later your contacted by someone claiming to be your cousin. Now imagine that these "long lost family members" turn your life into a living hell for the next two years. Profane & pornographic emails, threats of death and cannibalism, rape, torture. It goes on and on and on and on. You are no longer safe even at work. Your boyfriend is now being harassed via phone calls threatening his death. You are spiraling down the rabbit hole of despair and can not find any police officer or FBI agent to take you seriously.
"Dear cousin, my cousin, Oh cousin so sweet. I've seen where you live, I know what you eat. I want to see your eyes when we first meet."
He was getting closer, I could feel it. He was emerging from my email inbox, coming into the real world. My world.
Finally with the push of her boyfriend demanding some action FBI agent Waller finally steps in to see what he can find out and you will be shocked as to what he discovers.
This is what happened to Susan Fensten. As you read this you will have your mouth agape and you will want to close all social media accounts. (Except Goodreads!)
If I learned anything from this it's to keep your personal information just that - PERSONAL. *Shivers*
Thank you to NetGalley and WildBlue Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 5, 2019
You Have a Very Soft Voice, Susan: A Shocking True Story Of Internet Stalking
This is one very strange stalking story. It’s interesting, just weird as heck. Susan goes online to do a genealogy search to look for her father’s family members and finds some cousins she never knew about. She ends up in email contact with them and thinks it might be fun to have more family to know. She shares a bit about herself, and emails with Karen who tells her about her brother Leonard, and sister Sharon. Things seem normal at first, but soon go all Alice in Wonderland with a sinister twist. She’s getting strange emails, anonymous phone calls, and even her boyfriend is getting strange calls on his private cell number too. The madness is spreading and she’s becoming frightened. If you like true crime stories, this one might interest you. It gets rather frightening about midway through. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors Susan Fensten & Brian Whitney, and the publisher for my fair review.
Full review on my BookZone blog:
This is one very strange stalking story. It’s interesting, just weird as heck. Susan goes online to do a genealogy search to look for her father’s family members and finds some cousins she never knew about. She ends up in email contact with them and thinks it might be fun to have more family to know. She shares a bit about herself, and emails with Karen who tells her about her brother Leonard, and sister Sharon. Things seem normal at first, but soon go all Alice in Wonderland with a sinister twist. She’s getting strange emails, anonymous phone calls, and even her boyfriend is getting strange calls on his private cell number too. The madness is spreading and she’s becoming frightened. If you like true crime stories, this one might interest you. It gets rather frightening about midway through. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors Susan Fensten & Brian Whitney, and the publisher for my fair review.
Full review on my BookZone blog:
May 20, 2019
This book was so weird!
You Have A Very Soft Voice Susan is a true story and the story was so bizarre that I kept shaking my head and thinking, "whatt?!"
The beginning of the book was a struggle to get through as you must read through all this background that doesn't add much to the story and just tries to build suspense by telling you soon the story will get wild ...
"like a carnival of cracked mirrors with a quicksand floor with phantoms reflected in the glass"
...okayyyy.
There's a ton of just boring day to day stuff, blah blah Susan really wishes her dad wasn't a fuckup, blah blah she really likes her job, etc. And I just wanted to get to the creepy stuff already!
Finally, it gets creepy as fuck really fast about 70% through the book. More descriptive writing happens....
"I was like a bull who had stumbled into a shuttered, cobwebbed china shop. Every step I took knocked over some precariously placed urn."
What happened to Susan is freaky, but I kept thinking "damn lady, don't you know how the internet works?!" and "geeez, stop being so nice!" And then she had to go and describe people as "sex ghouls" and "geisha goth" and I couldn't help but laugh and picture Susan looking like that 'Can I speak to your manager' meme.
Everything wasn't as shocking as I hoped, but it was a fascinating story and good for a laugh.
You Have A Very Soft Voice Susan is a true story and the story was so bizarre that I kept shaking my head and thinking, "whatt?!"
The beginning of the book was a struggle to get through as you must read through all this background that doesn't add much to the story and just tries to build suspense by telling you soon the story will get wild ...
"like a carnival of cracked mirrors with a quicksand floor with phantoms reflected in the glass"
...okayyyy.
There's a ton of just boring day to day stuff, blah blah Susan really wishes her dad wasn't a fuckup, blah blah she really likes her job, etc. And I just wanted to get to the creepy stuff already!
Finally, it gets creepy as fuck really fast about 70% through the book. More descriptive writing happens....
"I was like a bull who had stumbled into a shuttered, cobwebbed china shop. Every step I took knocked over some precariously placed urn."
What happened to Susan is freaky, but I kept thinking "damn lady, don't you know how the internet works?!" and "geeez, stop being so nice!" And then she had to go and describe people as "sex ghouls" and "geisha goth" and I couldn't help but laugh and picture Susan looking like that 'Can I speak to your manager' meme.
Everything wasn't as shocking as I hoped, but it was a fascinating story and good for a laugh.
April 10, 2019
Bizarre, Horrifying Story
This story is one of the most wild and bizarre I’ve ever read. The family that terrorized Susan seems to be straight out of a horror movie, like “The Hills Have Eyes” or something like that. But it was all true and just so unbelievably strange.
It’s hard to say too much more without spoiling anything. The story is well told and modernly relevant since it involves Internet stalking (just to start....)
This is a true crime story with incredible twists, and I highly recommend it
This story is one of the most wild and bizarre I’ve ever read. The family that terrorized Susan seems to be straight out of a horror movie, like “The Hills Have Eyes” or something like that. But it was all true and just so unbelievably strange.
It’s hard to say too much more without spoiling anything. The story is well told and modernly relevant since it involves Internet stalking (just to start....)
This is a true crime story with incredible twists, and I highly recommend it
September 8, 2019
Truly shocking and creepy and the fact that it is a true story makes it all the more so.
What starts out as an ordinary and innocent genealogy search becomes something else entirely in this book by Susan Fensten. I was lured by the title and initially, I had been expecting something like a thriller, however this soon became an obsessive, fascinating though rather horrific read for me. I have never had any inclination to find out any more about my own relatives so far and this true account of the author's experiences serves as a stark warning about internet security to me if I ever decided to.
The writing flows well and never lost my attention throughout. Disturbing and unnerving, You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan was certainly a worthwhile read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from WildBlue Press via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
What starts out as an ordinary and innocent genealogy search becomes something else entirely in this book by Susan Fensten. I was lured by the title and initially, I had been expecting something like a thriller, however this soon became an obsessive, fascinating though rather horrific read for me. I have never had any inclination to find out any more about my own relatives so far and this true account of the author's experiences serves as a stark warning about internet security to me if I ever decided to.
The writing flows well and never lost my attention throughout. Disturbing and unnerving, You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan was certainly a worthwhile read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from WildBlue Press via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
March 18, 2019
4 stars
*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
This was a terrifying journey into the unexpected dangers of the internet and how susceptible and vulnerable it can easily make us to deception, manipulation and abuse. Especially when there is a mentally unstable and sexually depraved person on the other end.
The events that unfolded over halfway through the book were so chilling and crazy that it seemed hard to comprehend it all really happened. I can't talk about the book much without spoiling anything, so all I'll say is if you like to read about twisted and disturbing true stories, then read this one.
*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
This was a terrifying journey into the unexpected dangers of the internet and how susceptible and vulnerable it can easily make us to deception, manipulation and abuse. Especially when there is a mentally unstable and sexually depraved person on the other end.
The events that unfolded over halfway through the book were so chilling and crazy that it seemed hard to comprehend it all really happened. I can't talk about the book much without spoiling anything, so all I'll say is if you like to read about twisted and disturbing true stories, then read this one.
March 7, 2019
I could not put this down, so I shut off my phones and went along for a crazy insane ride. This is a true story from the early days of social media. A weird and frightening case of cyber stalking.
The author was the victim and we follow along as piece by piece every part of her life is unraveled and seemingly destroyed over the course of eighteen months. Her fear is real, as she falls into a web of what she believes are new cousins who are all crazy and violent and their murderous friends and lovers.
It is long, but it is a fast read. I loved it.
The author was the victim and we follow along as piece by piece every part of her life is unraveled and seemingly destroyed over the course of eighteen months. Her fear is real, as she falls into a web of what she believes are new cousins who are all crazy and violent and their murderous friends and lovers.
It is long, but it is a fast read. I loved it.
April 4, 2019
You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan is a shocking tale that goes beyond internet stalking and serves as a reminder of the importance of exercising caution online and enforcing boundaries, while at the same time shedding light on certain unavoidable tragedies. At times, it was difficult to put down as one mystery unraveled into the next and a disturbing psyche was revealed.
While the middle and conclusion of the book were thoughtful and compelling, the first few chapters were told in a seemingly random, non-chronological order that was confusing at times and did not serve the story well, focusing on past details of the author's life that were not always particularly relevant to the story and only added to its length and confusion. Particularly the first chapter, which reeled me in and left me wanting to read more, but was ultimately not addressed again or resolved during the book. Certain seemingly large details were overlooked, while other seemingly minor points were discussed at length. Past these first few chapters, the story quickly picked up into a fascinating, bizarre, and disturbing tale. At times, it could be difficult to follow given the complexity of the story itself, but it was nevertheless an interesting look into such a turbulent time of the author's life. In today's world, where the majority of us have access to the internet at a moment's notice, it is a brutal reminder of the need to exercise caution and the dangers that lurk online. Hopefully Susan Fensten has been able to move on from this tragedy, which was truly unbelievable and unrelenting in it's disturbance.
While the middle and conclusion of the book were thoughtful and compelling, the first few chapters were told in a seemingly random, non-chronological order that was confusing at times and did not serve the story well, focusing on past details of the author's life that were not always particularly relevant to the story and only added to its length and confusion. Particularly the first chapter, which reeled me in and left me wanting to read more, but was ultimately not addressed again or resolved during the book. Certain seemingly large details were overlooked, while other seemingly minor points were discussed at length. Past these first few chapters, the story quickly picked up into a fascinating, bizarre, and disturbing tale. At times, it could be difficult to follow given the complexity of the story itself, but it was nevertheless an interesting look into such a turbulent time of the author's life. In today's world, where the majority of us have access to the internet at a moment's notice, it is a brutal reminder of the need to exercise caution and the dangers that lurk online. Hopefully Susan Fensten has been able to move on from this tragedy, which was truly unbelievable and unrelenting in it's disturbance.
August 5, 2024
Come on! This is ridiculous. Susan Fensten plays a victim but she keeps emailing the dude to have more and more drama. She could have stop everything by just blocking the email after the second email. Instead she watch him to seeing when he was on and off messenger. She admits that she kept contacting him because she wanted him to like her and not be mad at her. And she kept writing back trying to rescue him. She loved all the drama! Don’t waste your time with this book. She seriously likes attention!
September 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
July 15, 2024
So this was awful! So wordy! I mean why use 1 word when you can use 150 to say the same thing!
The beginning is just boring, an introduction to Susan and her family history.. but told in hundreds of words rather than a few paragraphs!
Then the intro to the stalking starts, it was creepy but not creepy enough to take your mind off the insanely long descriptions for everything! I don’t know how many times she explains that this was years ago before the internet really got going .. I get it!
Also I know you’re not supposed to blame the victim, but in what world does the stalkee actually think that going to a sex party organised by her stalker & his weird friends would be a good idea? I mean she definitely didn’t want to meet her stalker for a coffee but kinkfest was actually considered for a little while! So I’m sorry, I’ve only been mildly stalked by an ex boyfriend once, I ignored him and he went away (although he did pop up again a few times in a 4 year period)… had I engaged with every message he sent and considered meeting up with him I expect his interest would have been fuelled for longer!
So the stalker was creepy, it could have been told in a short story but instead I know that she picks up her mail from the floor next to the door (no shit Sherlock) and her phone is on the wall … I tuned out all her other lengthy descriptions. I’m glad she’s okay .. I feel this was a podcast episode or an hour long Netflix documentary… not an overly long book.
The beginning is just boring, an introduction to Susan and her family history.. but told in hundreds of words rather than a few paragraphs!
Then the intro to the stalking starts, it was creepy but not creepy enough to take your mind off the insanely long descriptions for everything! I don’t know how many times she explains that this was years ago before the internet really got going .. I get it!
Also I know you’re not supposed to blame the victim, but in what world does the stalkee actually think that going to a sex party organised by her stalker & his weird friends would be a good idea? I mean she definitely didn’t want to meet her stalker for a coffee but kinkfest was actually considered for a little while! So I’m sorry, I’ve only been mildly stalked by an ex boyfriend once, I ignored him and he went away (although he did pop up again a few times in a 4 year period)… had I engaged with every message he sent and considered meeting up with him I expect his interest would have been fuelled for longer!
So the stalker was creepy, it could have been told in a short story but instead I know that she picks up her mail from the floor next to the door (no shit Sherlock) and her phone is on the wall … I tuned out all her other lengthy descriptions. I’m glad she’s okay .. I feel this was a podcast episode or an hour long Netflix documentary… not an overly long book.
September 22, 2019
I don't know why Miss Fensten can't just admit that she was enjoying the thrill of all of this drama happening at the convenience of keystrokes. All she had to do was stop responding to these emails. They would have eventually gotten the message. Instead, she entertained each new oddity as they introduced themselves into her online life.
March 14, 2025
Good Lord people have too much time on their hands
August 14, 2019
Susan goes on a genealogy site to look for lost relatives and things really go down hill from there. She thinks she has made contact with a relative but things soon get really weird and continue on over a couple year period. This book gets really creepy and scary but I felt it could have been shorter. Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Blue Press for the opportunity to read this very engrossing book.
August 22, 2024
It's easy to forget what a dangerous place the internet can be for anyone but especially the lonely.
March 24, 2019
One woman's online search for potential relatives on a genealogy website soon begins a descent into a hellish nightmare. Susan Fensten connects with cousins on a genealogy forum and is soon in regular contact with them, or people she believes to be her cousins.... .
This book had me gripped from the get go. I read it in 36 hours, not being able to put it down. The first half of the book is a horror story of epic proportions and practically had me looking over my shoulder. At times Susan came accross as naive and too nice to hurt anyone's feelings, but who among us is not guilty of wisdom in hindsight. It's easy to offer judgements from safe distances. The second half of the book is horrifying in quite a different way and I said more than my fair share of "OMG's" throughout.
I love a good true crime book and this book has it all. Gripping, scary, creepy as hell and one that definitely strikes a chord within us all, I'm sure. It certainly reiterates the age old question ... Do you really know who you are talking to online? 4.5/5
This book had me gripped from the get go. I read it in 36 hours, not being able to put it down. The first half of the book is a horror story of epic proportions and practically had me looking over my shoulder. At times Susan came accross as naive and too nice to hurt anyone's feelings, but who among us is not guilty of wisdom in hindsight. It's easy to offer judgements from safe distances. The second half of the book is horrifying in quite a different way and I said more than my fair share of "OMG's" throughout.
I love a good true crime book and this book has it all. Gripping, scary, creepy as hell and one that definitely strikes a chord within us all, I'm sure. It certainly reiterates the age old question ... Do you really know who you are talking to online? 4.5/5
April 29, 2019
Thanks, Susan Fensten, for having the courage to share your account. It must have been difficult to face the ordeals you went through yet again and to decide how to sift through all the facts to determine what to include in the book. I would say more but I would risk sharing something your future readers will discover on their own.
April 28, 2019
Stalking Story
This is supposed to be true story but I rather doubt it as I figured u the ending after reading only a little o the book. It is hard to be!over that the author would be taken in..
This is supposed to be true story but I rather doubt it as I figured u the ending after reading only a little o the book. It is hard to be!over that the author would be taken in..
May 23, 2019
I'm not sure what it was about this book but it felt like it took me forever to read. The story was interesting, there was lots of stuff going on, but I felt like I should have been at about 45-50% done and found out I was at 13%. Maybe it was her writing style?
May 2, 2019
Totally engrossing, not to mention weird and creepy. A woman reaches out to her extended family while doing genealogy research, and soon comes to regret it--finding herself in the middle of a macabre play "in which I’d been cast without ever auditioning."
June 14, 2020
This book renewed me from a bit of a reading slump. Read off the back of Leslie Rule’s A Tangled Web, it was dark, twisted and shocking, with each instalment becoming more and more gripping. I was involuntarily drawn down the murky rabbit hole of internet insanity. 5 stars.
September 2, 2024
Curious to find out more information about her father's family, Susan posts on the message board of genealogy.com and gets contacted by an alleged relative. Then her nightmare begins. This book had quite the twist I didn't see coming and is a true story.
March 14, 2019
Susan's experience was so bizarre that I had to keep reminding myself that this isn't a work of fiction. I did guess half way through how it would end, but again this wasn't fiction so that has not affected my rating.
January 24, 2025
listened to the amazon originals audio titled Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten, but goodreads has removed the option to shelve that version. it was fine; worth my listen but not incredible.
April 27, 2019
"You Have a Very Soft Voice, Susan “ is a definite must read for our times! There is no need to venture into the “dark net” when you can read this book. It is not a typical story about internet stalking but rather a most bizarre account of a “friendship” gone most terribly wrong. In today’s digital world where we are driven by social media, this story exemplifies the dangers of an on-line world where hiding behind a screen easily allows many to unleash their own personal evil in the most twisted way(s).
Thanks to Wildblue Press for the digital copy!
Thanks to Wildblue Press for the digital copy!
July 20, 2024
This story was so insane that I genuinely was like “ok I can see why it would take so long to get someone on the case.”
Read
April 30, 2019It's a true story of a woman's experience finding her distant relatives that turns into a nightmare of being stalked, harassed, murder, and also cannibal slave cults, BDSM, and sex parties.. You know, normal stuff. It turns out some of it was untrue, a ruse. But, she isn't the one who lied...
I felt a connection with this book. Usually, I don't get that emotional over a book. A few year ago, I was stalked online. The stalker ended up being someone I never expected it to be. I can't objectively rate this book. Because of that, I can'r rate it. However, I felt compelled to mention it. It is gripping. I couldn't put it down. When it was discovered who the stalker was, I felt for the author and was upset on a level no one can understand unless you have been stalked, lied to and such. I will say if you are into true accounts of this nature,and/or were a victim and/or knew someone who was a victim, I highly suggest reading it.
I felt a connection with this book. Usually, I don't get that emotional over a book. A few year ago, I was stalked online. The stalker ended up being someone I never expected it to be. I can't objectively rate this book. Because of that, I can'r rate it. However, I felt compelled to mention it. It is gripping. I couldn't put it down. When it was discovered who the stalker was, I felt for the author and was upset on a level no one can understand unless you have been stalked, lied to and such. I will say if you are into true accounts of this nature,and/or were a victim and/or knew someone who was a victim, I highly suggest reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews