Mommy's Little Girl

by Diane Fanning

When news broke of three-year-old Caylee Anthony’s disappearance from her home in Florida in July 2008, there was a huge outpouring of sympathy across the nation. The search for Caylee made front-page headlines. But there was one huge question mark hanging over the case: the girl’s mother.

As the investigation continued and suspicions mounted, Casey became the prime suspect. In October, based on new evidence against Casey—her erratic behavior and lies, her car that showed signs of human decomposition—a grand jury indicted the young single mother. Then, two months later, police found Caylee’s remains a quarter of a mile away from the Anthony home. Casey pled not guilty to charges of murder in the first degree, and she continues to protest her innocence. Did she or didn’t she kill Caylee? This is the story of one of the most shocking, confusing, and horrific crimes in modern American history.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, True Story, Biography, Ebooks

337 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 3, 2009

Reviews

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

~~This title disgusts me. I really wish Fanning would have picked a better title. Caylee deserves better than to be called "Mommy's Little Girl".~~
I tend to go for true crime that includes the end result of the trial but I won't pass by a book that looks interesting to me because of this. Being that I followed Caylee being "missing" and her being found, I wanted to read this to not only get Fanning's take but maybe get some of the smaller details I may have missed. This doesn't disappoint in the detail area, there are quite a few things here that I hadn't heard reported on the news. Nothing huge, but small things add up as everyone knows.
This was, by so far, the hardest true crime book I've ever read. Maybe because I followed it as it happened, maybe because it's so recent, maybe because she reminds me of my young daughter, I don't know but it really hit me hard. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep last night - for hours I laid in bed alternating between sadness that a little girl I'd never met is gone and anger at the monster that was supposed to be her Mommy. This little girl should have been cherished and instead she was born into a family of monsters and idiots. The Grandfather, at best, is a gambler who can't keep a house for his family. The Grandmother, at best, is a trashy control freak who is blind to everything around her. The "Mother", as we all know well, is a fucking monster.
This woman (and I use that term loosely because she in no way is a real woman in my eyes) lied for the pure hell of it. For no reason. She's one of those people that will lie, while it's obvious to everyone else, and then demand that she's not lying. She actually had her family going about her having a job at Universal for YEARS. That's not to mention that she wasn't even a high school graduate. She took the police there and after being told by security that no one with her name worked there, proceeded to walk through the halls with the police watching her until she finally stopped, turned around, and said that she didn't really work there. Uh, no shit.
She's not crazy. She's evil. There was no accident. She wanted to party and she didn't want her Mom to continue watching Caylee. She was jealous of Caylee and her Grandmothers relationship. SHE wanted the same relationshio but she wanted it with no work.
What parents are okay with their child continuously leaving their Grandchild with a "sitter" for days and weeks on end? If I was without my daughter for minutes my parents would be looking into it. Granted, no one besides us watches Julia, so it's a little different. At the same time, no normal people would be okay with all of the things these two people were okay with.
From what I've seen on the news and read the only normal people in this family, besides poor little Caylee, were/are the uncle (I think his name was Rick) and the Great-GrandMom, Shirley. That's it. Those are the only two people who actually saw this for what it was, tried to help, and when they weren't allowed they stepped back to watch. THOSE are the people I feel sorry for. The rest of the monsters can rot in hell.
I'd like to get ahold of Casey and do things to her that I can't type here. I could shock the hell out of the people that know me if I told of the tortures I could think of, and implement, with my very own hands for that monster.
I pray Caylee died without knowing what was happening. I pray to God she didn't know her Mommy was hurting her. Did Casey stop on the way out of the woods? Did she stop, turn, and look one last time as the bundle that held her baby?
I'm all for standing by family but I think I can say that if something like this, God forbid, happened in my family, none of us would stand by the person who commited the crime. And that's the right thing to do. My parents would NEVER even THINK about forgiving that.
This girl wanted to party and she wanted that baby out of the way. And that's it. And if anyone wants to argue with me that she's crazy and blah, blah, blah, save it. I'm not an expert but no one will ever convince me she's nuts. She's sane. She's just evil. Pure fucking evil.
Part of me hopes she gets the death penalty and part of me thinks that far too easy. I can't imagine the feelings that go through a persons mind on the way to their death but it can't be easy. But I hope, until the day she dies, she hears Caylee's screams in her head. I hope she hears her crying but can't remember anything good about her. She doesn't deserve the smallest joyful memory. She gave up the right to that when she killed her baby in my opinion.
I hope other imates get ahold of her and torture her until she begs for death.
I will never pay one single penny for any book those "parents" write. I hope others feel the same way. They should NOT be able to make money from this. They already abused the account(s) in Caylee's name in the past and will most assuredly do it again, if they aren't already.
I sincerely hope that Casey's life is so horrible that she begs to be able to commit suicide, and then I hope that she can't. I hope she drives herself insane with all the memories and thoughts of what a monster piece of trash she is.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone who reads my reviews know sometimes they can be quite long. And that is putting it mildly!

This maybe the shortest review I have ever written.

DNF.

No fault of the writer..I could not stand reading about Casey Anthony. Found this at a book store. So sorry I bought it. I do read true crime every now and again but this was to much. I quit very quickly in. Never again.

The End.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

2/24/10 -- (just finished) I must say, Diane Fanning did a wonderful job in her writing of this book. She was very thorough, very factual, and covered the case from every possible angle. The majority of the book comes verbatim from transcripts of text messages, emails, police interviews, media interviews, jail visits between Casey and her family, and other documented sources. Fanning explores Casey's movements and possible state of mind from times shortly before Caylee went "missing" up until Casey was charged with her murder. The points of view of Casey's friends, boyfriends, family, and law enforcement are all shown within the book, so that you get a really good overall picture of the events that occurred.

:-( *****R.I.P. little Caylee***** :-(

---------------------------------------------------
2/21/10 -- (just started the book) I wasn't sure what to expect from this book (I worried it would be tediously repititious after all the media coverage), but so far so good. I go into it feeling like I already know almost everything there is to know about this case, as I've followed it closely throughout the past year and a half. I've watched and read almost everything that's been put out there. Yet it is still interesting to read the book as the author recounts all of Casey's lies and manipulations. It astounds me that someone can repeatedly tell such far-out tales without so much as blinking an eye, expecting everyone around her to believe these crazy things she makes up. I don't get it, and perhaps that's one of the reasons we're all so drawn to this case. It's frustrating and disturbing to realize that there are people like this out there. It just doesn't make much sense. Casey was young, pretty, smart, with the most precious little daughter; she seemingly had everything going for her. She understandably had "issues", but who doesn't? Beyond the evil of what she did, which is another subject entirely, I just can't for the life of me understand how she thought she could get away with it. I can't understand how she could have zero emotion about any of it - no sadness, no guilt, no worry, no anxiety, no nothing. And she expects everyone around her to just sweep it under the rug and move on. Unbelievable.

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A carnival of bright lights, loud voices, and the public's ceaseless appetite for entertainment” is how author Diane Fanning encapsulates the ongoing Caylee Anthony murder case.

And she has written a book about it, published some eight months before the earliest possible trial date for accused murderer Casey Anthony, the two-year-old child's mother. Mommy's Little Girl is one of the numerous carnie barkers to take aim at the infamous case out of Florida.

Summer of 2008, the United States was subjected to the tale of a young mother who – after waiting some thirty-one days before reporting her two-year-old daughter missing to police authorities – announced that her loyal babysitter had stolen her child away from her. For reasons never made clear, Casey Anthony alleged to have “gone through other sources to try to find her” instead. Without explicitly stating the reason behind having done so, her family was led to believe that perhaps Caylee's life would be endangered should Casey have chosen to gone the more traditional route of informing law enforcement of the missing child.

Shortly afterward, the influx of information began: 911 tapes were released to the public, as were the audio and transcripts of Casey's conversations with her family from jail (presumed, apparently, to be private up until their release), and sources began to speculate as to Caylee's whereabouts, whether alive or not. Casey's mother stepped up to the media, embracing them at first in an attempt to locate her missing granddaughter, and then reviling them with all of her passions when the media promptly turned on not only the accused Casey, but the grandparents of the missing child as well. Within months almost everyone else involved, from celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla to Casey's own attorney Jose Baez, became involved in various bizarre accusations and public spectacles. News programs dedicated entire programs to the case, national magazines giving over full cover stories to it.

And then, the tragedy of young Caylee's apparent murder became clear upon the discovery of her skeletal remains.

The title Mommy's Little Girl appears to apply to both Caylee and to mom Casey herself, as Fanning depicts Casey as a spoiled sociopathic child murderer, protected by her own mother. Of course, Fanning brings nothing new or unknown to the story already blasted out by mass media, but at least she brings it all together in a concise little package, presented as a form of “entertainment” to sate the public's voracious appetite therefor. Though numerous interviews with involved individuals were given, the author makes it clear that nobody from Casey's immediate family – including Casey herself, obviously – were involved in this gathering of information.

Perhaps making the book somewhat unusual from others of its genre, the publication was released long before any legal resolution was ever established. Casey herself sits in jail, awaiting final word on when her trial will take place, while bookstores and grocery aisles across the nation display this case history from their shelves. As if to make up for the lack of resolution, Fanning herself puts her Edgar Award Finalist writing skills to work in formulating a trite Afterword, shaming her readers for taking such an interest in the case even as she panders to those needs to understand the case in order to “prevent it from happening again to another child.” Fanning delves into a quickie mental health review of Casey Anthony, knocking down theories of suspected narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, et al. with hardly a sentence to dismiss each one. Instead, she prefers the decidedly non-medical term “monster” to describe the accused.

An “accused” who has yet to face a jury of her peers, but who has seemingly already been deemed guilty by Fanning and her ilk based on revelations – not actual, hard-based evidence which would establish the guilt of Caylee's mother beyond the shadow of a doubt, as is required by the American legal system prior to establishing a person's guilt. The media has already done her job for her, so that she can establish so much as a quasi-resolution of sorts. In the publishing world, timing means an awful lot, legal system be damned.

Sadly, like many other true crime books, Fanning has to rely on speculation to recreate a potential time line of events. And she does not hesitate to do so. Prefaced by a blasé statement that the events to follow are “based on” numerous external sources and that time frames are “estimates,” Fanning disregards the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as a mere triviality and fictionalized her version of “what might have happened.” (Emphasis by the author.)

Despite its flaws, the book does not drag nor does it rely on irrelevent pieces of information regarding the topography of Orlando, Florida, for example, or the ham-fisted verbiage of a hack writer. Diane Fanning proves herself quite adept at maintaining a reader's rapt attention, and being the reader along, captivated and intrigued.

However, the book remains decicively one-sided and biased, as one might expect. Coupled with slipshod copy editing and a basis on so-called “evidence” which has not yet been made known to the public as such, Mommy's Little Girl cannot present the definitive version of events surrounding the case – only the details which led to its current state. Sources of information for private e-mail correspondence has not been made known, nor has the anecdotal biographical information regarding Casey and her parents.

Caveat lector.

[RNOCEAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When news broke of three-year-old Caylee Anthony’s disappearance from her home in Florida in July 2008, there was a huge outpouring of sympathy across the nation. The search for Caylee made front-page headlines. But there was one huge question mark hanging over the case: the girl’s mother. • Why did Casey Anthony wait one full month before reporting her daughter missing? • Why were searches on chloroform and missing children found on her computer? • Why did she go out partying with friends less than one week after Caylee disappeared? As the investigation continued and suspicions mounted, Casey became the prime suspect. In October, based on new evidence against Casey—her erratic behavior and lies, her car that showed signs of human decomposition—a grand jury indicted the young single mother. Then, two months later, police found Caylee’s remains a quarter of a mile away from the Anthony home. Casey pled not guilty to charges of murder in the first degree, and she continues to protest her innocence. Did she or didn’t she kill Caylee? This is the story of one of the most shocking, confusing, and horrific crimes in modern American history."




*****Rate this 5/5 I thought that the author presented the case as it should be presented, without forming judgement or blame. The facts themselves point to the horrific story of this sweet child's short life. There were several times when I would weep and have to lay the book down, unable to continue......it is so tragic. I only hope that when all is said and done that there will be justice for the unforgotten one in all of the media blitz, Caylee Marie Anthony, who deserved a better life.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book b/c I enjoy true crime and a good friend had recommended it. It is an captivating and quick read. I could of read this all in one day. Its also my opinion that Diane Fanning is an excellent true crime writer. I have read several of her books. I think she did a wonderful job writing this. I found Fanning to be very reliable and she seemed to cover as many angles as possible. This books does include transcripts of text messages, emails, police/media interviews, jail visits btwn Casey and her family, etc. Fanning also explores some of Casey's behaviors when she was much younger - as well as Casey's movements and possible state of mind from times shortly before Caylee went "missing" up until Casey was charged with her murder was also explored. The points of view of Casey's friends, boyfriends, family, and law enforcement are all shown within the book, so you will get a really good overall picture of the events that occurred.

Although, written before the trial ever started, this is a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who is following the case. The Story of little Caylee touched many lives. RIP sweet baby girl :(

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the Casey Anthony case started out as an interest after watching Nancy Grace 3 years ago, then I became tired of it after intense media coverage. As the trial began, I had little to no interest in watching it, save the closing arguments and verdict, and that's when it became an obsession. I'm still watching coverage of it, waiting for the next big plot twist. It's like a greek drama unfolding in real life on television. As I'm the type of person who likes to be well-rounded when it comes to big news stories like this, I had to read the book in addition to watching the coverage. This book is about 2 years old, so obviously the new stuff isn't included, but it gave a nice background on the case, as well as new details I didn't know about. Written as mainly transcripts of the jail conversations/police statements, Mommy's Little Girl is a tale of lies, tragedy, lies, murder, lies, a broken family, an outraged country, as yes, more lies. At the center of it all is the poor 2 year old girl who was brutally killed by the woman who should have wanted to give her life to save her child's. A very tragic story.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quit once they let the baby killer run free. No offense to the author who did a wonderful job with the book. I just can't continue reading, seeing all the evidence of her guilt without getting angry all over again.

[m i l o u ✨ (Grumpy Hobbit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am forever amazed that Casey Anthony isn't rotting away in jail at this very moment. She committed the worst crime that any mother can commit and she got away with it.

I've watched countless of documentaries about this case so I knew how it would end. This book finishes before Casey goes on trail so it doesn't give any information about that. Still I wanted to read a bit about the evil person that Casey is. Who on earth is so caulise that they murder their own child? This bitch could.

Diane Fanning just managed to capture the story in a good way which provides plenty of information.

[Debbie Duncalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually searched for this book as I watched a programme on t v about Casey Anthony. I found this book to be more fact based than the programme I had seen. It delved a lot into the mind and actual doings of Casey and her surrounding family.
Good interesting read when you like to see into people’s minds and try to workout why they commit crimes of murder.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Casey Anthony’s continuous stream of lies and boyfriends makes for a difficult read. Felt like I was reading through mountains of BS through the entire book.

[Ashley Mackler-Paternostro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after watching the jury selection for the trial, and I have followed (off and on) the case from the beginning. I read this story shortly before opening statements began, and this story is one of the many reasons I feel such outrage over the death of this little girl.

Casey Anthony is a sick, depraved, twisted and unfeeling individual. There is no grey area in that. That is the fact, clearly shown in the book, and that fact cannot be dressed up and made to look different when you simply take it all in, piece by piece, lie by lie. After reading all the facts laid out, I do not envy the team of lawyers assembled to un-ring the bell Casey Anthony rang...and rang hard.

The book highlights, in rapid fire, the extreme way Anthony's world imploded in short order. Her tower of lies and half truths sprawl across the page. The balls of this woman will make you internally cringe, they are so far fetched and unbelievable. Yes, there is relatively no "new" information, but the author does a nice job summing it and making it easier to understand. Her parents outrage followed by total indifference when it comes to truth and fact and accountability will make the reader literally sick.

The thing about understanding a case like this, with it's multitude of twists and turns and layers, is that often times facts get lost in the shuffle--like Casey habitual thievery-- having them all together, in one place, make it's easier to absorb and understand.

This title is an excellent read for anyone who followed the case...and now that it's all done, it's just a haunting look back on a little girl lost too soon.

[Candace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does a good job of pulling together materials that have been released to the public as evidence in the case. It creates a fairly coherent narrative out of a decidedly chaotic case. It also provides a small amount of family history that grounds the story, slightly.

The author is at a disadvantage in trying to write about the case while the story is still unfolding. If she had had the luxury of discussing the case in retrospect with its principals, she might have been able to do a more compelling job.

What she is unable to do is to explain what happened to Casey Anthony. She offers several differing psychiatric views, but all feel like outsiders' opinions. I never feel as though she is able to provide any meaningful insight.

And in this strange case, the psychology of each member of the immediate Anthony case is as fascinating and horrifying as that of Casey Anthony. Why have Casey's parents held so firmly to the bizarre and incredible stories their daughter wove?

And the biggest question for me personally is simply this: Why am I so fascinated by this awful train wreck of a story? Even throwing some light on the public's ravenous appetite for this story would have been fascinating.

I'm not sure that a satisfying book about this case is possible, but Fanning, at this point, has not succeeded in writing it.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my surprise I really liked this book. Normally I very much dislike books that were written before the trial date but not so with this case.

Maybe because this is one case I read about when it was happening. Normally I read a true crime book and afterwards i will go and find more information but this time it was the other way around. Before i read this book I did hear the 911 phone call and read about the lies Casey told the police and watched on YouTube a clip where the parents of Casey were fighting with protesters. All of those things and much more were mentioned in this book.
As Kelly said in her review, the reason why people are still so engaged in this case is not only because a mom killed her child, but that that mom is telling so many lies, which were so easily dismantled and still expects people to belief her. I am still shocked about her parents. Did watch Cindi on a show with Greta. What a piece of work. I am pissed off at them but also feel sorry for them. Diane managed to write a book based on a lot of transcripts which read like a novel. 8.5

Read from 6/8 april of 2010

[Kassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't see much difference from this book and the media coverage of what happened. Then again, I didn't see much of the media coverage as I don't watch TV. The book did offer a lot of information on the disturbing case. It's a light read but a very heavy subject. Unfortunately, the book in this reader's mind, was written pre-maturely as the trial hasn't even happened yet and the facts haven't really gotten sorted out from the hysterics of the people involved and the media. Because the disturbing subject matter is such a delicate and horrifying thing and the trial hasn't happened and the investigation is (I'd imagine) still going on, there wasn't any sort of end result of all of the mess that happened which seemed to make the subject even more disturbing than it would have been had the book been written after the trial.

That said, the author seemed careful to cover what facts are known and did carefully research what little was available. It's not a bad book at all; just not something that is a full spectrum picture as the full spectrum picture hasn't been taken yet.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I've followed this case from the beginning and was still shocked at the volume and depth of Casey's lies to family, friends and authorities. It was heartbreaking yet infuriating to see her parents in such obvious denial, to the point of looking like utter fools. Even though the trial is over and the not guilty verdict was handed down, this book followed a well documented timeline of the early stages of the investigation as well as what Casey was exactly doing during those first 31 days that Caylee was apparently "kidnapped" by the babysitter. How the jury ever found Casey Anthony not guilty is way beyond me........

[Dara S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written before the trial. The author has put together what she believed happened from personal interviews, transcripts and police interviews. With that being said, what she says sounds very plausible. Casey Anthony weaved elaborate lies for her friends, family and the police. She often contradicted herself and when called on it she had no answer.

[Miss Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I'm starting to get wrapped up in the upcoming Casey Anthony trial that will begin next week. The book was informational, but I could definitely see how it was rushed to the market. I found some typos and in general I felt it jumped around rather discordantly. Overall though, it was interesting and brought to light some facts that I hadn't already heard on the news coverage.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book discusses the death of Caylee Anthony, a three year old girl. She was (very belatedly) reported missing by her family, while her mother was out partying and buying alcohol with a bunch of boys. There were a lot of weird and suspicious things that went on during this investigation. I disagree strongly with the outcome of this case, however I realize one must bear the burden of proof in criminal trials. If nothing else, the case proved that the mother of this child was not fit to be a mother, nor acted like an adult in any sense of the word, and certainly should bear responsibility for herself and the death of this child.

If there is one person in the world who has a face I want to introduce to a curb, it is Casey Anthony. I am appalled that she now resides in the same state as me. I am also appalled that she took a tourist trip to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum, where items that belonged to the daughter whose death she (most absolutely) had something to do with are housed. I think, as a person divested from this crime, she has some serious mental issues. Her dad is a CREEP, and I would not be shocked in the least if her allegations against him were true. I think she is very manipulative, and I believe her relationship with her lawyer and those around her are evidence of such. I can appreciate the legal resolution of the case, but I certainly do not agree with it at all. Personal opinion aside, the book was decently written with plenty of facts that were current at the time of writing. A lot has happened with this...woman...since the conclusion of the case, so the book is a bit out of date in that regard. I am glad to have gotten it off my shelf though.

[Emily Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

************SPOILER ALERT SORT OF IF YOU HAVENT FOLLOWED MEDIA ON THE CASE AGAINST CASEY ANTHONY & BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK *********************

I found this book fascinating but then about 3/4 of the way in I kept putting it down and took forever to finally finished. The author basically gives the ending to the mystery in the middle and then afterwards I found everything just monotonous and it just made me sick to keep reading about everything after knowing that factor in chapter 20. There were a few times I had to remind myself that this was just an authors reiteration and opinion based on witness statements and evidence, which was basically all that was needed to put the pieces together. However I do see where the doubt was formed and how the jurors could not commit to sentencing proving with out a shadow of a doubt that she was guilty, however I think everyone in the courtroom knew she was and still to this day, the world knows what she did to her own daughter. That image alone will have me against picking up a true crime novel of this stature in a long long time. I honestly have two daughters of my own and this book hit home for me, which is maybe why After chapter 20-26 I had a hard time finishing & having followed the media during the case, I knew the outcome which didnt help to keep my attention but all in all it was a good read, and i imagine it would be better if you had never known anything about Casey Anthony !

[Francine · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOMMY’S LITTLE GIRL by Diane Fanning – My interest in Casey Anthony and her family was renewed by the recent TV update on Casey’s life. Not much to report. She’s living with Patrick McKenna, the lead investigator during her trial, not as a shack-up honey, but a girl needs to live somewhere. She does internet research for him, sometimes, and reads, and watches movies.
But about the book, FIVE STARS. I want information, especially about the relation between Casey and her mother, Cindy. Who was Mommy’s Little Girl? Was it Cindy, 4th child and only daughter? Was it Casey? Was it Caylee, born to a too young and flighty girl, and who became the golden light to her unhappy grandparents? What happened to Casey Anthony that made her the person she became?
Diane Fanning presents the evidence, a lot of recorded interviews between Casey and police, parents and police, Casey and parents. She gives an outline of the time since 3 year old Caylee was last seen by her grandparents, and 31 days later when mother Cindy tracks down her wayward daughter and wants to know where the HELL is Caylee.
It’s easy to get confused. Casey Anthony is a spinner of lies. She’s cool under pressure, and she’s getting a lot of it, not just from her screaming mother, confused father, and stern brother, but from experienced law enforcement officers who know their business.
This is an evidence based book. We, the reader, can judge for ourselves what this young woman and her missing daughter were all about.

[Charles Cavendish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on true events that unfolded on a horrible July day in Florida. It is a very sad, heart wrenching, yet attention grabbing story of sweet, innocent little two year old Kaylee Anthony. The story of how the one person who every child looks up to, and trusts the most, does the most unimaginable and worst thing that any parent could ever do! A tailspin of, what looked on the outside to be, a normal family, to lies, deceit, betrayal, and murder! Fanning did an exceptional job at covering every angle of perception on this crime story and events.Covering every aspect and possibility with transcripts, depositions, pictures, and every fact of the case that was released! Following the entire case personally, after reading this book, Fanning gave me a new perspective on how the events unfolded and the timeline in which they happened. Unfortunately, the outcome has always been the same. Two year old Kaylee Anthony was not "Mommy's Little Girl" as a mother doesn't wait over a month to report her child "missing." Definitely a great read for such a tragic case!!!

[Marianne K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I followed this case and the disgusting outcome of the trial. What creeps those jurors were! I picked up the book at my library hoping for more info than was available at the time and the book did not disappoint. I like the way the author laid out the case in nice chronological order. But I have to say it was one of the most painful reads. Caylee Marie Anthony deserved so much better than her brief life. I ached when I read a married high school friend offered to adopt Caylee while Casey was pregnant. But Cindy, Casey's mother, would not allow it. Then Casey almost dies from alcohol poisoning when Casey was two. The little girl couldn't catch a break. I thought so at the time and the book bears it out, Casey is a monster created in part by a controlling mother who was really a bad parent. Caylee never had a chance. I hope the truly evil monster Casey gets her comeuppance sooner rather than later.

[KJ]

I read this on a recommendation from a friend who really likes true crime books, and I found it very informative. There are a couple of typos throughout the book, punctuation errors in places. I think the author switched Casey's and Caylee's names in a couple of spots, too, but their names are really similar so A) I understand and B) I could just be confused. In terms of content, though, this is a very detailed account of the known facts of the case from Caylee's disappearance up to the discovery of her remains. I feel like it's hard to rate a book that actively made me lose a little faith in humanity, because it feels like a "shoot the messenger" kind of situation, and frankly it feels a little wrong to slap stars on a book about the true story of a dead child. So I'm just gonna leave this here and go find some feel-good article about a dog riding a bus or something.

[Sandra Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I followed this case all the way through and we all knew she was guilt and I wish they that more evidence and did a better job to prove it because she does not deserve her freedom, but after reading this book I am more convinced then ever that she should be behind bars, the lies and the run around acting normal what mother does that, leaving a child with a babysitter so she says because there actually wasn't any she should have felt her with her parents instead, or having her mother have custody if she just couldn't handle being a mom, and the parents to stick by her knowing that she was a liar just makes me so outrage. But overall if you want to get more detailed into what happened during that time I would pick up this book!

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The reason why I gave this book a 1 star rating is because of the crime itself. I thought the author done a great job with the book and it was pretty good. I remember watching this case on TV. It was one of the first trials that I watched and never missed a day. I REALLY dislike Casey Anthony. It still angers me to this day that she got away with murder. Who could kill an innocent little girl like Caylee? Instead of killing her, Casey should have gave her to someone that would have taken care of her. I would have taken her in a heartbeat. While I was reading this book, A part of me wondered if George, Cindy, or Lee had a part in it or knew about it? Just a thought that had ran across my mind.

[mandy mileham]

Gripping

As a Brit I'd only read parts of this case and spoken to.several.American friends about this case but it was mostly about the trial. This book tells you about Casey's background which was interesting . It tells you.about her family and Caylees early life and the details up.until Caylee was found. I'm afraid it didn't change my opinion of Casey I still think.she had something to do.with her daughter's death and I think the trial was a total miscarriage of justice . That said I'm off to.find something to read on the trial

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember seeing something brief about this case a while ago, and being appalled that Casey Anthony got away with the murder of this precious little girl. So when I found this book I was eager to read this book and find out more about what happened.

This is a well written book that covers all of the necessary information and paints a clear picture of the awful events that happened to this poor child. Justice really was not served in this case, and it is truly heart-breaking.

Rest in Peace. Caylee Anthony.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently went on a vacation to Orlando. On the four hour plane ride from Utah to Orlando I watched a Netflix documentary on Casey Anthony. I realized that the case took place right where I would be, and I couldn’t remember much of the case at all. So I decided to read a book while I waited in lines at Universal Studio and Walt Disney World. I enjoyed this book, but it did not cover the trial, and I that is what I was most interested in. So I checked out another book after I finished this one.

[Julie Vavroch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, what I would give to have been able to read this book when it was first published. As horrific as it was, I was fascinated by the homicide of little Caylee Anthony, and her accused 22 year old mother, Casey. Reading this almost two decades later, it was still a "couldn't put down" book for me- I read it in one day. I would definitely be interested in reading other true crime books by this author, Diane Fanning. She left no stone unturned, it seems, and relied on mostly transcripts, and factual information.