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Don't Say a Thing: A Predator, a Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered
In a powerful true-crime memoir, an Emmy Award–winning journalist seeks closure in a decades-long series of crimes and freedom from her own personal demons.
In April 1999, reporter Tamara Leitner woke to an active crime scene outside her Arizona apartment. Her neighbor had been sexually assaulted by a man who would later be identified as Claude Dean Hull II, a serial rapist who escaped justice for decades. New identities. New states. New victims—more than one hundred suspected across the country and thousands more victimized in myriad ways. Tamara’s twenty-year compulsion to follow the investigation began.
She needed to question a failed system. She needed to know the women whose lives were irrevocably altered. And she needed to face the root of her obsession with Hull and his crimes.
In interviewing, befriending, and profoundly connecting with Hull’s survivors, Tamara crafts a unique true-crime narrative. It not only reveals the struggles of the justice system to help victims of sexual violence but explores how these resilient women—and Tamara herself—strove to reclaim their power in the wake of indelible trauma.
In April 1999, reporter Tamara Leitner woke to an active crime scene outside her Arizona apartment. Her neighbor had been sexually assaulted by a man who would later be identified as Claude Dean Hull II, a serial rapist who escaped justice for decades. New identities. New states. New victims—more than one hundred suspected across the country and thousands more victimized in myriad ways. Tamara’s twenty-year compulsion to follow the investigation began.
She needed to question a failed system. She needed to know the women whose lives were irrevocably altered. And she needed to face the root of her obsession with Hull and his crimes.
In interviewing, befriending, and profoundly connecting with Hull’s survivors, Tamara crafts a unique true-crime narrative. It not only reveals the struggles of the justice system to help victims of sexual violence but explores how these resilient women—and Tamara herself—strove to reclaim their power in the wake of indelible trauma.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
2794 people are currently reading
3342 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Leitner
3 books18 followershttps://www.tamaraleitner.com/
Tamara Leitner is a twelve-time Emmy Award–winning broadcast and print investigative journalist. She worked as a network correspondent, regularly reporting on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC. Before joining NBC News in 2016, Leitner worked for local news outlets in New York City, Chicago, and Phoenix.
She is the recipient of a 2011 George Foster Peabody Award and a 2012 Edward R. Murrow Award and lives in Southern California.
Tamara Leitner is a twelve-time Emmy Award–winning broadcast and print investigative journalist. She worked as a network correspondent, regularly reporting on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC. Before joining NBC News in 2016, Leitner worked for local news outlets in New York City, Chicago, and Phoenix.
She is the recipient of a 2011 George Foster Peabody Award and a 2012 Edward R. Murrow Award and lives in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
May 18, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
Here's the thing: It was compulsively readable. But ... what the heck was I reading? This book kind of careens between true crime and memoir, and I didn't want both. Give me one or the other, and please stop jumping around in time. It was so confusing and made the women's stories -- the people who mattered most -- get lost in the shuffle.
This could have been two different books, and I kind of wish it had been.
Here's the thing: It was compulsively readable. But ... what the heck was I reading? This book kind of careens between true crime and memoir, and I didn't want both. Give me one or the other, and please stop jumping around in time. It was so confusing and made the women's stories -- the people who mattered most -- get lost in the shuffle.
This could have been two different books, and I kind of wish it had been.
May 20, 2023
Well written, except for two difficulties. Firstly, although I can understand why the author saw a similarity between these victims’ lives and what she was going through, I found the sections of the book that dealt with the author’s own story too intrusive. She should have kept the book focused on the victims and the perpetrator, and left herself out of it. At one point, she mentioned that she’d thought of making this a straightforward true-crime book, and I wish she’d followed through with that approach.
If she’d done so, I believe that would have cleared up the second difficulty in the book, the lack of a simple timeline. The author jumps back and forth between the 1990s and the present day, and times in between, which, what with the many stories being told (including the author’s own, which also jumps around), makes it very difficult to follow. This is really unfortunate, because the reader sympathizes strongly with the victims and wants to see justice accomplished, but then confusion takes over — when something takes place, and whose story is whose — which is a disservice to the victims.
Overall, a bit of a disappointment.
If she’d done so, I believe that would have cleared up the second difficulty in the book, the lack of a simple timeline. The author jumps back and forth between the 1990s and the present day, and times in between, which, what with the many stories being told (including the author’s own, which also jumps around), makes it very difficult to follow. This is really unfortunate, because the reader sympathizes strongly with the victims and wants to see justice accomplished, but then confusion takes over — when something takes place, and whose story is whose — which is a disservice to the victims.
Overall, a bit of a disappointment.
January 25, 2023
(2.5 stars)
"I had always been drawn to the tragedies that others turned away from: sexual assault, drug addiction, murder, suicide. I was fascinated by human nature and how some survive and thrive after misfortune, finding strength in adversity, while others are destroyed by it." Tamara Leitner is an American journalist, which is what made me pick up this book. It sits somewhere between true crime and a memoir centred around uncovering a serial rapist and how that overlaps with meeting a master manipulator in her personal life.
"Karen spoke openly about the vicious attack. I had not yet experienced this amount of transparency with any sexual assault victim in my career." This is a book about real women's lives impacted by this rapist, and I think reviewers have a tendency to be positive because they want to support the strength and resilience of those victims and survivors. As a book though, I have to confess I found it tedious and in need of a good edit. The writing is simplistic and lacks nuance. The relationship with police, who feed journalists information to help crack stalled cases, was uncritical. Tamara's obsession with her raped neighbour, "Lily", who declined to be interviewed but brought the case proximal to the writer, felt like further violation of someone who deserved her privacy.
I guess the problem is the book felt more about aiding the career of Leitner, who "loved writing about the underbelly of society, telling stories that shocked and informed the public" than something directed by the women impacted by the crimes. The contrast between Leitner's desire to lay bare the details of invasive sexual violence sat at odds with the way she described being able to "divorce herself from the subject of an article", liking "relative anonymity" and nothing "about baring your soul came naturally to me". In fact her idea of "immersion journalism" which included being taken down (in padding) by a police dog, visiting the sites of the rapes to imagine what happened, and pretending to be arrested and spending two days in a jail cell, made me feel like she treated the women's experiences a bit like a theme park.
"As a journalist, I let a victim guide me on how deep she's capable of delving into the past." The author does set out what she sees as journalistic ethics in the book. But I am not convinced those ethics extended to "Lily". Probably the most truthful bits are where she explained she inaccurately identified "someone as a sex offender" in her coverage, and then used the apology call to pump them for information about their family members, putting the burden back on us: "the general public doesn't always understand the gravity of when they speak to a member of the media ... we are not their friends." I think it would have been nice to see Leitner apply this to the victims and survivors she encounters rather than saying you "don't want to push, but you do want to provide a safe outlet if they are willing to speak." A safe outlet is a counsellor who doesn't have career goals that depend on publishing your story.
With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me a copy to read.
"I had always been drawn to the tragedies that others turned away from: sexual assault, drug addiction, murder, suicide. I was fascinated by human nature and how some survive and thrive after misfortune, finding strength in adversity, while others are destroyed by it." Tamara Leitner is an American journalist, which is what made me pick up this book. It sits somewhere between true crime and a memoir centred around uncovering a serial rapist and how that overlaps with meeting a master manipulator in her personal life.
"Karen spoke openly about the vicious attack. I had not yet experienced this amount of transparency with any sexual assault victim in my career." This is a book about real women's lives impacted by this rapist, and I think reviewers have a tendency to be positive because they want to support the strength and resilience of those victims and survivors. As a book though, I have to confess I found it tedious and in need of a good edit. The writing is simplistic and lacks nuance. The relationship with police, who feed journalists information to help crack stalled cases, was uncritical. Tamara's obsession with her raped neighbour, "Lily", who declined to be interviewed but brought the case proximal to the writer, felt like further violation of someone who deserved her privacy.
I guess the problem is the book felt more about aiding the career of Leitner, who "loved writing about the underbelly of society, telling stories that shocked and informed the public" than something directed by the women impacted by the crimes. The contrast between Leitner's desire to lay bare the details of invasive sexual violence sat at odds with the way she described being able to "divorce herself from the subject of an article", liking "relative anonymity" and nothing "about baring your soul came naturally to me". In fact her idea of "immersion journalism" which included being taken down (in padding) by a police dog, visiting the sites of the rapes to imagine what happened, and pretending to be arrested and spending two days in a jail cell, made me feel like she treated the women's experiences a bit like a theme park.
"As a journalist, I let a victim guide me on how deep she's capable of delving into the past." The author does set out what she sees as journalistic ethics in the book. But I am not convinced those ethics extended to "Lily". Probably the most truthful bits are where she explained she inaccurately identified "someone as a sex offender" in her coverage, and then used the apology call to pump them for information about their family members, putting the burden back on us: "the general public doesn't always understand the gravity of when they speak to a member of the media ... we are not their friends." I think it would have been nice to see Leitner apply this to the victims and survivors she encounters rather than saying you "don't want to push, but you do want to provide a safe outlet if they are willing to speak." A safe outlet is a counsellor who doesn't have career goals that depend on publishing your story.
With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me a copy to read.
September 11, 2024
Interesting read of assaults, murders by an investigative reporter. She is trying to achieve personal closure for an error in reporting and also, past experience of her neighbor across the hall being assaulted.
As we all become more technology proficient, from the 70’s and 80’s,including police, FBI, etc more information comes forward. As it does, pieces of the puzzles start fitting into place. Not just in one area, but across the country now that there are increased lines of communication and connection with other agencies, jurisdictions.
The victims and predator stories are interesting and provocative and some stories that were originally buried (not purposely, but cold cased due to lack of closure/evidence/profiling, etc) shockingly come to light.
What was a turn of event in this book was the reporters personal experience with her spouse who suffers from a somewhat rare medical affliction. Things never really felt “right” with him, she looks back at their relationship, and we discover, as does she, he has a severe mental health disorder. What she goes through while assembling these other cases to remedy her burnt journalistic reputation had to be so hard for her to imagine, understand and juggle both her personal and professional life.
This is not a happy book, by any means. The ending of searching and identification of the predator is also an eye opener. Thanks to DNA and other forensic identification that uncovers what was not available before has linked those across the country who harmed or killed other innocent victims to be caught, sentenced and put away.
As we all become more technology proficient, from the 70’s and 80’s,including police, FBI, etc more information comes forward. As it does, pieces of the puzzles start fitting into place. Not just in one area, but across the country now that there are increased lines of communication and connection with other agencies, jurisdictions.
The victims and predator stories are interesting and provocative and some stories that were originally buried (not purposely, but cold cased due to lack of closure/evidence/profiling, etc) shockingly come to light.
What was a turn of event in this book was the reporters personal experience with her spouse who suffers from a somewhat rare medical affliction. Things never really felt “right” with him, she looks back at their relationship, and we discover, as does she, he has a severe mental health disorder. What she goes through while assembling these other cases to remedy her burnt journalistic reputation had to be so hard for her to imagine, understand and juggle both her personal and professional life.
This is not a happy book, by any means. The ending of searching and identification of the predator is also an eye opener. Thanks to DNA and other forensic identification that uncovers what was not available before has linked those across the country who harmed or killed other innocent victims to be caught, sentenced and put away.
May 28, 2023
I started off following this book and was interested - and then it lost me. I finished it because i wanted to see if it got better. Overall, it was hard to follow the timeline, and I don’t really know why she interjected her own relationship into the story. The most interesting parts to me were the steps that had to be taken to get information to different agencies, different police departments, etc that made catching prolific criminals such as this one so difficult. What happened to was horrific, but the book did not do the events justice.
June 2, 2023
I wish the book wouldn't have jumped back and forth from the crimes in the 1990s to the investigation in 2000s. I found it more difficult to follow the plot.
June 7, 2023
3.5 rounded down. Incredibly well-researched. I appreciated the focus on the victims, with extremely in-depth interviews. Always sympathetic and respectful. I even enjoyed the details about journalism. The down sides for me included the structure of the book and the attempted connection between the author's experience and the rape victims'. The timeline was unnecessarily confusing. I don't know why the book kept jumping around in time;, there was no obvious reason for it. And while the author's story is clearly painful and perhaps worth telling, it felt awkwardly out of place in this book.
May 27, 2023
This has good bones as a piece of true crime investigative journalism EXCEPT the author insists on also making it about her. Yes. She is slightly and distantly connected but in parts it overwhelmed the investigative piece of the writing. It was otherwise well written and felt complete.
July 17, 2023
Great case study; unnecessary personal memoir from the author
These were such interesting cases to follow! Going through each individual case and how they connected them, was fascinating. It was very informative; however, there was a lot of unnecessary information as well. I didn’t read this book to learn about the author’s boyfriend’s Wilson’s Disease or HER emotional trauma. It was interesting and sad, but that’s not why I read the book. I didn’t really want to learn about the author, unless it was relevant to the case study. Which none of it was, even though she tried to connect the two. I was continuously shot out of the story and confused when I would be forced to be in the authors personal life. I think she was trying to show her “similarities” with the emotional abuse of victims by talking about how she was gas lit and mentally abused. But it honestly felt insincere. How can you possibly compare your “monster” to the sick serial rapist of these many women? Yes, her suffering was tragic, as are everyone’s tragedies. But how dare she presume her relationship and these violent rapes were anywhere near the same! I hated how she compared the two. This book was a good 4 star without her personal story and memory. I can’t get over how narcissistic it felt to push her story in with these other women. 1 star at best. Just stick to the case study and write a memoir book if you need to tell your personal story that badly.
These were such interesting cases to follow! Going through each individual case and how they connected them, was fascinating. It was very informative; however, there was a lot of unnecessary information as well. I didn’t read this book to learn about the author’s boyfriend’s Wilson’s Disease or HER emotional trauma. It was interesting and sad, but that’s not why I read the book. I didn’t really want to learn about the author, unless it was relevant to the case study. Which none of it was, even though she tried to connect the two. I was continuously shot out of the story and confused when I would be forced to be in the authors personal life. I think she was trying to show her “similarities” with the emotional abuse of victims by talking about how she was gas lit and mentally abused. But it honestly felt insincere. How can you possibly compare your “monster” to the sick serial rapist of these many women? Yes, her suffering was tragic, as are everyone’s tragedies. But how dare she presume her relationship and these violent rapes were anywhere near the same! I hated how she compared the two. This book was a good 4 star without her personal story and memory. I can’t get over how narcissistic it felt to push her story in with these other women. 1 star at best. Just stick to the case study and write a memoir book if you need to tell your personal story that badly.
June 10, 2023
⁉️: What are some social, moral, and cultural issues that the social justice system is still struggling with?
For me, it is the cultural silencing and shaming of rape and sexual violence victim-survivors. I recently completing reading Tarana Burke’s Unbound and the movie, She Said, which is based on the New York Times journalists who were able to play a role in the conviction of Harvey Weinstein. When I saw that there was another memoir that explores this theme was releasing soon, I was drawn to reading Emmy Award winning journalist @tammy.leitner’s powerful true-crime memoir, which has been on my list since the past two months. Given that my scholarship focuses on the #MeToo movement, it’s hard not to be drawn to the story she shares with her readers.
Perhaps, what I love about this memoir is the title of this book - Don’t Say A Thing - which is a sentiment many victim-survivors face as they make sense of the indelible trauma. 🤫🤐😶
So what is the story that Tamara tells us:
Set in April 1999, Leitner woke up to an active crime scene outside her Arizona apartment. Her neighbor has been sexually assaulted by a ma who would be later identified as Claude Dean Hull II - a serial rapist who had escaped justice for decades. Tamara then began to investigate and questioned a failed system, and began to learn of the victim-survivors to learn about Hull’s heinous crimes.
Through her intensive interviewing and connecting with Hull’s survivors, Tamara explores a unique true crime narrative, which is still struggling to help victims of sexual violence and reclaiming their power.
The memoir released on June 1st and is now available for purchase!
Thank you @ @tammy.leitner and @amazonpublishing for the gifted copy!
#TamaraLeitner #DontSayAThing #MeToo #AmazonPublishing #TrueCrime #Memoir #ThomasandMercer
For me, it is the cultural silencing and shaming of rape and sexual violence victim-survivors. I recently completing reading Tarana Burke’s Unbound and the movie, She Said, which is based on the New York Times journalists who were able to play a role in the conviction of Harvey Weinstein. When I saw that there was another memoir that explores this theme was releasing soon, I was drawn to reading Emmy Award winning journalist @tammy.leitner’s powerful true-crime memoir, which has been on my list since the past two months. Given that my scholarship focuses on the #MeToo movement, it’s hard not to be drawn to the story she shares with her readers.
Perhaps, what I love about this memoir is the title of this book - Don’t Say A Thing - which is a sentiment many victim-survivors face as they make sense of the indelible trauma. 🤫🤐😶
So what is the story that Tamara tells us:
Set in April 1999, Leitner woke up to an active crime scene outside her Arizona apartment. Her neighbor has been sexually assaulted by a ma who would be later identified as Claude Dean Hull II - a serial rapist who had escaped justice for decades. Tamara then began to investigate and questioned a failed system, and began to learn of the victim-survivors to learn about Hull’s heinous crimes.
Through her intensive interviewing and connecting with Hull’s survivors, Tamara explores a unique true crime narrative, which is still struggling to help victims of sexual violence and reclaiming their power.
The memoir released on June 1st and is now available for purchase!
Thank you @ @tammy.leitner and @amazonpublishing for the gifted copy!
#TamaraLeitner #DontSayAThing #MeToo #AmazonPublishing #TrueCrime #Memoir #ThomasandMercer
March 30, 2023
Don't Say a Thing - Tamara Leitner
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Netgalley, and most importantly the author for the eARC of this valuable memoir which tracks a rapist's sexual assaults.
This powerful work humanizes a terribly personally-invasive crime; it should be required reading for all individuals (detectives, police, 911 operators, hospital workers and all else) who regularly work with rape survivors.
The author of this important work highlights just how vital (particularly with this MOST personal crime) it is that those who work with rape survivors provide compassionate and humanized care.
First responders (and everyone else working with the rape survivors immediately following this dehumanizing and debasing crime) need to recognize that how they treat survivors may have a direct correlation to the survivor's ability to emotionally heal and/or their willingness to commit to pursuing justice in court (especially as so few rape trials result in conviction of the rapist). Based on data from Women's Rights and The Washington Post, it is estimated that only 4.9 percent of rape cases in the United States result in a conviction.
This is an excellent thought-provoking book that should be read far and wide, please help to spread the word by purchasing it and posting a review in as many locations as you can.
Until next time...
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Netgalley, and most importantly the author for the eARC of this valuable memoir which tracks a rapist's sexual assaults.
This powerful work humanizes a terribly personally-invasive crime; it should be required reading for all individuals (detectives, police, 911 operators, hospital workers and all else) who regularly work with rape survivors.
The author of this important work highlights just how vital (particularly with this MOST personal crime) it is that those who work with rape survivors provide compassionate and humanized care.
First responders (and everyone else working with the rape survivors immediately following this dehumanizing and debasing crime) need to recognize that how they treat survivors may have a direct correlation to the survivor's ability to emotionally heal and/or their willingness to commit to pursuing justice in court (especially as so few rape trials result in conviction of the rapist). Based on data from Women's Rights and The Washington Post, it is estimated that only 4.9 percent of rape cases in the United States result in a conviction.
This is an excellent thought-provoking book that should be read far and wide, please help to spread the word by purchasing it and posting a review in as many locations as you can.
Until next time...
May 30, 2023
Relentless-the pursuit of justice, a better educated judicial system, that is in need from police departments through court rooms and prisons.
This true crime retelling and memoir read chronicles the author’s life quest to bring justice to several women who were attacked by a serial rapist.
The crime and justice served parts were similar to another true crime book that published a few years ago, also searching for a serial rapist. This book here, seems to concentrate more firmly on the victims, which is extremely important and crucial for society if anyone is to learn how to possibly change reporting crimes, actually searching for the predator and also helping dozens upon dozens of women who have been victimized.
The memoir part of this book? Honestly left me a bit confused..
which is why the rating is only 4 stars.
This true crime retelling and memoir read chronicles the author’s life quest to bring justice to several women who were attacked by a serial rapist.
The crime and justice served parts were similar to another true crime book that published a few years ago, also searching for a serial rapist. This book here, seems to concentrate more firmly on the victims, which is extremely important and crucial for society if anyone is to learn how to possibly change reporting crimes, actually searching for the predator and also helping dozens upon dozens of women who have been victimized.
The memoir part of this book? Honestly left me a bit confused..
which is why the rating is only 4 stars.
December 6, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up.
There’s some good stuff there, and the writing is mostly fine, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish.
It’s a half true crime, half memoir that jumps in both perspective and time with no discernible organizational structure around a paper thin unifying theme between the crimes and author’s story (at least as far as I made it before throwing in the towel. Though, her partner would have to turn out to be the rapist to make all the coverage beneficial to the narrative. I’d read the heck out of that though.)
Basically a mish-mash of no thanks.
There’s some good stuff there, and the writing is mostly fine, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish.
It’s a half true crime, half memoir that jumps in both perspective and time with no discernible organizational structure around a paper thin unifying theme between the crimes and author’s story (at least as far as I made it before throwing in the towel. Though, her partner would have to turn out to be the rapist to make all the coverage beneficial to the narrative. I’d read the heck out of that though.)
Basically a mish-mash of no thanks.
June 5, 2023
too much interruption
This book became annoying imo with the interruptions of the author’s personal marriage/husband issues. They seemed irrelevant to the rest of the story she was telling. I did finish the book by just skimming her dramas because the other subject matter was of interest to me, even though it was out of order, somewhat confusing, and repetitive. I hope it helped Hull’s victims and others who’ve been assaulted.
This book became annoying imo with the interruptions of the author’s personal marriage/husband issues. They seemed irrelevant to the rest of the story she was telling. I did finish the book by just skimming her dramas because the other subject matter was of interest to me, even though it was out of order, somewhat confusing, and repetitive. I hope it helped Hull’s victims and others who’ve been assaulted.
June 21, 2023
DNF. The parts with the action & story was so interesting and pretty well written, but then it constantly got off track about the author's personal life. She also kept saying things like "i just need to help these people, get justice, etc." but she's just an author and didn't really have much of a connection to the crimes aside from her neighbor was a victim. Just got boring and put me in a reading slump :/
July 14, 2023
While the author tried to bring this truth to light - the organization of the book drove me nuts. It jumped backwards & forward & in & out of the victim’s stories in such a way that was just confusing & never made me feel the real horror of what these women experienced. And while her own personal story was sad & awful it didn’t help the tale of Hull’s rampage through so many innocent lives.
July 1, 2023
Tamara, the author is a investigative journalist. This follows her time covering a serial rapist in the Phoenix area in the last 90's.
When I read true crime to flow as well as this. So much true crime reads like a textbook. This did not. I could tell the author was excellent at articulating herself. Easy to absorb. 5 stars
When I read true crime to flow as well as this. So much true crime reads like a textbook. This did not. I could tell the author was excellent at articulating herself. Easy to absorb. 5 stars
June 20, 2023
As fascinating as the true crime elements are, the way in which she interweaves her personal life is even better
July 31, 2023
This was a free Kindle First Reads pick and it was an interesting memoir.
February 12, 2024
The actual true crime story being told here is crazy and sickening and I wanted to keep reading about it. But the author threw her personal story into the mix which was totally pointless and lost me
August 11, 2023
This book is probably a 4 in true crime standards. i just could take the topic and bailed.
July 5, 2023
Truly an amazing read, I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole thing in two days. It had me emotional, on the edge of my seat, and open-mouthed shocked. Definitely pick it up, you won’t put it down. And to the survivors, you’re an inspiration for other victims.
September 18, 2023
This book was more about the author and her journalistic story rather than an actual concern for the victims. Why did the readers even care about her relationship issues? Why did the neighbor’s tragic rape cause her personally so much lifelong trouble? She could have moved from the apartment rather than let herself be mentally torn apart - didn’t understand that entire scenario. While the trauma of the rape victims and the criminal himself was heartbreaking, this was poorly evidenced by this author.
January 10, 2024
I feel like this could have been a great book, but the author jumped around so much it was hard to keep track of when and where things happened. And it felt completely unnecessary to do so since she clearly not only knew actual order of events but also the reported order of events. And she spent so much time talking about her husband but never explained what happened. It was a struggle to get through this book and ultimately there isn’t anything in its lengthy, jumbled pages you couldn’t get in 5 minutes on google. Very disappointing.
June 5, 2023
This is a fascinating case study. This author, like many journalists who write books, couldn’t keep her own ego and emotions out of the book. About halfway through this book, I learned to spot the upcoming personal rabbit trails breaking the narrative of the story. I learned to skip read to get back to the story. The book was very repetitious and slow-moving. A good dose of serious revising-editing would have made this a much better and more enjoyable read.
June 30, 2023
2 stars, DNF
I thought it would be exceptional. I wanted it to be.
But in all honesty, this was very boring and hard to follow all the jumping timelines.
The author interjects too much of her own personal travails into the timeline.
It was early days of DNA testing and cross agency/FBI investigations and information sharing.
So, it reads like a comedy of errors, even though each of the detectives were very earnest.
But coming up to 65%, and I am bored to tears.
I thought it would be exceptional. I wanted it to be.
But in all honesty, this was very boring and hard to follow all the jumping timelines.
The author interjects too much of her own personal travails into the timeline.
It was early days of DNA testing and cross agency/FBI investigations and information sharing.
So, it reads like a comedy of errors, even though each of the detectives were very earnest.
But coming up to 65%, and I am bored to tears.
May 6, 2023
It's in the opening pages of Tamara Leitner's "Don't Say a Thing: A Predator, a Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered" that we are initially immersed in the personal and professional foundations that led Leitner to spend twenty years of her life following the investigation of a mysterious serial rapist and the women whose lives were changed forever after their experiences of sexual assault.
It started in 1999. Leitner, a now 12-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, woke to a crime scene outside the Arizona apartment she shared with her then boyfriend. She would learn that her neighbor, identified here as Lily, had been sexually assaulted. It would be decades before the perpetrator would be captured - Claude Dean Hull II, a serial rapist who would admit to many sexual assaults, including Lily's, and who is ultimately still suspected in over a hundred plus countless other crimes.
Weaving together elements of Erika Krouse's "Tell Me Everything" and Michelle McNamara's "I'll be Gone in the Dark," "Don't Say a Thing" is part true crime, part investigative thriller, and part biography memoir as Leitner also shares throughout the book some of her own personal demons that may not have caused her to commit to this twenty-year journey but certainly fueled it.
"Don't Say a Thing" is an Amazon First Reads book for the month of May 2023. An ongoing feature of Amazon Prime, the First Reads program offers readers exposure to new books and new authors on a monthly basis. Prime members typically receive at least one title free each month, sometimes two, and others are able to purchase the selected titles at a significant discount. The titles are typically those released on one of Amazon's own publishing imprints.
At nearly 500 pages, "Don't Say a Thing" is an engaging but occasionally disjointed reading experience as Leitner weaves together both the results of her years-long investigative work and a personal narrative focused on what would prove to be a particularly unhealthy, and I'd say abusive, relationship. Leitner doesn't always find the right balance with these dueling narratives - perhaps both are rather intriguing and worthy of their own separate literary paths. Leitner's personal narrative, in particular, left me unsatisfied as it feels underdeveloped here.
While I struggled at times with the dueling narratives, I also can't deny that I found "Don't Say a Thing" to be a fiercely engaging title about a case I knew little about prior to this reading. Leitner shares individual experiences of the women, at times with raw detail, but never truly crosses the line into exploitation. It's a difficult balance and yet Leitner writes from a place of respect and dignity for these women. While time is given to the perpetrator, especially toward the end, Leitner's focus here is on the women and she takes great care to make sure their voices are front-and-center here.
It is worth noting, however, that Leitner occasionally writes with a sort of empathetic curiosity and also acknowledges having carried on a mail correspondence with the imprisoned Hull. I have to admit that feels like a sort of icky disclaimer for "Don't Say a Thing."
Ultimately, however, "Don't Say a Thing" succeeds. Leitner questions the failed system and lays out that failure in precise, exacting ways. She explores how that failure also helped to fuel her need to know the women whose lives were so dramatically changed by Hull. She also shares her own dramatic life journey amidst all this as her own partner was also, like Hull, living a sort of Jekyll & Hyde life.
Building relationships with several of the women and interviewing and profoundly connecting with them, Leitner has crafted a powerful tale of how the justice system struggles to help victims of sexual violence while ultimately empowering the voices of the women who have persevered yet whose lives will likely always be impacted by their sexual assaults.
After several less satisfying experiences with Amazon First Reads in recent months, Tamara Leitner's "Don't Say a Thing" is an immersive and emotionally resonant read that will resonate with those who appreciate true crime with a personal narrative and those who also embrace survivor-centered narratives. Due to the graphic nature of the investigation, survivors prone to flashbacks and/or other PTSD symptoms should be cautioned that "Don't Say a Thing" may prove to be triggering.
It started in 1999. Leitner, a now 12-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, woke to a crime scene outside the Arizona apartment she shared with her then boyfriend. She would learn that her neighbor, identified here as Lily, had been sexually assaulted. It would be decades before the perpetrator would be captured - Claude Dean Hull II, a serial rapist who would admit to many sexual assaults, including Lily's, and who is ultimately still suspected in over a hundred plus countless other crimes.
Weaving together elements of Erika Krouse's "Tell Me Everything" and Michelle McNamara's "I'll be Gone in the Dark," "Don't Say a Thing" is part true crime, part investigative thriller, and part biography memoir as Leitner also shares throughout the book some of her own personal demons that may not have caused her to commit to this twenty-year journey but certainly fueled it.
"Don't Say a Thing" is an Amazon First Reads book for the month of May 2023. An ongoing feature of Amazon Prime, the First Reads program offers readers exposure to new books and new authors on a monthly basis. Prime members typically receive at least one title free each month, sometimes two, and others are able to purchase the selected titles at a significant discount. The titles are typically those released on one of Amazon's own publishing imprints.
At nearly 500 pages, "Don't Say a Thing" is an engaging but occasionally disjointed reading experience as Leitner weaves together both the results of her years-long investigative work and a personal narrative focused on what would prove to be a particularly unhealthy, and I'd say abusive, relationship. Leitner doesn't always find the right balance with these dueling narratives - perhaps both are rather intriguing and worthy of their own separate literary paths. Leitner's personal narrative, in particular, left me unsatisfied as it feels underdeveloped here.
While I struggled at times with the dueling narratives, I also can't deny that I found "Don't Say a Thing" to be a fiercely engaging title about a case I knew little about prior to this reading. Leitner shares individual experiences of the women, at times with raw detail, but never truly crosses the line into exploitation. It's a difficult balance and yet Leitner writes from a place of respect and dignity for these women. While time is given to the perpetrator, especially toward the end, Leitner's focus here is on the women and she takes great care to make sure their voices are front-and-center here.
It is worth noting, however, that Leitner occasionally writes with a sort of empathetic curiosity and also acknowledges having carried on a mail correspondence with the imprisoned Hull. I have to admit that feels like a sort of icky disclaimer for "Don't Say a Thing."
Ultimately, however, "Don't Say a Thing" succeeds. Leitner questions the failed system and lays out that failure in precise, exacting ways. She explores how that failure also helped to fuel her need to know the women whose lives were so dramatically changed by Hull. She also shares her own dramatic life journey amidst all this as her own partner was also, like Hull, living a sort of Jekyll & Hyde life.
Building relationships with several of the women and interviewing and profoundly connecting with them, Leitner has crafted a powerful tale of how the justice system struggles to help victims of sexual violence while ultimately empowering the voices of the women who have persevered yet whose lives will likely always be impacted by their sexual assaults.
After several less satisfying experiences with Amazon First Reads in recent months, Tamara Leitner's "Don't Say a Thing" is an immersive and emotionally resonant read that will resonate with those who appreciate true crime with a personal narrative and those who also embrace survivor-centered narratives. Due to the graphic nature of the investigation, survivors prone to flashbacks and/or other PTSD symptoms should be cautioned that "Don't Say a Thing" may prove to be triggering.
May 7, 2023
For the most part, I found journalist Tamara Leitner's “Don’t Say a Thing” to be an absorbing read.
A memoir as much as it is a work of “True Crime,” it tells the story of Leitner’s fascination and involvement with, and coverage of, the hunt for a serial rapist responsible for an untold number of assaults across the country. One of those assaults occurred in the apartment next door to Ms. Leitner’s.
The story proceeds along two tracks: 1) the series of sexual assaults and law enforcement’s investigations and attempts to identify and capture the perpetrator; and 2) the author’s relationship with her husband, “the love of her life,” who contracted a possibly terminal illness and upon return from treatment turned out to be someone she no longer knew.
Regarding the first track, Ms. Leitner takes great care to try to tell the victims’ stories respectfully and displays great admiration for those victims. I found the second track a little more problematic in terms of the timeline and what-happened-when, sometimes resulting in confusion. But for me, the theme that tied the stories together was "victimization"—what happens and how people cope when their worlds are turned upside down by violent crime, dishonesty, violations of trust, and/or the discovery that things are not as they seemed.
I did think that the book tended towards overlength and repetitiveness in places. Then again, it seeks to cover a lot of topics, including the assaults (mostly in the early 1990s), a number of the victims and their backgrounds, the police investigations (including tools police did and did not have), the various detectives involved, the crime of rape and its frequency and effects, investigative journalism and techniques related thereto, the identity and character of the perpetrator, the backgrounds of Ms. Leitner and her significant other and what happened in their relationship, and Ms. Leitner’s opinions and feelings about all of the above.
While reading, I was occasionally reminded of the kind of story one might see in a TV news magazine such as “Dateline” or “20/20.” Readers drawn to those kinds of programs may find much to interest them in “Don’t Say a Thing.”
A memoir as much as it is a work of “True Crime,” it tells the story of Leitner’s fascination and involvement with, and coverage of, the hunt for a serial rapist responsible for an untold number of assaults across the country. One of those assaults occurred in the apartment next door to Ms. Leitner’s.
The story proceeds along two tracks: 1) the series of sexual assaults and law enforcement’s investigations and attempts to identify and capture the perpetrator; and 2) the author’s relationship with her husband, “the love of her life,” who contracted a possibly terminal illness and upon return from treatment turned out to be someone she no longer knew.
Regarding the first track, Ms. Leitner takes great care to try to tell the victims’ stories respectfully and displays great admiration for those victims. I found the second track a little more problematic in terms of the timeline and what-happened-when, sometimes resulting in confusion. But for me, the theme that tied the stories together was "victimization"—what happens and how people cope when their worlds are turned upside down by violent crime, dishonesty, violations of trust, and/or the discovery that things are not as they seemed.
I did think that the book tended towards overlength and repetitiveness in places. Then again, it seeks to cover a lot of topics, including the assaults (mostly in the early 1990s), a number of the victims and their backgrounds, the police investigations (including tools police did and did not have), the various detectives involved, the crime of rape and its frequency and effects, investigative journalism and techniques related thereto, the identity and character of the perpetrator, the backgrounds of Ms. Leitner and her significant other and what happened in their relationship, and Ms. Leitner’s opinions and feelings about all of the above.
While reading, I was occasionally reminded of the kind of story one might see in a TV news magazine such as “Dateline” or “20/20.” Readers drawn to those kinds of programs may find much to interest them in “Don’t Say a Thing.”
August 30, 2025
This was an interesting book. I came for the true crime and I almost left for the personal biography. I was very intrigued by the serial rapist at the heart of the story and his victims. I was not prepared, nor did I care for the personal biography by the author about her life. While I do feel empathy for the author and her unfortunate marriage to a guy that turned out to be a loser.
I’m aware that this could come across as rude but while reading this, I felt like the author came across as my high students would say as a pick me. If you’re not familiar with the term it means a slang term for a person, usually a woman, who seeks attention and approval from a particular group, often men, by distancing themselves from their peers and emphasizing how different they are, sometimes by putting others down. I notice many moments of putting down law enforcement, feeling like she needed to point out there mistakes and personally every time I felt like I was really enjoying the book, she pivoted to her life, a sudden urge to tell us all about how hard her life has been, her obsessions with the case, her husbands sudden changes, which I still don’t know if they were alway there and she didn’t notice them or the treatment caused it. Also a really big urge to point out how close she was able to get to some people victims or police, like I needed to know she could make connections and have friendships.
When she focused on just the serial rapist, the book was almost flawless. Judging from all her awards she is a great author and good at her job but the book felt off to me.
I’m aware that this could come across as rude but while reading this, I felt like the author came across as my high students would say as a pick me. If you’re not familiar with the term it means a slang term for a person, usually a woman, who seeks attention and approval from a particular group, often men, by distancing themselves from their peers and emphasizing how different they are, sometimes by putting others down. I notice many moments of putting down law enforcement, feeling like she needed to point out there mistakes and personally every time I felt like I was really enjoying the book, she pivoted to her life, a sudden urge to tell us all about how hard her life has been, her obsessions with the case, her husbands sudden changes, which I still don’t know if they were alway there and she didn’t notice them or the treatment caused it. Also a really big urge to point out how close she was able to get to some people victims or police, like I needed to know she could make connections and have friendships.
When she focused on just the serial rapist, the book was almost flawless. Judging from all her awards she is a great author and good at her job but the book felt off to me.
June 25, 2024
I recently finished "Don't Say a Thing" by Tamara Leitner after reading it in two separate instances. As someone who consumes a decent amount of true crime, I found the book to have a wealth of good information, but it was draining to read and sometimes hard to get through the chapters. The story felt like it was dragging at parts, which made it a bit challenging to stay engaged.
One aspect I did appreciate was Leitner's incorporation of elements from her own life into the hunt for justice. This personal touch added depth to the narrative. Additionally, I commend her focus on the women who were affected by the crimes, rather than the typical spotlight on the criminal, in this case, a serial rapist. This perspective provided a refreshing and much-needed shift in true crime storytelling.
Given the sensitive nature of the content, I would recommend a content warning for this book, as it deals with sexual violence and the profound impact on its survivors. Leitner's exploration of the struggles within the justice system and the resilience of the women involved is both powerful and important, even if the pacing could have been more engaging.
Overall, "Don't Say a Thing" is a worthwhile read for those interested in true crime, especially for its unique focus on the survivors and the systemic challenges they face. However, be prepared for a somewhat slow and emotionally taxing journey.
One aspect I did appreciate was Leitner's incorporation of elements from her own life into the hunt for justice. This personal touch added depth to the narrative. Additionally, I commend her focus on the women who were affected by the crimes, rather than the typical spotlight on the criminal, in this case, a serial rapist. This perspective provided a refreshing and much-needed shift in true crime storytelling.
Given the sensitive nature of the content, I would recommend a content warning for this book, as it deals with sexual violence and the profound impact on its survivors. Leitner's exploration of the struggles within the justice system and the resilience of the women involved is both powerful and important, even if the pacing could have been more engaging.
Overall, "Don't Say a Thing" is a worthwhile read for those interested in true crime, especially for its unique focus on the survivors and the systemic challenges they face. However, be prepared for a somewhat slow and emotionally taxing journey.
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