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Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi
Former CNN/HLN anchor and veteran broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks takes an investigative deep-dive into the still-unsolved double homicide of two teens in Delphi, Indiana—and its lasting impact on the community
On February 13, 2017, two teenage girls—13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German—decided to enjoy a day off from school by exploring the popular hiking trails near the Monon High Bridge just a few minutes’ drive from Libby’s home in Delphi, Indiana. Libby’s sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the head of the trail and waved to them as they walked down the path, which was the last time they’d ever be seen alive. Less than 24 hours later, their bodies were found on the north bank of Deer Creek, about a mile from where they were last seen. There were few clues and little to go on in terms of physical evidence, except for the visual and audio remnants of a strange encounter the girls had with a stranger just hours before their disappearance, an encounter unsettling enough that Libby had thought to record it on her cellphone as it unfolded. In the years since the murders were first made public, Libby’s audio and video recordings have been released and two very different composite sketches of the suspect have been shown, but local law enforcement remained vague about developments for years—until finally, in October 2022, the long-awaited suspect was arrested and a trial date was set.
Longtime anchor and journalist Susan Hendricks was one of the first reporters to cover the case. A broadcast veteran with decades’ worth of experience under her belt, she was no stranger when it came to sharing the tragedies of the day with viewers. But there was something about this case that rattled her to her core. A year after the murders, Susan went to Delphi to interview the victims’ families for an in-depth special report where Kelsi drove Susan down the same path that she drove her sister down on the last day of her life. Over the years, Susan has built close relationships with family members, and law enforcement officials and armchair detectives alike who are determined to get justice for Abby and Libby.
In Down the Hill, Hendricks digs deeper in into the mystery that has captivated our nation for years, exploring the family's enduring resilience and advocacy, as well as the rippling impact the case has had on not just Delphi, but the very heart of the American heartland. As a result, this book is more than just a book about a double homicide; it’s about a small town in middle America that’s been haunted by an unfathomable act of violence; it’s about the ways families and communities cope with grief and move forward after tragedy; it’s about the limitations of local law enforcement and the rise of technology in helping to solve cases in new ways. But it’s also about compassion, connection, empathy, and resilience—on a very real, very human level.
On February 13, 2017, two teenage girls—13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German—decided to enjoy a day off from school by exploring the popular hiking trails near the Monon High Bridge just a few minutes’ drive from Libby’s home in Delphi, Indiana. Libby’s sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the head of the trail and waved to them as they walked down the path, which was the last time they’d ever be seen alive. Less than 24 hours later, their bodies were found on the north bank of Deer Creek, about a mile from where they were last seen. There were few clues and little to go on in terms of physical evidence, except for the visual and audio remnants of a strange encounter the girls had with a stranger just hours before their disappearance, an encounter unsettling enough that Libby had thought to record it on her cellphone as it unfolded. In the years since the murders were first made public, Libby’s audio and video recordings have been released and two very different composite sketches of the suspect have been shown, but local law enforcement remained vague about developments for years—until finally, in October 2022, the long-awaited suspect was arrested and a trial date was set.
Longtime anchor and journalist Susan Hendricks was one of the first reporters to cover the case. A broadcast veteran with decades’ worth of experience under her belt, she was no stranger when it came to sharing the tragedies of the day with viewers. But there was something about this case that rattled her to her core. A year after the murders, Susan went to Delphi to interview the victims’ families for an in-depth special report where Kelsi drove Susan down the same path that she drove her sister down on the last day of her life. Over the years, Susan has built close relationships with family members, and law enforcement officials and armchair detectives alike who are determined to get justice for Abby and Libby.
In Down the Hill, Hendricks digs deeper in into the mystery that has captivated our nation for years, exploring the family's enduring resilience and advocacy, as well as the rippling impact the case has had on not just Delphi, but the very heart of the American heartland. As a result, this book is more than just a book about a double homicide; it’s about a small town in middle America that’s been haunted by an unfathomable act of violence; it’s about the ways families and communities cope with grief and move forward after tragedy; it’s about the limitations of local law enforcement and the rise of technology in helping to solve cases in new ways. But it’s also about compassion, connection, empathy, and resilience—on a very real, very human level.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2023
About the author
Susan Hendricks
9 books31 followersVeteran CNN and HLN journalist Susan Hendricks anchored the network's live news program Weekend Express from 2016 to December 2022. Among her many assignments at HLN, Hendricks anchored extensive coverage on the Delphi double murder investigation including the special report, "Delphi Murders: Teen Girls’ Killer in Custody?" along with retired veteran cold case investigator Paul Holes.
Hendricks also anchored the “Gabby Petito Investigation: Where is the Fugitive Fiance?” Susan recently sat down for a one on one exclusive interview with Gabby Petito's father Joe Petito, who shared the struggles he and his family have gone through and the action they are taking to change laws and make it easier for the families of missing loved ones. Additionally, Hendricks delivered news updates for 5 years on Anderson Coopers CNN primetime show, AC360. Prior to joining CNN/HLN, she served as a morning news anchor at NBC affiliate station WMIR-TV, and a reporter at ABC affiliate KESQ-TV, both in Palm Springs, CA. Raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Hendricks attended the Hun School of Princeton and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Arizona State University. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Joe, and two children, Emery and Jack.
Hendricks also anchored the “Gabby Petito Investigation: Where is the Fugitive Fiance?” Susan recently sat down for a one on one exclusive interview with Gabby Petito's father Joe Petito, who shared the struggles he and his family have gone through and the action they are taking to change laws and make it easier for the families of missing loved ones. Additionally, Hendricks delivered news updates for 5 years on Anderson Coopers CNN primetime show, AC360. Prior to joining CNN/HLN, she served as a morning news anchor at NBC affiliate station WMIR-TV, and a reporter at ABC affiliate KESQ-TV, both in Palm Springs, CA. Raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Hendricks attended the Hun School of Princeton and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Arizona State University. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Joe, and two children, Emery and Jack.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
August 12, 2023
This is a very interesting true crime story because it’s not really about the crime or criminal as much as it is about the families left behind. Don’t get me wrong the book does discuss Libby and Abby going missing only to be found deceased and the details of the official investigation but the bulk of the book is about the families and how they touched the reporter who wrote this book. I liked Susan’s style of writing quite a bit and I liked how open she was with her own experiences tied to this case, even if becoming emotionally invested isn’t exactly professional it is raw and honest. I do wish the book had more of an ending and by that I mean I wish she’d waited a year or two until the trial could be done and the reader (and the world) had a better idea if the man currently in jail awaiting trial is truly guilty of murdering Libby and Abby or not.
August 13, 2023
A poorly written book about a murder of two girls written by a national TV broadcaster. Susan Hendricks = all about me, me, me, me, and oh yeah two girls were murdered. I don't care about Susan Hendricks life, her family, her job, etc. I don't believe the bull about her dreams of the girls; it feels made up. The whole book feels like filler more than anything else. A lame book about two innocent girls that were murdered.
From the book 'When I first heard about CrimeCon in Libby's kitchen back in 2019, I was a bit apprehensive. My initial thoughts: Is it similar to Comic-Con? Do people dress up? What is the crown like?'
Are you kidding me? is she an idiot?
Lastly, the killer hasn't even been tried yet. My feeling is the book shouldn't even be published until he is tried and convicted. My take - she wanted to get it out as soon as possible to make as much as possible off of the story, then when it is all over, she can republish with 'special updated chapters. Awful book about a tragic event.
Thank you to Goodreads for the free copy of the book.
From the book 'When I first heard about CrimeCon in Libby's kitchen back in 2019, I was a bit apprehensive. My initial thoughts: Is it similar to Comic-Con? Do people dress up? What is the crown like?'
Are you kidding me? is she an idiot?
Lastly, the killer hasn't even been tried yet. My feeling is the book shouldn't even be published until he is tried and convicted. My take - she wanted to get it out as soon as possible to make as much as possible off of the story, then when it is all over, she can republish with 'special updated chapters. Awful book about a tragic event.
Thank you to Goodreads for the free copy of the book.
December 1, 2024
3.5 rating rounded up to 4.
In 2017, two teen girls were murdered while outdoors for a hike in Delphi, Indiana. Based on where the bodies were found, it was determined that the murders were done by someone who lived in the community.
It was over five years before a suspect was arrested. Hendricks does a great job spending time with both families and individuals in the community.
In 2017, two teen girls were murdered while outdoors for a hike in Delphi, Indiana. Based on where the bodies were found, it was determined that the murders were done by someone who lived in the community.
It was over five years before a suspect was arrested. Hendricks does a great job spending time with both families and individuals in the community.
October 7, 2023
Before February 13, 2017, what was known about anything that happened in the small town of Delphi, Indiana was kept among its residents. Among those residents were two teenage girls Abigail "Abby" Williams and Liberty "Libby" German, and the man who would, five years later, be arrested for their murders, 50-year-old Richard Allen. Now, the area has a population so small that it doesn't even have a hotel to accommodate the jury that will be selected for Allen's trial in 2024, but will forever be associated with the killings that took place there and the ominous phrase heard by the two young friends when they encountered him while exploring a nearby hiking trail on a day off from school, captured by a brave and quick-thinking Libby, and later recovered from her cell phone as a key piece of evidence. This is one of the last things Abby and Libby heard as they were led to their deaths in broad daylight. It's also the title of a book, written by veteran CNN and HLN journalist Susan Hendricks, who has reported on this case since the beginning. She has spent time with the victims' families and advocating for them against a sea of headlines that, more frequently than not, gives a voice to the girls' killer rather than the other way around. For Hendricks, the decision to focus her first book on this case was not to recount the grisly details of what's been titled the "Delphi murders", but to keep the memory of Abby and Libby alive an to remind the residents that these girls had had lives in Delphi that was cut short in a way that law enforcement has yet to fully reveal, other than to call their deaths "brutal." She follows the case from 2017 to just after Allen's arrest, and frequently mentions the girls' families waking up, day in and day out, telling themselves, "Today's the day." Meaning, today's the day justice will finally be served. After seven long miserable years, that day will soon finally be here. The account, I can't bring myself to call it a story, is about a small town in middle America that’s been haunted by an unfathomable act of violence and the ways families and communities cope with grief and move forward after tragedy. It's also about the limitations of local law enforcement and the rise of technology in helping to solve cases. The reader has to remember that this is really "Small Town America" and the police had never before even remotely encountered anything resembling this nightmare that was left on their doorstep. It shows that compassion, connection, empathy and resilience is still alive on a very real, very human level in spite of the way the world might seem to be headed.
August 11, 2023
Anticipated Publication Date: September 18, 2023
Riveting story of two small town Indiana girls murdered at an isolated area, the reporter who becomes personally invested in the case, and the ensuing investigation to find the killer (or killers). The author relates with great empathy the path followed by the families and the investigators. There are some slow spots but that is reflective of the pace needed to ensure accurate procedures. The influence of social media on cases like this is also highlighted, both for its positive and negative influences.
My thanks to the author, Susan Hendricks, and the publisher, Hachette Books, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway
Riveting story of two small town Indiana girls murdered at an isolated area, the reporter who becomes personally invested in the case, and the ensuing investigation to find the killer (or killers). The author relates with great empathy the path followed by the families and the investigators. There are some slow spots but that is reflective of the pace needed to ensure accurate procedures. The influence of social media on cases like this is also highlighted, both for its positive and negative influences.
My thanks to the author, Susan Hendricks, and the publisher, Hachette Books, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway
October 5, 2023
This is a case that I followed for years and kept praying that the murders of Abby and Libby would finally be solved, and then - they were. Or someone was arrested, rather. There's more and more information coming out even now, and there's still the trial so I'm hoping we'll get an updated version of this book (or another one) that includes the full story.
I watched documentaries, press conferences, interviews, YouTube channels dedicated to nothing but this case and have my own theories too. Most of what was in here was familiar to me, some of the interviews/press conferences being word for word and I could just imagine the actual videos playing in my mind as I listened.
But I really enjoyed this anyway, Hendricks did a good job with the event timeline, giving enough detail, but not too much to overwhelm a reader who's new to the case. I liked seeing her friendship with the girls' families, and her focus on them vs the alleged perpetrator.
Down the Hill reads a lot like fiction too, so if you're interested in this case but not a huge nonfiction reader then this book might work for you. It's a pretty easy read, all things considered.
The audiobook was great really, the foreword is read by Kelsi German (Libby's sister) and the rest of the book is read by the author which is the best way to experience a book, in my opinion.
But yeah, this definitely came out too soon.
I watched documentaries, press conferences, interviews, YouTube channels dedicated to nothing but this case and have my own theories too. Most of what was in here was familiar to me, some of the interviews/press conferences being word for word and I could just imagine the actual videos playing in my mind as I listened.
But I really enjoyed this anyway, Hendricks did a good job with the event timeline, giving enough detail, but not too much to overwhelm a reader who's new to the case. I liked seeing her friendship with the girls' families, and her focus on them vs the alleged perpetrator.
Down the Hill reads a lot like fiction too, so if you're interested in this case but not a huge nonfiction reader then this book might work for you. It's a pretty easy read, all things considered.
The audiobook was great really, the foreword is read by Kelsi German (Libby's sister) and the rest of the book is read by the author which is the best way to experience a book, in my opinion.
But yeah, this definitely came out too soon.
December 31, 2023
There are many things the writer of this book knows about the case of the two teenage girls forced down a steep
Incline on a warm February Day in 2017 in Delphi, Indiana, then brutally murdered off a secluded hiking trail. The writer knows the families of the victims, becoming very close with the family of one of the girls—texting, visiting, sharing meals with them, traveling to crime conventions with them—she basically becomes an ersatz family member and a participant in their painful inner circle for years since the crime. She knows all of the law enforcement officials who were trying to build a case against someone not readily apparent, using smart phone technology and an unspent bullet casing at the murder scene. Everyone she encounters is warm, cordial, down-to-earth. She admits to crying often when conducting interviews or sharing heartfelt moments with the families.
What she does NOT know, nor does she attempt to find out, though (she’s a CNN journalist working with Anderson Cooper at this time)—leads, details, what’s lacking in order to make an arrest, backgrounds of lead suspects (superficial mention gleaned from social media notwithstanding), or anything addressing motive. We are as much in the dark at the end of the book as we were at the beginning, because even though a suspect has been arrested, charged, and has confessed on numerous occasions, were asked to consider the fact that maybe law enforcement has the wrong guy in lock up. The REAL killer might still be at large.
I had looked into this book for some answers or some direction as the trial of suspect Richard Allen draws closer; what I got was a rambling micro-memoir of how this case affected one journalist—except that angle too was shallow, lacking any depth or insight or illustration of personal growth. Poor editing and some chronological miscues didn’t help the cause.
I found that I was far more interested in what this writer didn’t know, than in what she did.
Incline on a warm February Day in 2017 in Delphi, Indiana, then brutally murdered off a secluded hiking trail. The writer knows the families of the victims, becoming very close with the family of one of the girls—texting, visiting, sharing meals with them, traveling to crime conventions with them—she basically becomes an ersatz family member and a participant in their painful inner circle for years since the crime. She knows all of the law enforcement officials who were trying to build a case against someone not readily apparent, using smart phone technology and an unspent bullet casing at the murder scene. Everyone she encounters is warm, cordial, down-to-earth. She admits to crying often when conducting interviews or sharing heartfelt moments with the families.
What she does NOT know, nor does she attempt to find out, though (she’s a CNN journalist working with Anderson Cooper at this time)—leads, details, what’s lacking in order to make an arrest, backgrounds of lead suspects (superficial mention gleaned from social media notwithstanding), or anything addressing motive. We are as much in the dark at the end of the book as we were at the beginning, because even though a suspect has been arrested, charged, and has confessed on numerous occasions, were asked to consider the fact that maybe law enforcement has the wrong guy in lock up. The REAL killer might still be at large.
I had looked into this book for some answers or some direction as the trial of suspect Richard Allen draws closer; what I got was a rambling micro-memoir of how this case affected one journalist—except that angle too was shallow, lacking any depth or insight or illustration of personal growth. Poor editing and some chronological miscues didn’t help the cause.
I found that I was far more interested in what this writer didn’t know, than in what she did.
November 14, 2023
Down the Hill gives us an inside view of murder in a small town.
We learn who these two adolescent girls were before a brutal killer took their lives. That was, for me, the interesting part.
As for other content, there's nothing new here. Almost the entire book is a rehash of information made public over the years. We have past press releases and interviews reprinted verbatim.
The story felt drawn out, with lots of filler and repetition. The final quarter is the author having conversations with two different profilers, and all the talk is nothing more than speculation.
The problem is there simply hasn't been enough information made public yet to fill a book. We don't even have details explaining the investigation leading to the arrest, much less a trial or conviction.
So, for me, the book felt incomplete and, perhaps, premature.
*Thanks to Hachette Books for the free copy!*
We learn who these two adolescent girls were before a brutal killer took their lives. That was, for me, the interesting part.
As for other content, there's nothing new here. Almost the entire book is a rehash of information made public over the years. We have past press releases and interviews reprinted verbatim.
The story felt drawn out, with lots of filler and repetition. The final quarter is the author having conversations with two different profilers, and all the talk is nothing more than speculation.
The problem is there simply hasn't been enough information made public yet to fill a book. We don't even have details explaining the investigation leading to the arrest, much less a trial or conviction.
So, for me, the book felt incomplete and, perhaps, premature.
*Thanks to Hachette Books for the free copy!*
January 11, 2024
I was seeing Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi by Susan Hendricks all over #Bookstagram, and since it had been a minute since I read any true crime, I decided to dive in. After I finished, I did read a handful of reviews, and it seems as though all of the information she covers in the book (or at least most of it) was already public knowledge and this is just a rehashing of the case plus her life and a bit of her relationships with the two families. It did feel very much like a memoir to me as she gives quite a bit of detail about her own life as she goes over everything that happened as well. I don't remember hearing about Abby and Libby since I don't really watch the news, so for me, this was not a problem at all.
I chose to listen to the audiobook as well as get a physical copy from the library, and I thought this was 100% the way to go. The forward is written and read by Libby's sister Kelsi while the rest of the book is read by the author, and there is definitely nothing quite like that to bring people I don't know to life for me. You could hear the emotion in both of their voices, and it just made this tragedy feel even more real. I don't know about you, but while I hate hearing about things like this, it doesn't feel like it personally affects me since I don't know them. Well, listening to an audiobook like this really changes that for a person, so it was very pivotal to my experience. The book does include photos and is not to be missed either! If you don't know anything about the murder of these young girls, this will be eye-opening as well as interesting if you don't know much about Hendricks either.
I chose to listen to the audiobook as well as get a physical copy from the library, and I thought this was 100% the way to go. The forward is written and read by Libby's sister Kelsi while the rest of the book is read by the author, and there is definitely nothing quite like that to bring people I don't know to life for me. You could hear the emotion in both of their voices, and it just made this tragedy feel even more real. I don't know about you, but while I hate hearing about things like this, it doesn't feel like it personally affects me since I don't know them. Well, listening to an audiobook like this really changes that for a person, so it was very pivotal to my experience. The book does include photos and is not to be missed either! If you don't know anything about the murder of these young girls, this will be eye-opening as well as interesting if you don't know much about Hendricks either.
July 21, 2023
I have been following the case of the Delphi double murder of Libby and Abby since it happened back in February 2017. I have watched so many true crime documentaries on it and have been hoping for an arrest and conviction of the person who could commit such a heinous act on children. I saw this book and knew I had to read it. It's a look at what was going on behind the scenes of the investigation. It's not so much about the murders as it is about what was going on with the families and media during the long 6 year investigation. I thought this was very interesting and I hope that there will be justice in the end. I would like there to be follow up book after the trial. That would be one I'd definitely want to read.
Out September 19.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Out September 19.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
July 23, 2023
The double murder that took place in Delphi, Indiana, in February 2017, has been all over the media for years. Living in an adjoining county I heard about the case on the very first day, when it was just two young girls who went for a hike and weren't there when their ride came to pick them up that afternoon. In such a small area, while I didn't know either of the girls, I do know one of their family members, everyone in the community does. So when they were found the following day we were all devastated. How could something like that happen here? We all assumed the killer would be behind bars in a matter of hours, maybe days, but none of us ever dreamed it would take almost six years to make an arrest. And none of us ever thought that when that day came we'd all feel so unsure that the case was really resolved.
Hendricks has done a nice job of recounting the case, given the scant details that have been released by law enforcement. Having gotten close with the families, Hendricks was able to share their personal memories and grief and their determination to get justice for these two wonderful young ladies. Though Hendricks also became close with law enforcement personnel I think she's done a particularly nice job of applauding their commitment to the case, while simultaneously questioning their tactics and results. There are several things that have really bothered me about this case and about the arrest, all but one of which Hendricks discusses in this book.
First, why isn't law enforcement giving us more information? You want us to identify bridge guy but you start out giving us only a still image from the video. Years later we get a few steps. Why can't we see more of the video? While I certainly appreciate that they don't want to jeopardize the case, what harm could a few more seconds of the video do? If we could see a few more steps we might get a better picture of his body type, we might see another angle of his face, maybe then someone could say, oh hey, that's [fill in the blank]!
Next, the police sketches. One sketch was released almost immediately after the crime was committed. That sketch seems to be of bridge guy, we can tell he's got a bit of facial hair, he's got a hat on, it's a clean comparison between the photo and the sketch. We looked for that guy for two years before they gave us a completely different sketch - a sketch that had been made within days of the crime - and told us to quit looking for the other guy, this is the guy we're after. But three and a half years later the man who's arrested looks nothing like the second sketch. So we should have been looking for the guy in the first sketch all along? Then why was the second sketch ever released?
Another red flag was thrown up by Paul Holes, a professional profiler. He mentions that we would expect the perpetrator to make some moves to cover up his crime. He'd ditch any weapons that were used, the clothing he was wearing, the vehicle he drove. He'd change his hair, shave or stop shaving, lose or gain weight, move away. These efforts to cover up guilt would theoretically become more important the smaller the community because there's fewer places to hide. But Allen didn't do any of these things. After the crimes, he immediately and voluntarily went to the police and told them he was there that day. He kept the coat he wore, the car he drove, the beard he wore was a bit longer but covered the same parts of his face. He kept the gun. He changed nothing and in fact he got a job working in the one place that everyone in Delphi goes at some point, the local drug store pharmacy.
There are a few things that really bother me about Richard Allen as a suspect in this case. I will start by saying that although he hasn't done any of the things a murderer might typically do after committing a crime, that's not necessarily an indication of innocence. It could also be an indication that the perpetrator is a stone-cold psychopath who was confident enough in their skills not to worry about being caught. The fact that he doesn't have a criminal history doesn't preclude him being a psychopath. Everyone who knew Chris Watts thought he was the nicest guy in the world until he strangled his pregnant wife and smothered his two little daughters and stuffed them into oil tanks. But there are two things that for me make Allen's arrest questionable.
First, we know that Kegan Kline had catfished Libby. He'd posed as a teenaged male model and exchanged messages with her the night before the murders took place. He admitted that he went to the bridge that day to meet Libby and supposedly when he got there he didn't find her. (Watson, 2022) Kline was later arrested and charged with multiple counts of child pornography and solicitation. He's a serious child predator and we know, based off his own statements, that he was targeting Libby at the bridge that day. What are the chances that a child who is being targeted by one predator could be murdered by another predator before the first predator had a chance to get to her? What are the chances that two predators could have been after the same girl in the same place on the same day? Perhaps the girls were both being catfished, or Libby was being catfished by two people and not just one. But if there was another catfisher after the girls, why would we have heard all about Kegan Kline and nothing about the other catfisher?
The second thing that Hendricks kind of glanced off of at one point in the book is the timing of the arrest. Hendricks frequently mentions the confidence that the families have in law enforcement. But I think it's important to separate. The law enforcement that the families were working with were primarily Indiana State Police and FBI. The Carroll County Sheriff's Department lost a lot of the confidence of the people they serve throughout this case. The Sheriff was on his way out and the election was a hotly contested one, with an internal Republican candidate and an outside Independent candidate. The Independent candidate was a Carroll County resident with a sterling career in law enforcement, someone who is greatly respected and has tremendous integrity. I remember saying, the only way the internal candidate can pull out a win in this election is if they arrest the Delphi killer. And wouldn't you know. With about two weeks to go before the election, they announced an arrest. Correction, they announced an arrest, but they demanded that all the details surrounding the arrest be kept sealed. Coincidence? You decide.
Though an arrest has been made in this case, I think the story of the double murders in Delphi is really just beginning. I think throughout the trial there will be many metaphorical bombs being dropped and I think that contamination of evidence and chain of custody is going to play its biggest role since the OJ Simpson trial. More than anything, those girls deserve justice. Libby gave us a video! Imagine the bravery of a 14-year-old girl to be confronted with a situation like that and to act in the way she did. Imagine the courage of those girls to stick together when one might have been able to get away. They were true heroes and they deserve justice.
Watson, D. (2022, March 25). Kegan Kline's police, HLN interviews show Delphi murder investigation focus on fake profile. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved from https://www.jconline.com/story/news/l...
Hendricks has done a nice job of recounting the case, given the scant details that have been released by law enforcement. Having gotten close with the families, Hendricks was able to share their personal memories and grief and their determination to get justice for these two wonderful young ladies. Though Hendricks also became close with law enforcement personnel I think she's done a particularly nice job of applauding their commitment to the case, while simultaneously questioning their tactics and results. There are several things that have really bothered me about this case and about the arrest, all but one of which Hendricks discusses in this book.
First, why isn't law enforcement giving us more information? You want us to identify bridge guy but you start out giving us only a still image from the video. Years later we get a few steps. Why can't we see more of the video? While I certainly appreciate that they don't want to jeopardize the case, what harm could a few more seconds of the video do? If we could see a few more steps we might get a better picture of his body type, we might see another angle of his face, maybe then someone could say, oh hey, that's [fill in the blank]!
Next, the police sketches. One sketch was released almost immediately after the crime was committed. That sketch seems to be of bridge guy, we can tell he's got a bit of facial hair, he's got a hat on, it's a clean comparison between the photo and the sketch. We looked for that guy for two years before they gave us a completely different sketch - a sketch that had been made within days of the crime - and told us to quit looking for the other guy, this is the guy we're after. But three and a half years later the man who's arrested looks nothing like the second sketch. So we should have been looking for the guy in the first sketch all along? Then why was the second sketch ever released?
Another red flag was thrown up by Paul Holes, a professional profiler. He mentions that we would expect the perpetrator to make some moves to cover up his crime. He'd ditch any weapons that were used, the clothing he was wearing, the vehicle he drove. He'd change his hair, shave or stop shaving, lose or gain weight, move away. These efforts to cover up guilt would theoretically become more important the smaller the community because there's fewer places to hide. But Allen didn't do any of these things. After the crimes, he immediately and voluntarily went to the police and told them he was there that day. He kept the coat he wore, the car he drove, the beard he wore was a bit longer but covered the same parts of his face. He kept the gun. He changed nothing and in fact he got a job working in the one place that everyone in Delphi goes at some point, the local drug store pharmacy.
There are a few things that really bother me about Richard Allen as a suspect in this case. I will start by saying that although he hasn't done any of the things a murderer might typically do after committing a crime, that's not necessarily an indication of innocence. It could also be an indication that the perpetrator is a stone-cold psychopath who was confident enough in their skills not to worry about being caught. The fact that he doesn't have a criminal history doesn't preclude him being a psychopath. Everyone who knew Chris Watts thought he was the nicest guy in the world until he strangled his pregnant wife and smothered his two little daughters and stuffed them into oil tanks. But there are two things that for me make Allen's arrest questionable.
First, we know that Kegan Kline had catfished Libby. He'd posed as a teenaged male model and exchanged messages with her the night before the murders took place. He admitted that he went to the bridge that day to meet Libby and supposedly when he got there he didn't find her. (Watson, 2022) Kline was later arrested and charged with multiple counts of child pornography and solicitation. He's a serious child predator and we know, based off his own statements, that he was targeting Libby at the bridge that day. What are the chances that a child who is being targeted by one predator could be murdered by another predator before the first predator had a chance to get to her? What are the chances that two predators could have been after the same girl in the same place on the same day? Perhaps the girls were both being catfished, or Libby was being catfished by two people and not just one. But if there was another catfisher after the girls, why would we have heard all about Kegan Kline and nothing about the other catfisher?
The second thing that Hendricks kind of glanced off of at one point in the book is the timing of the arrest. Hendricks frequently mentions the confidence that the families have in law enforcement. But I think it's important to separate. The law enforcement that the families were working with were primarily Indiana State Police and FBI. The Carroll County Sheriff's Department lost a lot of the confidence of the people they serve throughout this case. The Sheriff was on his way out and the election was a hotly contested one, with an internal Republican candidate and an outside Independent candidate. The Independent candidate was a Carroll County resident with a sterling career in law enforcement, someone who is greatly respected and has tremendous integrity. I remember saying, the only way the internal candidate can pull out a win in this election is if they arrest the Delphi killer. And wouldn't you know. With about two weeks to go before the election, they announced an arrest. Correction, they announced an arrest, but they demanded that all the details surrounding the arrest be kept sealed. Coincidence? You decide.
Though an arrest has been made in this case, I think the story of the double murders in Delphi is really just beginning. I think throughout the trial there will be many metaphorical bombs being dropped and I think that contamination of evidence and chain of custody is going to play its biggest role since the OJ Simpson trial. More than anything, those girls deserve justice. Libby gave us a video! Imagine the bravery of a 14-year-old girl to be confronted with a situation like that and to act in the way she did. Imagine the courage of those girls to stick together when one might have been able to get away. They were true heroes and they deserve justice.
Watson, D. (2022, March 25). Kegan Kline's police, HLN interviews show Delphi murder investigation focus on fake profile. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved from https://www.jconline.com/story/news/l...
July 5, 2023
Admittedly, I have been obsessed with the Delphi murders since 2017. I have listened to every podcast, watched every documentary, am a member of Facebook groups about the case, etc., so when I saw this book on Netgalley, I had to read it!
As someone who has followed the case, I really could appreciate the different perspective of someone who not only is a member of the media, but now also a friend of Abby and Libby's families. I felt like a "local" when the author described Delphi. It definitely made everyone seem so much less a news story and more human. I could feel the agony of the long wait for justice through her words.
I hope that this book (or a subsequent one) will be updated to include the newest developments in the case as they are unfolding - and hopefully it will develop into a story of how justice was served.
As someone who has followed the case, I really could appreciate the different perspective of someone who not only is a member of the media, but now also a friend of Abby and Libby's families. I felt like a "local" when the author described Delphi. It definitely made everyone seem so much less a news story and more human. I could feel the agony of the long wait for justice through her words.
I hope that this book (or a subsequent one) will be updated to include the newest developments in the case as they are unfolding - and hopefully it will develop into a story of how justice was served.
December 26, 2023
This was one of those cases that really stuck in my mind long after I first heard about it, and I was hoping this book would answer more questions. I'm not sure why it had to be published now, while the trial is still pending, because there really wasn't anything here that really contributed to my understanding of what happened. Susan Hendricks includes a lot of personal details (e.g. feeling homesick when she saw someone in a Rutgers jacket after interviewing one of the victims' families, a lot of conversations with producers, etc) that felt like filler and distracted from the main narrative. I wished this was written in a more investigative tone, but it feels choppy and two of the last three chapters are just conversations with other investigators that are pure speculation.
July 20, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
As someone who has watched press conferences and dug into this case for years, this book really did not do it for me. Unfortunately, I think this book was written too soon. There is just not enough public information available yet to make a book out of it. Huge swaths are just quotes from pressers or TV segments which any person who is brushed up on this case will have already seen. I enjoyed seeing a little bit behind the scenes conversations with Libby's family but otherwise this book was just reiterating known information.
As someone who has watched press conferences and dug into this case for years, this book really did not do it for me. Unfortunately, I think this book was written too soon. There is just not enough public information available yet to make a book out of it. Huge swaths are just quotes from pressers or TV segments which any person who is brushed up on this case will have already seen. I enjoyed seeing a little bit behind the scenes conversations with Libby's family but otherwise this book was just reiterating known information.
September 30, 2023
I could definitely have done without all of the personal nonsense that the author included about herself. Completely bypassed anything involving her personal life, or her anecdotes. Not necessary, Also, didn’t need the interviews with Paul Holes and Dr. Burgess. But it was all just filler because the author clearly didn’t have enough content, seeing as how the case isn’t resolved. There is also nothing new here, no “deep dive“. Just a quick money grab.
Abby and Libby deserve better and so do their families.
Abby and Libby deserve better and so do their families.
October 15, 2023
This is a really admirable true crime book in that it contains virtually no salacious details - in fact, few details at all - about the crime; rather, it’s entirely focused on the trauma, stress, frustration, and tedium of a prolonged, slow, and long-fruitless investigation, and the impact of this on the author (a reporter), other professionals, and especially on the family of the victims and their community. Lots of integrity here, although surely some readers may be disappointed if they were seeking the typical fare.
January 14, 2025
DNF at 50%. The author is so self involved and I don't care nor want to read about her life or past. This book was published too early and should have been done after the trial. A lot of filler and zero answers.
August 27, 2025
It had no new information. It was mainly about the author. I skimmed through a lot of it.
August 25, 2023
YAY! I'm a winner! Review to come. :)
September 20, 2023
An investigative look into the Delphi murder case by broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks.
3.5 ⭐️ I’ve been invested in this case since it happened. My husband and I would regularly visit nearby Lafayette, Indiana, and we still pass Delphi on our drive home for the holidays, so it all felt close to home.
If you’ve followed the case closely, much of this book will rehash things you know and interviews you’ve already heard. However, the book also relies on firsthand interactions and interviews the author has had with Libby German’s family. It appears as though she’s struck a close friendship with the family and that definitely shows through and sets the book apart. While the book felt a bit repetitive at times, it was nice to get to know the girls outside of the crime - Abby as an animal lover, crafter and reader, and Libby as a good student and someone who loved to laugh. 🩷 I also enjoyed the interview with Paul Holes included at the end of the book. For the family’s sake, I very much hope the Indiana State Police have gotten their man and they’ll soon have some much needed closure.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.
3.5 ⭐️ I’ve been invested in this case since it happened. My husband and I would regularly visit nearby Lafayette, Indiana, and we still pass Delphi on our drive home for the holidays, so it all felt close to home.
If you’ve followed the case closely, much of this book will rehash things you know and interviews you’ve already heard. However, the book also relies on firsthand interactions and interviews the author has had with Libby German’s family. It appears as though she’s struck a close friendship with the family and that definitely shows through and sets the book apart. While the book felt a bit repetitive at times, it was nice to get to know the girls outside of the crime - Abby as an animal lover, crafter and reader, and Libby as a good student and someone who loved to laugh. 🩷 I also enjoyed the interview with Paul Holes included at the end of the book. For the family’s sake, I very much hope the Indiana State Police have gotten their man and they’ll soon have some much needed closure.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.
July 6, 2023
"Former CNN/HLN anchor and veteran broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks takes an investigative deep-dive into the still-unsolved double homicide of two teens in Delphi, Indiana—and its lasting impact on the community"
I thoroughly enjoyed this and read through it pretty quickly. I'm quite familiar with the case and thought the author did an excellent job detailing the victims, the crime, the suspects, and big players, including investigators and family members. "This wasn’t really about me. It never was. It was about the families and telling their stories." Not too bogged down in details like Gregg Olson or Richard Chizmar.
For fans of I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Unmasked; if you love true crime, this is a must grab! Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books & the author for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and read through it pretty quickly. I'm quite familiar with the case and thought the author did an excellent job detailing the victims, the crime, the suspects, and big players, including investigators and family members. "This wasn’t really about me. It never was. It was about the families and telling their stories." Not too bogged down in details like Gregg Olson or Richard Chizmar.
For fans of I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Unmasked; if you love true crime, this is a must grab! Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books & the author for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 9/19/2023.
September 14, 2023
Thank you to Hatchette Books for an ARC!
I’m really disappointed with this book. Most of the book is Hendricks retelling her own life as she has reported on the Delphi Murders. This is still an on-going investigation and trial. Half the book is practically transcripts of Hendricks’ interviews with big names in true crime and press releases. Maybe wait until the case is closed before writing a book about it?
I’m really disappointed with this book. Most of the book is Hendricks retelling her own life as she has reported on the Delphi Murders. This is still an on-going investigation and trial. Half the book is practically transcripts of Hendricks’ interviews with big names in true crime and press releases. Maybe wait until the case is closed before writing a book about it?
July 22, 2023
I received a free copy of, Down the Hill, by Susan Hendricks, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Abby and Libby had their whole lives ahead of them until they were brutally murdered. This book takes you thru the crime and aftermath. Such a sad story but well written.
June 27, 2023
Funny how shortly after the police make an arrest there are two books released about this case, both of which keep going off on tangents about the author's life. With this one the author is at least connected but the timing is a bit too good and everything about this is just all over the place.
October 28, 2023
I was not very familiar with the particulars of this horrendous case involving the murders of Libby German and Abby Williams in tiny Delphi, Indiana - a town so small it doesn't have a motel, and where everyone knows everyone. And that's the real horror of this story - someone in this town murdered these two teenagers.
If you're looking for the traditional "true crime" book, this is not it. Instead, Susan Hendricks gives us a nuanced story of the effect such a crime has on the community, on the family, on law enforcement and on social media. Delphi's murder rate was virtually nonexistent and as such, Delphi's law enforcement was relatively untried. But they had heart and truly cared about the families and solving this crime. Hendricks spent time with LE over the years she covered the case and knew how deeply they cared about this case and how much it affected them.
Hendricks very carefully shares how social media in particular can be a two-edged sword. As she notes "But what happens when the ask for a tip from law enforcement and family members turns into or perpetuates the public's desire to solve the crime no matter the cost? Can that desire lead to an online witch hunt? The short answer is yes."
And especially in this case, where virtually no information was released from LE and details on possible murderer(s) was vague and inconsistent, social media "influencers" posted speculation about many members of the community and family, not considering how deeply their careless conjectures could wound. As Libby's grandmother said "The best revenge is none. Heal more, move on. Don't become like those who hurt you."
As the book ends, a suspect has been arrested and a new phase of the case begins. It leaves the families in new territory, not setting their grief aside, but entering into a new and different stage of grief. 4 stars for this very insightful and heart-rendering account.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
If you're looking for the traditional "true crime" book, this is not it. Instead, Susan Hendricks gives us a nuanced story of the effect such a crime has on the community, on the family, on law enforcement and on social media. Delphi's murder rate was virtually nonexistent and as such, Delphi's law enforcement was relatively untried. But they had heart and truly cared about the families and solving this crime. Hendricks spent time with LE over the years she covered the case and knew how deeply they cared about this case and how much it affected them.
Hendricks very carefully shares how social media in particular can be a two-edged sword. As she notes "But what happens when the ask for a tip from law enforcement and family members turns into or perpetuates the public's desire to solve the crime no matter the cost? Can that desire lead to an online witch hunt? The short answer is yes."
And especially in this case, where virtually no information was released from LE and details on possible murderer(s) was vague and inconsistent, social media "influencers" posted speculation about many members of the community and family, not considering how deeply their careless conjectures could wound. As Libby's grandmother said "The best revenge is none. Heal more, move on. Don't become like those who hurt you."
As the book ends, a suspect has been arrested and a new phase of the case begins. It leaves the families in new territory, not setting their grief aside, but entering into a new and different stage of grief. 4 stars for this very insightful and heart-rendering account.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2026
"Delphi was a simple, uneventful town; nothing happened there. It was unfathomable that something- or someone- more sinister was to blame."
That’s how every true crime documentary starts: in a small town where everyone knows everyone, doors are kept unlocked, and no one is a stranger. You never expect a crime of violence to happen in the place you live.
Until it does.
This was the nightmare that Delphi, Indiana has been living since February 13th, 2017, when 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams disappeared from the local walking trial and were later found mutilated and murdered. Far from being an open and shut case, it would take a long, agonizing five years before the case is finally solved and a suspect is arrested. Throughout that time, the media descends on this formerly quiet little town where nothing ever happens like vultures, wanting to know every salacious little detail about the case. One of those reporters is Susan Hendricks, an award-winning journalist from HLN. Now, with intimate details from the girls’ families and an inside look at the behind-the-scenes of one of the most brutal crimes of the 21st century, Susan takes us on a journey into the winding road that is the Delphi Murders, where the truth was hiding in plain sight the entire time.
Whelp, congratulations are in order for this book. Why? Because it’s the first book in the true crime genre that has successfully made me feel icky while I was reading it.
Yes. Icky. And not icky because of the content.
No. I felt icky because of the author.
True crime has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. Montel Williams’ show was still on the air, and he would sometimes do episodes where he would air an episode of Forensic Files and comment on it as the episode went along. I then graduated to pretty much every Investigation Discovery show that aired in the early 2010s. I’m 31 years old now, and for the past 21 years, true crime has been like a friend. I watch it, I read it, I am it. I work in the criminal justice system as a court reporter, and I specialize in criminal law. It is who I am and probably always will be.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the ethics of true crime, pivoting away from a criminal centered approach to a victim centered compassion. Some go even further and think true crime should be done away with, that cases should never be talked about. This is something I disagree with whole-heartedly. These cases need to be studied and talked about. We are doomed to repeat the same actions if we do not learn about the things done in the past. I firmly believe that there can (and is) a fine balance between the two.
This book didn’t succeed in doing that.
It felt like the author of this book spent more time talking about herself than about the case. She talked about her walking on the bridge, a random encounter with a college hockey coach, her welling up about the various goings on about the case, about how she pushes her emotions aside. It honestly felt like this book was the author trying to convince others and herself that she was a good person. It felt fake and performative in a way, which makes me melancholic.
I know it probably wasn’t the author’s intention when writing this book, and she very clearly said so multiple times in defending herself from the critics she knew were coming.
In addition to that, there was one main problem this book seemed to be suffering from, and it was a surprising one at that: FOMO. Richard Allen was apprehended in 2022, and this book was published in 2023. In reading the entirety of this saga, it truly felt like someone in the publishing market was like:
LISTEN, THIS GUY WAS FINALLY CAUGHT. GET A BOOK OUT ON THIS CASE, STAT!!! I DON’T CARE HOW MEDIOCRE OR GREAT THE BOOK IS. PIMP THIS SUCKER OUT!
I’m sure that was not an actual conversation that was had, but reading this book sure made it feel like that was the end result. There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book, as if someone was in a rush to proofread this so they could get it to publication as fast as possible. There were several sentences that I didn’t know whether it was the book or if I had suddenly developed a case of dyslexia.
True crime sells. It’s a horrible thing to say, but true crime is a booming business with various shows, movies, books, podcasts, merchandise and memorabilia, and even a whole convention dedicated to true crime. Some are better than others. Unfortunately, this seems to fall into the category of a hurriedly put together cash grab. While it is not an inherently bad book, it certainly wasn’t anything special, seeing as main chunks of the book were word-for-word transcriptions of interviews you can find anywhere on the internet. Even if you have the most basic Wikipedia knowledge about the case, you won’t find out anything new about the case that isn’t already out there. It certainly isn’t worth the $30.00 is sells for. It’s more like a book you would check out oa the library to consume. Most frustratingly, this book focused too much on the author and her need to show the world she is an empathetic and compassionate person. Despite her claiming she wasn’t out for just s story and that she cared, I never quite believed her. I closed this book feeling sleazy, a feeling I have never felt before in all my 20 plus years of consuming the genre.
True crime can be better than this. The victims deserve nothing less.
P.S.: Since this isn’t one of the shining, stellar examples of true crime there is in the genre, I thought I’d highlight some stars in the genre I have read in the past and consider them to be stand-outs in the genre.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer: In this account of the author's quest to find the Golden State Killer, Michelle McNamara confronts the own monsters of her past and faces them head-on in her never-ending quest for truth and justice. This book was nothing short of brilliant, and it's a shame the author didn't live to see the killer finally get caught, only two months after this book's publication. Michelle showed what being an ally to both victims and law enforcement can and should be, as well as an examination of why some people go towards the darkness rather than the light.
Fatal Vision: This one is a girthy girl, but if you're up for a challenge, I'd highly, highly recommend this book. It follows the author as he writes about the murders of Jeffrey MacDonald's wife and three children and how he slowly comes to realization that the person he's writing the book about and is proclaiming his innocence... may actually be guilty of the horrific crimes he's accused of. This is a good example of the author writing about their journey along with the crime they're talking about, but it never felt sleazy. It felt like a revelation. He made Collette MacDonald and her daughters feel so real and alive that there were parts where I was in tears.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town : The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Final Truth: Another girthy girl. This is another true crime book that also I felt had a case of FOMO, but seeing as this book was 600 plus pages compared to this skinny little thing, it can be excused somewhat. The author portrays not only the main players in this book but the entire town where the JonBenet Ramsey case took place. It shows the horror and destruction this case left on not just the family of victims (and occasionally suspects), but the entire town. Riveting and unputdownable.
That’s how every true crime documentary starts: in a small town where everyone knows everyone, doors are kept unlocked, and no one is a stranger. You never expect a crime of violence to happen in the place you live.
Until it does.
This was the nightmare that Delphi, Indiana has been living since February 13th, 2017, when 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams disappeared from the local walking trial and were later found mutilated and murdered. Far from being an open and shut case, it would take a long, agonizing five years before the case is finally solved and a suspect is arrested. Throughout that time, the media descends on this formerly quiet little town where nothing ever happens like vultures, wanting to know every salacious little detail about the case. One of those reporters is Susan Hendricks, an award-winning journalist from HLN. Now, with intimate details from the girls’ families and an inside look at the behind-the-scenes of one of the most brutal crimes of the 21st century, Susan takes us on a journey into the winding road that is the Delphi Murders, where the truth was hiding in plain sight the entire time.
Whelp, congratulations are in order for this book. Why? Because it’s the first book in the true crime genre that has successfully made me feel icky while I was reading it.
Yes. Icky. And not icky because of the content.
No. I felt icky because of the author.
True crime has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. Montel Williams’ show was still on the air, and he would sometimes do episodes where he would air an episode of Forensic Files and comment on it as the episode went along. I then graduated to pretty much every Investigation Discovery show that aired in the early 2010s. I’m 31 years old now, and for the past 21 years, true crime has been like a friend. I watch it, I read it, I am it. I work in the criminal justice system as a court reporter, and I specialize in criminal law. It is who I am and probably always will be.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the ethics of true crime, pivoting away from a criminal centered approach to a victim centered compassion. Some go even further and think true crime should be done away with, that cases should never be talked about. This is something I disagree with whole-heartedly. These cases need to be studied and talked about. We are doomed to repeat the same actions if we do not learn about the things done in the past. I firmly believe that there can (and is) a fine balance between the two.
This book didn’t succeed in doing that.
It felt like the author of this book spent more time talking about herself than about the case. She talked about her walking on the bridge, a random encounter with a college hockey coach, her welling up about the various goings on about the case, about how she pushes her emotions aside. It honestly felt like this book was the author trying to convince others and herself that she was a good person. It felt fake and performative in a way, which makes me melancholic.
I know it probably wasn’t the author’s intention when writing this book, and she very clearly said so multiple times in defending herself from the critics she knew were coming.
"I will never apologize for this. When family members are interviewed, they have to relive the worst moments of their lives over and over again. To make accusatory remarks during their darkest days is unconscionable. It’s unfortunate I have to reiterate the obvious, but these are real people. With real feelings.I just never quite believed her, which is unfortunate because the victims’ families clearly have a lot of love and respect for her. That’s all that matters in the end, I suppose, but it still didn’t sit right with me for some reason. Abby and Libby deserved better.
If that means I’m ‘kissing butt’- well, I guess I can live with that."
In addition to that, there was one main problem this book seemed to be suffering from, and it was a surprising one at that: FOMO. Richard Allen was apprehended in 2022, and this book was published in 2023. In reading the entirety of this saga, it truly felt like someone in the publishing market was like:
LISTEN, THIS GUY WAS FINALLY CAUGHT. GET A BOOK OUT ON THIS CASE, STAT!!! I DON’T CARE HOW MEDIOCRE OR GREAT THE BOOK IS. PIMP THIS SUCKER OUT!
I’m sure that was not an actual conversation that was had, but reading this book sure made it feel like that was the end result. There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book, as if someone was in a rush to proofread this so they could get it to publication as fast as possible. There were several sentences that I didn’t know whether it was the book or if I had suddenly developed a case of dyslexia.
"Can past criminal behavior necessarily predict how someone else may act in that same town the future?"
"’You have a phrase that stood out to me when I was reading about in your book,’ I said."
"This is when I went out there, I was like,‘This person is a local. No question about it.’"The wording sounds awkward and clunky, with words meaning or strung together so they don’t make a lot of sense.
"Though I understood his reasoning, as the years went on, this stance became increasingly frustrating times, and the superintendent knew and understood that."To put this as nicely as possible, either the publisher needs to fire the ghostwriter of this book (if there was one), they need to fire their editor, or Ms. Hendricks needs some writing classes. This was a clear case of this book being a victim of profit over perfection, especially since the book doesn’t really provide us with anything new. It felt like a recitation of basic facts that can easily be found online.
True crime sells. It’s a horrible thing to say, but true crime is a booming business with various shows, movies, books, podcasts, merchandise and memorabilia, and even a whole convention dedicated to true crime. Some are better than others. Unfortunately, this seems to fall into the category of a hurriedly put together cash grab. While it is not an inherently bad book, it certainly wasn’t anything special, seeing as main chunks of the book were word-for-word transcriptions of interviews you can find anywhere on the internet. Even if you have the most basic Wikipedia knowledge about the case, you won’t find out anything new about the case that isn’t already out there. It certainly isn’t worth the $30.00 is sells for. It’s more like a book you would check out oa the library to consume. Most frustratingly, this book focused too much on the author and her need to show the world she is an empathetic and compassionate person. Despite her claiming she wasn’t out for just s story and that she cared, I never quite believed her. I closed this book feeling sleazy, a feeling I have never felt before in all my 20 plus years of consuming the genre.
True crime can be better than this. The victims deserve nothing less.
P.S.: Since this isn’t one of the shining, stellar examples of true crime there is in the genre, I thought I’d highlight some stars in the genre I have read in the past and consider them to be stand-outs in the genre.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer: In this account of the author's quest to find the Golden State Killer, Michelle McNamara confronts the own monsters of her past and faces them head-on in her never-ending quest for truth and justice. This book was nothing short of brilliant, and it's a shame the author didn't live to see the killer finally get caught, only two months after this book's publication. Michelle showed what being an ally to both victims and law enforcement can and should be, as well as an examination of why some people go towards the darkness rather than the light.
Fatal Vision: This one is a girthy girl, but if you're up for a challenge, I'd highly, highly recommend this book. It follows the author as he writes about the murders of Jeffrey MacDonald's wife and three children and how he slowly comes to realization that the person he's writing the book about and is proclaiming his innocence... may actually be guilty of the horrific crimes he's accused of. This is a good example of the author writing about their journey along with the crime they're talking about, but it never felt sleazy. It felt like a revelation. He made Collette MacDonald and her daughters feel so real and alive that there were parts where I was in tears.
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town : The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Final Truth: Another girthy girl. This is another true crime book that also I felt had a case of FOMO, but seeing as this book was 600 plus pages compared to this skinny little thing, it can be excused somewhat. The author portrays not only the main players in this book but the entire town where the JonBenet Ramsey case took place. It shows the horror and destruction this case left on not just the family of victims (and occasionally suspects), but the entire town. Riveting and unputdownable.
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November 22, 2023
Thank you Novel Suspects and Hachette Books for the copy of "Down the Hill" by Susan Hendricks for review considerations. All opinions expressed below are mine alone.
"Down the Hill" by Susan Hendricks follows CNN reporter Susan Hendricks as she investigates the 2017 double homicide of two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana.
This was an amazing book, and you might be thinking, How could I possibly say that about a true crime that involves two teenage girls? I'll tell you why: this book isn't just about the horrible events that led up to the last days of these two beautiful teenage girls. It's more than just that. It's about the girls and who they were. It's also about community, family, love, strength, empathy, and the meaningful connections that are so important for the families of the victims. Susan tells the story of this investigation in such a respectful way and about the strong bond and connection she made with the victims' families.
My favorite part of this book was when Susan Hendricks interviewed Paul Holes, an expert in solving cold cases. He talks about behavioral "oddities" and how investigators should "know thy enemy," even without knowing who the suspect is, by assessing the crime scene and the perpetrator's actions, which are frozen in time. Paul Holes wrote a memoir in 2022 titled "Unmasked," and I'll certainly be reading it in the future.
I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who has experienced a similar tragedy in their life, as this could be a cathartic read.
"Down the Hill" by Susan Hendricks follows CNN reporter Susan Hendricks as she investigates the 2017 double homicide of two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana.
This was an amazing book, and you might be thinking, How could I possibly say that about a true crime that involves two teenage girls? I'll tell you why: this book isn't just about the horrible events that led up to the last days of these two beautiful teenage girls. It's more than just that. It's about the girls and who they were. It's also about community, family, love, strength, empathy, and the meaningful connections that are so important for the families of the victims. Susan tells the story of this investigation in such a respectful way and about the strong bond and connection she made with the victims' families.
My favorite part of this book was when Susan Hendricks interviewed Paul Holes, an expert in solving cold cases. He talks about behavioral "oddities" and how investigators should "know thy enemy," even without knowing who the suspect is, by assessing the crime scene and the perpetrator's actions, which are frozen in time. Paul Holes wrote a memoir in 2022 titled "Unmasked," and I'll certainly be reading it in the future.
I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who has experienced a similar tragedy in their life, as this could be a cathartic read.
September 17, 2023
Thank you to Hachette Books for a gifted copy of this book for review.
I picked this book up yesterday morning and didn’t set it down until I finished. I was absolutely enthralled by it. The book is written by CNN news anchor Susan Hendricks and follows her coverage of the horrific case.
The case is about Abby and Libby, two young teenage girls who set off to play in the woods on a day off from school in 2017. The girls never return home, and when their bodies are found, so is their cell phone. One girl thought enough to start recording when they encountered a creepy man on the trail, and a blurry video captured him and his voice. The only clips of him released to the public was the phrase, “Down the Hill,” and later, “Guys… Down the Hill.”
The public struggled with the fact that the police were clearly holding back more evidence, but the family supported law enforcement’s decision to protect the integrity of the case, even if it meant not knowing.
The case went unsolved from 2017 until 2022 when an arrest was made. I found it absolutely fascinating because the Trial is currently set for January of 2024 and is ongoing.
The thing I loved about this book is the focus on the victims and their families, and not necessarily the man accused of the crime. However, there’s enough information in there to inform the reader.
I highly recommend this book to any of my true crime lovers.
I picked this book up yesterday morning and didn’t set it down until I finished. I was absolutely enthralled by it. The book is written by CNN news anchor Susan Hendricks and follows her coverage of the horrific case.
The case is about Abby and Libby, two young teenage girls who set off to play in the woods on a day off from school in 2017. The girls never return home, and when their bodies are found, so is their cell phone. One girl thought enough to start recording when they encountered a creepy man on the trail, and a blurry video captured him and his voice. The only clips of him released to the public was the phrase, “Down the Hill,” and later, “Guys… Down the Hill.”
The public struggled with the fact that the police were clearly holding back more evidence, but the family supported law enforcement’s decision to protect the integrity of the case, even if it meant not knowing.
The case went unsolved from 2017 until 2022 when an arrest was made. I found it absolutely fascinating because the Trial is currently set for January of 2024 and is ongoing.
The thing I loved about this book is the focus on the victims and their families, and not necessarily the man accused of the crime. However, there’s enough information in there to inform the reader.
I highly recommend this book to any of my true crime lovers.
July 15, 2024
What didn't work for me: Susan Hendricks writes in a very surface-level sort of way, there's some warmth there for sure that's especially present when she talks about the relationships she's built with the families of the victims, but it toed the line very delicately between seeming sincere and self-promotional (she frequently talks about how her professionalism was 'compromised' by how many times this case/the family made her cry, which is sad when you think about it). She excessively touts everyone in the midwest as Warm and Inviting and Welcoming over and over that it leans hard into the stereotype of the heartland as a monolith of Simple Good Folk (I lived in Columbus for 3 years and as a southerner, I was not impressed with the 'warmth' of the midwest at all). The first two thirds of the book are a little boring and full of the exact kind of exhaltation that I would argue is dehumanizing for an adult victim but honestly, the victims were children, so it's more apt here. That said, I think Michelle McNamara spoiled me, because this entire book felt very surface-level and full of platitudes in comparison to the nuance of a more talented writer and investigator. Hendricks is also surprisingly sympathetic to law enforcement, painting the involved officers and detectives as small town gummers with good intentions (having also lived in a small town, cops are cops everywhere you go) despite the fact that SHE HERSELF talks about how one of the girls' families were notified of the impending arrest of the suspect, told they'd get a call back with more details, and then heard absolutely nothing until THEY HEARD THE NEWS BREAK ON CNN. Egregious. She also tries to downplay the idea that the 5 year gap in the investigation was likely because of a clerical error, which is also egregious - police incompetence is largely what makes Big Mystery Cases big mysteries, but I wouldn't expect a CNN anchor to come in with a nuanced take about how law enforcement routinely fails at its most pivotal jobs.
What did work: The last third of the book got good, fast. She does an excellent, thorough but efficient investigation of previous suspects and then goes very cleanly into the arrested suspect, echoing our own surprise about the details that came to light with the ultra-minimal drip feed of facts that the public has been given on the case. I don't fault her for agreeing with keeping many of the details closed. And, while a lot of people complained about the author talking about herself and her own childhood, I felt she made a very good point - any of us that hear the story of two barely-teenage girls going into the woods in Nowheresville, USA to play can almost all immediately recall similar afternoons spent in places most adults wouldn't go with a gun.
It was definitely worth the read but I don't feel like it addressed some of the bigger pieces of this story, and some of that is not the author's fault - a great deal of action on the Delphi case happened after the publishing of this book. I wasn't blown away and I won't be keeping my copy, but all things considered, it was alright. 2.5 stars rounded up.
What did work: The last third of the book got good, fast. She does an excellent, thorough but efficient investigation of previous suspects and then goes very cleanly into the arrested suspect, echoing our own surprise about the details that came to light with the ultra-minimal drip feed of facts that the public has been given on the case. I don't fault her for agreeing with keeping many of the details closed. And, while a lot of people complained about the author talking about herself and her own childhood, I felt she made a very good point - any of us that hear the story of two barely-teenage girls going into the woods in Nowheresville, USA to play can almost all immediately recall similar afternoons spent in places most adults wouldn't go with a gun.
It was definitely worth the read but I don't feel like it addressed some of the bigger pieces of this story, and some of that is not the author's fault - a great deal of action on the Delphi case happened after the publishing of this book. I wasn't blown away and I won't be keeping my copy, but all things considered, it was alright. 2.5 stars rounded up.
October 31, 2023
PUB DATE: 9/18/23, by Hachette Books
PAGES: 288
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
GENRE: Forensics Biographies & Memoirs/True Crime
A BIG “Thank You” to NetGalley and Hachette Books for gifting me this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
SYNOPSIS: Former CNN/HLN anchor & veteran broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks takes an investigative deep-dive into the still-unsolved double homicide of two teens in Delphi, Indiana—and its lasting impact on the community. On 2/13/17, 13-year-old Abby Williams & 14-year-old Libby German decided to enjoy a day off from school by exploring the popular hiking trails near the Monon High Bridge in their hometown in Delphi, IN. Libby’s sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the head of the trail & waved to them as they walked down the path, which was the last time they’d ever be seen alive. Less than 24 hours later, their bodies were found on the north bank of Deer Creek, about a mile from where they were last seen. There were few clues & little to go on in terms of physical evidence, except for the visual & audio remnants of a strange encounter the girls had with a stranger just hours before their disappearance, an encounter unsettling enough that Libby had thought to record it on her cellphone as it unfolded. In the years since the murders were first made public, Libby’s audio & video recordings have been released, & 2 very different composite sketches of the suspect have been shown, but local law enforcement remained vague about developments for years—until finally, on 10/20/22, the long-awaited suspect was arrested & a trial date was set. A year after the murders, Susan went to Delphi to interview the victims’ families for an in-depth special report. Over the years, Susan has built close relationships with family members, and law enforcement officials & armchair detectives alike who are determined to get justice for Abby & Libby.
REVIEW: I was so pleased to have been approved for a copy of this book because being the true crime junkie I am, I’ve followed this case for years. The first 70% of the book gives you the background on the town, the victims, & their families. Susan does a great job of filling you in on the crime that occurred & of law enforcement’s communications (with the town, other reporters, & media) about the case. I, like most everyone, has never understood why law enforcement hasn’t shared more about this crime & the manner of the girls’ deaths. However, it wasn’t until the last 30% of this book that it goes into detail about the reasons for that. I especially enjoyed Susan’s conversations with Paul Holes (the detective that identified the Golden State Killer), & Dr. Ann Burgess (an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of criminal profiling. His insight into how a predator (or serial killers) can develop oddities in their sexual behavior, & that over time, they can become “fantasy-motivated,” wherein those fantasy oddities known as “signatures” are left at a crime scene, as they’ve been confirmed in this case. Dr. Burgess does a great job explaining how profiling of a criminal can be determined. I was also interested in learning as much as possible about the man they arrested last year, Richard Allen, whose next hearing is today. Even though a trial may take years to occur, I plan to follow along, and I’m hopeful that justice comes soon for the victim’s families. 🙏🕊️
PAGES: 288
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
GENRE: Forensics Biographies & Memoirs/True Crime
A BIG “Thank You” to NetGalley and Hachette Books for gifting me this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
SYNOPSIS: Former CNN/HLN anchor & veteran broadcast journalist Susan Hendricks takes an investigative deep-dive into the still-unsolved double homicide of two teens in Delphi, Indiana—and its lasting impact on the community. On 2/13/17, 13-year-old Abby Williams & 14-year-old Libby German decided to enjoy a day off from school by exploring the popular hiking trails near the Monon High Bridge in their hometown in Delphi, IN. Libby’s sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the head of the trail & waved to them as they walked down the path, which was the last time they’d ever be seen alive. Less than 24 hours later, their bodies were found on the north bank of Deer Creek, about a mile from where they were last seen. There were few clues & little to go on in terms of physical evidence, except for the visual & audio remnants of a strange encounter the girls had with a stranger just hours before their disappearance, an encounter unsettling enough that Libby had thought to record it on her cellphone as it unfolded. In the years since the murders were first made public, Libby’s audio & video recordings have been released, & 2 very different composite sketches of the suspect have been shown, but local law enforcement remained vague about developments for years—until finally, on 10/20/22, the long-awaited suspect was arrested & a trial date was set. A year after the murders, Susan went to Delphi to interview the victims’ families for an in-depth special report. Over the years, Susan has built close relationships with family members, and law enforcement officials & armchair detectives alike who are determined to get justice for Abby & Libby.
REVIEW: I was so pleased to have been approved for a copy of this book because being the true crime junkie I am, I’ve followed this case for years. The first 70% of the book gives you the background on the town, the victims, & their families. Susan does a great job of filling you in on the crime that occurred & of law enforcement’s communications (with the town, other reporters, & media) about the case. I, like most everyone, has never understood why law enforcement hasn’t shared more about this crime & the manner of the girls’ deaths. However, it wasn’t until the last 30% of this book that it goes into detail about the reasons for that. I especially enjoyed Susan’s conversations with Paul Holes (the detective that identified the Golden State Killer), & Dr. Ann Burgess (an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of criminal profiling. His insight into how a predator (or serial killers) can develop oddities in their sexual behavior, & that over time, they can become “fantasy-motivated,” wherein those fantasy oddities known as “signatures” are left at a crime scene, as they’ve been confirmed in this case. Dr. Burgess does a great job explaining how profiling of a criminal can be determined. I was also interested in learning as much as possible about the man they arrested last year, Richard Allen, whose next hearing is today. Even though a trial may take years to occur, I plan to follow along, and I’m hopeful that justice comes soon for the victim’s families. 🙏🕊️
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