In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child
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- Create Date：2023-10-23 15:22:31
- Update Date：2025-09-14
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- Author：Kim Cross
- ISBN：1538725061
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Reviews
Lindsay
，
This is one of the most well researched true crime books I have ever read。 It’s remarkable how well Kim told this story。 It’s obviously about the kidnapping of a little girl， so the material is heavy， but she did it in a way that was factual， not salacious。 I wouldn’t even know how to begin to tell Polly’s story in the way she did。 Kim did Polly justice， and while heart breaking， I am happy I was able to get through the book。 I feel like I learned so much about what happens when a child goes mis This is one of the most well researched true crime books I have ever read。 It’s remarkable how well Kim told this story。 It’s obviously about the kidnapping of a little girl， so the material is heavy， but she did it in a way that was factual， not salacious。 I wouldn’t even know how to begin to tell Polly’s story in the way she did。 Kim did Polly justice， and while heart breaking， I am happy I was able to get through the book。 I feel like I learned so much about what happens when a child goes missing， and I am so impressed by Polly’s family。 Such a good read， and a story I can only hope will never need to be told again。 （Wishful thinking I know。 :（ ） 。。。more
Shelby Thompson
，
Thank you Grand Central for the gifted copy！ What’s the first nationwide murder or kidnapping case you remember？ For a lot of Americans， it was the Polly Klaas case。 In the middle of the night， a stranger brazenly walked into a house full of people and walked out with Polly。 She would never be seen again。 Everything in this case stoked America’s fears - some that hadn’t existed before。 Stranger abductions from a home make up only a handful of kidnappings， let alone ones from a home with other pe Thank you Grand Central for the gifted copy！ What’s the first nationwide murder or kidnapping case you remember？ For a lot of Americans， it was the Polly Klaas case。 In the middle of the night， a stranger brazenly walked into a house full of people and walked out with Polly。 She would never be seen again。 Everything in this case stoked America’s fears - some that hadn’t existed before。 Stranger abductions from a home make up only a handful of kidnappings， let alone ones from a home with other people sleeping in it。 The Polly Klaas case kicked America’s child-abduction paranoia into high girl， for better and for worse。 On one hand， it paved the path for California’s controversial “3 strikes” law。 On the other， the investigators who worked this case went on to make astounding contribution to the field of finding missing persons: Amber Alert， Evidence Response Teams， digital notifications， modern-day fingerprint analysis， and child-appropriate questioning were all developed by people who experienced the heartbreak of working the Klaas kidnapping。 This is the latest in a series of more considerate takes on true crime。 Cross’s father-in-law worked the case， and her understanding of the need for respect for the detectives and families vibrates throughout her writing。 She doesn’t want to walk you through the violence and fear that Polly must have experienced， but to open your eyes to the ways that technology and science need to constantly be pushed so we have a better chance at bringing kids home。 Sometimes it can read a little too clinical， but that will probably appeal to all you science-minded folks。 。。。more
Michael Springer
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Well paced and absorbing， this is the definitive telling of the true-crime story of the abduction and murder of Polly Klaas in 1993。 The author， Kim Cross， is the daughter-in-law of the lead FBI investigator on that famous case and had tremendous cooperation from law enforcement。 She captures the compilation of the evidence as well as the emotions -- terror， frustration， exhaustion -- experienced by all parties -- the family， the community， and the police。 Written in a brisk documentary style， C Well paced and absorbing， this is the definitive telling of the true-crime story of the abduction and murder of Polly Klaas in 1993。 The author， Kim Cross， is the daughter-in-law of the lead FBI investigator on that famous case and had tremendous cooperation from law enforcement。 She captures the compilation of the evidence as well as the emotions -- terror， frustration， exhaustion -- experienced by all parties -- the family， the community， and the police。 Written in a brisk documentary style， Cross dives deep into the weeds on some points （hair follicles， carpet fibers， etc。） but the net effect is compelling and ultimately chilling。 。。。more
Carrie
，
I have to preface this with the fact that although I gave it five stars， this book will not be for everyone。 But as someone who reads a lot about various famous cases， this was one of the best written books I have read。 It was thoroughly researched and the story was told in a very linear manner， which I appreciated。 The balance between the crime and the victim was pretty good， but I could have used just a little more about Polly herself。
Stephanie Dargusch Borders
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Week researched and well written。 It seems like we have more and more of these stellar true crime books being published and I’m here for it。
Brooke Snow
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I really want to read this because I am very interested in the Polly Klaas case， but this was bogged down with a lot of detail about the people （tons of investigators， profilers。 Etc） and the thread of the case got lost。
Susan
，
For someone who spent most of my childhood weekends in Petaluma and living so close， it was amazing how much I did not know about the Polly Klaas kidnapping！ This book serves a dual purpose: it takes an intimate look at the case itself and those involved from every angle， and it discussed the processes for investigating kidnappings and the improvements made as a result of this particular case。 And even though we know how the story ends， it needs to be said that this book was a page turner！ Not t For someone who spent most of my childhood weekends in Petaluma and living so close， it was amazing how much I did not know about the Polly Klaas kidnapping！ This book serves a dual purpose: it takes an intimate look at the case itself and those involved from every angle， and it discussed the processes for investigating kidnappings and the improvements made as a result of this particular case。 And even though we know how the story ends， it needs to be said that this book was a page turner！ Not that any parent wants their child to be kidnapped， but the chances of finding their child is greater improved by the lessons learned and the ideas germinated by this particular case。 This is Polly's legacy。 。。。more
Erin
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I remember the Polly Klaas kidnapping， but wow， there is so much I never knew。 This true crime exploration of horrific events is straightforward， sensitive， and riveting。 4+ stars。
Chrissy D （Chrissysliterarybites）
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This book tells the ins and outs of one of the most famous child kidnapping and homicide cases in the US- Polly Klaas。 This book and case is going to stick with me。 Polly was just 12 when she was kidnapped in her home during a sleepover while her mom slept in the other room。 It became on of the largest manhunts in US history， racing against the clock to find her。 It also helped change the way missing persons cases were handled。 Written by the daughter in law of Eddie Freyer Sr。， the lead FBI inv This book tells the ins and outs of one of the most famous child kidnapping and homicide cases in the US- Polly Klaas。 This book and case is going to stick with me。 Polly was just 12 when she was kidnapped in her home during a sleepover while her mom slept in the other room。 It became on of the largest manhunts in US history， racing against the clock to find her。 It also helped change the way missing persons cases were handled。 Written by the daughter in law of Eddie Freyer Sr。， the lead FBI investigator of the Polly Klaas case， this book gives insider knowledge and insight into the case。 Interviews with those directly involved providing details the public has heard before。 Even though Polly’s case was tragic and horrific， it has since been used as a training mechanism for investigators to learn from。 This case has stuck with all who were involved and it is such a scary sad story。 I can’t believe how many times the killer was let out of prison prior to Polly’s kidnapping。 So many missed opportunities to catch him as well。 I am especially sad because my daughter is the same age as Polly and I can’t even imagine what her parents must have gone through and are still going through。 It makes me so fearful of my kids going anywhere alone！ She was just a typical teenager excited to have a sleepover with her friends which makes it even scarier that it happened in her own seemingly safe home。 Definitely read the author’s note at the beginning。 The amount of research and support she had in writing this book was phenomenal。 The book was written like a thriller in terms of its pacing and storytelling but all historically accurate information。 At times it was hard to remember this wasn’t sure a thriller novel but an actual event that happened- so while it was a tough subject I was glad the way it was written was more like a novel than a history lesson。 The first few chapters describing how everything happened was so scary！ Also so many “little” mistakes were made that night by witnesses and police- it was so frustrating knowing the bigger picture but at the time each small mistake or inaccuracy didn’t seem like a big deal until looking back on everything。 Child abduction by a stranger was actually pretty rare compared to being taken by an estranged family member。 The rule of thirds was super scary- those kidnapped by a strange， 1/3 are found alive， 1/3 are found dead and 1/3 just disappear And 89% of victims were murdered within the first 24 hours; 76% within the first 3 hours。 It’s interesting how many people are involved in investigations。 It was also interesting hearing how much technology has changed since then and that they used new technology for the first time on this case as well。 It was sad how some investigators thought the girls were playing a prank or that Polly ran away。 I feel like that maybe wasted some time when they could have been out trying to find her。 Worries me if something ever happened to me or a loved one that people may not believe it。 So scary that so many witnesses had seen a man wearing dark clothes with a beard and a bag standing outside or near Polly’s home the night before hours leading up to it。 But nothing would make them think something terrible would happen so why would they report it。 “Someone always sees something。 But they don’t always immediately grasp the significance of what they saw。” Even though this story has a devastating ending， I loved seeing how the community came together to try and find her。 People going out of their way to help out how they could。 And the good that it brought for others eventually too。 There was even a volunteer who years later because of helping with this case became a member of the FBI helping find missing children。 Winona Ryder even got involved because it happened in a town she grew up in。 The author takes time and has great detail about every piece of the case as well as all of the people involved in solving it even their own back stories。 It was sad how much the case effected so many people， even still today。 People wondering if they could have done more。 It’s also sad how close to solving it would have been the first night of the kidnapping if only people knew the circumstances。 And sad that the kidnapper/killer had prior histories and had been let off early。 I blame the parole board entirely for letting him out way earlier than he should have been even after committing multiple crimes I causing kidnapping and assault before Polly！ This might have never happened if he had fulfilled his entire sentences。 Made me so mad！！！！！ 。。。more
Cindy （leavemetomybooks）
，
Cross has written a fascinating， in-depth look at the massive effort put forth to solve the 1993 kidnapping and murder of twelve-year-old Polly Klaas and how this investigation impacted future missing persons cases。 The structure of this book is great - each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the investigation or on a specific team or person working on the search — The Case Agent， The Composite， The Lab， The Profiler， etc。 — and provides a behind-the-scenes look at how these cases are solv Cross has written a fascinating， in-depth look at the massive effort put forth to solve the 1993 kidnapping and murder of twelve-year-old Polly Klaas and how this investigation impacted future missing persons cases。 The structure of this book is great - each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the investigation or on a specific team or person working on the search — The Case Agent， The Composite， The Lab， The Profiler， etc。 — and provides a behind-the-scenes look at how these cases are solved。 Cross had unique access to primary source materials because she is the daughter-in-law of the FBI case agent in charge， Eddie Freyer。 But despite this close tie， she doesn’t shy away from shining a light on the massive mistakes that were made during the investigation， especially the way Polly’s friends were treated。 Overall， this was a brilliant book about a truly terrible story。* thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sending me a finished copy for review。 In Light of All Darkness published October 3rd。 。。。more
Rebecca
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（Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy for honest review。）It's sobering to realize this is released the week of the 30th anniversary of Polly Klaas's abduction。 Kim Cross had a lot of access to individuals involved in the investigation， and she handles this devastating and infuriating story with tenderness while still sharing the hard facts。 It's well researched and quite comprehensive， and the author has done an impressive job crafting a narrative for the story。 （Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy for honest review。）It's sobering to realize this is released the week of the 30th anniversary of Polly Klaas's abduction。 Kim Cross had a lot of access to individuals involved in the investigation， and she handles this devastating and infuriating story with tenderness while still sharing the hard facts。 It's well researched and quite comprehensive， and the author has done an impressive job crafting a narrative for the story。 。。。more
Jeanette
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So sad。 Very researched。Always wondered why she didn't come down from that hill when she could have。 So many details and personality traits made a difference in this terrible kidnapping。 Long read。 So sad。 Very researched。Always wondered why she didn't come down from that hill when she could have。 So many details and personality traits made a difference in this terrible kidnapping。 Long read。 。。。more
Caitie
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The Polly Klaas investigation didn’t just inform the ways we search for and find missing children， but also the way the FBI investigates many other types of crimes。On the evening of October 1， 1993， twelve year old Polly Klaas was hosting a sleepover when a man came into her home in Petaluma， and after terrorizing the three girls kidnapped Polly。 Polly's mother was asleep in the next room。 In the days and weeks that followed the abduction， police， the FBI， and the entire nation were invested in The Polly Klaas investigation didn’t just inform the ways we search for and find missing children， but also the way the FBI investigates many other types of crimes。On the evening of October 1， 1993， twelve year old Polly Klaas was hosting a sleepover when a man came into her home in Petaluma， and after terrorizing the three girls kidnapped Polly。 Polly's mother was asleep in the next room。 In the days and weeks that followed the abduction， police， the FBI， and the entire nation were invested in finding Polly。 Even actress Wyonna Ryder， who was from Petaluma， did a press conference in order to bring attention to bring attention to the case。This investigation also changed the way police departments （and the FBI） dealt with child victims/witnesses because in the weeks after Polly was taken， her two friends—also age 12–were interrogated because it was believed they were lying。 They weren’t lying， but it made investigators realize that witnesses like this needed to be handled more carefully。 The two girls went through a major trauma， so sometimes getting information out of these kinds of witnesses takes some time。The author also discussed how Polly’s case also bring attention to the “missing white woman syndrome，” about how pretty， young white women can get more media attention。 This wasn’t Polly or her family’s fault obviously， but it was something to think about。 。。。more
Sue
，
Thirty years ago， a real-life nightmare was unfolding。In Light Of All Darkness by Kim Cross was released Oct。 3， three decades after the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas。Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy for review！The author's note at the beginning of the book is important to read， as it outlines how and why the book came to be。 Cross's late father-in-law was one of the FBI investigators on the case。 She stresses the book contains verifiable documentation， without fab Thirty years ago， a real-life nightmare was unfolding。In Light Of All Darkness by Kim Cross was released Oct。 3， three decades after the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas。Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy for review！The author's note at the beginning of the book is important to read， as it outlines how and why the book came to be。 Cross's late father-in-law was one of the FBI investigators on the case。 She stresses the book contains verifiable documentation， without fabrication or flourishes。All angles of the Klaas case are covered， from the night of the kidnapping， the search and investigation， the capture and trial of the killer。Cross takes care to introduce readers to those in the story， beginning with Polly herself。 I knew of the case when it happened in 1993 through news reports， but In Light Of All Darkness provided so much more detail and context。 The Klaas case was unique in being one of the rare true stranger abductions， from the child's home with a parent present， and witnesses in the same room。 It resulted in honed investigation techniques and evidence gathering。 It's also noted there is a broad media and resource bias toward upper-middle class， white children who go missing。For those interested in true crime documentation， this is one not to miss。 Recommended。 。。。more
Tara
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In 1993 pre-teen Polly Klaas goes is kidnapped from her home in the middle of a slumber party。 This sets off a statewide hunt for her and her brazen kidnapper and is a landmark case in how active missing children's cases are handled and persecuted。 This is one of the best true crime books I've ever read。 It was very engaging and not dry at all。 Author Kim Cross truly cared about telling Polly's story and what the police force， technicians， family， and community members went thru。 It is very sad In 1993 pre-teen Polly Klaas goes is kidnapped from her home in the middle of a slumber party。 This sets off a statewide hunt for her and her brazen kidnapper and is a landmark case in how active missing children's cases are handled and persecuted。 This is one of the best true crime books I've ever read。 It was very engaging and not dry at all。 Author Kim Cross truly cared about telling Polly's story and what the police force， technicians， family， and community members went thru。 It is very sad but also tells how Polly's legacy lives on and how her case changed police response and coordination。 It is sad without being gratuitously gory。 If you have any interest in true crime or police work， this book is for you。 。。。more
Jess
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hits you right in the heart。 a harrowing and moving look into the search that captivated the world。
Melanie
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Those of us of a certain age who watched any TV at all in the 1990s couldn't have missed out on hearing about the Polly Klass kidnapping。 It grabbed the media's attention because it was so brazen — a man entered a house when the mom was home sleeping， kidnapping a 12-year-old girl from her bedroom while two of her friends （who were having a sleepover with her） were tied up and left behind。 This is the definitive story of the search for Polly in 1993 California。 I'm torn in my rating here。 I rate Those of us of a certain age who watched any TV at all in the 1990s couldn't have missed out on hearing about the Polly Klass kidnapping。 It grabbed the media's attention because it was so brazen — a man entered a house when the mom was home sleeping， kidnapping a 12-year-old girl from her bedroom while two of her friends （who were having a sleepover with her） were tied up and left behind。 This is the definitive story of the search for Polly in 1993 California。 I'm torn in my rating here。 I rated it four stars because it's impeccably researched。 Author Kim Cross is the first to admit she benefitted highly from being married to the son of one of the agents on the Polly Klass kidnapping case。 Law enforcement saw her as "family" and turned over tons of documents and sat for hours of interviews simply because of that。 As a journalist， that frustrates me that they wouldn't have done that for an equally good or even better journalist who wasn't "family。"I think Cross does her best to be objective， but how can she be really when law enforcement was her primary source and literally her father-in-law？ The book was written based almost entirely on the law enforcement and legal community's account， which means this is really a book about how to investigate。 Polly Klass' parents declined to be a part of the book， so everything attributed to them was in the public record or told by someone else。 I heard someone say this is an incredibly sad book， and while of course what happened to Polly is incredibly sad， I don't think the book is written that way。 Polly's story is horrifying and heartbreaking， and it's infuriating that one man can cause so much devastation。 It's also strange， in a sense， how many resources were redirected and how much money was spent on one missing child。 I'm not saying it wasn't necessary and that I wouldn't have done the same; it just makes me consider how we react in our society because of the shocking aspect of the crime。 The author acknowledges briefly at the end of the book that Polly got this attention because she was an "innocent" cute young white girl with middle-class parents。 This focus on one girl was later dubbed "missing white girl/woman syndrome，" because Black and Brown girls go missing all the time and they never get this kind of attention — either from the media or "all hands on deck" law enforcement focus。 And yet the fact that the author wrote a definitive account of what law enforcement did in this case illustrates how prevalent and ongoing "missing white girl syndrome" still is。 I wish Cross had addressed these larger societal issues more。The one aspect of the book that was fascinating， and that I didn't know before reading this， was all the changes law enforcement， including the FBI， made during and after this case。 Some new techniques were tried for the first time， plus， because of mistakes made in this case， new investigative processes were created after this case。 That part was really interesting。 All in all， if you like non-sensational true crime and investigations， you will likely appreciate and be engrossed in this well-done narrative journalism story。 。。。more
Dr。 Alan Albarran
，
My thanks to the publisher， author Kim Cross， and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this work。In Light of All Darkness is a very complete retelling of the brutal murder of 12-year old Polly Klass， who was abducted and taken from her home on October 1， 1993， and whose body was later found in a remote area about two hours from her home。 The narrative is deep and full of details as the author takes the reader through the investigation， and all of its highs and lows。Keep in mind this My thanks to the publisher， author Kim Cross， and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this work。In Light of All Darkness is a very complete retelling of the brutal murder of 12-year old Polly Klass， who was abducted and taken from her home on October 1， 1993， and whose body was later found in a remote area about two hours from her home。 The narrative is deep and full of details as the author takes the reader through the investigation， and all of its highs and lows。Keep in mind this was before Amber alerts and at a time when the FBI had nowhere near the technological resources it has in the present age to find missing/abducted children。 Cross had access to scores of documents from numerous sources， and paints a vivid and frustrating picture of the efforts to locate this child。Readers should be advised that this is a tough read--too tough in parts for this father of two daughters （ages 12 and 8 when Polly was kidnapped） and grandfather of three girls now。 It hits you hard to experience the grief and loss and uncertainty that Polly's parents， extended family， friends and community went through during this time。If you are interested in true crime and can stomach the worst parts this is a very well written book。 I give it 4。5 stars， rounded down to four， only because to me some of the procedural details are just overwhelming and bogs things down。 The book is nearly two-thirds complete before Polly's body was found。 。。。more
Carly Barruga
，
the best book i’ve read this year。 gripping content， meticulously researched， and extremely well written。 i finished this book in three days and will read anything else by kim cross in the future。 a must read if you’re interested in the genre， and even if you’re not， a very compelling story with lots of lessons learned。 my heart was racing the last few chapters and i could not put it down。 this one will stay with me for a long time。
Jamie
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Meticulously reported and beautifully written。
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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Finding a true-crime reader， or even an American over the age of 40， unfamiliar with the name Polly Klaas seems unlikely。 The case --- a girl kidnapped by a stranger from her bedroom， the ensuing search for her， and the eventual conviction of her killer --- held the country enthralled。 The broad outlines of her disappearance and the tragic outcome are well known。 Yet journalist and historian Kim Cross presents a more in-depth examination in her book， IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS。On October 1， 1993， Finding a true-crime reader， or even an American over the age of 40， unfamiliar with the name Polly Klaas seems unlikely。 The case --- a girl kidnapped by a stranger from her bedroom， the ensuing search for her， and the eventual conviction of her killer --- held the country enthralled。 The broad outlines of her disappearance and the tragic outcome are well known。 Yet journalist and historian Kim Cross presents a more in-depth examination in her book， IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS。On October 1， 1993， 12-year-old Polly Klaas was thrilled to have a sleepover with two friends。 Her mother and little sister were asleep in the next room when she opened her bedroom door to find a man standing just outside it。 As he bound and gagged the three girls and covered their heads with pillowcases， he assured them that he wouldn’t hurt them and was only there to rob the house。 He selected Polly， perhaps because she lived there， and took her from the bedroom， telling her two friends to count to 1，000 and that he would bring her back after he found valuables。 They heard the door open and close but never saw Polly again。The girls woke up Polly’s mother， who then called the police。 Key members of the Petaluma， California， community organized a search for Polly that ran parallel to， and often intersected with， the search conducted by the local authorities and the FBI。 It was just over two months before her body was found， and it was her murderer who led the investigators to the spot。This terrible case took place at a time when modes of communication and investigation were shifting。 News cycles were becoming increasingly rapid and far-reaching， and new technologies and scientific methods were being developed to better help policework。 Those changes factor greatly in Cross’ narrative and continue to be impactful to this day。 Polly’s family and others personally close to the case declined to work with Cross on this book。 However， she had access to all the official records of the investigation， the trial and published media reports。Additionally， as the daughter-in-law of one of the lead FBI case investigators， Cross was able to speak to many of the men and women who worked on the case officially and review their materials。 This gives the book a unique look into the methods of the search for Polly， as well as the evidence gathered and used to put her killer away。 It also provides insight into the emotional toll the case took on those who were intimately， yet professionally， close to it。 Cross highlights how the case became one of celebrity and celebrities， a fact that only serves to underscore how inequitable the American desire to find and save Black and Brown children in this country was and continues to be。To say that this is an awful story to read would be an understatement。 Even after all the years that have gone by and the details we already know about Polly’s abduction and murder， it remains shocking and nightmarish。 Cross handles well the anxiety and fear that this story produces; she is clear in the facts and compassionate in the telling。 IN LIGHT OF ALL DARKNESS is a must-read for true-crime aficionados。Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman 。。。more
Wendy Remez
，
5 stars-“Every life cut short has a story that matters。 Every victim deserves their own book。” I have never read a true crime novel as well written and thorough as this one。 There are about 80 pages of resources and references where the facts Cross wrote about came from。 There is so much compassion given to the story of Polly Klaas and the investigators that solved the case。 I totally understand that the family and the other two girls at the sleepover did not want to participate in the book （tho 5 stars-“Every life cut short has a story that matters。 Every victim deserves their own book。” I have never read a true crime novel as well written and thorough as this one。 There are about 80 pages of resources and references where the facts Cross wrote about came from。 There is so much compassion given to the story of Polly Klaas and the investigators that solved the case。 I totally understand that the family and the other two girls at the sleepover did not want to participate in the book （though one did provide some background）， I hope that they feel that this book honors Polly and the impact she made in her short life， and also highlights the precedents that have come from her case。 。。。more
palo。santo。and。pages
，
Fascinating， riveting， compelling， heartbreaking， infuriating。 I could not put this down。 If you are a true crime junkie and obsessed with Forensic Files like me， I highly recommend checking this out！ Though it was tough to read， it was well-researched and brilliantly paced。
Anya
，
I don't think I've ever read such a well written and informative true crime story before。 Pollys case is such a tragedy and the way Kim Cross has written her story from all angles I feel gives such a deep understanding and connection to everyone involved， from Polly herself， to her family， to the investigators。 Learning about the forensic process is always so fascinating to me as well。 I read this whole book with a heavy heart and a hand either over my chest or my mouth the entire time。 I couldn I don't think I've ever read such a well written and informative true crime story before。 Pollys case is such a tragedy and the way Kim Cross has written her story from all angles I feel gives such a deep understanding and connection to everyone involved， from Polly herself， to her family， to the investigators。 Learning about the forensic process is always so fascinating to me as well。 I read this whole book with a heavy heart and a hand either over my chest or my mouth the entire time。 I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Tara Sypien
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Polly Klaas was kidnapped from her bedroom and murdered in 1993。 She was 12 years old。 In 1993 I was 12 years old。 This book is meticulously researched and very compelling。 It details the entire case。 There were times reading when my heart felt heavy and like it was breaking。 Polly was someone's daughter， someone's sister， someone's friend， and she was very loved。 What happened to her was a horrible tragedy。 Polly Klaas was kidnapped from her bedroom and murdered in 1993。 She was 12 years old。 In 1993 I was 12 years old。 This book is meticulously researched and very compelling。 It details the entire case。 There were times reading when my heart felt heavy and like it was breaking。 Polly was someone's daughter， someone's sister， someone's friend， and she was very loved。 What happened to her was a horrible tragedy。 。。。more
Teresa
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I couldn't put this book down。 In Light of All Darkness is both a fascinating and tough read。 Kim Cross had unique access to many of the main players involved in the story - her father-in-law Eddie Freyer was the FBI case agent in charge of the Polly Klaas investigation。 She weaved the story together methodically and thoroughly， relying on material from so many sources the notes themselves are forty pages long。 Polly's kidnapping occurred in rural Petaluma， a quiet little town north of San Franc I couldn't put this book down。 In Light of All Darkness is both a fascinating and tough read。 Kim Cross had unique access to many of the main players involved in the story - her father-in-law Eddie Freyer was the FBI case agent in charge of the Polly Klaas investigation。 She weaved the story together methodically and thoroughly， relying on material from so many sources the notes themselves are forty pages long。 Polly's kidnapping occurred in rural Petaluma， a quiet little town north of San Francisco。 The subsequent investigation took place all over Sonoma County， a beautiful area known for its wine， oak trees， rolling hills。 Living in the Bay Area at the time， I remember this news as being truly shocking。 The whole Bay Area was in fear and changed overnight - nobody left doors open after that kidnapping。 Cross tells the story of Polly Klaas in a comprehensive fashion for the first time， despite being a case that captured the world's attention and literally changed the way the FBI （and other law enforcement agencies） conducts business。 This book focuses on the 65 days in 1993 the team spent investigating tips and leads after the abduction， the 1996 trial and the far reaching legacy of the case。 That legacy includes the three strikes law， coordination between law enforcement agencies， nascent technology and techniques used in the case that became standard practice， kidnapping protocols， volunteer vetting and coordination， the list is long。 And Cross does address the elephant in the room， Missing White Women Syndrome。 "Every life cut short has a story that matters， every victim deserves their own book"。 The point of this book was to highlight how Polly's investigation "has served as a valuable case study for three decades。 Its insights have trained investigators in all disciplines。。。Because of what was learned from the Polly Klaas case， many missing kids have been found"。 My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central for the ARC。 。。。more
Annette Nelson
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Polly’s tragedy is not Kim’s story to tell。 She did not have blessing from Polly’s family or best friend。 Kim reached out to me- Polly’s best friend- and said that she had a letter I wrote to Polly from the case file。 She held it like a dangling carrot to entice me to participate in the book。 She never sent this letter despite having my mailing address。 What should be a time for family， friends， and community to memorialize our Polly has turned into a Kim Cross media blitz。 Gross。
Stephanie
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This was a tough but excellent true crime read。 The blurb says it is “paced like a thriller” and that is extremely accurate as Cross pulled the transcripts from this investigation so there is a ton of dialogue throughout。 I was only 5 when Polly was taken but have learned about this case throughout the years from various true crime sources。 This had the most detail and information I have come across。 Cross clearly knows more than most about this case and handles it with care， empathy and kindnes This was a tough but excellent true crime read。 The blurb says it is “paced like a thriller” and that is extremely accurate as Cross pulled the transcripts from this investigation so there is a ton of dialogue throughout。 I was only 5 when Polly was taken but have learned about this case throughout the years from various true crime sources。 This had the most detail and information I have come across。 Cross clearly knows more than most about this case and handles it with care， empathy and kindness。 Overall this is an excellent book for anyone interested in true crime。 。。。more
Sharon Schwalm
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Kim Cross has access to inside information and presents it well。 I enjoyed it。
Bonnie Goldberg
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