Maybe I wasn't in the mood for this one but I found the narrative disjointed and frustrating. I couldn't follow how he was developing the drama and lost interest halfway through.

**This book was provided to me as an advanced reader's copy via Netgalley. All opinions contained within this review are my own.**
I honestly cannot recommend this book. The author is whiny, and not relatable. The arc and scope of the author's research is completely eclipsed by his incessant complaining and rumination about his father.

I feel as though we were supposed to see connections between all the victims of this horrific crime and this man that gives us no reason to really care about him.

The research was also not clear in the timeline of the crimes - there is too much back and forth about each suspect, not a clear presentation of why each suspect was implicated.

In all, the research and writing about the actual murders was well done, but needed some more fleshing out - the parts about the author could have been done away with entirely.

2.5 Stars

Although interesting, I could have done without Appleman's memoir thrown in between this cold case. I really only cared about the child abductions and murder case, but felt pulled from it whenever Appleman started discussing himself. I know Michelle McNamara does this in her book "I'll Be Gone in the Darkr" and I can only hope it won't become a trend in true crime.

This is a true crime story about four children who were abducted and murdered in Detroit in the 70’s. This book is meticulously written and the author has certainly done his research. Although a chilling story, I enjoyed reading about the evidence and suspects and was disappointed that this case still hasn’t been resolved. Than being said, it took me a long time before I became used to the writers style. Because the writer mixes in a lot of imagery and metaphoric inuendos, it was confusing at first and I found the writing to be a bit obtuse. I found the case fascinating but was distracted by the intermittent addition of the authors tragic life story a little distracting. Self-described as a trip down the rabbit hole, I did feel like the author was in a slow spiral to a very dark place reminiscent of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. This is a memoir and a deep look into the murders and possible suspects but I feel like the author was writing two separate books and they shouldn’t have been combined. I enjoyed reading about the criminal investigation but reading about the authors childhood home-life, his almost abduction, his failed marriage, his unfortunate friendships, etc., was very depressing and should have been edited out in my opinion. I received a complementary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

One can only hope that the attention this book will bring to the Oakland County Child Killings will help to bring some sort of resolution to the four open cases and help to bring peace to the families of the victims.

I found The Kill Jar very disturbing, not only in the stories that it tells (Appelman's as well) but in the way that they are told: roaming around, rough-edged and strings hanging. It's like wandering in a maze, or inside of the mind of someone not-quite well, which is clearly the intention.

I grew up in Detroit and was a teenager when these murders were happening -- in fact, I went to high school two blocks away from the Masonic Temple Appelbaum luridly describes. While my memories aren't quite as dark as Appelbaum describes -- there is a park in front of the Temple that we high school kids would hang out in, that in fact had playground equipment for children much younger than us, and I had friends that were emancipated teens that had apartments in the Corridor that we would hang out in -- I understand that he is trying to create a mood. Unfortunately, it is the same sort of description white residents of the Detroit metro area north of 8 Mile generally gave to an area they were otherwise ignorant of, and remain so to this day.

As someone who spent time living and breathing the streets and buildings Appelbaum paints so darkly, I caution the reader to take a grain of salt, and remind them that while he casts Detroit city in the shadow of all of the dirt and crime, it was in Oakland County, where the rich, white people live, that these horrific crimes took place.

A very dark dirty page turner true crime straight out of 1970's Detroit. Shocking mix of past and present filled with awful abuse. Well written and is written without a clean ending. Well done, highly recommended.

This book was decent, with an interesting topic. The writing wasn't the best though, and I was distracted by the author interweaving his personal experiences into the book that didn't have anything to do with the crime.

CW: Child rape. Appelman weaves together a lot of threads in his quest to discover the identity of the Oakland County Child Killer, a lot of grotesque tentacles that curl out and then back in on themselves entwined with digressions into his abusive childhood, his adult relationship with his father, and his faltering marriage and relationship with his own children. Although he never solves the case conclusively , he builds a credible tale of a pedophile ring relying on kidnapped children for their victims and corrupt cops seemingly willing to "lose" evidence to protect rich pedophiles. I didn't enjoy this book a whole lot, not only because of the subject matter - Appelman veers all over his own narrative and chapters are arranged in a disjointed, almost dreamy fashion, almost mimicking what I'd assume is the haphazard uncovering of clues in a police investigation. Appelman is a great writer and this book is filled with rich, chewy phrasing that I'd be quoting if I could, but this was so disjointed that I found it was a struggle to read & I was glad to be finished with it.

Once I started reading The Kill Jar: Obsession, Descent, and a Hunt for Detroit's Most Notorious Serial Killer, by J. Reuben Appelman, I couldn't stop. This true crime account of a murder investigation gone cold is really gripping, and the evidence the author cites convinced me that the main suspect was, indeed, the killer. The story runs deep, with a hard look at why that person was never brought to justice--and that's just as chilling as the crimes themselves.

The author weaves his personal experiences in and out of the story, revealing conflicts with his father, wife, and other women. The book does feel melodramatic at times, and it's obvious that Appelman has worked as a screenwriter, from the way he writes cliff-hanger chapters. More than once, I worried about him as an individual, not an author, as he revealed his brutal struggles with anger and despair, (In fact, the end of the book feels too abrupt, with his suggestion that he's found some personal peace--but I hope he has.)

Highly recommended for true-crime enthusiasts.

4 chilling stars to The Kill Jar!

A serial killer in the Detroit, Michigan area abducted and murdered four children in 1976 and 1977. The author was six-years-old when the murders occurred, and someone dressed as a security guard attempted to abduct him during that same timeframe. After, J. Reuben Appleman says he became obsessed with the Oakland County Murders.

The narrative reviews the available evidence in true crime fashion, and these sections were well-written and engaging, though of course, extremely difficult to read due to the content.

The abductions stopped without rhyme or reason, and the task force shut down without an arrest.

The author has a history with violence, and he details his past and how he was shaped by the early events in his life, including the attempted abduction by a possible serial killer. The author connects the crime to his own thoughts as he grew up and relays his own opinions. I found this an interesting added layer of honesty, but I also could see how it might be distracting, especially if you are looking for a straight-up true crime book.

My favorite aspects of The Kill Jar were the investigations into the murders. The details were laid out in an easy-to-follow format, and the author clearly had performed extensive research. Appelman covers the corruption and possible scandal and illustrates why these murders have proved difficult to solve.

While I am not sure the true crime genre is one I will visit regularly, The Kill Jar held me captive. I wished for an outcome (i.e., some kind of answers) for these families throughout reading, and I will continue to wish that for them now knowing the cases are still unsolved.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

This book was a wild ride. Part true crime and part memoir, it reminded me of I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. Appelman goes down the rabbit hole of investigating who was the Oakland County Child Killer who killed 4 kids between ‘76-‘77. Appelman uncovers a pedophilia ring that involves wealthy & powerful men, local cops & suspicious suicides. He also shares his own experiences of violence, abuse, and addiction.

I hope this leads to a suspect like what recently happened with the Golden State Killer.

The Kill Jar was everything I hope it would be. Coming off reading "I'll Be Gone In The Dark", I was hoping for something equally dark and suspenseful. I enjoyed The Kill Jar even more than "I'll Be Gone In the Dark". Lovers of The Serial podcast will LOVE this book!

The Kill Jar: Obsession, Descent, and a Hunt for Detroit's Most Notorious Serial Killer was an enthralling book. I hate to admit it, but I enjoy a true crime story and this totally fit the bill. Well-written as part memoir, part true crime investigation, and part love story to a long lost Detroit, the book is a culmination of the author’s ten year obsession with one heck of a story.

During the late 1970s, when child abductions seemed to be epidemic, Detroit had four child abduction-murders that were never solved. The author has spent ten years researching and obsessing over this set of murders, partly because of his proximity in age growing up in Detroit.

The author sets his gritty story against his own violent childhood, a once vibrant Detroit, and quite possibly, his own narrow escape as a victim of abduction. He describes the dead end leads, dirty cops, pedophlia clubs, autopsy coverups, lots of “suicides," families of privilege who covered up for their children who needed help, as well as incorrect information dispersed to the public. It’s a sad, gritty tale, that leads us to some incomplete conclusions that the killings stopped when a couple of suspects were incarcerated or died. There is never a true conclusion, but we have an idea after the author puts many pieces of a puzzle together for us. Most, importantly, the author seems to heal from his own past and becomes a better father and man by addressing some of his own demons from his childhood during his researching this book.

I loved this book and devoured it in two days camping in a beautiful lakeside site. It’s a solid five star book and highly recommend it to those who love true crime stories.


Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I've listened to several seasons of a few crime podcasts, and I don't really see how this novel is paced like a podcast. While it is not a straightforward book about the author's investigation, it feels appropriate, given how dark the main topic of the book truly is.

disliked it , there was non thing i liked about this book and i never seem to have that problem with non fiction when it comes to true crime. With that said I would like to think Netgalley for at least giving me a chance to read it and review .

If you enjoy true crime you need to add this to your read list. It is an investigation of a cold case from the late 70s but also a memoir. Appelman spends a lot of time on himself and his past and combines it with his 10 year journey of this case. It’s hard to review as I felt the unsolved, speculation, laying out of evidence and so many unanswered questions still loomed in my head. Nonetheless it’s an interesting read.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through NetGalley, and I gave an honest review.

This book is very hard for me to review. I enjoyed the parts of the book that were about the child murders. The author did an excellent job with his research into these crimes. I did find it confusing that so many viable suspects were named and yet no definitive answer was given. I went into the story knowing that these crimes are unsolved. I just didn't realize that so many suspects would be dissected.
As far as the parts of the book that were about the author's childhood and life thereafter, I found them dull and depressing. I honestly didn't see how his story added to the true crime story. I felt that this was two books wrongly thrown together into one disjointed mess. It is sad that the author's story took away from the crime story that was so well written and researched. I do feel for the author and am sorry that his life struggle has been so difficult. I think that he should stick to writing true crime as he has a knack for it.

The Kill Jar concerns a series of child murders in the Detroit area in the late Seventies, and explores the writer’s search for justice for the victims and their families, and a search for inward peace as well. Having lived in the area during that time, author J, Reuben Appelman had always felt a connection ;he could have been a victim as well as anyone. The book is very detailed, going through years of cold- case files and looking for still-living witnesses, though The Kill Jar also journals the author’s own transition through a painful childhood into a pain-filled adult. The two tales unfold together and the pathos is very real.

I usually find true crime stories fascinating and though much of this was also interesting, I found it distracting that the author talked so much about himself, being 'almost abducted', his sketchy life and girlfriend, etc. I think the book would have been better served to keep more to the facts of the cases. When the focus was on the cases themselves, the research and facts showed.

This was a dark look at true crime. Very well researched, tons of detail. it really shed a light on a case that I had previously been unaware of.