While I appreciated the opportunity to review this book, I just didn’t feel it fit the thriller/true crime genre I was looking for. This book contained a wealth of research on the history, geography, and sociology-economic climate of West Virginia, which wasn’t what I was expecting. The author did do an amazing job putting all the pieces together and her detail and knowledge of the area should be applauded. This just wasn’t a story I cared for. I’m giving it 3 stars, but I think another read with an appreciation for research and history of this area would truly enjoy it.

When I read the description for this book I was intrigued, I had not heard about these girls and wanted to hear their story. I love a good true crime novel, when I say good I mean a book about the victims, or their families. I don't really care about the location of the crime. Just facts.

This seemed more about an author who loves where she is from, but her memories took up to much of the story. I finished the book, but didn't like the ending or lack there of.

On the evening of June 25, 1980 the bodies of Vicki Duran, 26, and Nancy Santomero, 19, were discovered in a remote clearing in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The two women had been hitchhiking to a festival known as the Rainbow Gathering, but never made it to their destination. After families identified their bodies, local police learn that there had been another woman hitchhiking with the women, Liz Johndrow, she soon became known as the third rainbow girl.

For thirteen years no one was prosecuted for the “Rainbow Murders” though it was always believed to be a group of local men that were responsible. In 1993, a local man named Jacob Beard was convicted of the murders. He was later acquitted when Joseph Franklin confessed to the murders. Franklin was a known white supremacist and serial killer who was already on death row.

I love the true crime genre and I was so excited to get my hands on this book. However, a lot of this book is centered around the history of West Virginia and the author’s personal story and experiences while living in Pocahontas County. And while her connection to West Virginia and how she came to learn about these murders is important, it read more like a memoir than a true crime novel.

With that being said, this story was meticulously researched and stuck with me. I was left with a deep sadness for the families that never really got any conclusive answers or closure. The reader is left to draw their own conclusion on who the killer really was. Did Jacob Beard get away with murdering two women or was Joseph Franklin, who was put to death in 2013, truly guilty?

Thank you Netgalley for my advance reading copy. This book will be published on 1/21/20.

I received an advance copy of this book (to be published in Jan 2020) in exchange for an honest review. I was intrigued by this one because I’m interested in Appalachian history, and I also like reading true crime.

Overall I really enjoyed this book - well written and told several different stories weaved together - part memoir, part crime story, part cultural deep dive of West Virginia’s Pocahontas County.

My only complaint is the forward of this book, titled ”True Things.” Within these first few pages of the book, you’re given a boatload of facts about what happened - they are written like a list from the author’s notebook - not in a narrative form like the rest of the book. I wish it hadn’t begun this way — it felt like it was “giving it away,” and in a crime piece, even if it’s non fiction, I appreciate a little suspense.

The first chapter - and the rest of the book itself - go on to be super captivating - though at a few points very dense with courtroom facts that I only skimmed. I most enjoyed the sections about the author herself, and the process she went through to write the book.

3.75/5 stars!

“The Third Rainbow Girl” is not so much about the murder of two young women on their way to a large festival, but the intricate workings of society. These murders took place in 1980, which I had always felt was a time off open-mindedness for women, their education and careers. However, reading this book showed me just how backwards we were at that time. Prejudices, judgements , aspersions to those different that those we perceive to be the same as ourselves.
I enjoyed the historical information about the state of West Virginia. I was able to understand why I was led to believe the folks of West Virginia were less educated, less driven, and in fact primitive in their lifestyle. The impoverished society battling itself and the rich to find their way in the world, to survive.
The author uses the history of both the state and the people to help explain why people acted the way they did when these two young ladies were found. The author discusses corrupt government and law enforcement as she attempts to shed light on who the killer actually was.
All in all, an interesting book.

A well-woven and meticulously researched story of murder in Appalachia. Eisenberg captures an elegaic yet journalistic tone that serves as the perfect setting for her subject matter. Highly recommend for true crime fans.

A well written true crime book The murdered Rainbow Girls a small town an investigation.The author draws you into the town the people who live there two cases two investigations tense shocking.#netgalley #hatchetteboks,

This book is smartly written from beginning to end. The author does a fantastic job of weaving together the accounts of the murder, prior and subsequent events, her personal story and West Virginian history. I didn’t know much about how West Virginia came to be nor the hardships the state has faced. The murder and confusion afterwards was equally fascinating. These crimes took place before DNA technology. This meant that they could only rely on eye witness accounts and rudimentary forensics to solve the case. This left room for quite a bit of human error. It was hard to read knowing that these families never got the closure they were looking for. The author did a great job of presenting the facts to us without appearing to have any bias. I loved being able to argue the facts within myself and come to my own conclusions. Overall, I thought this was a wonderfully written book. I would happily pick up another work by this author when one becomes available.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book is that it seems to subvert, or in some way, complicate the true crime genre. Referring to The Third Rainbow Girl as true crime feels like too narrow of a description. Instead, what Eisenberg has given readers is something that feels messy, but in a carefully crafted and curated way, messy in the way that ideas of violence and truth and intimacy often are. This book is about a particular crime, but it is also about much more. It is about the landscape of memory and the inheritance of pain and the complexities of love. Every page feels like it was crafted with great care. That is perhaps what I admire so much about this book: the care the author took in approaching every one of her subjects. You can feel that kind of care on the sentence level. It's painstaking, and I really appreciated it.

The Third Rainbow Girl is an extremely well-written and engrossing true crime thriller by Emma Copley Eisenberg. A great read!

The story of the "Rainbow Girls" and their murder was compelling, and the author's story was interesting. For me personally while each story line was good I did not find that they meshed well together, and I often felt lost in the story telling. I felt like either of the story lines would have been good on their own, but together they felt messy and forced. It was a case I knew nothing about, and I did enjoy learning about it, but overall it was long and drawn out.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the true crime genre and was excited to read this book. I did not know much about the story and was excited to learn more. Instead of reading like a true crime novel this was more like a history book/memoir. I do enjoy history and I like interesting memoirs but this book did not work for me. There are a lot of details about the history of the area which this crime took place. Unfortunately it was just too much history and dry information and not enough of the actual story this book is supposed to be about. There was also a lot of information about the author and how she came to know about Appalachia. I did not find that interesting either. I think this would have worked better if it started out with more about the crime and then backtracked into the history/memoir aspects if that would add to the story. I stopped reading when the novel was not keeping me engaged. Disappointing book.

This is an interesting read. The main character of the story is West Virginia itself, and a significant amount of space is dedicated to the author's clear love for Pocahontas County. This is evidenced by the details she brings about West Virginia as a state and its culture - how and why the culture developed from pre-Civil War up to now. She also infuses her love for the locale in her descriptions of place and people.

I found this really to be two books compiled into one. On the one hand, it delves into the murders of the two women in exquisite details. One the other, it is a story of the author herself and how her experiences in Pocahontas County shaped her as an adult. She does manage to make the two tie together, but it is tenuous. It is thus neither a completely true crime story nor a personal exploration/personal growth story. While on a personal level, I support the author's efforts in growth and appreciate that portion of the story, from a reader's perspective that was unnecessary to the core of the book. Emma is a good enough writer to have made the crime portion of the story including background on so many characters, that she doesn't need to tie in her personal journey into the book to make it readable. I found it distracting and confusing, and the only thing that saved this approach was her ability to strip herself bare in terms of sharing her emotional journey.

Honestly, I would have given either of the two books she has here a higher rating if they stood on their own. I believe there are two books here, not one. I enjoyed the read, it kept me engaged and Emma managed the complex stories and characters admirably well. But, is it meant to be a true crime story? Or, is it meant to be a coming of age story? I understand the concept she undertook here, but I still feel the linkage is weak. It is very well written as a story of the locale and the people as well as the specific folks involved in the crime/trial/retrial/solved/unsolved central story. That piece easily stands on its own.

I keep hearking back to Agatha Christie for mysteries and also Ann Rule for True Crime. You need to grab your readers' attention early, you need to set the scene, or you will lose the reader. This book is mired in trivia. The first 10% is about the history of a town, which has very little to do with the murder. At that point, 10%, I only know (from probably the preface) that 2 girls were murdered. Nothing more about the crime itself. Setting the stage does not mean taking up the 1st 10% of the book with filler material.