In Des Moines Iowa, August 1984, twelve year old paperboy Sammy Cox delivers his newspapers early on a Sunday morning. He is hiding a terrible secret.
That morning, fellow newspaper boy Christopher Stewart goes missing, under similar conditions as another boy went missing two years earlier.
Sammy's seventeen year old sister Crystal wants to be a journalist. She is writing an essay, trying to win a scholarship to help her get into college. She decides her subject will be on the missing boys as she tries to find an angle for her story.
Sergeant Dale Goodkind is assigned to the missing boy's case. He had also worked on the investigation in the earlier case.
He has been furtively going to counseling, the previous case has had some devastating effects on him, threatening to bring up events from his childhood that he prefers to keep buried.
This chilling, atmospheric novel was a dark, intense and gripping read. At times painful and heartbreaking, but so well written and sensitively done, that it was a rewarding experience.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

The Monsters We Make will speak to true crime fans everywhere. Loosely based on true events, the novel starts with the disappearance of a paper boy in the small community of Des Moines, Iowa in the early 1980s. Toward in alternating points of view, the reader is told the story by the police detective assigned to (and obsessed with) the case, another paper boy who is dealing with his own secret, and his sister who is interested in researching the case from a journalist’s standpoint. Although this is a slow burn, there were some good “oh no” moments, where the sequence of events becomes crystal clear to the reader but remains frustratingly vague for the characters.

Kali White perfectly captures the 1980s world I grew up in, when stranger danger became a difficult conversation between parents and children and it seemed that milk cartons had only been made to display pictures of missing children. John David “Johnny” Gosch disappeared in the early morning of Sunday, September 5, 1982 in West Des Moines, Iowa while delivering newspapers. Eugene Wade “Gene” Martin similarly disappeared the morning of Sunday, August 12, 1986 on his newspaper route and Marc Warren Allen disappeared the evening of Saturday, March 29, 1986 while walking to a friend’s house. All three are still missing and though they disappeared in the same general vicinity, the cases have never been linked.

This is a story about learning to look beyond the surface to see what is really there. It is about listening to children’s stories and seeking the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable to do so or when it leads you to a path you don’t want to travel. It’s a story about “the other”, and how easy it is to blame someone who looks or acts different.

“There is no ‘sinister shadow’. There are no ‘monsters’.
There is only us.”

An intense and gripping story that I couldn't put down.
I loved the vivid descriptions, how well the author described the atmosphere and developed the characters.
It's one of those story that keeps you on the edge till the end and makes you turn pages as fast as you can.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in response for an honest review.

The beginning of this book was very gripping. There was suspense and I got this great feeling of unease while reading it. Then we met the cop. I absolutely did not like the cop character. I thought he really didn't need to be one of the main POV in this book, and only gave me insight to the past murders, which we learned from the sister anyway. He was so frustrating and didn't actually further the story in my opinion. He came into play very little with the actual case, and abused his power which was just problematic.

That being said, I really did enjoy the POV of the siblings, Sammy and Crystal. He was caught right in the middle, and she was investigating for a scholarship essay. Crystal did more to further the case and plot than the cop did, and she was actually an interesting character. Sammy was where the mystery started. His story brought the suspense and for half the book I thought the ending might actually surprise me.

Then it became fully obvious how this book was going to end. I didn't actually know that this book was based off of real cases until the end, but even so, the ending to this book wasn't really that much of a surprise. I was beginning to get frustrated with the cop because he was pulling a "Murder, She Wrote" and going straight after the obvious red herring. If it weren't for him the case would have been solved a lot faster.

Overall, the writing was good and at least in the first half we got a great feeling of suspense. It fizzled out by the end but I still enjoyed reading Sammy and Crystal's ending.

The Monsters We Make by Kali White is a recommended family drama set in the 1980's following the disappearances of two paperboys from Des Moines, Iowa.

In 1982 a paperboy goes missing and is never found. Two years later in August 1984, paperboy Christopher Stewart goes missing from his morning paper route. Twelve-year-old Sammy Cox, who has a paper route, runs home, afraid of someone but he is keeping this a secret. His sister Crystal, seventeen, is concerned about the missing boys but also sees it as an opportunity to write a great college entrance essay that could win her a scholarship, so she begins looking into it. Officer Dale Goodkind has just moved to this part of Des Moines and now there is another paperboy who is missing and he is put on this case too. Dale, who is clinically depressed, may not be up to the task.

This novel is fiction, but is based on the real-life Des Moines Register paperboy kidnappings in the early 1980's. The novel follows Dale, Crystal and Sammy as the investigation continues and potential suspects enter the story. As the investigation unfolds through the point-of-view these three characters, you will care about what happens to them, especially Crystal and Sammy. There is some good coverage of what a pedophile/predator says and does to control victims and manipulate them.

Touchstones of the 80's are well-integrated into the narrative setting the time and place of the setting. All the people in the 80s weren't quite as naive or unsuspecting as White depicts, however, especially in a city, which Des Moines is and was back then. Sure, some were, but some were also quite aware of stranger danger. The plot does slow down in the middle and the ending occurs rather abruptly. The novel is also very predictable. Additionally, Officer Goodkind's personal problems and struggles do detract from the story and the investigation.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

‘Someone out there is stealing children’ – recollections of her childhood response to the real-life, unsolved Des Moines Register paperboy kidnappings in the early 1980s have been parlayed by award-winning storyteller Kali White into her first crime novel. A disturbing story of Midwestern suburban life torn asunder when young boys go missing, The Monsters We Make is a character-centric tale that focuses on the perspectives of an adolescent boy, his older teenage sister, and a depressed local cop.

Early one morning on a late summer day in 1984, young Sammy Cox scampers terrified into a church on the south side of Des Moines, his pants wet, looking for a place to hide, before taking a long, winding route home. On the same day Sammy’s fellow paperboy Christopher Stewart, goes missing. Horrid echoes of another paperboy who vanished two years before and had never been found.

Meanwhile Sammy’s older sister Crystal, a high school newspaper editor with big plans to leave town, is hunting for a story that’ll earn her a scholarship to pay for college. As their local community is rocked by Christopher’s abduction, suspicions swirl, but progress is slow for the police, including Officer Dale Goodkind, whose failure to solve an earlier case already has him teetering, near broken.

As the weeks and months pass, the secret Sammy holds festers, and the (re)actions of the police and the community spiral into devastating consequences. Officer Goodkind's promise to himself that this time he won't fail drives him beyond dedication into obsession, and as many involved leap at any sniff of a solution lives are further upturned and violence crackles through the community.

Kali White has crafted an absorbing tale which explores the impact of crime on those involved – the police who investigate it, the families and friends of the victim, the wider community – as much as the solving of a crime or unmasking of a culprit. The Monsters We Make veers into some tough territory, including child abuse, but does so with a light rather than graphic touch. White creates an extraordinary sense of time and place, before slow-building her tale to an abrupt conclusion. A thought-provoking read from a talented storyteller.

This novel is based on the true crime, missing paperboy cases that took place in Iowa in the 1980's. The author does a great job of capturing the relative innocence of the time, before the harsh realities of child abduction and stranger danger became a regular occurrence. The book is written from the POV's of twelve-year-old Sammy who has a secret and is in a horrible situation, his sister Crystal who is hoping to go to college to become a journalist and Dale, a detective on the missing boys case with a dark secret of his own. Filled with suspense and coming to a surprising conclusion this well written, highly researched story ultimately asks the question, can we ever really know our neighbors?
Although not necessarily a fast paced story, I found myself compelled to read long past a reasonable time to go to sleep. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to those who like true crime stories or fictional novels based on actual events.

This was a quiet book, though it touched on some very dark subjects. Christopher Stewart has gone missing while doing his paper route. Dale Goodkind, a detective with the Des Moines police, is assigned to investigate. There are not a lot of clues; the boy appears to have literally vanished. Meanwhile, another paperboy, Sammy Cox, is rushing home after finishing his route. His sister, Crystal, tries to ask him why he is running (Sammy is a bit on the bigger side, running is not something he likes to do), and he evades her questions. Crystal has aspirations of becoming a reporter and wants to go to college, her mother is a single mother working a couple of jobs and doesn’t have the tuition for her to go. The story is told from the perspective of Sammy, Dale and Crystal in mostly a linear fashion, there are a few flashbacks that flesh out certain details. Dale had also investigated another missing paperboy case two years prior, it is still considered an open case. As Dale investigates he becomes obsessed with one individual and is convinced that person is the perpetrator. I felt sympathy for Sammy, he’s a young boy with an absent mother and a distracted sister. He is left most of the time to his own devices. This story is a sad reminder that even though you think you know someone, they are not always what they seem. Pedophiles live among us and will take advantage when they spot an opportunity. A good story, I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Thanks to Negalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Creating a fictional account from real-life crime, the author captures the feeling of the 1980s in Midwest America struggling with an all too-real scenario—that while children were being taught about “Stranger Danger,” there were crimes going on that were unseen and rarely talked about that had nothing to do with strangers invading a community. While the book flows easily and comes to a dramatic conclusion, this book will still leave the reader unsettled.

The very idea that this one is based on actual events is chilling enough. The fact that I remember this happening pushes it beyond that. This one is more crime drama than thriller or mystery, so keep that in mind. It doesn't really have the pacing for a thriller and it's too predictable for any real suspense, but that doesn't make it any less compelling. I'm dating myself, but I certainly remember the early 80s, and Kali White did an excellent job of painting a picture of small-town life in that era. This isn't a book that will be for everyone, but it is well done and if you enjoy crime dramas, this is a good one.

I couldn't put this down, read it from start to finish in just one sitting! The fact this fictional story is based off of true events immediately had my attention. I just wish these events had a better outcome.

Three narrators tell the story. Sammy (Paperboy), Crystal (Sammy's sister) and Dale (officer).

The Monsters We Make takes us back to the 1980's. Paperboy Christopher Stewart has gone missing during his paper route. Hours later, Sammy Cox rushes home to safety - hiding a terrible secret. Crystal, Sammy's older sister is worried about the disappearance but also finds opportunity. With research & investigation into the kidnappings she has the potential to write an award winning essay that could land her a scholarship and way out of town. Officer Dale Goodkind finds himself in a new town investigating yet another Paperboy kidnapping, vowing this one won't go unsolved.

An intense and absolutely gripping story with so many layers. I very much enjoyed Kali Whites writing style.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my review copy.

The Monsters We Make grabbed my attention with the very first sentence.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book opens outlining the abductions of two paperboys, two years apart. Taking on investigation roles are high school senior Crystal Cox and, indirectly, her younger brother Sammy. Detective Dale Goodkind is haunted by investigations of previous disappearances, as well as the secrets all of the characters carry.
The story takes place in the mid 80s; an interesting choice for decade setting. As a kid of the era, the timeframe felt authentic to me - no cell phones, computers or social media as investigation tools. References made to the time reflected the differences in conduct and views compared to now.
I truly enjoyed this novel by Kali White, gripping writing style and pacing. My only slight issue is vague wrap-up of some story elements, but not enough to detract from the overall read. Recommended!
The Monsters We Make is for release on June 9, 2020.

Nothing bad is supposed to happen in small midwestern towns. But something did. This is an hour by hour excruciating look at the abduction/disappearance of two newspaper boys, the people who look for them and the people who hide from the terror. Some call the perpetrators criminals, some call them animals and monsters, everyone agrees they are just people cloaked in everyday garb. This is based on a true story.

This book is inhabited by a strange cast of characters that are easily characterized and there is much shame in that admission. A cop on the edge who is about to tip over into a breakdown, a tutor with dark secrets, a smart teenager who wants to suss out an explosive story, a youngster with a terrible truth that no one will believe, a mother who is too exhausted by life to notice and pay attention to her children and the signals they are giving.

Well written, capturing the mood and essence of the late 1980s, taking the reader back to a time that was supposed to be kinder and simpler, but was it really? Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy.

This book was absolutely intense. Also heartbreaking. This book is Loosely based on the Des Moines delivery boy abductions. Although the characters are different the story is similar if not very much exactly spot on. I think the big moral of the story is parents please listen to your children. If your kids are blatantly crying out for help and you're just ignoring the signs? Things like this really happen? I can never imagine just ignoring my children's cry for help and clearly noticing something's wrong with my kid. I know nobody is perfect but this was just absolutely heartbreaking. Also you never know what's going on in your own neighborhood. You may think you live in the safest neighborhood with the best schools, but sometimes you never know what's going on in your own backyard and that's truly terrifying. This book was amazing, intense, very sad. I absolutely loved it although like I said it was pretty sad. I think it just sheds light on the issue that you can never be too too trusting when it comes to your children.

Matt Klein went out on his Sunday morning paper route early, with just dog Lucy to keep him company. He was never seen again. The case was so devastating to Sergeant Dale Goodkind he moved to the other side of the city where, two years later, in the August of 1984, he found himself the lead detective when Christopher Stewart disappeared while doing his own Sunday morning paper delivery.

Des Moines was a city where serious crime didn't happen to nice people and if inexplicably it did they never spoke of it, especially to children. Twelve year old Sammy Cox has a Sunday paper route too, he hates it, and it scares him. He even keeps a pair of of his mother's scissors hidden in his bag for protection.

No one knows what happened to Christopher or Matt but Sammy is absolutely certain they're dead. Once a popular happy boy he has secrets of his own, no friends to share them with, or parents to listen to him. His mom works two jobs to make ends meet because his dad lives in Florida and his sister, well he just can't tell her, not this.

Written from the perspectives of all the main protagonists and in the style of a true crime reconstruction this is an excellent read. The lifestyle of small town eighties America is seen through the eyes of both children and adults; the preconceptions, secrets, lies and the struggle to survive, are depressingly familiar. With the benefit of hindsight, the era of stranger danger and monsters hidden in plain sight is at best the beginning of an awareness of a global problem and at worst a way of hiding behind institutionalised camaraderie and a sense of knowing better.

Kali White has written a novel which takes the main premise of the real life cases involving the Des Moines Register paper boys and linking it with the everyday life of fictional families living at the same time. By highlighting the devastating ripple effects of the case on those involved, through circumstance or employment, she shows this is still more relevant than we'd like to think given the missing boys would now be in their fifties.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys more of a factional approach to true crime; this is an excellent exponent of that kind of work.

The Monsters We Make is a gripping slow burn. The characters and plot are laced with self-reflection and heart-breaking realism that it is difficult not to empathize with.

Crooked Lane Books advertises that if you like Shari Lapena family dramas you’ll like The Monster We Make. Yes, this is true, but Kali White’s book is so much more. The characters are relatable, and you’ll recognize your own coming of age in her words. We all have a moment in our childhood when we realized we are not safe, that there are monsters in friends, and family… That monsters live among us.

This novel is based on a true story of paperboys who went missing in Des Moines, Iowa in the 80’s. Though fictionalized, the story sends ice through your veins because it feels real. Like you’re hearing the story from a family member who lived in Des Moines during this time.

You feel like you know these characters intimately. The single mother trying to stay afloat financially and relying on her teenage daughter to watch her son - a fellow paperboy. A teenager who desperately wants to go to college for journalism but fails to see the story and troubles lurking in her own home. A son who doesn’t know how to ask for the help he needs and harbors his anger. The cop whose good heart drives him to solve horrible crimes but also burdens him when the cases run cold.

Kali White shines a light on cases and topics that were readily dismissed in the 80’s and even today. The story is difficult to read a times as there are tough topics broached. Missing children and child abuse are trigger topics for many but White takes the time to discuss these topics with respect that sparks acknowledgement and is not an “in your face” description.

I believe The Monsters We Make will be an instant hit with Book Clubs. There are so many topics of discuss in this family drama it will make for a dynamic read and discussion. Just be prepared for some nostalgia about the 80’s, along side remorse for the latchkey mindset- the idea that Monsters are “others” and they certainly aren’t your neighbors.

We have three narrators in the book that's Based on real life kidnappings that several decades ago all but spelled out a certain shift in zeitgeist, set in Des Moines in the 80s, it has all the nostalgia of Stranger Things coupled with all the evils of stranger danger. Young boys are disappearing, paperboys, the community is terrified, the neighborhood will never be the same, because people finally realize that they can never really know their neighbors. The investigation is handled by a cop, for whom it’s all much too personal. So he starts unravelling, while still on active duty. But there are other perspectives too, crucially from one of the boys and his family. This might be a debut and for a debut especially, the author did a great job of recreating the time and place,

The Monsters We Make by Kali White is Fictional work but based on true events of the 1980's Des Moines, IA missing paperboys. The summary had me wanting to read this book immediately as I had no knowledge of this story before this book. The book in my opinion was okay but I actually did not finish it. I liked the story line. I did connect with crystal in the book, But I felt it focused more on her than the actual story line of the missing boys. I simply got board about 35% into it and did not finish it. However, with the books storyline of the true events that happened in the 1980's with the missing paperboys. I will rate this book with 3 stars. That being said I would not throw this author out. I will continue to follow her and read future work of hers to hopefully gain some insight into the authors writing style.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with providing me with this ARC.

Based on true events, this was a very well written, suspenseful novel. I was captivated from the beginning.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

After reading this book, I had to give my kiddos a big hug. This story is fiction, however, was inspired by the Johnny Gosch, Eugene Martin, and Marc Warren Allen missing persons cases. The story is told from 3 different perspectives...a 12yr old boy, his 18yr old sister, and a police detective. A gripping story about the horrors that go on around a neighborhood right under our noses. It causes you to stop and think about what is really going on and who can you really trust.

The story takes place in the '80s shines a light on the in's and outs of the Cox family home and the dynamics between those growing up in a single-parent household. The setting really gets you thinking about how times were back then in regards to the liberties that children had. Back then, they could go to the park alone and do a paper route alone. At the beginning of the story, a boy is kidnapped during his paper route which changes the routines of the entire neighborhood. We also learn that one of the characters is hiding/running away from something/someone horrible. The story keeps you hooked from the very beginning and has twists and turns that all come together in the end. Great read!