As a lover and voracious reader of true crime, it means a lot when I say that this is the best true crime book I have read in a long time. It transcends the genre, and was immensely difficult for me to put down. Aside from being a page-turner, the author did an excellent job of breaking down the science of genealogy testing and its repercussions for the field of forensic investigations. While this book focused on one criminal in particular, it also referred to several other historical cases in order to most effectively explain genetic testing to the reader. I was hooked from the first page! Edward Humes' Pulitzer Prize is well deserved, and after reading this book I cannot wait to dive into his other works.

The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes is a very highly recommended true crime account that reads like a novel. This investigative novel introduces the 1987 cold case of victims 18-year-old Tanya Van Cuylenborg and 20-year-old Jay Cook and then explains how the case was solved thirty-one years later by investigator Jim Scharf and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore.

Canadian citizens Tanya and Jay were taking an overnight trip from Vancouver to Seattle, Washington, to purchase some furnace equipment for Jay's father. The young couple never made it home and their bodies were found in separate locations in rural Washington. There were few clues and no witnesses, so the case went cold and the biological evidence from the crime was frozen.

Thirty-one years later Detective Jim Scharf is examining cold case files, looking for clues. Scharf decided to take a chance and work with CeCe Moore. Moore with her interest in genetic genealogy has been looking at the information from home DNA ancestry kits being used as a forensic tool. It is through the test that a link to familial DNA points out a suspect, Bill Talbott, a 55-year-old Seattle trucker.

This is a well-written and well-paced true crime story that follows the facts of the case and how a suspect was found and reads like a novel. Humes does an excellent job introducing us to the victims, the detectives working the case and later the cold case. There is an accessible discussion covering the advances of DNA research, the science behind it, and explaining the creation of GEDmatch, the DNA database that genetic genealogists and law enforcement use to solve cold cases. There is also a thoughtful discussion involving the pros and con of using genetic genealogy. Included at the end are notes for Humes research.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House via NetGalley.






The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes is a suspenseful, riveting true crime book that combines great storytelling, cold case investigations, technological advances, and genetic genealogy in a captivating crime read. In November 1987, Tanya Van Cuylenborg and her boyfriend Jay Cook leave on an overnight trip to Seattle. They vanish until a week later when their bodies are found in rural Washington. The brutal crime leaves few clues and an international manhunt turns up empty. The case and evidence eventually goes into long-term storage until thirty plus years later when Detective Jim Scharf looks at the case files hoping to find new clues that were missed in the original investigation.

The prologue gets one’s heart racing and immediately pulls readers into what is happening. Then readers get a look at the case from the beginning including the pieces of the puzzle that Detective Scharf and his team pull together of the trip taken by the young couple, the struggle the families had to get the police involved initially, and the original investigation, as well as the next steps Scharf takes.

Humes provides the latest information on their case at the time of writing the book. This includes using DNA advances to help identify suspects as well as re-interviewing people, looking for missed opportunities in the original investigation, looking at other ways to identify a suspect, and much more. Detective Scharf contacts various genealogists for help including CeCe Moore.
Meanwhile there is a discussion of technological advances in police investigations, including those involving DNA, ranging from DNA fingerprints to a national DNA database known as the Combined DNA Index System.

However, more is also occurring in the realm of DNA, with DNA matching originating from amateur genealogists searching for their roots. This includes CeCe Moore, who has had a fascination with genetic genealogy and how it can be used, not just for family tree hobbyists and adoptees hoping to find their birth parents, but also for solving cold cases.

Additionally, Parabon, a firm in Virginia, says it has the capability of creating genetic mugshots. The book covers the use of genetic mugshots and genetic genealogy in Jay and Tanya’s case and how CeCe Moore and Parabon work together to identify a suspect. There’s a fascinating discussion of the proponents and opponents to using genetic genealogy as a crime-fighting technique among genealogists, police organizations, keepers of genetic databases, and privacy advocates.

Overall, this story is startling, horrifying, thought provoking, and emotional. The author has a notes section at the end that explains who was interviewed and the sources of information used to construct this true crime story. Additionally, the author does a great job of explaining the science and the controversies in terms that can be easily understood. Those that enjoy well-written and suspenseful true crime and books involving genealogy or DNA will likely find this an amazing story.

PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Edward Humes provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 29, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I've read and listened to a ton of true crime cases, but I had never heard of this one. I also grew up watching Forensic Files with my mom, so DNA and how it can solve crimes has always been fascinating to me. "The Forever Witness" did a good job of explaining things well enough for the reader to understand what was going on, but was very well researched and educational, and still told a story. I know there's still a debate about the legalities of finding someone through someone else's DNA, but I'm glad that Tonya and Jay's families were able to find the answers they needed.

Part true crime procedural, part ethical debate, this was an excellent book. Though occasionally long-winded, this was a great look at the process of--and legal and ethical debate surrounding-- using genetic geneaology to solve cold cases. If you enjoyed I'll Be Gone in the Dark and the subsequent press about the arrest and prsecution of that killer, you will thoroughly enjoy this book and the insihgtful discussion it sparks about the future role of DNA in crime solving. Very thoroughly researched and well written, this is a good read for all true crime fans out there.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this title on several levels. I remember the the local coverage at the time and knew the area in question. Add to that the use of DNA to solve cold cases and I couldn't wait to read The Forever Witness. I was drawn in from the first page and I didn't hesitate to give it five stars.
Edward Humes was a new author to me but I will be looking for anythings else he writes. He's that good. Not only does he know how to tell the story in a way that is easy for the novice to grasp but the research into the evolution of DNA as a tool to solve cold cases is easy to understand. The victims become real and are not just presented on the way to the DNA part of the story.
When he shifted to the use of DNA and genealogy to solve the case it's so much more than using those tools to catch a killer. Our DNA is us and when we decide to hand over that by spitting into a tube to be added to a massive data base that we can only trust to not to be misused, that's a new frontier. When does it become a price too high to pay? It will give the reader much food for thought and some may come away with the answer that the price is too high for them.
After finishing The Forever Witness, I am adding it to my small list of one of the best books I have read this year. I can't recommend it too highly.
My thanks to the publisher Dutton and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Forever Witness is a fascinating look at a decades-old, unsolved double murder, a persistent detective, and the innovative use of DNA.

As the subtitle suggests, this book does a deep-dive into DNA and genealogy. Content gets science-heavy at times, but it’s written in a way that’s easy to follow and understand.

The cold case is an interesting puzzle, and of course, a sad one. I appreciated the way the author represented the young couple, bringing them to life for us to get to know as people instead of simply murder victims.

This case, and others to follow, raise thought-provoking questions of privacy in relation to our DNA. What are a person’s rights, exactly, once they upload their DNA onto one or more of the many ancestry sites? Should the police be allowed to access your uploaded DNA to form a family tree leading them to a killer?

We have opinions on both extremes of this debate, leading to legal battles that will need to be resolved for future criminal cases.

This was a fascinating case study in the use of genetic genealogy was used to solve the case of a young Canadian couple who went missing in the Seattle area, only to be found dead. Mention was made of the Golden State Killer case, but this took what worked in that case a step further.

This will be a good read for true crime fans or readers who like learning about how science can help solve crimes, or people who enjoy police procedurals.

The author explained things in such a way that even complex things like genetic genealogy were easy to understand without having to stop and think about them, allowing the story to move right along. The trial and experts that testified were equally interesting and I was glad to see that several families have gotten closure due to the use of genetic genealogy.

There's even a section on the disagreements among scientists on whether or not genetic genealogy should be used this way and updates as to how the main companies like 23AndMe are handling this sort of thing.

This is definitely something for those true crime buffs.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Edward Humes, brings us a true crime story. How Genetic Genealogy Solved A Cold Case Double Murder.

This is a true story of murder in the Pacific Northwest. When two young people leave Canada to run an errand in the U.S., they never return. Searches were extensive, but the evidence was sparse.

This was a very cold case until Detective Jim Scharf with a lot of help from a genealogist tracked down a killer and made an arrest.

This is the story of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook. Murdered in the 1980s during a trip to Seattle. No murder weapon, no suspects, and no witness. The only clue was a palm print on the back window.

With the lack of any evidence, they are pretty sure it isn’t the first time the killer has done this. This person is good at cleaning up a crime scene.

At the time, genealogy just wasn’t advanced enough to be of help. But with the help of all of the genealogy kits popping up people are finding out information they never thought possible. And then there are the ethical questions. I think however if you upload your results online, you aren’t going to expect privacy.

There are over 250,000 unsolved murders in this country. Could we help solve those with DNA? Maybe. Just know that your genetic material could be used to identify a criminal. I wonder if that makes people less apt to participate.

This was a really good look at all aspects of DNA usage.

NetGalley/November 29th, 2022 by Dutton

A fascinating well written true crime saga.A look at advanced technology such as dna is helping in the solving of crimes from the past and the present.I was completely drawn in to this case and hated to put the book down.#netgalley #penguindutton

* I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was such an interesting book to read, especially because the use of genealogy to solve the murders and the trial happened so recently. It doesn’t go into super detail about the trial, which I was completely fine with, but it’s a great read.

Would recommend for anyone interested in true crime.

🧫🧫🧫🧫 / 5

“Genetic genealogy…was the source that never lied, never faded with time, never forgot. It was the forever witness.”

This is such a devastating story, but it had an uplifting ending all thanks to science. I always say that if I were to choose a different career path, I would study forensic science—more specifically genetics. I studied forensics in high school and genetics in college for my marine biology degree, and I loved both. Genetic genealogy is amazing and so is CeCe Moore, the genetic genealogist who helped solved this case and over 200 since. I loved that the author delved into the backgrounds of both victims instead of focusing on the guilty party. The author also explained the science without using jargon, so it was super easy to follow along. If you’re a true crime junkie and science nerd, I’d definitely recommend this one!

The Forever Witness by Edward Humes

Publication Date November 29, 2022
My husband kind of rolls his eyes when I get involved in one of my true crime obsessions – I mean interests, whether it is a podcast, book, or movie/series. I have been reading true crime since In Cold Blood (1966), and while I’ve been known to appreciate a trashy, quick-read expose, I REALLY like a nonfiction book that reads like a novel, grabs my interest and holds it until the last page is turned.

The Forever Witness, by Edward Humes, is subtitled “How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder,” which grabbed my interest right away and held it throughout the entire book. It is a complex story, and features both a cold case detective and an amateur sleuth as its heroes. For over thirty years, the cold case of a double murder of two teenagers who were just on a visit to Seattle baffled everyone.

I’ve always thought being a cold case detective would be incredibly frustrating about 98%of the time, and unbelievable gratifying on the rare occasion when your hard work can bring closure to the friends and families of victims. Detective Jim Scharf worked tirelessly on the case of the murdered teenagers, while evidence lay in storage, waiting for technology that didn’t exist when this case happened. A woman named CeCe Moore lived 1200 miles away from the scene, and many years ago she began a lifelong fascination with genetic genealogy. Its use as a crime-fighting tool didn’t come from a crime laboratory, but rather from the use of home DNA tests (such as Ancestry and 23 and Me). These have been purchased by millions of people in this country, and have become both a powerful forensic tool and a source of debate. There is an inherent ethical dilemma involved in the storage of private data and the subsequent submission of the DNA to a lab looking for a familial match…and it goes back to the fundamental question of ownership of the data. If you send your saliva (or whatever) to a lab or company such as Ancestry, do they now own it? And who gets to decide if it is tested, who gets the results? And is there any recourse if your family DNA turns up a match that might solve a crime?

The Forever Witness is very detailed, extremely readable, and will just be super interesting to crime buffs. With thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley, I give this one four big stars.

True crime and emerging scientific advance coincide in this nonfiction book that feels more like a murder mystery.

Cold Case Detective Jim Scharf has been working on the double murder of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook for over thirty years when genetic genealogy becomes available for him to use to try to find the killer. Over the last few years, new companies that help people map their ancestry using DNA have grown in popularity but their uses for crime solving have not been tested. Using these DNA familial databases, Detective Scharf finds a suspect. And not just any suspect- DNA is almost 100% accurate. Now Scharf must piece together supporting evidence on this completely new suspect and get him convicted. Meanwhile, the legality of this new science is being called into question and laws defining its usage are starting to be discussed.

Edward Humes researched this topic and framed it in such a way that it was easy for us non-science people to really understand. This book reads like a true crime miniseries and is so engaging that you forget that it is nonfiction. I would highly recommend this to mystery lovers who are hesitant about nonfiction or anyone in the law enforcement or legal professions who want a better grabse on this newer technology and its implications. If you've ever considered using a genetic heritage test, you might want to read this book first to understand the future in this area and what it means for crime fighting and DNA security.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

As a rabid consumer of true crime I was very excited to dive into the story of Tanya and Jay who after going on a road trip are declared missing until their bodies are found days later, in different locations and with drastically different causes of death. The case was cold until a genealogy expert was able to trace evidence using modern technology to solve an old crime.

This book was ok but to lacked pace and a strong the hook for me. It was a bit of a slow burn and I found myself skimming through some text and ultimately moved on to a different book. I did enjoy the detailed descriptions of scenes, evidence and some events that happened in the first part of the book.

If you like highly detailed true crime books this is for you.

In the mid 1980’s, two teenagers were brutally murdered during a trip to Seattle. There were no arrests and no suspects until 30 years later when a cold case squad detective submitted DNA samples found at the crime scene to a lab that was able to conduct a familial DNA test, resulting in a relative match and subsequent arrest, the first of its kind in the country. The Forever Witness delves into the ethical dilemma of DNA searches which compare samples held in databases of genealogy sites such as Ancestry and police cold cases where DNA samples have lay dormant in police custody. The author does an outstanding job of simplifying a complex subject without being overly technical, guiding the reader through the process, as well as outlining the investigation in a straightforward chronological manner. It’s an engrossing story, well written and obviously well researched, a must read for fans of this genre. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so interesting! The author did a great job explaining how genetic genealogy has changed law enforcement forever. The book was well-researched, and kept my interest throughout, even though some of the discussion was fairly technical . If you are a true crime fan or want to learn more about the beginning of genetic genealogy for solving crimes,, you definitely want to read this book. While I knew about some of the controversy surrounding the use of DNA in this way, the author does a nice job of explaining both sides of the issue. Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read a proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a true account of how a 1987 cold case involving the murder of two young Canadians on a road trip in the state of Washington was solved thirty years later by a dogged detective with the assistance of DNA and genetic genealogy.

Humes details the trip the two victims made, the search for them, and the years long investigation. He reports on the limited capabilities of forensics in the 1980s and 90s, along with the progression of advances in the analysis of DNA. Insight is given into how a cold case detective works in identifying suspects. While focusing primarily on this case, there is exploration into additional cases using forensic genealogy.

A well written, engrossing, fast read, Humes writes with humanity in talking about the young couple and their families. Some might find the book over detailed when describing the victims, the trial, the forensic science; I did not. He explains the science and controversy behind DNA matching in criminal investigations in an easily understandable manner.

I enjoyed Humes mention of the queen of true crime novels, Ann Rule. I have always enjoyed her books and found this one to be similar. Fans of true crime podcasts and shows such as Dateline will particularly enjoy this book.

Loved it! A true crime junkie I loved every second of this book. Well-researched, interesting, and informative. I particularly loved the level of detail the author put into explaining the intricacies of how DNA and genealogy are used to solve crimes. I highly recommend it to all true crime non-fiction fans.

Thank you Dutton Books for allowing me to review this arc.

One of the best descriptions of the history, process, and major players in genetic genealogy that I've read yet. I think the book takes a little bit of a left turn into sensationalism towards the end, while describing some of the alarmist issues with direct to consumer DNA testing: such as insurance denial, (already addressed by GINA), and the implication that DNA testing companies are using our samples all willy nilly for some nefarious biological purpose (they're not, you have to give them specific permissions for what they're allowed to do with your DNA) but otherwise a well written, well researched book that falls somewhere in between true crime and genetic genealogy 101.