Wanna be scared of being watched? Wanna be scared that someone is watching you? This book is such a good companion to the hit Netflix docu-series. Definitely creepy and immersive.

This is a book about every day people who spend their free time working as "sleuths". With true crime obsession on the rise, this is a fantastic book to read. The author goes into detail on several cases, looking at how the crimes were solved by these everyday sleuths. It made me think of Charlene Harris' book, Real Murder, where there is a "murder club". Anyway, this is an interesting look at regular people who help solve crimes.

Interesting take on actual real life sleuths! I think it takes a lot of courage to do that, next level true crime investigators.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A fascinating read about the citizen sleuths that have helped solve cold cases by identifying Jane/ John Does and finding that one lead which has allowed a case to be solved. For anyone interested in true crime, Richard Osman books or the series Only Murders in the Building this is a must read. The methods and amount of time spent on this is mind-blowing. I enjoyed the book and found it really easy to read. I was pleased to see the cautionary tales and the awful outcomes for the innocent people when theories are shared on social media rather than sent to the authorities. A well researched book.

not a bad little read, with some exciting crimes, looked at from a layperson's perspective.

Factual and informative, with 12 crimes spaced out at a rate of one per chapter, perfect for a 'pick up and put down' read.

It was sometimes a little bit repetitive, with timelines muddled occasionally.

I recommend it to any crime fan.

This was honesty difficult for me to get into. It read more like a fan fiction than a true crime story. I’m familiar with the case, because of the Netflix documentary and this just didn’t have the same pizazz.

This was a fascinating read that gives insight to the operations of citizen sleuths. As a true crime junkie, I always find it interesting when your average Joe with an interest is able to make a genuine difference and dent in a case as this book definitely gives its readers a look into how that is done through 12 distinctive parts and by looking at prime examples of some popular cases. I will say that I think that newer true crime readers might gain more from this. As a seasoned audience member of the true crime genre, I feel like while it was interesting, it didn’t hold a ton of new or unheard of information. That being said, it is an interesting read that is definitely worth the time.

With the book's title and cover both clearly hanging on the coattails of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, this book details the stories of a number of civilian sleuths who devote their free time to solving cold cases and identifying unidentified bodies. In reality this is of course nothing like a cosy mystery novel and is in fact a bunch of people communicating on the internet and going through a ton of data. But that's fine, it's still interesting. to hear these stories, if you haven't heard them before. It's largely centred on North America, whether that is because the at-home sleuth is more of an American phenomenon, or just because these are the most known cases. This is more a book for someone with a casual interest in true crime, rather than anyone with either a more academic interest, or who has read a vast amount of true crime books before.

One of the things I did find odd about this book was that there were several scene-setting passages which use such flowery language that it read like a badly written romance novel, or like someone had randomly replaced a lot of the words using the computer thesaurus. I noticed this particularly at the start. I'm not sure whether the writer stopped it further through the book or I just got used to it, but either way, it didn't work for me, since I was here to read a non-fiction book and not a novel. It was an interesting topic, but badly executed (pardon the accidental pun)

This book takes a look at a variety of cases, mostly murder cases, that are solved with the help of everyday citizen sleuths. I was looking forward to some insight into some new cases and interviews with these people that helped. While I did learn of some new cases, I thought the interviews lacked. We were introduced to a lot of vocabulary terms, but hearing more about how the crimes were solved and the discussions that happened would have interested me more. If you're a fan of true crime, I think this sheds some light on a lot of cases, but I would have liked to see a little bit more within the interview sections.

This is a non-fiction book (as you might guess from the title), with a collection of stories focusing on the world of ‘citizen detectives’ who are people generally not involved in law enforcement, who nevertheless spend their time trying to solve cold cases online.

In many circumstances, they may not have a personal connection to this case, but are drawn to it for various reasons. For example, the circumstances of discovery chime for them, or it may be related to their own home town.

I found this a really interesting examination of this area, which has risen rapidly in popularity following the rise of internet access, which has enabled people to be able to access research information far more easily, which has allowed for much easier cross-checking of information such as missing persons records, that previously wouldn’t have been communicated far past their own local area.

The book examines a number of cases that have been solved in this way, and the people that have solved the crimes, who have in some cases spent years of their own time solving these crimes, often holding down full time jobs at the same time.

It was interesting to find out about different people’s motivations to do this kind of work, when it can often have a significant impact on them personally, and what drives them to do this for strangers. I found that it was an interesting mix of well-known cases, that had been subject to a documentary, and lesser known cases that I wouldn’t have learned about if it hadn’t been in this book.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this to any true crime fan, it introduces you to a number of different cases and different aspects of investigations, and I enjoyed the writing style - it was clear and concise, and didn’t get too bogged down in any particular cases or anything, as I have found some other non-fiction crime books to do.

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

Nice read !!
Very interesting !
It is amazing to see how thé police and passionates people are willing to solve crimes !
It give
Makes me want to read more stories like this

"The story behind real-life clubs of ordinary citizens who come together to solve true crime mysteries - including the sleuths behind Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.

In 2019, Netflix had a hit with documentary series Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. It was based on one of Canada's most infamous crimes: the 2012 murder of thirty-three-year-old Lin Jun by his porn-star boyfriend, Luka Magnotta, in Montreal. Magnotta filmed himself killing and (apparently) eating parts of his victim; he also mailed Jun's feet and hands to two Canadian political parties and two elementary schools.

Prior to Jun's murder, though, Magnotta had anonymously posted online videos of himself killing kittens. Horrified Facebook sleuths worked tirelessly to uncover the kitten-killer's identity and location. Armchair detective Deanne Thompson, a data analyst for a Vegas casino by day, spent countless hours researching Lithuanian doorknobs, among other things, to help identify items in Magnotta's videos during her quest to unmask him.

Nicola Stow reveals the fascinating stories behind this and and similar cases in which ordinary citizens, in real-life murder clubs, as in Richard Osman's bestselling fiction, help to investigate crimes, both recent and cold cases. Includes the cases of Casey Anthony, John Wayne Gacy, JonBenét Ramsey, Golden State Killer, Boston Marathon bombings, and many more."

Because being an armchair detective these days is legitimate and helpful work, done right!

I’m finding it difficult to know what issues are a result of this being an ARC and what deserves legitimate criticism. I’ll start with the ebook formatting which I imagine can be corrected prior to US publication. As so often happens with ebooks, the formatting is a mess. Words are crunched together with no spaces, and the version I received from the publisher via NetGalley read like one long document. That wouldn’t bother me if I had been reading an academic article from the depths of the internet, but for a book that is ostensibly trying to find a market it comes off as unprofessional.
As far as the style/content goes—I have two major criticisms that affected my reading experience. The first is that I didn’t find this book to offer much in the way of new information or a new delivery or perspective using the known information. The writing is dry, almost as though the text had been taken raw from an internet encyclopedia.
My second criticism comes from my work adjacent to localization. That means that, as far as I’m concerned, there is no RIGHT answer, just a preferred one. However, my work is with comics and fiction, not nonfiction. When it comes to nonfiction, I believe that capturing a subject’s voice is extraordinarily important. Stow might have a different philosophy but I found it jarring to read Britishisms in the alleged speech of a middle-aged woman from Riverside, California.
In general the book felt poorly researched which is too bad considering that information about these cases is available and accessible. I take issue with the lack of sources provided as well. A&E True Crime blog is linked as a resource at the end of the book, and that absolutely floored me and points to the lack of credibility Stow has as a crime writer. I rarely write a scathing review but the lack of care and attention to the cases in this book and what felt like regurgitated information from Netflix documentaries was offensive and disappointing. The true crime bubble is bursting and that’s good news if this is the quality we can come to expect.

Delighted to include this title in “The Year in Reading,” my December year-end wrap up of personal favourite 2022 reads for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see feature at link)

Princess Fuzzypants here: This book is a great addition to the library of true crime aficionados. It has a slightly different slant than most as many of the crimes are cold cases where the victims have not been identified. These citizen sleuths pore through reams of information and try to put the puzzle together that will identify the victims and give the families left behind closure.

It requires dedication and persistence to solve the mysteries and it is something that might have been impossible before DNA and the internet. There are so many disparate resources that take an inordinate amount of time to comb, time that the police on the case do not have, if they have the resources and the know-how to do it. This is where the groups who are determined to find answers reach their pinnacle. It is very moving to read about what it means to the family of the deceased to know finally what happened.

There are some big name serial killers included in the book and also some not so famous ones. The work that these volunteers do is never so admirable as when they are able to put a name to a John or Jane Doe. But it is a two edged sword that in the wrong hands can be dangerous and detrimental to solving the crimes. The two glaring examples in the book involve terrorism where rumour, fantasy and malice caused heartache for innocent people. It shows that while it is a wondrous thing when wielded carefully, it is a terrible weapon when used without checks and balances. In a nutshell it highlights the two sides of the internet- the good and the bad.

Four purrs and two paws up.

I really liked this book! I was so excited when I got approved for it! I love true crime of any type and I also love the Richard Osman book with a similar name.

This book is a really interesting book that you will not be able to put down!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley!

The Real-Life Murder Clubs have unique and tenacious members whose goals are to seek justice and put families together again. Called armchair sleuths or civilian investigators, these dedicated and sometimes obsessed individuals are in it for justice, not fame, though sometimes that is the end result when cold cases are solved. True stories in this book include cyber sleuths and digital illustrators as well. One is an accountant by day but a digital illustrator after hours. These sleuths can work on cases which take years and years. Some must deal with gruesome tasks such as body parts and the arduous process of identification. EDAN (Everyone Deserves A Name) and NamUs (unidentified bodies) are crucial organizations. The Golden State Killer case brought so much to light for future cases.

So many to choose from but one of my favourite aspects is the forensics, especially DNA (and far beyond) sequencing and palynology. Many stories are familiar but even those contain lesser-known details such as the story about the sighting in the cafe in Berlin, the Tent Girl case, a close call in a mall with Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy's last words.

Do know descriptions are graphic and disturbing. It was important for me to read a section, put it down then pick it up a bit later. There is a lot here for true crime readers to take in. I like that the author gives advice for armchair sleuths such as motivations and cooperating with police and professionals. She also describes amateur sleuthing going very, very wrong as well as the aftermaths for the families, some who are able to forgive. Some victims save lives of others, too, through organ donation.

My sincere thank you to Ad Lib Publishers and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this disturbing but fascinating book.

Interesting read about everyday people helping the police to solve crimes. I was saddened by the first story where a mom desperately tried to find her daughter's killers and shocked by the lengths she went to for justice. A few are about people who were fascinated by a particular story and wanted to find the identities of the unidentified remains, which sounds neat but takes a lot of work. All in all, it was interesting and different from true crime podcasts in that they aren't just talking about the crime but actually investigating. I will echo what others have noted about some of the language and slang used - the author is British and writing about crimes within the US (mostly) - and it was odd to find a stray Britishism here and there but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the stories. I think I would have preferred some British true crime stories as those aren't the focus of true crime podcasts here.

Nicola Stow’s new anthology-style work of true crime, The Real-Life Murder Clubs: Citizens Solving True Crimes (Ad Lib Publishers 2022) is one of the first fascinating looks into some lesser-known citizen sleuths and the networks they use to solve cold cases and identify unknown murder victims. The Real-Life Murder Clubs is a timely and insightful look into what citizen sleuthing actually looks like, and what it takes to solve a crime.

The Real-Life Murder Clubs plays on the title of Richard Osman’s novel The Thursday Murder Club (2021) in which four friends meet every Thursday night to discuss unsolved crimes. Stow suggests that it’s time to take an in-depth look at those real people who live in their own murder club every day of the year. The Real-Life Murder Clubs is episodic, and each chapter deals with a different citizen sleuth and their successful ‘solves’ as they pursue justice for murdered victims and their families. Although citizen sleuthing has recently become enormously popular with Michelle McNamara’s I’ll be Gone in the Dark (2018) and later Billy Jensen’s Chase Darkness With Me (2019), Stow’s book reveals that people have been trying to solve crimes this way for many years, and they’ve been succeeding. Each chapter comprises a different investigator and their cold cases, some of which are famous, like the Golden State Killer and Luka Magnotta, but others are lesser known. However, they are not, as Stow reminds us, any less important to those people who have investigated and solved them, reuniting victims with their families.

I felt that this book was an incredibly worthwhile read; not only was it well-written and thoughtful, but it provided a kind of access into the world of citizen sleuthing that is unprecedented. Stow’s wide-ranging knowledge and careful description of the various online databases now available to the public in order to help identify missing and murdered victims was eye opening and heartening to read about. She includes a very helpful glossary of terms in the beginning of her book, with definitions to help the reader gain a foothold, and at the end of the text she includes a list of helpful resources, which gathers together all of the databases referenced throughout and their specific contents. Stow clearly hopes her book will be a helpful tool in understanding the processes behind citizen sleuthing.

With that in mind, I did worry that this book might incorrectly encourage others to recklessly embark on a citizen sleuthing mission of their own, misunderstanding the stakes involved. Fortunately, Stow is deeply aware of the ethics involved in these kinds of investigative project. Not only does she warn against sleuthing casually or for the wrong reasons, but she includes sage advice from the sleuths she interviews who have been successfully solving cases for decades. This aspect of the book was hugely important to me. Furthermore, Stow includes an entire chapter about what can go wrong when citizen sleuths behave unethically or make crucial mistakes, using important examples like the Boston Marathon Bombings and the Elisa Lam case.

Although Stow identifies her book as a helpful tool for understanding and exploring citizen sleuthing, her writing and her interviewees are incredibly human. Stow interviews Todd Matthews, who has been solving cold cases and identifying murder victims since the end of the 20th century. The cases these citizen sleuths help to solve, and the ways they are able to do it, are astounding. The text rightly reminds us of the profound and life-changing effect these people can have on the lives of families who have been searching for answers. Often, many of the sleuths Stow interviews have either been victims of crimes, almost-victims, or have lost family to senseless violence. Each of them has an important and empathetic stake in helping other families to find closure, if not justice.

There are also, as I mentioned, some famous cases included here. Stow interviews Paul Haynes, Michelle McNamara’s lead researcher, about the Golden State Killer case and citizen sleuthing. He is someone we have not heard from a lot before, so his perspective was interesting. There is also two chapters devoted to Luka Magnotta and the international efforts people made to find him online. Admittedly, I skipped these chapters because I can’t stand to read about that case, but I’ve no doubt that they are incredibly informative.

Overall, I think The Real-Life Murder Clubs is an unmissable book for any true crime fan, and I felt that I learned a lot about the truth behind citizen sleuthing in Stow’s writing.

Please follow Nicola Stow on Twitter and add The Real-Life Murder Clubs to your Goodreads shelf.

Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading! You can find Rachel on her personal @RachelMFriars or on Goodreads @Rachel Friars.

About the Writer:

Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary and the co-creator of True Crime Index. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

This was a fun and interesting book about individuals across the world who use their love of true crime and investigation skills to aid in ongoing criminal investigations.