Lauren Spierer, a college student at Indiana University, went missing on June 3, 2011, never to be seen again. Shawn Cohen reported on this case for the NY Post because Lauren and her family were from New York. Cohen always felt like the case wasn’t properly investigated and the right questions were never asked. Years later, he completed his own investigation into what really happened the night Lauren went missing. This book contains information never before made public in relation to this case.

As a mom of a college-aged daughter, I admit I was apprehensive about reading this book. I don’t need any more reason to worry and I tend to take these types of books to heart, even losing sleep over them. Yet, I also wanted to know what happened, what I could learn from Lauren’s situation to share with our daughter, and what might have happened to her.

It isn’t a spoiler that you will not find out what happened to Lauren. This cold case had many leads that all resulted in no further charges. Were the college boys she was with the night that she disappeared to blame? What about her boyfriend (she wasn’t with him during the evening of partying)? Or was it a local sex offender who had committed other crimes in the area? You will have to draw your own conclusions, but I have my own suspicions and opinions.

Cohen doesn’t hold back by painting a not-so-pleasant picture of the night Lauren went missing. The evening was full of drugs and alcohol, partying with boys Lauren didn’t know very well, and not staying with people she trusted and who would have taken care of her. Lauren had a history of drugs and alcohol and partying so hard that she often needed help getting home. This night was similar except this time, she never made it home.

Many mistakes were made in the investigation, but most of all the search was hampered by her own friends and roommates not calling the authorities right away…assuming she was sleeping it off somewhere. Dumpsters that lined her walk home had already been taken to the landfill early that morning. A building site with a big empty dirt hole was filled with concrete right away that morning. Two easy places to hide a body, never to be found again.

Carlene Spierer used the following quote from a German American Rabbi who confronted Nazism to issue a plea for information…

“The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most tragic problem is silence.”

Cohen interviews (or tries to interview) everyone who was with Lauren that night, her closest friends, her roommates, and her parents. He then retells what happened that night by gathering the most accurate information he can from those interviews. Even though his book doesn’t lead investigators to the killer, it still brings her case back to the forefront and hopefully someone might feel compelled to come forward. Someone knows something and they aren’t saying anything.

Next week will be thirteen years since Lauren went missing. Laurens’s parents don’t believe in miracles. Technically, she is still alive because they have never filed the paperwork to declare her officially dead. But, they also know in their hearts that she is gone. The not knowing is the hardest part. But, they eventually hope someday, someone will come forward so they can bring her remains home.

“‘The only way it’s going to happen’, she sighs, ‘is if somebody comes forward with information.'”

The investigation into Lauren’s disappearance is still open with the Bloomington police department. If you have any information about the night Lauren went missing, please come forward.

True Crime is def one of my favorite and most interesting genre.

It starts out a little slow but as you read into the story that is what this is meant to be and how the author has written it and makes sense the further into the story you get. I think the reason for the writing style is so that all the facts are on the table and there is no speculation as you read into the story.

The story is gut wrenching and just heartbreaking. I am hoping with the author writing the story that eventually these boys will talk about what happen and give this family some closure.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I was initially skeptical about reading and reviewing this book because the central victim involved is another All-American girl and it’s written by a man who’s worked for two media outlets I completely despise (the New York Post and The Daily Mail). What made me change my mind is the fact that I’m always intrigued by the stories of disappearances that just don’t make any sense. So many people saw Lauren Spierer the night she disappeared. She was seen in multiple locations and on multiple cameras. There just happened to be no cameras in the last place she actually might have been, and then it was a handful of rich college boys who were all in that same spot and had enough time to cover their butts before anyone came after them with questions about what happened that night.

I would’ve been really into this book if I felt it wasn’t anything but a waste of everyone’s time, in the long run. It’s not that Cohen is a bad writer, it’s just that all the new “testimony” that Cohen collected isn’t really testimony: it’s more like anecdotes from friends, potential witnesses, and some of the potential suspects. None of this comes into play until far into the back half of the book.

Otherwise, the book feels rather repetitive, somewhat exploitative, and more than a little tawdry. I feel like there were some discussion topics that could’ve been explored here that would’ve contributed well to the book and to who Lauren was as a person but maybe weren’t approached, possibly out of courtesy to the Spierer family, but if you want to paint a portrait of a college girl gone missing, you should paint a complete one.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review is rated three stars or under, which means it will not be appearing on my social media pages. Thank you.

File Under: Nonfiction/True Crime

This was an interesting title to read. I spent some time before I read the book reading about the case. I also am familiar with the story and can recall hearing about it when it happened.

The account was solid, told in a way that keeps the reader interested. I was impressed with the organization and thoughtfulness of the author regarding all the details of the case.

Any arm chair detective or true crime fan will find this book appealing.

This was a very interesting book.Because when you start reading it about this girl named laura. She seemed to be a typical college girl at the school.But little did you know there was more to her story than you was light on. She had a very controlling boyfriend who. Whom she followed to this school. You also find out.She had a very bad drinking and drug problem even in high school.Her friends knew about this. Once she went to college, it just seemed to escalate and she was trying her wings. And looking at different boys, but the boyfriend did not like this.. This writer was very interesting because he was trying to find out different theories.Why this girl went missing.There was also a serial killer on the loose as well. You tried to go with all the sources or parents.People at the school the cops and nobody really had an answer. He also had a very difficult past as well.The writer who wrote this book. He was free Lancing because of a thing. When he was working for the post in New York City.. It was interesting about his past too.Because it seemed to tie in with this book. It was like a mystery part love story. You can see how people change when they go to college.Some good at it and some aren't. The night she went missing was pretty interesting because she was seen by many people. It was like the game called C l u e cause I have a piece of where they are but there's like they were missing but eventually they all added it up. What a great boss

As somebody who, at multiple points in my life, has been really into true crime I surprisingly hadn’t heard much about this case. This is a true story which follows the disappearance of Lauren Spierer after a night of partying. The writer is a journalist who covered her original missing persons case and followed the story throughout the years- eventually growing close to Spierer’s parents. While the premise of a journalist getting go attached to a particular case they continue to follow it and report on it is certainly not a new one, this did feel like a fresh take on that as the author does not attempt to spin and wild theories about what they think happened to Lauren. I really appreciated that it was just facts and not finger pointing or trying to come up with a million different wild theories about what COULD have happened. Often reporting like this ends up losing the plot a bit in that we are no longer focused on the actual missing person and more focused on the theories and looking at it more like a fictional story or gossip you heard about a coworker. I also really enjoyed that the author makes a point to say that Lauren’s case was covered widely because she was white and blonde and pretty and calls out news sources specifically for not being interested in missing persons cases involving people of color. Overall, I thought this book did a good job of laying out all the facts in the case and trying to give everyone involved a chance to tell their side. It did take a little detour to talking about the author’s life which for a moment felt like “why are we discussing this?” But it does sort of come full circle and explain why that information is relevant as it was the catalyst for the writing of the book. I think this book is a great option to pick up for anyone interested in true crime. If you have already heard of this case, however, I’m not sure how much new information there is to gather about the case by reading this. Since I hadn’t heard of the case previously I can’t really speak on how much new information it provides but it would likely be an interesting read either way.

I was really expecting some new information from this book. There wasn’t much more than the same old rehashing of the facts as they have been long known. I hate the idea of anyone not knowing where their loved one is or what happened to them. This book just continues the narrative of a woman who was living dangerously. It veers off into blaming others for a bit for allowing her to do so, but it mostly restates over and over that the victim did all of the wrong things.

In truth, every person should be able to walk around at any time in any condition without being blamed for the malice of others. Nothing new happened here.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this advanced reader copy.
I had never heard of this case before, and was interested to learn more. The author is a journalist who has been writing and investigating on Lauren’s disappearance since the beginning. Unfortunately, there are many unanswered questions regarding this case. I could tell the author was invested in solving Lauren’s disappearance. I felt like some of the sections were repetitive because there’s not much to say about this disappearance.
3⭐️

Lauren Spierer disappeared in June of 2011 from a night out at Indiana University. Presumed dead by friends and family, her body has still not been recovered. This book is one reporter’s attempt at giving new life to the case, and hopefully giving the right people a chance to speak about that night.

This book is one of the best long-form investigative journalism pieces I’ve read. It was like listening to a true crime podcast from the source of the investigation, and I was so engrossed I read it in one afternoon. Cohen’s writing is unlike anything I’ve read before, and is inspiring me to learn about a new career path.

Being an Indiana resident myself, it was interesting seeing this area that I know well through the eyes of an investigator. I’ve walked the same streets that she walked, and you never see a place the same again when you know what’s happened there.

AMERICA - June 3, 2011

Some people ask, ‘ How can you keep a secret like that?’ Well, you can keep a secret when your life depends on it.

On June 3, 2011 20 year old Lauren Spierer disappeared after a night out with Indiana University classmates in a bustling university town. She was seen in public by witnesses and security cameras, and ended up in a townhouse complex with several wealthy, well-connected male students and then was never seen again.

College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight by Shawn Cohen dives deep into the events leading up to her disappearance and the aftermath.

It is an honest look at what occurred that night including Lauren’s alcohol and drug intake. The moments people in her life could have stepped in and steered her in the right direction that may have saved her life.

To date Lauren Spierer has not been found, dead or alive. What happened that night still leaves those looking for her with more questions than answers.

Did she overdose that night and that one or more people panicked and disposed of her body? Did a complete stranger abduct her? What is know… her last movements were inside the townhouse complex with four men who lawyered up and avoided giving their side of the story after their initial statements.

I wonder if she was given a date rape drug and with the drugs and alcohol already in her system along side a heart disorder, she had a heart attack… and to save their futures the men inside that townhouse complex made a pact to take their secret to the grave.

I quite enjoy true crime books written by investigating journalists and College Girl, Missing was no exception. Well written and easy to follow. I read this one within 24 hours.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: nonfiction 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I found this one intriguing but I feel like I was left with more questions than answers

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
True crime- the story of Lauren Spierer
Well written and throughly researched books
Journalist
Quick reads
Sad unsolved cases

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I love Shawn’s dedication

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I feel like I didn’t really learn a lot

Lauren Spierer is a collage student at Indiana University who disappeared after a night out with friends. Reporter Shawn Cohen looks into her disappearance in this true crime story. He draws on information from interviews and information from Lauren’s family and friends. Cohen describes the last night that Lauren’s friends saw her, and who she was last seen with. Drawing from police interviews and some reports, he tries to piece together what happened to Lauren. The heartbreak of Lauren’s family is felt and their hope for answers to what happened to thier daughter and sister is felt as well.
Cohen does well with the information he receives and shines light on this case in a new way. He is still digging into the case and finding some new information. Hopefully through this book Lauren’s family will get the answers they need to find their daughter.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for letting me read an arc early. My opinions are mine alone.

This is a deep dive into the 2011 missing persons case of Lauren Spierer with a personal touch. Often with true crime stories it’s hard to find the balance between sensationalism and care for the victims and their families. Since Shawn Cohen has been on the case since hours after she was reported missing, much of his life has been entwined with the Spierer’s, in good ways and bad. In the end they agreed with him to make one more push for answers over ten years since her disappearance. The first few chapters cover the case in minute-by-minute detail, so if you’re like me and you can’t remember this missing white woman, the details will be given. The rest of the book serves as a check-in. Shawn meets with witnesses and recaps all the things that have happened in the years that have passed. He even manages to get two of the last people who ever saw her alive to talk to him when they were known, at the time, to hide behind a wall of overpriced lawyers. The book also takes the time to discuss how police handle cases like this, and how things were not handled correctly on several cases by the Bloomington police department. He calls out his colleagues, and America as a whole, for always giving copious amounts of media coverage when the victim is a young, pretty, white woman. He talks about the fading legacy of fear and sadness that still haunts Indiana University’s campus. While nothing new is offered to the case, and Lauren remains missing, I hope that the people in Laurens life can one day have closure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC.

I have challenged myself to read more nonfiction, and was really interested in this novel. Lauren Spierer's case is one I know of peripherally but Cohen really laid far more facts and info out. I hope Lauren's case is solved so badly.

〝how could a popular young woman out partying with friends just vanish?〞

★★★★

thank you to sourcebooks (non-fiction) and netgalley for providing me with this arc.

college student lauren spierer was pursuing her dreams, joining her boyfriend at a party school eight hundred miles from home. social and gregarious, studying fashion and rooming with friends, she embraced her new adventure with the zeal of a young woman who suddenly had everything she desired.
but there was a dark side that she and her inner circle kept secret. one warm june evening, after heading out with friends, she seemingly vanished. when investigators retraced her last steps using eyewitness accounts and security camera footage, the evidence ended at the doorstep of a group of wealthy, well-connected male students.

I always end up hooked by true crime novels and this was no different. I'd never heard about this case before since I was a child halfway across the world when it happened but it was immensely interesting all the same. I really appreciated that it went through all the minor details from the beginning for those of us who are new to the case even though the focus of the book was the new witness statements and information that would obviously be interesting to all of those who followed the case from the beginning back in 2011.

overall it was very interesting, easy to digest and very well written. I also found the authors personal connection to the case and the anecdotes about journalism a nice touch that you often don't get in a true crime novel about something as dark as this. my only wish is that it would've wrapped up more satisfyingly but I'll probably never get the ending I crave.

ig: @winterrainreads

this review is not about the case itself and Lauren's disappearance, it's tragic and heartbreaking, her family have all my heart 🫶

the book itself was kind of misleading? I didn't know the case until the moment I started reading so I expected the truth to come out at the end (as I'm sure people do irl) especially with the blurb, the cover, the title, some turns of phrases like "I didn't know how important what he said was until later" etc etc all pointing to a conclusion, not a file case.

I realized the author / narrator is a man when I was 58% in and had an even harder time continuing. the book revolves around Lauren, yet it felt like I heard more about the author's life and feelings than facts about her. maybe that's meant to reflect the little information on Lauren's case but then again I felt like I barely knew her as a person while the narrator's life story and personality were developed in details.

I'm glad for this book tho as I hope it'll push any person of interest to come forward but after so long I doubt they ever will. it wouldn't be fair to point anyone and accuse them of being my choice suspect, in reality I don't have any in particular. boyfriend, group of friends, Keyes serial killer, they're all viable options imo.

[review posted on Goodreads]

This story had me wrecked. Such a tragedy to have a young woman go missing and very little information on what might have happened. I applaud the writer for making this story a priority and the work he did to help the family find additional clues. I hope that someday this family can find closure and get some answers on this woman’s disappearance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

This book starts out as dry but I completely get what the author wanted to do. His goal was to publish all the facts about the case and present them in a way that tells a story without speculation.

A lot of TrueCrime books tend to let outside opinions and influence sway the story but Shawn stayed consistent with his goal.

This is a very sad story and there someone that's not talking, I wish this story could've concluded with a happier ending in the sense that one of those boys started to cooperate and talk. But perhaps this book will help and someone will break the case.

College Girl, Missing by Shawn Cohen. Pub Date: May 28, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. In this true crime story, the reader is taken on a young girl's journey at college in which she ultimately goes missing and is never found. Filled with drugs, alcohol, toxic relationships and complex dynamics of being away from home for the first time to go to college, this book was an interesting read. The author does a good job of laying out all the "facts" that are known, but there is no speculation of what actually happened to this young girl. I thought his investigative writing was good, but was very tell rather than a show type of story. If you are into true crime, I think you would enjoy this one. Thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebooks for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

College Girl, Missing by Shawn Cohen tells the story of Lauren Spierer, who on June 3, 2011 disappeared after a night out with friends.

This case is a true mystery. Lauren Spierer was a college student at the University of Indiana when her and her friends set out to go to Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington, Indiana. Lauren and Corey Rossman leave the bar and walk to Laurens apartment. They then leave Laurens and walk down an alley way, where Lauren’s purse and keys were later found. When they get to Rossman’s apartment Rossman’s roommate, Michael Beth, greets them. Rossman vomits and Beth takes him upstairs to go to bed. Lauren then leaves and goes to the apartment of Jason “Jay” Rosenbaum. Jay notices a bruise forming under one of Laurens eyes. She tells him that she is not sure how it happened. Lauren makes to calls that are unanswered and then leaves Jay’s apartment to walk home. Lauren is not seen again.

She had been drinking along with all of her other friends that night. Is it possible she left the apartment and was abducted by a stranger? It is possible she had an overdose or a medical emergency and the boys panicked and hid her body. Then there is the possibility that she made it home and her boyfriend Jesse Wolff was her demise?

This is definitely for all of the true crime junkies who love a good cold case. I really enjoyed this book. I personally did not hear much about this story when it was current, so this book was a surprise for me.