Amazing! Such a well written and informative book!! This is such a desperately needed story (especially with the results of the recent election) and I hope it will be spread far and wide! Many changes need to be made when it comes to the process, investigation and trainings with regards to rape investigations.

I work in a career where rape kits are found in abundance. Although I've been in this career for over a decade, I had no idea where they originated. This book interested me because I wanted to know more about their origin.

Although that question was answered, I found it to be in a very unsatisfying means. Pagan Kennedy goes through the very brief information regarding Martha "Marty" Goddard in this story. As Kennedy says numerous times she wasn't able to find a lot of information on Marty and there is even limited information available about where her creation of the first rape kits in Chicago, which were the blue print for the rape kits across the United States today. The first half of the story covers Marty's story, but is overshadowed by the overwhelming information about the corruption of the Chicago PD. The second half of her story covers how a few individuals, who have no experience with working rape kits, think they can be redone. The biggest change that is mentioned is brought about by a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) from Virginia who states a blue dye used to show trauma does not fluoresce on darker skins. This point is overshadowed by other women who want to change how the kits are made and administered. The changing of the dye is in my opinion is the one thing that can be easily changed but is talked about and done away with in just a few short paragraphs. Although it might be nice to think about sexual assault kit collection being done in the home via telemed, realistically it isn't something that should be done for reasons such as chain of custody, contamination, and collection of the best evidence. There is research available that sperm cells stay the longest in the cervix, which is no easily accessible via personal collection of a sexual assault kit when done at home via telemed. The points I brought up are not even talked about when discussing home collection kits. Although one jurisdiction in California did allow for home kits to be done during COVID and resulted in a judgement, there was no way to say if those two kits actually made it into the court record. I could see serious issues with chain of custody if something like this is done in the future.

The fact that more money needs to spent on SANE nurses is easily brushed past as well. Many SANE perform this task on top of their regular nursing duties with no additional pay. They are also required to testify outside of their work hours. They do the job for the patients and the love of the job. This is lost by the author who doesn't seem to think about this fact. The author also pays no attention to the male victims, although rape kits are made with a female victim in mind. I would have expected her to spend some time on male victims of rape with her constant bopping around of topics, but that wasn't the case.

Overall while there is some information about Marty Goddard available, this piece should have stayed as a long form article instead of being made into a book. There just isn't enough verifiable information to support the book, in my opinion. I had hopes for this, but it just fell short. I'm not even going to discuss the small amount of forensics in the book, but will say Kennedy picked and chose what she wanted to showcase and how she did so to fit her narrative.

Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Books for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Significant, well researched, and educating. Does a great job of balancing feminine rage and support for strong female trailblazers.

This book highlights the history of the rape kit and the lost credit of the original inventor.

The book had some interesting pieces, but other chapters felt tossed in just to meet some wordcount minimum. I also thought the structure of the book was too all over the place. If she opened the book discussing her own traumas and how that led to her interest in this I think it would have been a lot more impactful. Instead, her anecdotes felt sprinkled throughout in a way that felt like the author wanted to be part of the story too. It also got confusing on if the book was about the history or about Marty. I understand they are deeply related, but again structurally it got confusing with the pivoting between rape kits during covid to Marty's childhood to new advancements to Marty's sister.

Overall I would give this a 2.5 star rating. There was a lot of interesting copy here, but the structure and unnecessary details took away from the overall story.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pagan Kennedy's The Secret History of the Rape Kit offers a compelling, albeit disturbing, look into the history of sexual assault and the tools used to combat it. While the book may not appeal to all readers due to its sensitive subject matter, it provides valuable insights into a crucial issue.

The narrative centers around Marty Goddard, a dedicated advocate for survivors of sexual assault. Goddard's groundbreaking work led to the development of the modern rape kit, a tool that has significantly improved the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases. Despite her pivotal role, Goddard's contributions often went unrecognized, overshadowed by others who claimed credit for her innovations.

Kennedy's meticulous research not only sheds light on the history of rape kit technology but also delves into the mysterious disappearance of Marty Goddard herself. The author's personal experiences with sexual assault add a layer of authenticity to the narrative, making it a poignant and thought-provoking read.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit is a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice for survivors of sexual assault and the importance of recognizing the contributions of those who have made a difference.

This non-fiction novel focuses on Martha “Marty” Goddard, the original creator of the rape kit, so hospitals & police departments could collect evidence of sexual assault & treat survivors (women & children) with dignity. It documents Marty’s struggles, the evolution of rape kits over the years & how these kits play a role today.

I found the facts of sexual assault, the treatment of victims & the number of rape kits not tested absolutely shocking! The story is complex & brought out many emotions for me (sadness, anger & fear to name a few).

I recommend this gripping & memorable read to anyone interested in factual medical thrillers.

Favorite Line: “Marty had pioneered a new way of thinking about prosecuting rape. Now in a growing number of cities across the country, when a victim testifies, she no longer does so alone. Doctors, nurses, and forensic scientists were there to lend validity to her version of events. And the kit itself became a character in the trials.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor Publishing, as well as the author, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy is an advance reader copy from Net Galley through BookBrowse and I thank them for allowing me to read this book. The book certainly won’t be for everyone, but I did learn a lot. I really had no idea how new the rape kit for sexual assault victims has been in existence and that it was often not used properly or thrown away. The book is a biography of Marty Goddard. She worked at a nonprofit and advocated for better treatment of those who had been assaulted. She thought of a rape kit that would assist in prosecution of perpetrators and managed to get the Chicago police interested in it. However, her name was not associated with it and instead Louis Vitullo was given credit. Marty did some training for the Justice Department. Eventually she disappeared and Kennedy did a lot of research to find out what had really happened to Marty Goddard. Kennedy had been a victim of assault as a child and as an adult and originally wrote about Marty in an article for the New York Times. The book is both a history of a woman who tried give women who had been assaulted a measure of dignity and believability and a story of finding out what had happened to Marty Goddard when she disappeared. The book would appeal to those who like to learn and may be surprised by learning how far we still have to go.

An informative though at times difficult read, The Secret History of the Rape Kit is a fascinating dive into the difficulties of the development of what was called the Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit. The kit's inception by a woman, Martha “Marty” Goddard, and the whys of that, to the extended uses beyond its original focus, and the expansion of possible home kits are explored.

More than the history of the kit, sexual abuse cases both past (the author's) and more recently in the news (Kavanaugh), are offered up and how they possibly pertain to a potential at-home kit. The idea that some survivors or victims of assault for a variety of valid reasons are not able to immediately address their trauma or abuser, a home kit is offered as one solution.

Never preachy but certainly personal, the book will enlighten readers to just how the law mostly has looked at sexual assault, possibly still does in some areas, and how the development of this kit forever changed the ability to receive some justice.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor Books and Netgalley for an early electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

History has always been my favorite topic so when I saw this book I had to read it. The Secret History of the Rape Kit - A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy was quite an eye opener. The author did extensive research trying to find the origin of the rape kit. Her investigation led her to a Chicago police Sargent, Louis Vitullo, but she became suspicious because she knew the Chicago police department was well known for its violent behavior toward suspects and victims, as well, of crimes.
After further digging she uncovered the name Martha “Marty” Goddard and set out on a quest to find her. Vitullo at this point had died so Pagan wanted interview Goddard to find out how the rape kit came to be.
The story reveals how Goddard decided a rape kit was a necessity in determining whether a rape took place and possibly finding the perpetrator. The challenges that Goddard faced were incredible but she never gave up. I Pagan had her share of challenges also. I don’t want to reveal too much. The book is not long and is filled with an amazing amount of information from the 70’s until the book was written. It’s a very interesting account of the little known origin of the rape kit used today to help the victims. I applaud Pagan and her temerity to take on a topic such as this.

A highly significant work of investigative journalism, feminism, and a tragic personal recounting.

This is a nonfiction memoir/biography extended from an NYT article about Marty Goddard, the indisputable inventor of the rape kit, who kickstarted the evidence collection for sexual assault cases. Her work was attributed to a male inventor, Vitullo, for decades. The book is well-researched, albeit with gaps Kennedy fills in fancifully (the true crime nonfiction aficionado may not like how personal this book gets since Kennedy also includes graphic details of her own trauma, which were difficult to read). Still, this book is incredibly important and it definitely educated me about the state of affairs behind the forensic aspect of sexual assault cases.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story” by Pagan Kennedy
Reviewed by Jim Traxler

If I were simply browsing through a list of new books, looking for something of interest, I have to confess that a book with the title, “The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story,” would not draw much attention for me. But since the book was provided to me for review by NetGalley, I waded into it. To my great surprise, it became a page-turner. Imagine a scenario where a social worker named Marty Goddard with no medical or forensic expertise was able to design a kit for medical workers to gather forensic evidence from someone who had been raped.

In her work with the poor people in Chicago, she had discovered that rapists were rarely caught and prosecuted. She couldn’t understand why and barged into the Chicago police department to find out why. What she discovered was there was a general attitude among policemen at the time that no one actually rapes women, they just got what they deserved. So law enforcement regarded rape not to be a serious crime. Furthermore, there were no procedures in Emergency Rooms to gather evidence of rape, and the ER staff were often just too busy to take the time to do so.

Long (and very interesting) story short, she designed a kit and took it to a highly regarded Chicago police crime lab analyst named Louis Vitullo, who adopted and approved it, which became known as the “Vitullo Kit.” So the female inventor of the kit got no credit for this ultimately life-changing invention. Why? Ms. Goddard allowed that to happen in order for the kit to be accepted by male-dominated police departments, since it had a respected male police officer’s name on it.

The book is much more than the history of the rape kit. The author Pagan Kennedy, after learning of Goddard’s role in the development of the kit, goes looking for her. After achieving success against all odds in getting hospitals and law enforcement to use the rape kits, Goddard disappears from view, and the story becomes one of tracing her down.

That story is just as interesting as the rape kit story. In the process of trying to find Goddard, Kennedy learns that Goddard herself had been the victim of sexual assault. Furthermore, we learn that Kennedy had also been a victim of sexual assault, both as a child and as an adult. So the search for Goddard became a personal memoir of the author’s own struggles as a victim and survivor of rape.

These two interwoven stories are heart-wrenching tales of what women went through and the inability of society to recognize and reform itself. But thankfully, with the acceptance of the rape kit, paired later with the ability to use DNA samples to identify and arrest sexual predators, the current rate of unsolved rape cases is much lower. It also means that there is awareness that rapists are no longer likely to escape punishment. However, the stigma of reporting sexual assaults still remains today, even after the “me-too” movement. And pockets of misogyny still reside in police and sheriff departments everywhere.

This is a well-written saga, a real “true crime story.” I recommend it to all for a better understanding of the woman who gave rape victims a chance for justice.

Oh man, this book bothered me. The author starts off by talking about how rape kits are the greatest thing since sliced bread, since they collect DNA evidence that helps to arrest and convict rapists. But I’ve had a rape kit done on me, and you know what? It’s a painful and humiliating experience. And I ended up never using it, because even with the kit, the odds of the man who raped me being punished were minuscule. I’m sure there are many other survivors who were encouraged to have a rape kit done, but ultimately decided not to press charges, which renders it useless. Perhaps the author addressed these issues at the end, but I was too angry to get past the 50% mark. This was a DNF for me.

As I read this book, I was already composing this review in my head (a good sign). The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy connects with a portion of my life that was rewarding and also what burned me out from social work for a long long time. I worked and volunteered as a Sexual Assault Center advocate for several years and developed friendships with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE). Never once did I realize or think about the history of the rape kit they were using to collect and gather evidence. I sat with survivors in the hospital, at the police stations, at schools, and took for granted the process that was in place in our area, and even in our area in the 2000s, we still had to encounter some of the issues Marty Goddard ran into.

I am amazed at Marty Goddard's tenacity and her maneuvering to get the rape kit to where it is today. It's not surprising though to see that she was essentially erased from the history. Pagan Kennedy does a great job at providing the context and why Marty had to do things the way she did to get rape kits to be the standard across the country. I can understand why she disappeared from her life when things were taking off. The world of being an advocate for those who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is dark. Especially for someone who maybe had not healed from their own assault, it is not a job you leave at the door.

Not only is Kennedy shedding light on another overlooked woman, but she does so in such a way that the non-fiction is engaging and riveting. It keeps the reader engaged and invested in Marty and what happened to her. I had no clue that Playboy had an integral part in the creation of the rape kit. It was also great (and frustrating) to hear about recent developments in at home rape kits. When we were in the hospitals it could be hours for an exam. And trust me, you wanted to wait for a SANE nurse in our area. They were highly trained, empathetic, and the most creative in finding DNA evidence in as non-invasive ways as possible. I have to keep things from that time confidential, but there is always one story that I come back to regarding a nurse who through thinking things through, found DNA several days and several showers after the assault. Being able to complete one at home while under the instruction of a nurse... that is game changing. Rape is completely under reported, and anything that can be done to make it easier to report and gather evidence is huge.

I also appreciated that Kennedy brought up the revolution that occurred in DNA that resulted in the testing of the backlogs of rape kits across the country. The development of the rape kit by Goddard and her persistence in getting it adopted across the country led to serial predators getting caught and a change in thinking from outdated ideas of what a predator was. Unfortunately, even today there is still a backlog, and End the Backlog is an organization that I have wholeheartedly supported for years. I really hope that with this book, more people become aware of Marty's story and the stories of the people whose lives she has helped get justice for. Her story is so important and has been overshadowed by the men she had to convince that the kit was worthwhile and would help their cases.

This is not endorsed by or noted by the book or author, but if you would like to donate or learn more about End the Backlog, feel free to visit https://www.endthebacklog.org/.

Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating look at the secret history of the rape kit and the uncredited woman who created the kit - Martha Goddard. The author details her experience trying to track down Martha and piece together the history of the rape kit. The author describes her own experience with sexual assault (so trigger warnings for that as there are details given), and although I have seen criticism of this, I think it’s important in understanding the author’s motivation and persistence in getting to the bottom of the history of the rape kit.

This is the type of non fiction that mixes facts and education with the author’s personal anecdotes and experiences. I personally prefer this type of non fiction as it makes it more interesting and personable. I learned so much from this about the history of the rape kit, how it was created, what it included, how it was implemented, who funded it, etc. It also details the criticisms and barriers of getting the rape kit to be used as standard practice.

Overall, an educational and heartfelt look into the history of the rape kit.

Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Back in the 1970’s when much of society, including police officers, weren’t sure sexual assault was actually a crime – or how to prove it if it was, Martha Goddard invented the rape kit. However, in true – you can get more accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit- form, she allowed a Chicago police sergeant named Louis Vitullo to take credit for it.

She then pushed for acceptance – even getting a grant from Playboy to pilot her program. Once DNA was discovered as an evidence tool in the 1980’s the rape kit was instrumental in securing convictions – and exonerating the wrongly accused.
It also proved that some serial rapist profiling theories were inaccurate, and that rape was often a crime of opportunity rather than targeted at specific women or enacted in always the same way.
However, the rape kit was only successful in identifying rapists when it was used and there were – and still are – problems with kits languishing in police warehouses untested and unimplemented in solving these crimes.
The inventor, herself, declined after her success in marketing the kit. She had been abused as a child and raped on vacation in the late 1970’s and she eventually succumbed to mental illness.
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Margaret Goddard for believing sexual assault is a crime that can be solved as well as to Pagan Kennedy for telling her story.

Incredible work of correcting and rewriting a long-held origin story. The reader gets a factual explanation of the creation of such a necessary tool as well as a look at what survivors were (and still are) facing when reporting a sexual assault. Wonderful research and notes and captivating storytelling.

I am not sure what to think when it comes to Marty. It's kind of a shame and sad that we are left with these second hand, at times conflicting, accounts about her life and legacy. I finished this book kind of dissatisfied but you cant fault the author for not being able to find unknowable information and keeping this book firmly in nonfiction.

I wasn't thinking I would like this as much as I did. I put off reading it for months because of the subject matter, but I learned a lot and frankly was not surprised by any of it. Oh a man stole a woman's idea, took credit for it, and by all accounts, is a total a hole? Said woman continued making a difference for women only to run herself in the ground and likely suffered not only trauma in her own right, but secondary trauma from hearing about assault after assault and assault because it will never end! This is a complete oversimplification of the situation but there it is.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The roller coasters this book has taken me through are plentiful. This story had me hopeful then mournful by the next chapter. Most notably, it made me angry that it took so many years for the true history to be told. A very important read for both historical and innovative fans.

It provides good history on why it came about to be and why the rape kit should be used. I loved the information that it did give and for anyone is looking for more information for it, it is a good book to have around.

It is really hard to put a rating on a book about rape but the content of this book is about so much more than this violent act. It’s about the courageous effort of one woman; Marty Goddard. This deep dive into how the rape kit came into existence and who ultimately deserves the credit is what makes this book so fascinating. Another thing that captivated me was how recently the use of the rape kit came into existence. Also how sexual crimes particularly against woman have been relegated to being irrelevant or a desire to be shut down by law enforcement and society.

There’s so much to say about the information in this book so I will encourage everyone to check it out. It’s really packed with some very good information.