3.5 the story was compelling about a family’s search for answers 11 plus years later while also giving facts as presented and methods used to go back to dig deeper so many years later. Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC

This book was really well done. It was investigative, insightful, and easy to understand. Great information was explained, the timeline was extremely helpful, and the possible persons of interest were well explained. I feel like investigative/true crime stories are harder to read sometimes, but this author did the story justice and was respectfully written. I never felt anything problematic in the way it was written and appreciated him explaining his own story and why he had trouble speaking with others in the case due to his own misfortunes. I think it was important and helped the story.

The narrator did a great job. I definitely felt that it had the right type of sound/feel. It was read with a journalistic tone and enhanced the listen, as it gave the vibe that the style of book was written in. Narrator was easy to understand and pitch was great.

I really hope this book increases the chances of solving the case. It’s always weighed heavy on my heart as we are close in age and I began college in 2011, right after she went missing.

Thank you NetGalley, Shawn Cohen, and HighBridge Audio for the audiobook.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator’s smooth, even voice. The story of Lauren is sad, I liked the first half- learning more about the situation. I did not like the author’s personal details that was most of the second half, it felt unrelated.

I listen to this book and I initially thought this was a fiction story but it’s actually a true story. So sad to hear that Lauren went through this and all of the craziness that happened to her that night.

So I won’t spoil the book. The narrator kept my attention and the chapters were short enough to drag on. I’m just truly sad that this is a non-fiction book and poor Lauren is no longer with us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A journalistic procedural true crime cold case.
That is the only way I could think how to describe the non-fiction true crime audio narrated by Kyle Snyder.

The author of this book is a journalist and he records what he has been able to learn about the disappearance of a college student at the University of Indiana in June of 2011. He was a reporter on the scene at the time this young woman went missing after a night of partying with friends and acquaintances, some she met for the first time that night. She left to walk home from a friend's house at 4 am drunk and barely able to walk and was never seen again. No one has been charged with a crime and theories abound as to what might have happened to this woman and who if any of her friends are responsible.

I had a hard time understanding what this author's purpose was in bringing this case to light without much new to bring for consideration. The strongest part of the book is the 1st section in which we learn what was known of the circumstances of that night and how police were believed to approach the investigation. It is best to remember that this source may only have superficial knowledge of what police knew and how the leads in the investigation were pursed. It seems easy to point fingers since there was no clear resolution. The journalist states he has a strong connection now with the family though I did not get much evidence in the text to support that.

After the 1st section the book was more about how the journalist kept digging for more information. He continues to purse mainly a group of friends who were the last to see this young woman alive. He harps on the inconsistencies of their stories. Indeed. The events of the disappearance took place in the wee hours of the morning after all had been using both drugs and alcohol. I would have been more concerned if all told the exact same story--as if planned and corroborated ahead of time as in a cover up. Then he goes back 12 year later for follow up. This highlighted how the disappearance continues to haunt her friends but added little in new information.

It was a good true crime story and had a propulsive quality to this audio. I listened to it in a 24 hour period. So if you are into true crime and want to form your own theory as to what might have happened to this young woman with what this journalist presents it is a good read. Be aware there are no answers to be found here and it is a tale with no good ending.

I was interested in reading this because I felt involved with the story but I didn't realize I'd feel so many emotions. Lauren Spierer disappeared over a decade ago, seemingly vanishing in plain sight in a busy college town. Bloomington was MY college town, and I still visit. When I would go into restaurants or other venues, Lauren's face was everywhere, as the entire community was looking for her.
I like that the writing is from a personal perspective, because that's how we all felt. Everyone still wants to know what happened to this beautiful young girl. As a parent, I was horrified to read more details about how Lauren's friends interacted with her. I always tell young people, including friends and family, that they need to look after each other, even if they are drinking or using drugs. That didn't happen here, and the people who should have been caring for Lauren may be responsible for terrible things happening to her.
It's sad, but we'll probably never know what really happened. This book acts as a heartwrenching plea for the truth to come out. The narrator provides the right balance of objectivity and compassion. Many thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

"College Girl, Missing" by Shawn Cohen, narrated by Kyle Snyder left me feeling mixed emotions. This non-fiction account focuses on the heartbreaking story of Lauren Spierer, a college student who vanished one fateful night. I approached the book curious to learn more about this unsolved case. Unfortunately, while the premise was intriguing, the execution didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped.
As someone who had never heard of Lauren's case before this audiobook, I found the content compelling but also somewhat frustrating. The narrative revolves around the many unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance, which, while reflecting the reality of the investigation, often leads to a sense of repetition. I understand that this is intrinsic to the unsolved nature of Lauren's story, but I felt like certain sections could have been edited down to maintain my engagement.
One of my main issues with the book was the author’s inclusion of his personal experiences and reflections. While I can appreciate that Shawn Cohen, as an investigative journalist, might want to share his perspective, I found that these interjections detracted from the gravity of Lauren's story. I came to learn about her and the events surrounding her disappearance, but instead, I sometimes felt sidetracked by aspects of Cohen’s life that didn’t seem relevant to the case. It was a bit jarring to veer away from the heartbreaking narrative of Lauren to hear about the author’s opinions and experiences.
On the positive side, Kyle Snyder's narration was engaging and well-executed, making it an easy listen even if the content itself didn't quite captivate me. I appreciated the effort to raise awareness about Lauren's case, and I can see how this book may resonate with others who are more accustomed to this blend of journalism and personal commentary.
Overall, "College Girl, Missing" is a valued opportunity to learn about Lauren's story and the ongoing quest for answers, the structure and writing style simply didn’t work for me. Even if it wasn’t the right fit for me, drawing attention to such a heartbreaking case is undoubtedly important.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I think this book did exactly what it set out to do. This book tells the story of Lauren Spierer and her mysterious disappearance one night from Indiana University. I thought the strongest portion of this book was following Lauren moment by moment of that night that we know about.

This book was definitely hard to read and I think a large part of the book’s purpose is to continue to shed light on Lauren in hopes someone comes forward with information, but also it puts into perspective the fact that this happened and no one is truly immune by thinking this could never happen to them or to someone they know.

I appreciated the author’s honesty and goal in telling this story. I greatly hope and wish for answers for Lauren’s family and that this book might shed light on answers or at least let Lauren’s family know that there are people out there that continue to support them.

Overall, a hard read that did exactly what it set out to do and is definitely a quick read if you are interested in the story or in true crime.


Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @highbridgeaudio for this advance audiobook.
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When it comes to true crime books and podcasts, I think there can be a fine line between exploiting a story for profit and wanting to find justice and closure for a grieving family. In this upcoming release about the 2011 cold case of missing college student Lauren Spierer, an investigative journalist searches for answers with the full support of Lauren’s family. Cohen’s motivation feels genuine and I appreciate how he openly shares the criticisms against him. He is respectful of the grieving family while uncovering new insight into problems with the initial investigation and conducting new interviews with Lauren’s friends. Hopefully this book helps them all find the answers and closure they deserve.

Such an informative audiobook! As someone who has lived near Bloomington for the past decade, this is a case I am quite familiar with. This book delved deep into the details of every person even remotely connected to the case and explored every remote possibility. Of course, it's always frustrating when the ending does not give us answers, but such is life. Hopefully this book will draw more attention to this case so what really happened can come to light.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc, all opinions are my own

A well researched true crime book about Lauren Spierer, a young college girl who vanishes from a night out at Indiana University in 2011, never to be seen again. The author, Shawn Cohen, throughly followed leads, talked to students who were last seen with Lauren and made inroads with her family and friends. Unfortunately, to this day, her body has never been found and her disappearance remains a mystery.

The one critique I have is this…. I wish the author would have weighed in and told the reader after working in this case since the beginning, and interviewing multiple sources,, what he believed happened to Lauren. But otherwise, this is an enthralling true crime novel that captures the hearts and minds of the reader.

This book was such an eye opening text on the details of a real life mystery. It left me curious to know and learn more about the specific case and the details within. The author did well remaining neutral in his goal to share the accounts of the evening that led to Lauren's disappearance. Many of the potential suspects left feelings of anger as the author shared their accounts and responses to the events of that dreadful evening.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this audio book ARC opportunity.

It is of course difficult to rate a book that is about such a tragedy, but the author did a great job of reporting the story and being thorough in his research. I was really intrigued through the whole story and listened to it quickly as I really wanted answers. The narrator did a good job of reporting the story in a way that felt like a report or a podcast- a calm voice that would keep the readers interested.

The author really cares and I was rooting for him and the family to get answers. I would recommend this book and I am wishing peace and strength, as well as answers, for Lauren’s family.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. Lauren Spierer, a college student in Indiana goes missing, after partying on night. Lauren has never been found and nobody has been charged with anything. How does one just disappear?!

This is a non-fiction novel based upon the real events of the disappearance of Lauren Spierer. Lauren went out one night with friends, and then she vanished. No one knows what happened, and she was never found. Investigative journalist Shawn Cohen is trying to shine light on to what happened. The case has never been solved, and this novel is to help bring awareness to the case, and hopefully lead to some answers.

My opinion: I would say 2/5⭐️ for this book.

I had never heard of this case, so it was completely new for me. I cannot say whether the facts Cohen wrote were accurate or not. So, I am completely going off of his version of the story. I felt like there was so many unanswered questions for what happened to Lauren, that the book was almost repetitive. Which I think is genuine with the case, but I just didn't love it. It seemed like some parts could’ve been left out.

As much as I liked getting to learn about the case, this book was just not for me. I personally just didn’t like the way it was written. Maybe I am just not used to it, but having the journalist also write about his life and his personal views was odd for me. I just would rather read the facts, and so when the author talked about himself, I lost interest. It was a quick listen, but I just didn’t love this book. It was okay for me.

Even though this wasn’t for me, I do think this book is a great way to keep bringing awareness to this case.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

College girl missing is a true crime story about Lauren Spierer, an Indiana University student who went missing on 06/03/2011 in Bloomington and remains missing to this day. This book was a thorough review of a case I had never previously heard, although I listen to a lot of true crime. The audio book narration was well done, and easy to listen to.

Lauren was a pretty, popular, empathetic, and promising young girl from an upper class New York neighborhood. She was also suffering from a genetic cardiac arrhythmia known as long QT syndrome. This predisposes due to potentially fatal cardiac rhythm. Her disappearance is further complicated by rich persons of interest just out of reach of questioning, protected by high powered celebrity attorneys, college students binge drinking and abusing drugs, blurry memories of the night, jealous boyfriends and competing love interests, claims of amnesia due from a head injuries sustained during a fight on the night of her disappearance, security camera footage showing the last sighting of Lauren, claims of “shadowy figures”, and finger pointing at Israel Keys by other persons of interest.

Author Shawn Cohen, tells the story of how he initially broke the story as a crime reporter for the New York Post, and has developed a deep knowledge of the case over the years since he broke the story and has continued the investigation as an independent writer. Over the years, he developed a close relationship with the family, and interviewed key persons of interests as well as investigators on the case.

Note: I was provided an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

Shawn Cohen has done a great job of piecing together the timeline of the details surrounding the disappearance of Lauren Spierer. I was not familiar with this case and feel that his retelling of interviews and events in a logical order made it easy to follow and understand.

Shawn’s dedication to Lauren’s family and perseverance with keeping this story in the public eye is to be commended.

Sadly, there is no resolution as Lauren has not been found. I hope at some point in the future her family can learn what happened to her.

The audiobooks sounds like a podcast which I enjoyed. It was a suitable length and not filled with irrelevant information.

Thank you to NetGalley and Highbridge audio for access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a short book, which made the audiobook feel like a podcast or limited series. It was done extremely well, informative and entertaining. The only thing missing is the author doesn’t actually give his own theory, which I would have liked to see since he was so close to the family and case. Instead he is writing an extensive journal article.

Book: College Girl Missing
Author: Shawn Cohen
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Kyle Snyder
Publisher: High Bridge Audio
Genre: Non Fiction, True Crime
Audiobook Pub Date: July 30, 2024
Rating: 3
Pages: 251

Lauren Spierer—is the missing college girl in this non-fiction story. It was June 2011 and Lauren was finishing her sophomore year at Indiana University in Bloomington.
She and her close friends are from New Jersey and before heading back home for the summer they are out partying. Bloomington is a fun college town and the IU community is usually ready to party. Lauren had been seen in public by witnesses as well as security cameras, and ended up in a townhouse complex when there were several male students—but never seen again.
The police investigation was not able to solve this case and her body was never found.

Story kept me interested -however, it was not an enjoyable read.

Personal note:
I read very few non-fiction book however back in April 2018, I read [book: I'll Be Gone in the One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer] written by Michelle McNamara who died before the killer was caught. I finished the book April 14, 2018.

So surprise and pleased that on Wednesday April 25, 2018 ~ DNA brings an arrest!!! Former Police Officer, James DeAngelo who was fired
in 1979 was arrested TODAY!
Yes! The Golden State Killer’ had been found and arrested after 40 years.

Unfortunately Michelle McNamara died in her sleep on April 21, 2016 at her family's Los Angeles home, at the age of 46. She had been suffering from and insomnia as result of the stress in writing about the golden state killer.

Although I wish Shawn Cohen no harm but hope in reading this – the Lauren Spierer mystery will be solved as well!

Want to thank NetGalley and High Bridge Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 30, 2024.

This is the tragic story of Indiana University student Lauren Spierer who vanished the night of June 3, 2011 after a night out. She has never been found. Journalist and author Shawn Cohen does a masterful job of recreating the incident including timeline, details, interviews, and family interactions and emotions. It is clear Mr. Cohen has over a decade, dedicated a huge part of his life to helping the family find answers to what happened to Lauren. The book reads like a Netflix true crime documentary. Sadly, the ending is without the sought after revelations as to what exactly happened to Lauren, but the author has given good insight and recent communications with the family which gives you hope the search is not over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Highbridge audio for access to this book for my honest review.