I had high hopes for Submerged, expecting a narrative-driven true crime story, but it felt more like reading court documents and police files on the case of Rayna Rison. While the book is undeniably thorough, its heavy reliance on legal records made it feel more procedural than engaging. The writing style lacked the storytelling depth I was hoping for, making it a bit dry at times. Like many true crime podcasts, it left me with more questions than answers in the end. If you enjoy deeply detailed crime investigations, you will like this but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

A well-written, well-researched book into a cold case from a true crime story I'd never heard of. That alone gives it 1-star right off the bat.

In essence, this was an extremely well-written, informative, and detailed book, but it was quite dry. Perhaps it would have been better in a written (as opposed to audio) format, but then again, perhaps not. It was more like a school text book than a novel. And the dryness of the narrator did not help the situation.

I saw someone else's review who said she felt like she was "reading transcripts of case files -- not being told a story." And I think that sums it up perfectly.

I was also extremely disappointed in the way the story ends. (Not the book, mind you, but the actual real-world story.) This, of course, did not affect my rating of the book as the author has no control over that. But seriously! This poor freaking man they've arrested. I know this book is only one side of the story, but if the author has his story straight (and that story is the true story), then I have no idea how this man was arrested. Absolutely appalling lack of justice.

An interesting read for anyone interested in true crime. Just be prepared for a very technical, somewhat slow slog through "just the facts, ma'am."

Really interesting true crime/cold case storyline. I haven’t heard it before and I follow quite a bit true crime outlets.
The story itself was very informative and gave a lot of details, but it read like it was a transcript not a story.
Im mot sure if that was the authors intent or because it was an audiobook it came out like that. But I felt like I was reading case files not being told a story.
The details in this case seems like it’s something from like 30 yrs ago but the arrest was only 10 yrs ago and the evidence is completely lacking. I couldn’t understand how he was arrested and convicted with this evidence on a crime that took place years before his arrest.

Overall interesting case, narrator definitely needs some work to not seem so robotic

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen

Submerged by Hillel Levin is the tragically true story of Rayna Rison, her passing, and the injustice of an innocent man accused for a crime he didn't commit as justice ultimately failed. I had such a hard time listening to this, not because of the storyline, narrator, or words, but because of the lack of collaboration from investigators as well as the injustice done to an innocent man, and at every turn it seemed they just turned a blind eye to one individual who should have immediately been in the spotlight and scrutinized. I appreciate the hard work and dedication that Hillel Levin put into this story, the puzzle pieces coming together in a cohesive way that shines a light on a trajedy that had a ripple effect. Thank you for your dedication to truth!!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Brandon Pollock. He was easy to listen to, kept me immersed in the story, and will look for more audiobooks narrated by him in the future!
*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

This story is an important one, but I feel like it was lost in the dry and ill-paced text. I really hope it gets picked up for a documentary or miniseries, because injustices like this happen every day and need to be spotlighted.

Hillel Levin tells the true story of Rayna Rison, who was murdered in 1993 in La Porte, Indiana. The main suspect, originally, was her sister's husband, who had raped and molested her when she was 13. Her brother-in-law was arrested and indicted by a grand jury, but the case was ultimately dismissed. Twenty years later, a childhood friend of Rayna's, Jason Tibbs was arrested for Rayna's murder. Despite the overwhelming evidence against Max, Jason was convicted and sentenced to prison for a murder, he did not commit.

This book was infuriating. I cringe every time someone calls the court system the "justice" system because more often than not, there is non justice in it. This case exemplifies this. The judge at Tibbs' trial excluded the evidence of the brother-in-law's guilt. He hamstrung the defense. Speaking of the defense, Tibbs' now ex-wife, hired two attorneys, one of whom had never had a trial before, let alone a murder trial. It was a circus. And Jason Tibbs paid for the incompetence of everyone around him.

This was a fantastic book with an excellent narrator. The audio production was fantastic. I highly recommend this book if you like true crime.

Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the Audio ARC!

I came into this book completely unaware of the murder of Rayna Rison, and the tumultuous events that have eventually led to the imprisonment of her good friend, Jason Tibbs. The author makes no secret of his opinion that Tibbs is an innocent man, and that the man actually guilty of the crime, Ray McCarty, is not only free, but has basically been totally exonerated and freed of all suspicion now that Tibbs is behind bars. The story is well told, though totally one-sided, and the end result, for me at least, was a bad taste in my mouth for everyone involved in the murder of this young lady. Definitely worth the read if you are a fan of true crime, but don't go into it expecting objectivity.

Hillel Levin’s *Submerged* dives deep into the tragic case of Rayna Rison, a sixteen-year-old whose murder remains shrouded in controversy and missteps. The book sheds light on the flaws in the justice system, exposing how politics and inadequate defense led to Jason Tibbs’ questionable conviction while others, like Ray McCarty, evaded full accountability despite damning allegations. Levin meticulously reconstructs the case, but the dense detail sometimes overwhelms the narrative. While it’s a compelling read for true-crime enthusiasts, its slow pacing and heavy focus on procedural failings may limit its broader appeal. A sobering critique of justice gone awry.

Submerged's storyline captivated me from the start. I'm always up for a thorough true crime, and truly don't mind very detailed investigations of possible suspects and circumstances. This one read a little too much like a court reporter's transcript, though. Perhaps having listened to it as an audio narration was the mistake since the reader had to keep going back and forth between speakers in the court room. But I have read many true crime and other nonfiction books written as narratives and stories, and felt that this one could have benefitted from that angle as well.
It is an important story to tell about true injustices, not only of the supposed innocent man serving time in prison, but also the victim's entire life story. Lots of people should be answering for their mistakes or even crimes. Perhaps that's even the better story here.
This might be better served as a tv series rather than a very textbook-like story. Overall I'm glad I was introduced to the case.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crime Ink for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Wow! This book was so frustrating! Not because of the writing or the author or anything like that but the true story of it all. I caught myself so many times going "What?" out loud and shaking my head and having physical reactions! If a book can give you those things then you know its a good one. I am a true crime buff and this book had me intrigued the entire time. Its not your usual kind of book. I could see some finding it slow and boring but if you really are interested in true crime and stories of the unsolved cases or in this case a supposed "solved" case but hearing everything that went on is not solved! Grrrr. I was hooked from the start of this book and could not stop listening. I would recommend this to anyone who likes true crime!!

Submerged: How a Cold case Condemned an Innocent Man to Hide a Family’s Darkest Secret
Hillel Levin
Rayna Rison was repeatedly raped and molested by her brother-in-law Ray. He threatened to kill her, to beat her sister and harm his own child. When Rayna became pregnant Ray admitted to her father that he was possibly the father. The baby was aborted. Ray was reported to the police. He was placed on probation and forced to get counseling. He never took responsibility for his crime. He didn’t see it as a crime. Ray thought he was the victim. Rayna had little to no support from her family. The rape and abuse started again. Another girl was also raped by Ray. Rayna’s sister Lori offered no support at all. Once again Ray made himself the victim.
Rayna had a part time job at the local vet’s office. She cleaned the kennels and the office. She and Matt had a restart date planned for that evening. Later her body was found submerged in a pond.
The police investigation was intense. Ray was arrested and indicted, but a new attorney was elected, and he dropped the charges. Rayna’s family was relieved that Ray was off the hook. Years later Jason, Rayna’s best friend, was arrested, accused of her murder and found guilty. But was he guilty? Evidence that would have exonerated him was kept from the jury. Could an innocent man be sitting in a jail cell?
In my mind there is no doubt who committed the murder of Rayna Rison. I believe her brother-in-law Ray is guilty, but I don’t believe he is the only one that should be held responsible. Her sister is just as guilty. Her father, Bennie, is guilty. Her mother is guilty. The court system in Le Pointe, Indiana is guilty. Rayna was a child she was molested, raped, and abused and you did nothing. Her father offered her NO protection. I am angry.
This book is fascinating. I stayed up all night to read it. I admire journalist/author Hillel Levin for his dedication to researching Rayna’s life and murder. This is a True Crime story. One that needs to be told. I hope someone can help Jason.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

This is a compelling true crime story that jumps off the page due to the unbelievable narrative of author Hillel Levin. LaPorte, Northern Indiana is the backdrop to this compelling true crime story particularly due to Levin's narrative and his research of the transcripts from the trial. A young girl Rayna Rison 16, is missing and later found murdered. What becomes known is beyond one's belief regarding this young girl's short troubled life. She never had a chance due to her own family's disregard. Her sister's husband raped her from the age of eleven and when it was discovered she was having his baby at the age of twelve she had an abortion. Her sister Lori defames Rayna to the point that she convinces everyone in town including the press that Rayna was the reason for the "affair." But that is just the tip of the iceberg of this engrossing and at times hard to imagine tome. Misdirection, bad police work, judge's prejudice, attorney mishandling and the wrong man accused of the crime still incarcerated in prison.
Thank you Blackstone Publishing, Hillel Levin, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Soooooooo!!!
1 innocent man went to prison while another man and his wife was free! This book pissed me off because what do you mean! After 21 years they sent a man to prison who didn't have anything to with the murder based off what a man sitting in prison FOR MURDURING someone said! LOL OK!! make it make sense!!


The book was really good and brought attention to a case I have never ever heard about! Ricky and her sister knows what they did!

This could not hold my attention due the very unnecessary information that was included. The backstory took such a deep dive into people’s history that it was distracting. I don’t need to know about grandparents grade school interests or what parents got on their report cards in middle school. I couldn’t get through it, maybe it got better.

Well, that was infuriating.
This is the story of Rayna Rison and her friend Jason Tibbs. Rayna was impregnated by her brother in law at age 12. According to her, he continued to assault her until she was murdered at sixteen. All evidence points towards the brother in law, but the entire family denies it. Twenty years later, her friend, Jason Tibbs, is arrested. This is after a known liar from their hometown came forward with "eyewitness testimony." Said liar was in prison for murder himself and heard that the state was trying to solve cold cases. Despite a strong alibi and being cleared in the initial investigation, Tibbs is arrested, tried, and convicted of Rayna's murder.

Jason's arrest was only 10 years ago. It blows my mind that these antics still work- false witness, terrible judges, terrible lawyers, forced confessions. How is closing a case, with the wrong culprit, better than an open case? The real criminals win by this practice- and they are the only winners other than corrupt law enforcement officials.

As for the book, I was a bit nervous at the length, but I was pleasantly surprised. All but a stretch in the middle, it held my attention fully. It is well researched and engaging. I came into this knowing nothing about the case- and forced myself not to Google. (I will be Googling in about 2 minutes, lol).

Brandon Pollock narrates. It is okay, not perfect. There are a lot of sections that were rerecorded and dubbed in. Segments of a few words- it makes it very noticeable. He also mispronounces things sometimes- sometimes I wondered if it was more of a mumble than a mispronunciation, but I think it was both. He pronounced Notre Dame (the college) like the church. I am sure all of the Hoosiers, especially the Fighting Irish, will be offended if they listen.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.