False Report - A True Story of Rape in America

From the publisher - (edited for length and clarity) On August 11, 2008, eighteen-year-old Marie reported that a masked man broke into her apartment near Seattle, Washington, and raped her. Within days police and even those closest to Marie became suspicious of her story. The police swiftly pivoted and began investigating Marie. Confronted with inconsistencies in her story and the doubts of others, she broke down and said her story was a lie--a bid for attention. Police charged Marie with false reporting. One of Marie's best friends created a web page branding her a liar. More than two years later, Colorado detective Stacy Galbraith was assigned to investigate a case of sexual assault. Describing the crime to her husband that night--the attacker's calm and practiced demeanor, which led the victim to surmise "he's done this before"--Galbraith learned that the case bore an eerie resemblance to a rape that had taken place months earlier in a nearby town. She joined forces with the detective on that case, Edna Hendershot, and the two soon realized they were dealing with a serial rapist: a man who photographed his victims, threatening to release the images online, and whose calculated steps to erase all physical evidence suggested he might be a soldier or a cop. Through meticulous police work, the detectives would eventually connect the rapist to other attacks in Colorado--and beyond.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Be prepared - this book made me SO ANGRY MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS STILL THROUGH THE ROOF.

It speaks of the misogyny and slut-shaming that permeates our culture now - even more so than when Marie was raped in 2008 (her friend would not need to make a webpage to shame Marie r as she would just have social media on her phone to do it with!) So many women are not believed and had it not been for Stacey Galbraith, Marie would still be branded a liar and dealing with the shame of being called a liar.

This book was deftly written and searingly honest and would have made an excellent novel if it were not an example of the slut-shaming truth that runs rampant through so many police departments world-wide. Whether you are a feminist or not, (I am not one) this book will make your blood boil - if you are a man, you will worry about the wives and daughters you love and the society in general. Not an easy read but an important one!