Catch the Sparrow

Reviews

An engrossing true-crime story is elevated by Rear’s heft and energy in investigating the investigation . . . Compels readers' attention to the haunting acts of violence against women that shape their lives. Catch the Sparrow is true crime at its most personal and purposeful--heartfelt and intimate, noble and determined, meticulous and brave. Catch the Sparrow is a one-of-a-kind true crime narrative, meticulously reported and compellingly written. The real twist in Rachel Rear's pursuit of this cold case murder is the stunning relationship of the teller to the tale. No novelist could have invented it. A poignant and honest memoir combined with a suspenseful tale of a vibrant young woman's senseless murder and the lengthy and often shocking investigation that followed, Catch the Sparrow is my favorite type of true crime book--compassionate, compelling, and achingly, heartbreakingly real. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. In this engrossing account of the murder of a step-sister she never met, Rachel Rear shows us how complex the relationship between victim, perpetrator and those affected by loss can be. Like the best true crime books, it transcends the genre. Compellingly suspenseful reading. But the book’s greatest strength by far is the way it evokes the ‘fragility of [human] existence’ while reminding readers of the terrifying and random violence to which women continue to be subjected, both at home and in the world. A chillingly candid memoir and work of true crime. Rear’s work is both thoroughly researched and deeply intimate . . . An insightful, moving tribute that will resonate with readers who appreciate a blend of true crime and memoir, such as Ellen McGarrahan’s Two Truths and a Lie. The mystery of someone's disappearance or death compels people to find answers. Here, Rear methodically unravels the death of her stepsister, Stephanie . . . readers will appreciate the detail and care Rear takes to reach the culmination of the case. Engrossing . . . This combination of true crime inquiry and revelatory memoir will linger in readers’ minds long after they finish it. Rachel Rear’s beautiful, heartbreaking memoir is also a fierce interrogation of violence against women in American culture, and essential reading to understand the experience of the families left behind. Compelling . . . Exceptional . . . Chilling. A true-crime saga that is as much an emotional and psychological journey for Rear, untangling the life and murder of a stepsister whom she never met, as it is a revisiting of the homicide investigation. Expand reviews