On Christmas Night 1996, six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder police fixated on JonBenet’s parents as suspects. Needing investigative help, the Boulder DA brought in legendary homicide detective Lou Smit. However, he was soon disenchanted with law enforcement’s obsession with the Ramsey family as the primary suspects, excluding other possibilities. Smit resigned but continued to work on his own time, and at his own expense, determined to find justice for JonBenet. He determined the Ramsey family was not involved in her death but died in 2010 before he could identify the killer. Along with a handful of retired detectives, Smit’s lifelong friend and colleague, John Anderson, and Smit’s family continue to pursue justice based on his work. In Lou and JonBenet, Anderson tells the story of Smit’s investigation and why the Smit family team now believes that the killer can be identified.
My Thoughts on Lou and Jonbenet
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Lou and Jonbenet by John Wesley Anderson follows Lou Smit, a retired homicide detective called back to investigate the murder of JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado. As a determined and dedicated officer, Smit wants nothing more than to bring justice to the Ramsy family. The author, John Wesley Anderson, does an excellent job of showing his personality throughout the novel. The cases that Lou Smit hasn’t been able to solve haunt him, and Smit saw a lot of cases throught his career. He is empathetic, and readers will root for him as he tries to find justice for JonBenet.
The well-structured plot and keeps the reader engaged from the first page. Anderson’s writing is clear and concise, and he avoids bogging the story down with unnecessary details. There are three parts of the book, each of which deals with a different aspect of the investigation. Above all, the author does a remarkable job of explaining the case and presents the evidence in a way that is easy to understand.
In my opinion
Lou and Jonbenet is a well-written and compelling novel. It offers readers a fresh perspective on one of the most high-profile unsolved crimes in American history. Anderson’s writing is clear and concise, and explains legalities to the average person. The book is a must-read for true crime fans and anyone interested in the JonBenet Ramsey case.
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