This is Kelsey with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It
Out.
Today, I’m recommending This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead, a story The
Seattle Times describes as, “a dive into the dark underbelly of true crime obsession. Merging the allure of dark academia, the moral complexities of online sleuthing and a profoundly introspective study of grief, this novel is both intellectually riveting and emotionally unsettling.” And I couldn’t agree more.
After losing her father, college student Jane Sharp finds solace—and purpose—in
the strange intimacy of online true crime forums. Among armchair detectives and anonymous sleuths, she becomes someone new: sharp-eyed, fast-thinking, celebrated. But when the brutal deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho spark a viral frenzy, Jane and her online friends become part of the investigation. This time, they aren’t just watching from behind a screen. This time, they’re in it.
But every clue uncovers more contradictions. The town seems scripted, the police too polished, and the killer always one step ahead. As Jane inches closer to the truth, she begins to suspect they’ve walked into something far more dangerous than a mystery. Now, one year later, Jane is ready to tell the true story. And what she’s about to reveal will change everything.
Written with footnotes, story gaps, and a narrative voice that is unreliable to say the least, this book spins in unpredictable ways and kept me guessing at every police misstep and each personal revelation along the way. This read was utterly chilling and intensely thought-provoking.
Ashley Winstead’s versatility as an author is unmatched. In all honesty, I devour anything she writes and instantly place holds on anything new of hers at the Library.
Check out This Book Will Bury Me and the rest of Ashley Winstead’s diverse and
consistently amazing catalog of books at the Sioux City Public Library.
Support for Check It Out on Siouxland Public Media comes from Avery Brothers.
