The Real-Life Murder Clubs by Nicola Stow - Book Review

The Real-Life Murder Clubs: Citizens Solving True Crimes by Nicola Stow

Publication Date 24th Nov 2022

Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime  

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: Loved it 

Nicola Stow shares stories about real-life amateur sleuths and armchair detectives who worked for years to solve crimes no one else could. They take cold cases and use information in the public domain to solve crimes. 

Some work alone, some in pairs, and others in groups. From handwriting experts to graphic designers, analysts, homemakers, and retired employees, real-life murder clubs have an array of people with the same goals. The book includes a collection of such murder clubs and how the members have worked on some of their best cases. 

I’m glad I didn’t focus much on the blurb except for the last paragraph. As someone who didn’t watch the Netflix show (or many others), I could get into the book without expectations. 

I have to say I loved reading it. The writing is compact yet detailed. It has a conversational style without being too casual or friendly. 

Some of it is descriptive, but it is needed to provide a backstory about the criminals and the crimes (people from other countries may not know the details about killers in the US, and it doesn’t make sense to Google each of them to understand the book). That’s not needed, of course. The book tells me what I should know about the case, the proceedings, and the role of real-life sleuths who cracked it years afterward. 

While some have a personal connection with the case, others felt compelled due to different reasons. They talk about the trigger moments that made them get into this path. Imagine spending your time, money, and other resources on someone you don’t even know. 

On one side, there are official groups like Websleuths with strict moderators that work genuinely for what they believe in and help the police departments. Yet, there’s no dearth of over-excited armchair sleuths who don’t think twice before speculating or sharing someone’s personal information. 

The last chapter in the book deals with such instances where amateur sleuths caused more harm and resulted in the hounding of an already grieving family. It also highlights the role of careless and fame-hungry journos and influencers using social media to share rumors as facts. The recent case of attacks on Hindus in Leicester, UK, is a great example. What does one say when a Guardian journo shares fake news to target one community? 

 I love the closing statement made by a retired cop. Becoming a real-life detective shouldn’t be for credit or fame. It is a responsibility and a selfless service to help people find closure. Those who expect recognition should not get into these activities. 

To summarize, The Real-Life Murder Clubs is an impressive and inspiring collection about ordinary citizens who chose to be extraordinary by taking up crime-solving as a true passion. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers, for the eARC. 

#TheRealLifeMurderClubs #NetGalley 

*****

P.S: I’m going to search for similar clubs in India. Hoping to find at least a few clubs.