Do you love a good whodunit? Join others who have a similar interest in true crime at our book club! Each month we will read and discuss a true crime, non-fiction title from the library's collection. Meetings are scheduled for the 1st Sunday of the Month at 2 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Tower Road Branch Library.
Book club copies of the current title will be available for checkout at the Tower Road Branch Circulation Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. To confirm availability, please call 352-333-2840 or email Sabrina. We will also try to make copies available in eBook/eAudiobook formats on Libby whenever possible.
Down to the Bone: A Missing Family's Murder and the Elusive Quest for Justice by Caitlin Rother
Sunday, September 7 at 2 p.m. | Tower Road Branch - Meeting Room
"On February 15, 2010, Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons were reported missing from their new home in San Diego County. They left eggs and fruit rotting on the counter. Their Dodge truck sat in the driveway. Their dogs were abandoned outside without food. But investigators found no blood, signs of a struggle, or clues to their whereabouts. Did the family take an unannounced vacation? Were they running away from personal problems? Or were they victims of foul play?
Nearly four years later, a motorcyclist found the McStays’ remains in and around two shallow graves, one hundred miles away in the Mojave Desert. Their skulls showed signs of blunt-force trauma, likely due to the sledgehammer buried with them. Authorities focused on Charles "Chase" Merritt, a close friend and subcontractor for Joseph’s company. Despite a lack of physical evidence, scenarios that defied logic, and numerous unanswered questions, prosecutors convinced a jury of Merritt’s guilt. After an emotional sentencing hearing, the judge imposed the death penalty. But did another possible suspect, who was ignored by investigators and ducked a subpoena to testify, get away with murder?
In this twisting, deeply researched true-crime mystery, New York Times bestselling investigative journalist Caitlin Rother hunts for answers to reveal the truth behind a heinous crime that became a nation’s obsession, with a controversial trial in its wake, and lingering questions of justice." (Amazon)
Upcoming Meetings
October 5 - American Predator by Maureen Callahan
November 7 - Raised by a Serial Killer by April Balascio
You can also take a look at what true crime titles we currently have in our library's collection. To catch up on past book club titles, check out this list.
Interested in other book clubs? The Alachua County Library District has several. You can find more information on our Book Clubs page.