Crime
Review
Delayed Justice By Jack and Mary Branson
The book “Delayed Justice” starts with something I absolutely agree with and am grateful for the authors that they point it out: the families of the perpetrators are the forgotten secondary victims, and they suffer more than we can imagine. The book is split up in 10 chapters dealing with the analysis of cold cases. In the beginning, I got the impression that the book would not be able to hold my interest. If you have been dealing with cold cases for a while, the start of the book does not bring anything new and I missed important details. For example, in chapter two I got engaged in the case of Roger & Dorothy Malcom and George & Mae Murray Dorsey. However, it lacked an explanation why Loy Harrison brought the Dorseys along when he bailed Roger out. Through a simple Google search, I learned that George was Dorothy’s sister. Another example of things I missed or things that I did not like was the fact that the early chapters “leave you hanging.” Cases are touched on, new people are introduced, lots of names fly by but, the reader does not have an overview of where and when cases will be picked up again in the book. For example, you are introduced to the horrifying case of Gwendolyn Moore on page 62 but only find out the whole story on page 268. There is no indication in the beginning that the case will be explained in full later on. Some cases are explained in more detail but overall, the first chapters feel cluttered. It really lost me but later pulled me back in to it. In chapter 5, the authors discuss standard investigative techniques. One of the most valuable techniques is merely mentioned in one sentence at the bottom of page 162: the timeline. The book ends with powerful stories in chapter 10. There I finally read more about Gwendolyn Moore and it is heartbreaking. Barely being given time to breath, the case of Cynthia Henry comes along to punch you in the guts. The chapter ends with the horror case of Jessica. I became more interested in the book the further along I was with reading .The book might have benefited from a simple listing of reasons why cases grow cold without adding case information in the beginning chapters.