In 1970, Frank Koehler killed Pete McGinn and Richie Glennon in New York. The Police knew at once who had done it. They failed to apprehend Koehler. In 1992, the Police made the assumption Koehler was dead in order to close the case. In 1997, Andy Rosenzweig was nearing retirement as chief investigator for the district attorney of Manhattan. He was reminded of the case. He became intrigued by it. Had Frank Koehler been given the ultimate 'free ride'? In being declared dead, had he got away with murder? Philip Gourevitch follows Rosenzweig's investigations in this terse and elegant book. It's not a whodunnit. Rather, it's as if we hear the thoughts of the men & women involved in this strange case. And eventually, most powerfully, we hear from Koehler himself.
3 comments:
Thanks for the reminder. I remember reading about this book a while ago and also reading the story in the paper.
It's an interesting case.
The case is interesting, and Gourevitch writes so well. I am putting his book about the Rwanda genocide, We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Killed Be Killed With Our Families, on my list. I had avoided it before because I thought the subject matter would be wrenching. Now I feel Gourevitch may be the right guide through that horror. Mind you, one of my favourite books is Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee - hardly a laff-fest.
I used to read a lot of the true-crime genre. Some of it is fascinating stuff. Since Bush & Co. came on the scene I just can't stomach it. Yet another thing that's George & Co.'s fault...
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