February 2, 2021
NetGalley
Random House
True crime, arc, digital
A Private Investigation
ISBN: 9780812998672
368 pages
2/18/21-2/22/21
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
In Starke, Fl 1990, Jesse Tafero was a man on death row whose botched execution was witnessed by the author who was working as a reporter at the time. The 7 minutes it took for him to die after first the wires catching fire and 3 jolts was a trauma she would live with for years and ultimately consume her life.
It all ultimately began in February 1976 when a police officers were killed while making a routine check at a rest stop. They never expected the violence which ended their lives when they approached the beat up Camero with 3 adults and 2 kids sleeping. As it turned out, the occupants of the car were Walter Rhodes, Jesse Tafero and his girlfriend Sunny along with a baby and 9 yo son. They all have a shady criminal history and had weapons visible in the car when the police approached. What happened after that was total chaos leaving 2 police officers dead and the perpetrators pointing fingers at each other.
The story was so compelling that Barbara Walters covered the story on 20/20 television show. It was then made into a documentary play called Exonerated which again drew attention and speculation to the case. The main theory was that Jesse Tafero was the shooter which eventually freed Sunny from prison. The case was complicated with Rhodes confessing and retracting his confession several times.
The book is primarily about the author and her quest to discover the truth of the case. Since she felt burdened with guilt and confusion when questions arose to whether Jesse was innocent and executed unjustly. In 1992, she drives to CA and works in construction as a break from journalism. She slowly works her way into private detective work and eventually follows through with obtaining necessary training to work full-time. Meanwhile, she meets Peter a fellow private detective who patiently ensures her years long quest around the globe to satisfy the lingering questions of the Tafero case.
Her obsession with wanting to know the details of that fatal day were disturbing to say the least.
It’s understandable that after witnessing the execution and then questions of his innocence emerge were would be deeply unsettling. Her investigation into the truth was interesting and eventually revealed that these were all dangerous people involved in more dangerous criminal activity than initially revealed. When she begins uncovering connections with the Mafia and big time drug dealers, I’m thinking, clearly whatever happened none of them were innocent.
But, I found the author becomes unhinged with tracking down information and chasing dangerous people to discuss past criminal events. She clearly reflects on how her intrigue for information overwhelmed her common sense. The more she uncovers the more complex and dangerous the story becomes at which point…does it really matter? I’m thinking great work turn around and go home. Oh, please don’t go to Ireland to find Sunny. And no, don’t go to Australia to track down her son! Please say no when invited to spend the night with Rhodes and his girlfriend. Jack Murphy. Really?!!
As much as the truth felt so paramount to the author I felt she she herself in unnecessary danger around violent criminals only to discover what was evident from the beginning.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3482634570
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/4065188772
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