Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller is a 2020 Berkley Publication.

This saga began over twenty years ago- in 1999- When Shane Freeman- a teenager who had run afoul of the law was shot by law enforcement. It was self-defense, the officer claimed, but there were no witnesses. The family sued, but before a court date could transpire, Shane’s parents, Danny and Kathy, were murdered, and their trailer home was set ablaze. But the bodies of two teenagers, the Freeman’s daughter, Ashley, and her best friend, Lauria Bible, who was supposed to be spending the night with Ashley, were missing….

Thus begins a decades long hunt for the girls, eventually exposing a bungled investigation, and a plethora of drug dealers, of, rumors and dead-ends eventually culminating in shocking revelations that will effectively close the case- but questions still linger to this day….

Whew! What a sad, twisted true crime saga-

Rural areas are often hit hard by drug trafficking and addiction. Though the crime statistics in these areas don’t make the evening news, it is most assuredly there- alive and well…

While I can understand law enforcement going above and beyond to track down leads, even dubious ones, consider conspiracy theories, interview people on the periphery of the crime, people who may be keeping secrets,or have knowledge that may be pertinent- but more often we find amateur sleuths doing this sort of investigation- and in this case an author of fiction who is writing a true crime book- in the style of investigative journalism. *Lauria’s mother also apparently did some pretty bold things, too, but she was the mother of a missing child- so there’s that.

The book did get off to a rough start for me- as I had some trouble keeping up with all the people involved and the various pieces of information placed in seemingly odd places, but just like working a jigsaw puzzle- some pieces that didn’t seem to fit initially, eventually came together to paint a disturbingly dark portrait of the underbelly of rural Oklahoma, juxtaposed against the beauty of the landscape the author often alludes to.

All the bad blood between the Freeman’s and law enforcement didn’t convince me of a conspiracy. All the other avenues explored also seemed like a waste of time now but had to be explored before more clear cut evidence came to light. At the end of the day, it’s an old story, really. Evil men doing evil deeds and innocent people getting caught in the crosshairs…

Overall, a compelling true crime case- very disturbing on many levels. Though it was featured on a few true crimes shows, mostly airing on cable tv, and is the subject of some podcasts- it skated beneath the national headlines. While the organization and style of the book took some getting used to, ultimately, it kept me right on the edge of my seat. If you are into True Crime, this a book you will not want to miss!

4 stars ( )

Wow!
Hell in the Heartland is an amazing book. Like a horror book, wrapped in a novel, wrapped in a true crime book.
Not a story you will forget after reading.
A terribly sad, tragic story that is still not over as the bodies of the 2 teenagers have never been found.
Gut wrenching incompetence and stupidity at the hands of all law enforcement involved- to the point that some had to have been involved.
Excellent book. ( )

It certainly won't make you long for visit to Oklahoma, but it is an interesting account of a truly abominable crime and the deeply flawed investigation that followed. Yes, the conclusion is less than satisfying, but it took a LOT of grit for this author to track down her many sources--including many who are convicted and addicted felons with little regard for the law or life--and then to actually meet with them on their own turf to obtain more information on the missing girls. Her writing still has room to grow, but her perseverance and nose for a story are both top shelf. ( )

If you want a factual account of the crimes I'd search elsewhere. The majority of this book is the author's conjecture of what people (who were dead or missing before she started writing this book) thought, felt or did.
She spends an inordinate amount of time regaling the reader about her anxiety and fear....ad nauseam. In my opinion I learned NOTHING new in this book than was covered in the news media.
As a Midwesterner, I find it offensive that she insinuates that Midwesterners are low class. At one point in the book there was a comment about how it smells like methamphetamine here. Good freaking grief.
To sum up, if you want to read the "woe is me" complaints of the author you might like this. If you want facts look somewhere else ( )

Rural Oklahoma, there is a trailer fire, two bodies found, two young girls missing. So begins a long struggle to uncover the truth. A truth that is hard to find. A truth full of police incompetence from the beginning, a tangled relationship between the police and the family. A seventeen year old son of the same family shot dead the year before. A town that is poverty stricken, rumors of drugs, and still after 20 years no idea of where the girls are nor who set the fire.

Interesting in parts, an important case but so many misses, misdirections that is boys down in places.
Many descriptions of the area, and people which sometimes seem necessary, sometimes not. Maybe just a bit too much misdirection, too lengthy, found myself skimming. A good book but one that could have been better if more streamlined.

ARC by Netgalley. ( )