Women Who Talk to the Dead: The True Story of 200 Forgotten Murder Victims and the Relentless Pursuit of Justice by an FBI Agent and a Detroit Police Detective

Two women lead the largest FBI exhumation in history to give voice to 200 forgotten murder victims.True crime fans of Mindhunter, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, and We Keep the Dead Close, will love how Schweit blends her expertise in law enforcement with her gift for storytelling, to bring readers this gripping true-crime story of social justice.In the shadows of Detroit's abandoned buildings and beneath the soil of county cemeteries lay hundreds of murder victims-buried anonymously, their killers uncharged, their families not knowing why they disappeared. For decades, only decaying police files hinted at what happened to these forgotten cold cases murders.Until two women decided to listen to the dead.In the spirit of award-winning writers Amber Hunt and Jana Monroe, Women Who Talk to the Dead chronicles the remarkable journey of Detroit Police Detective Shannon Jones and FBI Special Agent Leslie Larsen who assemble a team led by female forensic anthropologists, scientists, and investigators who methodically unearthed Detroit's painful past. Surrounded by skepticism and bureaucratic roadblocks, follow them through rain-soaked cemetery digs, crumbling case files, and bone-filled body bags to identify the nameless dead and bring closure to families who had spent decades wondering what happened to their loved ones.Katherine Schweit takes readers inside this unprecedented cold case investigation, revealing:The scientific breakthroughs that allow forensic experts to "hear" what bones can tell us decades after deathThe emotional toll of searching for answers when everyone else has moved onThe bitter reality of which murders are solved and which victims society deems disposableHow a small team of dedicated women changed a system that has too often allowed killers to escape justice simply because their victims were poor, marginalized, or forgottenPart forensic procedural, part social justice narrative, this book exposes the tragic consequences when the criminal justice system fails those most vulnerable. It also celebrates the resilience and determination of the law enforcement officers who refuse to let these forgotten victims remain nameless.Some of Detroit's dead have finally reclaimed their identities-but hundreds more still whisper from unmarked graves, waiting for someone to listen. Read more