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 former FBI Agent/Executive Katherine 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 spirit of award-winning writers such as 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 Shannon and Leslie 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. 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 victims until two women decided to listen to the dead.
Schweit, twice recognized for her contributions to crime victims by the United States Attorney, takes readers inside the scientific breakthroughs that allow forensic experts to "hear" what bones can tell us decades after death and the emotional toll of searching for answers. Part 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.