In this true crime novel, Vanessa Brown investigates the Forest City Killer, a serial killer who plagued the streets of London, Ontario for years. This is a solid dive into the police work done by Detective Alsop starting in the 1960's, to catch the person that was wreaking havoc on the young men and women of the area.

At the beginning of this, I found the writing super engaging and felt captivated by the story Brown was weaving, but as the book progressed I found that dwindled along with, the hard focus line of the book.
I also felt like, though the author had made a specific note about letting the audience come to their own conclusions, that she judged the events and people quite a bit, and in general pushed towards her own conclusion of the killer's identity. You probably shouldn't put in a note like that if your entire book does the opposite; it pulls from the narrative you're trying to tell. Furthermore, true crime readers expect the author to posit their own theories, that's why they're writing the book, To me, the note at the beginning felt like she was adding a big qualifier to her work that was just unnecessary. I would also add that sometimes there were date distinctions or headings that didn't particularly make sense. though that could have been formatting issues.

Though I didn't feel the middle to end of this book was not as successful as the beginning I do think people who like true crime will find the cases in this interesting and it's worth a perusal.

Well, this one was just 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Let's start with the things I liked about the book. The author did her research for the book and most of the time I really enjoyed her writing.
However, what really bothered me was (1) the dumping of names and dates, (2) the abrupt ending of one thought and jumping to the next, (3) the detailed information about cases that had already been solved and found not to be related at all to this case, and (4) her conclusions. In the beginning of the book, the author tells us that we should come up with our own conclusion, but her entire storyline pointed towards HER conclusion and who SHE thought the killer was/is.
You can tell that she is not an investigative journalist. Overall, the book is a good book, though.

Wow! Great true crime read about a killer in London, Ontario. I was shocked that I’d never heard about any of these cases before. Well written.

Strange and quirky. Also overlong and all focus is on London Ontario rather than the specifics listed within the title, IMHO. I considered a two star rating as tangents relative from arson fires to car style head lights rove all over the place. Organized only by dozens of cases in this particular place during this late 1960's to about a decade later period.

Extremely intriguing and well-written addition to the true crime canon that. Well researched and paced, worth a read for all true crime fans.

Being Canadian I was very interested in reading this True Crime book by Vanessa Brown. I thought I knew a fair bit about Canadian serial killers and their crimes but I had never heard about the Forest City Killer or any of the murders in London, Ontario.
I found the book very easy to read, it flowed well and was written in a manner that I found I was able to follow the going ons quite easily. At times I got confused on who’s who but that can happen when there are so many people affected by any one crime never mind a dozen!
The events that took place in London, Ontario in the 1960s are tragic and one can’t help but feel despair for all the lives that were destroyed with every murder. It’s amazing to me that this killer(s) could very well be still alive and a simple DNA check could perhaps solve one if not a handful of these unsolved murders. I hope for the remaining family members that someone enters that DNA into the database.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Title: The Forest City Killer

Author: Vanessa Brown

Genre: Nonfiction ( true crime)

Pages: 360

Rating: 3


Dig deep into the unsolved murder of Jackie English and join the hunt for a serial killer



Fifty years ago, a serial killer prowled the quiet city of London, Ontario, marking it as his hunting grounds. As young women and boys were abducted, raped, and murdered, residents of the area held their loved ones closer and closer, terrified of the monster -- or monsters -- stalking the streets. Homicide detective Dennis Alsop began hunting the killer in the 1960s, and he didn't stop searching until his death 30 years later. For decades, detectives, actual and armchair, and the victims' families and friends continued to ask questions: Who was the Forest City Killer? Was there more than one person? Or did a depraved individual commit all of these crimes on his own?



Combing through the files Detective Alsop left behind, researcher Vanessa Brown reopens the cases, revealing previously unpublished witness statements, details of evidence, and astonishing revelations about how this serial killer got away. And through her investigation, Vanessa discovers the unthinkable: like the notorious Golden State Killer, the Forest City Killer is still alive . . . and a simple DNA test could bring him to justice



My thoughts

For someone who loves nonfiction especially ones that deal with true crime, this one was hard to fellow as well as to understand what was going on. It seemed to jump from one case to other and at times the author put in information that didn't have anything to do with the cases she was talking about, while I did like how she put information about other killers who at was activet at time these killings and disappearances took place, they just made it impossible to understand what she was talking about. Because you didn't know if she was still talking about them or the cases that was supposed to be linked with the Forest City Killer,and while I hope that this book does bring attention to these cases like she's hoping and it did bring them to my attention because I've never heard of them before, I just wished she had set it up in away where the story she was telling worked better then it did. With that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .

Thankyou to NetGalley, ECW Press and the author, Vanessa Brown, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Forest City Killer in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought the book was well researched and written . A must read for a true crime buff.
Worth a read.

This is one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read. It is laid out so well that you feel like you’re in the story. It was so interesting to follow along with the detective and see where the crime takes us and how they have to solve it. There are different suspects and we explore them in such an interesting way. Would highly recommend for true crime fans.

Good book especially if you love your true crime. The case actually reminded me of the Golden State Killer.

Canadian crime is going to be my new thing. It started with the CBC podcasts and now this is like book number four, and well, it's just like a cross between nordic noir and good old American crime.

This is an account of several murders in Canada, that may, or may not be connected. The author put together newspaper accounts and interviewed several of the persons mentioned in the investigations. Though the murders were grisly in nature, it felt that the author really stretched to make connections between some of the crimes. Ms. Brown clearly has a deep connection to the area, and it is interesting to here a local's perspective on how these homicides impacted the community. These crimes are still unsolved, and the book seems unfinished.
***I received an ARC in return for an honest review from NetGalley***

I had never heard of The Forest City Killer until this book. It follows a string of murders and disappearances in and around a small town in Canada.
This book gives detailed information into a lot of the cases. It tries to show connections between them all, but that gets a bit muddied up by not knowing who actually committed the crimes. It also follows the notes from Detective Alsop, so it gave some insight into the investigation. She also brings up some of the DNA samples, but then mentions how not many of them have actually been tested now that we have made so many advances today in CSI. It does mention that many samples were not properly stored to be able to test with modern technology.
I felt the story line trailed off into different places, so at times it was hard to follow and get into a good groove of reading it. The author, Vanessa Brown, added in some of her personal views of locations that were brought up. It cluttered up the information in the cases, but it could be a nice touch for someone who is familiar with the area.
I liked how are the end of the book in the epilogue, the author linked gave a brief description of each crime along with her own conclusions (could it be 1 killers, or a couple maybe even a group of killers).
I did not like how the case/cases are still unsolved, so you are left not knowing what really happened. Also, I really didn't like how the story line jumped around between cases over the length of the book.
Overall, I really appreciated that Vanessa Brown brought the story back up for all of these unsolved murders. I feel like it can be informative for people to see a lot of the disappearances and murders that happened in that time frame. It is kind of frightening to see how many people can turn up missing with DNA evidence on our around the bodies and not get caught!

This is a fascinating look at a serial killer's crimes that spanned decades. The author's research and attention to detail made this a gripping read! I highly recommend it!

The Forest City Killer: A Serial Murderer, a Cold-Case Sleuth, and a Search for Justice by Vanessa Brown is a highly recommended examination of cold cases and the likelihood that a serial killer is the culprit.

Fifty years ago, a serial killer prowled the quiet city of London, Ontario, making it, unofficially, the serial killer capital of Canada. Young women and boys were abducted, raped, and murdered, beginning with the 1969 murder of 15-year-old Jackie English. Homicide Detective Dennis Alsop spent the next 40 years, until his death, hunting for her killer - and the killer of the other victims. Author Vanessa Brown was allowed to look through Alsop's case files, revealing previously undisclosed evidence and statements from witnesses. Alsop believed that there were seven homicides that were linked. The questions remain though. Was it one killer or two? And could a DNA test reveal the identity of the killer? Brown believes that there were two killers.

The stories of the victims are heartbreaking, especially in terms of the time in history that they occurred. Parents weren't concerned about stranger danger or advising their children to be careful and watch their surroundings. I know this simply because I was a child at this time and actually had an abduction scare. Brown does a good job describing the town, the setting, and placing herself personally in the cases while researching them because she knows the area and the stories swirling around the community about the murders.

While there is no conclusive answer as to the identity of the killer(s), Brown brings many facts to light about the investigations, suspects, and the cases. In some instances, some of the information is unnecessary or unfocused, but that could be because I had an ARC. Brown knows a lot about the cases and she does include a lot of information and the book includes copious footnotes. There are also many photos, which help to focus on the area and what Brown is pointing out. Now I'll be following any news on the Forest City killer cold cases to see if the killer(s) is ever identified.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of ECW Press.

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Cold case sleuth, Vanessa Brown, constructed a brilliant true crime novel about a string of mysterious killings in London, Ontario, known as the "Forest City." Brown is a London resident and combines her fascination with the unsolved Forest City Killer murders and passion for books and writing to create a brilliant true crime novel.

London is a sleepy Canadian town that suffered horrible, sexually driven murders in the late 1960's and 1970's. Young women and men were randomly abducted, raped, and murdered. Their bodies disposed of like garbage, left to be found by their grieving loved ones. Homicide Detective Dennis Alsop worked the cases for years, trying to uncover who the mysterious serial killer (or killers.) The entire town lived in fear for years as unsuspecting people fell victim to the Forest City Killer (FCK.)

Brown did extensive research on the killings related to FCK, as well as similar murders in nearby towns. Other than Brown, most people do not think all of the murders are related, but Brown does a great job explaining the consistencies between each murder. Anywhere from the location the victim was last scene, to details of the murder, and the body disposal site. Brown researched Detective Alsop's old case files, as well as witness statements, and current statements she got from witnesses and relatives of the victims. Brown honed in on one of the first FCK related murders and spider webbed her research from there.

The murders were chilling and seemed completely random. The kind of thing that could happen to anyone. The family members of many of the victims are still grieving and have not stopped trying to uncover the mystery of their loved ones death. Much of the DNA evidence obtained from the scenes cannot be analyzed today, because of degradation, etc., but Brown does an excellent job providing realistic and probable reasons.

The story gets a bit convoluted about 1/2 of the way through. A woman who claims she and her family saw one of the victims the night she was killed becomes an entirely different story. She comes forward as a witness, but claims she started receiving threatening calls and letters, feared for her life, and at one point, was attacked. The story gets very strange from there on out, and is a bit confusing at times, but nevertheless, is extremely interesting.

Writing true crime, especially for an unsolved case from 50 years ago, is a huge challenge, but I enjoyed Brown's style of writing. One thing I wished was that she wrote chronologically about the murders. She started with the FCK murder that sent the town into a tizzy, then went back and forth in time to other murders she believed were connected. Jumping around in the timeline got a bit confusing, as well as how the story spun off with the bizarre witness and her story. It was interesting, but confusing, and it became a bit convoluted.

Most of her witness statements were interesting, but did not generate anything new for the case. I was hoping that at the end of the book, Brown uncovered new evidence or atleast a lead that current day Detectives could follow up on. That is not how the story ends. This book is more a compilation of the FCK murders and a summary of the investigation and ensuing aftermath.

All in all, it was an interesting true crime read, and I rated it between ★★★.5 and ★★★★. Brown's writing is clear and concise, which kept me turning the pages. I look forward to more true crime novels from this author and ECW Press.

***Thank you to ECW Press and Net Galley for the digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review.***

London, Ontario earned its nickname ‘The Forest City’ during its establishment in 1826, when it was little more than a village among the trees. Today, London is a mid size city with a population of about 400,000 that spreads out along the River Thames. London is a community much like any other, but from 1959 to 1984, the town was said to have had more active serial killers than any other locale in the world. It was reported by criminologist, Michael Arntfield in his book Murder City, that there were at least six serial killers active in London during this era, including Russell Maurice Johnson known as ‘The Bedroom Strangler’, Gerald Thomas Archer known as ‘The London Chambermaid Slayer, and Christian Magee known as ‘The Mad Slasher’.

The Forest City Killer explores the murders of several young women and children, linked by location and manner of death, whose killer/s were never officially identified. Amateur historian, writer, and antiquarian bookseller Vanessa Brown presents Information about several of the cases that remain unsolved from the late 1960’s drawn not only from public record but also her own interviews with relevant persons, and from the personal files of a (now deceased) detective who played an active role in the investigation of these crimes.

Brown begins with the murder of fifteen year old Jackie English, who disappeared on her way home from work one evening in 1969. Her nude body was found under a bridge a few days later, she had been beaten, raped and strangled. Her unidentified killer, is who Brown calls ‘The Forest City Killer’, and it is this case that she finds the most compelling.

Brown’s personal theory links the murder of Jackie English with the murders of at least two other teenage girls, Jacqueline Dunleavy, and Soraya O’Connell, as well as a woman in her mid-thirties, Helga Beer, and three young boys, eleven-year-old Bruce Stapylton, nine-year old Frankie Jensen, and sixteen year old Scott Leishman. I’m not sure I agree that all the murders, and at least one other disappearance, are the work of a single killer, but Brown does suggest points of comparison that could be of significance.

Unfortunately the investigation of the cases were cases were uneven, largely a byproduct of the times. The police chief was uninterested in the disappearance of young women in particular, quick to suggest they were off partying, or were simply runaway’s, so official searches were delayed. The London police force also generally lacked experience, and an understanding, of sexually motivated crimes, evident by some shocking statements of victim shaming. While blood, fluids, and other evidence were collected from many of the scenes, forensic investigative techniques at the time were primitive, and it is unclear if any of it still exists.

Brown’s material on these unsolved cases is interesting and readable, though at times the narrative feels a little cluttered with extraneous personal detail. I do think the book would benefit from summary’s of each case’s details, and perhaps a comparison table, or something similar.

Brown states that her main purpose in writing The Forest City Killer is “…to renew interest in these unsolved cases and to urge the Ontario Provincial Police to re-investigate these crimes vigorously, using all DNA and other evidence in their possession.” I hope that her aim is achieved and the family’s may finally get the answers they have long hoped for.

I like true crime novels, though I'll be honest, I struggled with this one - there was a lot of personal information about the author herself, who, as far as I can tell, had no connection to the case. It's also unsolved, and the research I did around that is that this book contains nothing new, and to be honest, I'm a bit confused about the purpose of the book.
Decently written, for a true crime book, though, I'm not sure whether this is just a very niche book for the people local to the killer, a specialist example of a cold case or something else, so it was an acceptable book,

Author, bookstore owner, and local historian of London, Ontario Vanessa Brown spent five years researching a series of unsolved, decades-old homicides in her quiet hometown. *Keith Morrison voice* Well, mostly quiet, that is: London had the unofficial and unenviable title of the "serial killer capital of Canada" at one point. 

The Forest City Killer explores these murders, which Brown purports were done by the same person. She brings together a wealth of evidence about the various cases and builds a narrative of this possible serial killer's crimes, mostly against young women but also several young boys, beginning with the murder of 15-year-old Jackie English in 1969.

Detective Dennis Alsop worked the case, and would spend 40 years trying to find Jackie's killer. Brown had access to Alsop's files, and they're the major source underpinning the book. In examining these files and researching further, including conducting her own witness and suspect interviews when possible, Brown came to the conclusion that Jackie English might not have been her murderer's first victim, nor his last -- by Brown's count, the so-called Forest City Killer could have had seven victims stretching into the 1970s.

Not to mention several suspicious fires that resulted in the deaths of some of Jackie's friends and relevant witnesses, and some indication that this may have even been two killers working together. Brown even identifies them, and both have acknowledged connections to the cases. It is a strange, unnerving tale all around, always giving the impression that there's more lurking under the surface.

It's a page-turner, but there's also a lot of information that becomes overwhelming and some misguided memoir elements. The author's personal connection to the story is clear, as these unsolved cases have acquired their own kind of modern lore in London. But the personal details inserted, although obviously significant to her and her impressions around these stories, don't read very well. Like a footnote about one location, noting "This was one of my favorite make-out spots back in the day. I used to ask boys to drive out there," or identifying which church was her grandmother's.

Maybe there are readers that find this kind of personal color interesting or enlightening but I found the details very flat and didn't think they added anything to the narrative. And considering it's quite a convoluted, detail-packed, often disorganized narrative as it is, it didn't need any such further distractions. Her background as a historian is evident as she does establish a strong sense of the city and its inhabitants, but the frequent personal intrusions, often as footnotes, became irritating.

As interesting as much of this was, I was left confused. There is so much information to sift through, and so many people and so many links, that it's hard to know what's really important and what I should be trying to mentally hold onto for later relevance. At one point she writes, "Here's where the story gets pretty convoluted," and I thought "Only here?" The structure of the book is somewhat messy and unfocused as well.

There were also some odd details that make for a novel-like reading experience but made me suspicious in their specificity, like that a detective's mustache "twitched thoughtfully" while listening to a story. My review copy didn't include notes or sources, although the author assures that she stayed true to the files and records and only reconstructed events for the sake of improving understanding. But I doubt that includes mustache twitches.

These points aside, Brown can be a very compelling writer and her passion in researching and presenting this story is evident. There's always great value in looking at cold cases like this, especially in our era of increased opportunities for research by amateurs, and the way that public pressure on police departments to reexamine long-open cases can sometimes make a difference. Brown notes that the Forest City crimes are good candidates for the web sleuth communities, and she's provided a thorough foundation of facts to build on.

I received an ARC from Netgalley called The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown. This is a true crime about a serial killer and rapist operating in Canada in the 1960s and early 70s. Vanessa Brown is not a journalist but a citizen who lives in the same area where the serial killer was targeting victims. She interviewed surviving family members, read detective's notes, and even tried to interview potential suspects.

Unfortunately, this case is still unsolved which made me feel very unsatisfied with the story. She will talk about a location and then includes snippets of her life. For example; suspect went to this church then she will mention her grandma went to the same church. She includes unnecessary details about where everyone lived which may be interesting if you lived there, but not if you don't. She also included random information about fires and a potentially related case that was solved. The writing was disorganized, at times way too detailed, and ultimately led nowhere. I now realize I do not like reading true crime if it's unsolved. My interest is more in who did the crime and why they committed it. It was a slog to get through. I gave the book 2 stars.

This book comes out October 4th. The only people I recommend it to are people who live in London, Ontario and/or knew the victims.