Wow. Quite simply an incredible true crime book. I hadn’t heard of the Freeman/Bible murders and I’d hazard a guess that most people outside of the USA won’t have either. Jax gives us something rare, a glimpse into her own life and it’s relationship to her dogged investigation to try and bring answers to the victims families. She is raw and honest about her struggles with anxiety and her bravery in coping with this while picking up rocks put down by dangerous men is quite remarkable. Her writing style is so engaging and evocative.. having never wanted to visit Oklahoma I’m now really keen to. “The warm wind tangling their hair” was just one delicious line that transported me to the prairie.
Beautiful language and an author’s introspection could be horribly wrong for such a heartbreaking and serious true crime story as this but Jax is an author of two halves. The book is wonderfully broken down into distinct sections and within that, dates and facts are clearly stated. Her research is meticulous and her commitment to the families and to those who she spoke to both on and off the record is clear.
I really hope that Jax is, as we speak working on her next true crime book because I will he first in line to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the arc of Hell In Heartland.


December 30, 1999, in Oklahoma USA, Ashley Freeman who was 16 and her best friend, Lauria, were having a sleepover. next morning, the Freeman family trailer was in flames and both girls were missing.
the case unfortunately remain unsolved and the girls were never found....

In 2015, the Author of this book Jax Miller decided in which to travel to Oklahoma to find out what really happened on that night in 1999,.... What she found was more than she could have ever hoped for:high levels of police negligence and corruption, communities whom are addicted to methamphetamine, and a series/number of interconnected murders with an ominously familiar pattern!!

This true crime case really had me gripped i had a little insight of this before i read this as i have heard a little about this before, and to read more about it was really gripping for me, i thoroughly enjoyed this book, i recommend to all whom like true crime!

5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jax Miller presents a fascinating account of a devastating incident which took place in Welch, Oklahoma at the tail end of 1999. Her writing takes us right into the prairie heartland - the scenery, the climate, the residents. She is unflinchingly honest about the toll investigating and writing this book has taken on her. Jax Miller isn't fearless; she's incredibly courageous and tenacious. If more were like her, less families would have to endure a lifetime devoid of answers. Law enforcement officials would benefit from an ounce of Miller's grit and determination. "Hell In The Heartland" is a shocking, and deeply disturbing, yet brilliant read.