Omg what a epic book! New to me authors and I for sure will share this with others! I would love to read more by this author and give this way more than five stars here! Excellent!

I’m a pretty avid reader of true crime, and actually had lived in South Carolina for sometime and had never heard of the “boy in the woods” case. It was refreshing to see a “new” story being told; however, I wasn’t crazy about the author’s flow of writing. Such as how he tries to phonetically spell the accented words of southern folk. I know a lot of his purpose was to get the story of Frank and his family out there, but a good portion of this was less about the crime and more about the family.

The Case: Journalist Jim Cosgrove gives a detailed account of his decades-long investigation into the unsolved case of "boy into woods", Frank McGonigle whose body was discovered in a wooded area at Murrells Inlet in the 1980s.

My thoughts: I have not heard of this case before and so I am glad to learn about it in this book. Any cold case investigation is definitely not an easy one and the author did an excellent job in trying to find out what happened to Frank, a family friend from his childhood. We read about his interviews with Frank's family, friends, and the people living in that community, including the author's interactions with psychic or energy reader Carol. To be honest, this part threw me off a bit.

The author shares this story with compassion, care and respect and I appreciated that a lot. But I did find the structure of the book was a bit confusing with jumpy timelines, and some parts did slow down a lot.

Overall, this was a pretty quick read and if you're looking for more of a memoir kind of true crime book, this may be the one for you.


Pub Date: April 5th, 2022

***Thank you Steerforth for this gifted review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

This is one of the best true crime books I've read. The author, Jim Cosgrove (known to many families across the globe as children's entertainer "Mr Stinky Feet"), handles this murder case with sensitivity and respect. You get right in the trenches with him as he interviews Frank McGonigle's family members, friends, and others in Frank's circle. Cosgrove shares dreams and anecdotes, including his interactions with "energy reader" Carol Williams, that are weirdly uncanny. I really appreciated how peaceful and hauntingly beautiful the conclusion of this book is. I recommend this one to any true crime aficionado, especially those interested in Kansas City crime.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my e-arc.

I enjoyed this story, it was well written, had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it

I received an ARC of, Ripple, by Jim Cosgrove. This was an interesting book. Who killed Frank? That is the question this book revolves around.

The title very accurately describes the book. Decades later, an unsolved murder still has no explanation. Except for theories from small town gossip and a psychic. This book is more about the journey of grief this large family goes through- a different perspective than most true crime books. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and different read.

Thank you, NetGalley for the gift copy.

True crime and mysteries are two of my favorite genres so I was definitely looking forward to reading Ripple by Jim Cosgrove.

Unfortunately, by 30% into the book, the story just didn't grab me and I ended up DNF'ing. Please do not let this dissuade you from trying this book. You might like it just fine. I just think the author's style of storytelling didn't work for me.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because while it wasn't the book for me, it might be the perfect book for someone else.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request.

An engrossing read!
If you love watching true crime documentaries on Netflix or listening to true crime podcasts then this book is for you.

Jim Cosgrove’s book, Ripple, is a true crime book about the case of “the boy in the woods.” He was eventually identified as Frank McGonigle from Kansas City, MO after many years. Jim knew Frank’s family and decided to go to Murrells Inlet, SC in his twenties to see what he could find out about the case. He encountered “energy reader” Carol, who helped him with the case. In 2019, he returns to Murrells Inlet, SC to see what else he can uncover and solve the case for good. This book did not really grab my attention and it seemed like solving the case was really just info from a psychic and rumors in the neighborhood. Thanks to Netgalley, Jim Cosgrove, and Penguin Randomhouse for the copy to review. This book will be released on April 5, 2022.

Thank you @steerforthpress @netgalley and the author for the gifted copy! Out April 5!

I have been wanting to read more non-fiction, especially true crime. I thought this one sounded intriguing. The case of Frank McGonnigles disappearance and the mystery behind his murder definitely is a subject that I thought would grab my attention. I'm sad to say that this one just didn't work for me, although I did find certain parts Interesting. I definitely think this was a well written book, but it was a bit too wordy for me. I can see others enjoying this one if they're big true crime fans.

Journalist Jim Cosgrove takes us on the journey with him as he investigates an unsolved case from the 1980s. When Frank Mcgonigle left his family’s home, he was never heard from again. Cosgrove took a personal interest since he knew the family and as he delves deeper into Frank’s disappearance, his friendship with the family grows. I thought this book was very respectfully written, not only to the victim and his family but also the suspects. Cosgrove was able to somehow show both the light and darkness in all of these people, showing how complex human beings can be, while taking the reader on a long and winding road to get to the truth. The first part of the book was a little slow, as the groundwork was laid, but once the second part started I couldn’t put this book down. Even the paranormal/psychic aspect that helped solve this case was fascinating and touching. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction but I do love a good true crime story. This book reminded me quite a bit of a true crime show that my husband and I love called “Mindhunter” - I could just see it unfolding in a similar way. Thanks to Netgalley, Jim Cosgrove and Penguin Randomhouse for the copy to review. This book releases April 5, 2022 and my review will also be posted to my Instagram blog books_by_the_bottle shortly.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Author Cosgrove’s journalism background comes through clearly in this true crime narrative. At times the descriptions of settings become unnecessarily flowery and lengthy, and some of his meandering presentation the investigative encounters could be minimized. He creates a complete picture of a troubled young man who remains missing, whereabouts and fate unknown, for nearly a decade. He also describes a family in grief and their individual reactions, at times with repetition and excess. The actual police investigation progress provided interest, and the uncanny accuracy of the details provided by a psychic met accidentally add color and energy to the narrative. Judicious editing of the copious notes recorded would benefit the book, especially as the crime was never conclusively solved.

Jim Cosgrove’s book Ripple is about a personal journey he took to better understand the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and murder of a family friend from his childhood. The author’s personal account and interviews with family members and potential witnesses give the reader a touching and intimate look at a family’s grief and how their loss changed their dynamic. Rather than a book dramatizing the thoughts and actions of a killer, Jim Cosgrove’s connection with the family and his quest to find the truth is respectful and easy to follow. The author goes into this search as a regular person, he doesn’t have special privileges or access to lawyers, but he uses his investigative skills to track down available information and living witnesses to piece together an account of what happened in the best way anyone could if they took the time that he did. The author’s open-mindedness to spirituality gives this story a unique twist to other true crime type novels and as a Dead fan could relate to the victim, a few parts gave me goose bumps. I recommend.

Ripple tells the story of how a trainee journalist is caught up in the story of the disappearance and subsequent discovery of the murder of a young man from Kansas City in the 1980s. It provides a deep dive into the family's reaction to nine years of uncertainty about Frank McGonnigle's fate and decades of mystery about his violent death. All of this is well handled. My issue with the book, definitely a personal one, is that I found the recourse to psychic interventions frankly off-putting to say the least and this considerably reduced my enjoyment. So although the family emotions, the evocation of time and place are all well handled, I can only award the book a three star rating.

Very well written and authentic but for some reason the story didn’t reach out and grab me in a way that forced me to keep reading. A sad case of a disappearance in the author’s hometown and a worthy story to tell. However, this book just didn’t work out for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc..

Jim Cosgrove’s book Ripple is a thoughtfully written and detailed account of the life and tragic death of Frank McGonigle. The author grew up in the same Kansas community as Frank, knew his family, and ultimately became involved in helping to uncover information about his murder.

Jim has documented this true crime narrative in a way that makes the reader feel like they are accompanying him on his journey of discovery. His attention to detail and wonderfully evocative descriptions of people, places and the emotional aspects of his odyssey are engaging and often poignant. The fortuitous meeting and relationship with Carol an energy reader is a fascinating and thought-provoking aspect of the story. Jim Cosgrove shares many personal insights while navigating his investigation of Frank’s story and imparts many deep and penetrating pearls of wisdom in concluding his book. Over the course of the many years it took to investigate and write the book, the author’s personal attitudes and mindset about the events and people surrounding Frank McGonigle’s life and death matured, and his reflections offer a sensitive and compassionate view applied to that experience and life in general. I found this a particularly strong, unexpected, and satisfying outcome.

Ripple is a captivating and worthwhile read and I would highly recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Steerforth Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What an emotional rollercoaster this was.
I am so grateful that Jim Cosgrove shared this story with the world.
It is an emotive, haunting, compelling, tragic, stoical and almost unbelievable story, and I felt as though I was along with Jim for the entire journey.
The writing is exceptionally good.
An easy 4 plus star rating from me, I don’t think anything will top how good this book is for a long while.

YOO!

I mainly picked this up for the book cover but god DANG this was such a fun ride! It was great curling up in my bed while doing online school and just getting sucked into the characters’ world and their relationships