Review: The Idaho Murders - James Patterson and Vicky Ward

Review: The Idaho Murders - James Patterson and Vicky Ward - July 2025

There are some books you pick up out of curiosity, and then there are books you pick up because you simply have to. For me, The Idaho Murders was firmly the latter. True crime has been a long-time love of mine, and James Patterson has been on my shelves for years, so when I heard these two forces had come together to tackle the Moscow, Idaho case, I knew I'd be settling in with this one sooner rather than later.

I followed this case closely as it unfolded in the news, piecing together fragments here and there the way we all did. But nothing quite prepared me for how much more there was to learn. James Patterson and Vicky Ward have done something genuinely remarkable here, drawing on over 300 exclusive interviews to build a picture of what happened on that terrible night of 13th November 2022, when four young lives were taken far too soon.

What struck me most, curled up with this book over several evenings, was how the authors handled the human side of this tragedy. The Mogens, Goncalves, Kernodles, and Chapin families are never reduced to headlines here. Their grief, their love for their children, and their courage in the face of unimaginable loss are given the space and respect they deserve. It's the kind of writing that makes you put the book down for a moment, just to sit with it.

Equally compelling is the deep dive into Bryan Kohberger himself. I thought I understood the broad strokes of who he was, but this book peels back so many more layers, painting a fuller, more unsettling picture of the isolation and mindset that preceded such devastation.

I also appreciated the honest look at the investigation itself. James Patterson and Vicky Ward don't shy away from asking hard questions about what law enforcement got right and, just as importantly, where they may have stumbled. It felt balanced rather than sensational, which is exactly what a case like this deserves.

By the time I turned the final page, I felt like I understood this case in a way I hadn't before, not just the facts, but the people at the heart of it. If you've followed this story even a little, or if you simply appreciate true crime that's handled with care and depth, this one belongs on your reading list.

Highly recommended, and one that will stay with me for a long while.

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B03glbOuC