Every parent’s worst nightmare came true for the Ridulph family … their 7-year-old daughter Maria went missing from their neighborhood. Leaving virtually no trace except some footprints in the snow, and a vague description of a man from Maria’s friend Kathy, the case went cold. Even after a body was found, nothing helped lead police to the killer.

This book tells the story of the missing girl, her family, and the suspect who eventually was arrested (spoiler alert) — decades later. This was the longest-standing unsolved cold case in the US.

This might be a little long of a read for some, but I found it to be very thoroughly researched and also well-written. Cold cases are like puzzles, or mazes, that lead investigators down many paths, most of them incorrect. They must look into every lead, no matter how small, because it might uncover something big. In this case, some small pieces of evidence came together – like an unused train ticket – and formed a larger picture.

For the true crime junkies, it’s definitely one you need to read.