I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts, not far from where these murders took place. At the time, I was in my early twenties, about the same age as the victims. The murders were on the news a lot and people were always speculating. I remembered the basics, and I know the area well, so this book appealed to me for those reasons.

The book title is more a euphemism than a fact. The woman were left along the sides of highways, in deep grassy areas, but not buried at all.

The writing style is easy to read, with a conversational type of narrative.

The author excels at humanizing the victims. We get to know them as people, rather than just the drug addicts/prostitutes they were known as during the time of the murders. We also meet their families and see what it was like for them personally.

Another aspect the author excels at is showing the politics behind the investigation. In many ways, New Bedford had a small town feel back then, including the way a handful of politicians ran things. The investigation suffered because of the backroom politics.

Some of the content gets repetitive, while some aspects could have been addressed with more depth. For instance, New Bedford was a town known for lots of crime. I clearly remember being told to stay out of New Bedford, particularly at night, and to never drive there alone. It was, in many respects, more renown for crime than Boston was. But the town wasn't always that way, and it wasn't even all bad then. I would've liked for the author to better address how and why the town fell apart as it did.

This isn't the type of true crime book where you get a lot of information about the killer, because we don't know for sure who the killer was. The murders were never solved. This book is more about giving dignity back to the victims, as well as highlighting a lot of crazy stuff going on in a Massachusetts town. ( )

Shallow Graves by Maureen Boyle was the story for the hunt of the New Bedford, Mass., serial killer in the 1980's. The author did a very good job telling about the victims, their families, and the suspects. This was a great true crime read. ( )

I normally devour true crime stories, however the descriptions of this book were way off base of the actual killings. I understand the importance of knowing who the detectives were and what was happening in their lives, health problems, etc. I did not learn much about the victims, except for two of the ine. The details surrounding the politics of this case were vital, but overshadowed the actual crime. I finished the book with n new knowledge than if I just googled the case myself. ( )

Doyle takes us back to the crime fighting days before computers. Handwritten or typed reports, no way to find out if a crime nearby was similar to one committed in your jurisdiction without a phone call, no DNA, all add up to the likelihood that a serial killer won't be caught. They didn't have all the labwork available we have today.

Doyle's meticulous research, complete with photos, makes this an interesting, riveting read. ( )

This is a terribly sad story, and the reader will be left haunted by the victims. They were women who seemed lost - who became drug addicts, or prostitutes because they really needed the money. Often they had supportive family, but somehow they just seemed overwhelmed by life.
And so they were preyed upon by a disturbing and odd killer, a lawyer who loved cats and was himself a drug addict. (Although the case is never solved, this man seems to be the perpetrator.)
The author is at her best when writing about the people. I really appreciated that we get to know the victims and the police working on the case. You will feel the frustration the investigators experienced as they worked to solve the murders only to discover yet another body, and see what devastation the deaths brought to families. I will certainly never forget the mother who loved her daughter's wedding picture, where the young woman looks pretty and hopeful; later, when I saw the same woman in an online photo it was like another person: thin, haggard, destroyed by drugs.
Sometimes the reporting on the investigation itself was a bit tedious, but that, of course, reflects the reality of a murder investigation. So this book does not fall into the "I could not put it down" category.
Instead, "Shallow Graves" provides a rare chance to really experience police work - it's a bit like actually being there on the case - in all its frustrations, surprising discoveries, pain and very, very difficult days. ( )