Summary

For the purposes of this study guide, chapter numbers are included.

Part I opens with Chapter 1, "Cassie, 2017," as a first-person narrative from Cassie’s perspective. Cassie reflects on the loss of her mother years earlier and how Cassie and her mother would watch Dateline together. A fascination with true crime is a touchstone for Cassie because she realizes that she “was grasping for something, too. Some kind of dark knowledge, understanding” (4). Cassie writes for a true crime blog, scouring the internet for unusual and remarkable cases to include in the blog. Cassie reads about Lore Rivera, a woman who lived a double life, married to two men, and how one husband killed the other. Cassie’s fiancé Duke returns home from work and the couple drives to visit Duke’s parents. While Duke is supportive of Cassie’s true crime writing, he asks...