Deliver Us

Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields

By: Kathryn Casey

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Over a three-decade span, more than 20 women - many teenagers - died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a 50-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten.

The day she vanished, Colette Wilson waited for her mother after band practice. Best friends Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson loved to surf and were last seen hitchhiking. Laura Kate Smither dreamed of becoming a ballerina and disappeared just weeks before her thirteenth birthday.

In this harrowing true crime exposition, award-winning journalist Kathryn Casey tracks these tragic cases, investigates the evidence, interviews the suspects, and pulls back the cloak of secrecy in search of elusive answers.

©2015 Kathryn Casey (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Casey's vivid writing and dogged research establish her as one of the very best true crime writers in the business." (Carlton Stowers, author of Careless Whispers)

Great book!

Would you listen to Deliver Us again? Why?

Probably not. Not because it wasn't a great book, but I really don't usually go back and read/listen to books twice.

What other book might you compare Deliver Us to and why?

Not sure.

Which scene was your favorite?

The heartbreaking accounts of what the families were going through once their daughters went missing was very well written and researched.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of it.

Any additional comments?

Ok. So here is my only complaint. Tanya Eby did a great job with the narration, EXCEPT when she would go into a man's voice. No reason to lower your voice like 1/2 an octave. She sounded nothing like a man, and it just became annoying and ridiculous. Just use your normal voice. We know when it's a man talking. It was reaaaallllyyyy annoying!

Incredible coverage

Hard to step away from...I listened to the whole thing quick. Really struck a chord since I live in this area. I will also be more aware because of this book. I highly recommend listening and plan to talk about as much as possible since we do not know what a killer looks like.

Excellent.

One of the best true crime books I've read. Well researched and written. Finished it in one day.

Lest We Forget

For any resident of the upper Texas coast who, like so many of our neighbors, remain haunted by these tragedies that occurred time and again “at our doorsteps,” Ms. Casey’s book is a must-read. On the basis of my relative age, many of the women memorialized within these pages could have been my mother. Others yet could have been my sisters. Or my classmates. What stands out for all of us is Ms. Casey’s book is the most comprehensive on this subject to have ever been written. It was necessary to be written. So that we never forget not a one of these many young women—not even the ones whose memories ebb from the collective consciousness with the passage of time. Sincere respect to Kathryn for writing this book. Sincere respect to Gay Smither for her dedication to the vigilance—she is a gracefully formidable and emulable force of humankind. And sincere respect to Tim Miller, who has channeled his grief into hope for thousands before and thousands to come. May we all pray that those do not in fact come.

Creepy creepy creepy

Well researched and bleeping chilling, this was very hard to put down. These stories very scary and terribly heartbreaking. After reading this one I'm inclined to watch my back, never park next to a van, never go running alone or EVER accept road assistance from a stranger. Lock the car doors and call AAA.

Scary True Crime Mystery - Terrible Narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No. This is a great story - lots of detail, names, and dates. In my opinion, some of the details get lost when you listen to it instead of reading it.

What other book might you compare Deliver Us to and why?

The Stranger Beside Me has a similar feel - the victims are not nameless, faceless shapes. The author gives us a glimpse into their lives prior to their deaths. The author also helps us understand how their murders affected their families. She helps us to care about everyone involved.

How could the performance have been better?

Tanya Eby has an amazing voice - it just isn't right for a story like this. At times, I felt like she hadn't read the story before narrating it. Some of the scenes she is describing are horrific and Eby sounds like she's narrating a Sweet Valley High novel. As far as characterization, that is nearly absent. Each character sounds the same.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Learning more about these cases was interesting. Probably the most interesting section is the one that focuses on a young man who was (clearly) wrongfully accused of two of the murders by a corrupt police force.

Well researched, well-written

Certainly a book worth reading and good author but I found it a bit tedious at times--probably due to the subject matter. However, I sometimes found it a bit hard to follow the names of the persons involved, sometimes hard to understand the narrator in this regard.

Great book, bad performance

The story itself is well written and very interesting. I grew up in the area that the book refers to and it was distracting and frustrating for the reader to consistently mispronounce the names of the areas mentioned. Ms. Casey did a fantastic job of researching every detail for this book and it was very aggravating hear the names of my beloved area mispronounced.

Sickening cases...

I'm from Galveston county, Texas and know all too well about all the girls who've been murdered in the area. It's so sickening to think that the area of Texas I grew up at had so many serial killers living & hunting in the area.

Fascinating Story

I live in the area this documentary is based on and drive up and down I45 pretty much everyday. It gave me chills to hear the accounts especially when I pass certain areas. Great book.