Ripple

A Long Strange Search for a Killer

By: Jim Cosgrove

Narrated by: Jim Cosgrove

“Riveting... a personal and highly original work of true-crime storytelling.” — John Douglas, former FBI criminal profiling pioneer and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Mindhunter

A chilling investigation into the unsolved “boy in the woods” murder; journalist Jim Cosgrove chronicles his decades-long struggle to uncover the truth of a family friend’s disappearance and death—perfect for fans of I'll be Gone in the Dark and Memorial Drive.

For nine years, South Carolina officials struggled to identify “the boy in the woods,” a young man whose body had been discovered just south of Myrtle Beach in a fishing village called Murrells Inlet.

Meanwhile, 1,200 miles away in Kansas City, Missouri, Frank McGonigle's family searched for him at Grateful Dead concerts and in the face of every long-haired hitchhiker they passed. Consumed by guilt for how they'd treated him, Frank's eight siblings slowly came to understand that—like Jerry Garcia sang—he's gone and nothin's gonna bring him back.

Frank McGonigle was finally found—and identified as “the boy in the woods.”

Four years later, the case still unsolved, Jim Cosgrove, a McGonigle family friend and investigative journalist, picked up the trail of Frank’s cold case and began uncovering connections to a ruthless local crime boss and blunders by the threadbare sheriff’s department.

When his research began to stall, a chance meeting with the soft-hearted, straight-talking “energy reader” Carol Williams provided a metaphysical spark that reignited Jim's resolve. Although his work as a journalist trained him to be skeptical, Cosgrove found himself starting to become a believer when Carol provided details about Frank’s murder that turned out to be freakishly accurate.

In 2019, Cosgrove returned to Murrells Inlet with one of Frank’s brothers to dredge up some old leads and settle Frank’s case once and for all…

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Jim Cosgrove (P)2022 Steerforth

Critic reviews

"Cosgrove masterfully weaves together the family's fabric and spends enough time with each of them to capture their individual characters, drawing the reader into their search for Frank. His conversational tone makes this an easy read for all, especially true crime lovers."
--Booklist

“Thoroughly riveting and ultimately redeeming examination of an American mystery. Like a great profiler, Cosgrove reveals both the darkness and light in his subjects."
--John Douglas, FBI criminal profiling pioneer and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Mindhunter

“Both a true-life murder mystery and a family saga, Ripple is, at the same time, a lament for the universal human condition. Through sensitive prose and self-revealing introspection, Jim Cosgrove chronicles his decades-long quest to uncover the truth of a family friend’s disappearance and death and, in the process, has produced a moving and revealing chronicle of the challenge in truly knowing what is in another person's heart.”
--Mark Olshaker, documentary filmmaker, novelist and co-author of Mindhunter and The Killer’s Shadow

A story well told

standing on his own truth Jim, presenting evidence, allowed the reader and listeners to draw conclusion.

Great story...very original story telling.

Much more than just a true crime story...tells the story of the family and the victim beyond his death. plus the narrator voice is very soothing, nice cadence.

Good story.

I grew up in the same neighborhood in an Irish Catholic family with nine kids. I know all these names. It is painful to hear what Frank went through and subsequently what his entire family experienced. I am glad they found him and have some peace. God Bless☘️

Authentic voice and compelling story

Jim Cosgrove is a master story teller. Far from his “Mr. Stinky Feet” persona, he approaches the story with an unshakable curiosity and skill. He honors the dead while not shying away from the brutal reality of the crime. Throughly enjoyed the cast of characters. A quick and compelling read.

Great story

Great true crime story. Narration is good. I got a little distracted by the southern accent used for some characters. Writing is captivating, though sometimes the author uses overly poetic or flowery language to express a simple idea. I would listen to this one again.

Amazing storytelling

Jim Cosgrove did an amazing job telling this story, and bringing to light the unsolved but far from unknown mystery of what happened to Frank McGonigle. There is definitely some culpability left up in the air, but there are no doubts that the people involved were all the men mentioned in the book.

Unsolved, but not forgotten

I enjoyed reading through this book. There were a lot of unique perspectives brought by the author, who had a tangible relationship to the family, due to his brothers friendships with some of the older McGonigle boys.

When Frank left home, his family thought that he would be back. But when days turned into weeks, then months, and finally years - the dread of what had happened to their son and brother was beyond the pale. They hoped that he was out looking for his fame and fortune, trying to make something of his life. But the hard truth was that he had been murdered, and was known as "The Boy in the Woods." As the case unfolds and the pieces started coming together, there was a lot of mistakes uncovered, the blunders of a small police office, and the mastermind that most likely got away with murder. As the family continued their search for answers, Jim started looking into the case, hoping to bring some closure. Instead, he found even more than he was looking for - and while the answers might not ever be known fully, there are enough inferences to draw from to figure out who was involved, and what most likely happened.

This was an interesting read, and an overall great book.

Great sad and true story with KC history

I knew this story but Jim tells it in a way you won't forget.