I Know Who You Are

September 1, 2022

In Bloodbath Nation, Man Booker short-listed novelist Auster assays the history of gun violence in the United States from the time of the first white settlers through the current mass shootings that make the country the most violent in the Western world. A New York Times best-selling author (Unfair), law professor Benforado uses real-life portraits in A Minor Revolution to detail how the United States fails its children, with 11 million in poverty, 4 million lacking health insurance, thousands prosecuted as adults, and countless struggling in substandard public schools mere miles from the polished halls of elite private institutions. Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University, Bloom recapitulates one of Yale's most popular courses in Pysch, offering an up-to-date understanding of the mind's workings--particularly in the context of key contemporary moral and sociopolitical issues (75,000-copy first printing). CNN senior legal analyst Honig (Hatchet Man) challenges the two-tier justice system in the United States that allows the wealthy, the celebrated, and particularly the powerful to be Untouchable (35,000-copy first printing). In A Woman's Life Is a Human Life, historian Kornbluh (The Battle for Welfare Rights) offers a timely overview of a half-century's worth of fighting for reproductive rights. Having unearthed the dismal origins of climate change denial in Merchants of Doubt, Oreskes and Conway tackle another Big Myth, the magic of the marketplace, from the early 1900s business challenges to regulations through to the down-with-big-government cries still prevailing (150,000-copy first printing). Owens, a Black gay journalist with Forbes 30 Under 30 credentials, makes The Case for Cancel Culture by repositioning it not as suppression or put-down but as a key means of democratic expression and accountability (60,000-copy first printing). The mega-best-selling novelist Patterson joins with his Walk in My Combat Boots coauthor Eversmann and thriller writer Mooney to Walk the Blue Line, telling the true-life stories of police officers (300,000-copy first printing). Named by Nature among "10 People Who Mattered in Science in 2018," retired biologist and investigative genetic genealogist Rae-Venter explains in I Know Who You Are how she found a serial killer in 63 days after he had eluded authorities for 44 years. The New York Times reporter charged with covering the Federal Reserve, Smialek shows in Limitless how this formerly behind-the-curtains institution has been forced into greater transparency by rising inequality, falling global economic prospects, and the ravages of pandemic. A political reporter for the Daily Beast who has spent the last several years tracking QAnon, Sommer explains what it is, why it has gained traction, what dangers it poses, and how to shake adherents loose from its dogma in Trust the Plan (100,000-copy first printing; originally scheduled for March 2022).Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, respectively, at NYU School of Law, Yoshino and Glasgow investigate how we can Say the Right Thing in an era when issues of race, gender equity, and LGBTQ+ inclusiveness are at the forefront.

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2022
The story of an amateur detective who helped solve a notorious cold case, altering the field of criminology in the process. New Zealand-born Rae-Venter became an investigative genealogist purely by accident. Having just concluded a lengthy career as a patent attorney, the author honed an innate puzzle-solving disposition with a "postretirement hobby" of volunteering as a genetic genealogist working with adoptees. In 2017, her diligent work and background experience in biotechnology caught the attention of California cold-case investigator Paul Holes, who requested her assistance in the search to identify the Golden State Killer. Using revolutionary new techniques, including DNA genotyping, Rae-Venter scrutinized the details of the killer's "rape-and-killing spree that spanned the twelve years between 1974 and 1986." The author familiarizes readers with several other dauntingly complex, engrossing cold cases--e.g., that of Lisa Jensen, who was abducted by a paternal imposter as a child; the grisly quadruple-victim Bear Brook murders--to which she contributed before helping crack the riveting GSK case. Successfully overcoming cardiac issues, Rae-Venter devoted herself to the investigation, noting how the killer's sadistic "reign of terror and mayhem" sunk her into "some very dark places, darker than anywhere I had been before." Her chronicle is a solid testament to the evolution of genetic forensic science and how it has made investigators more effective in apprehending criminals, both from cold cases and those in real time. It's also an examination of corrupted humanity gone haywire and the thrill and release of an abuser being brought to justice. Rae-Venter was eventually encouraged by her son to rescind her request for anonymity (initiated for fear of her safety) and go public with her pivotal role in identifying and apprehending Joseph James DeAngelo as the GSK. In doing so, the author demonstrated the importance of forensic DNA testing as a consequential game-changer in criminal justice. Fascinating true-crime reportage infused with cinematic suspense.

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Starred review from December 19, 2022
Investigative genetic genealogist Rae-Venter debuts with a remarkable account of how law-enforcement tapped into her use of DNA matches “to build family trees and help solve unknown parentage issues.” Upon retirement from her career as a patent attorney, Rae-Venter dove into researching her family tree, using DNA tests to identify relatives. In 2015, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department sought her help identifying the real identity of a 30-something woman, Lisa Jensen, who was abducted as a young child. Rae-Venter’s use of Jensen’s DNA enabled her to establish Jensen’s real name, and in another case identify a serial killer. These successes paved the way for her involvement in the Golden State Killer case; her dogged research revealed ex-cop Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. to be the person responsible for dozens of rapes and murders in California during the 1970s and ’80s, crimes for which he pleaded guilty in 2020. Rae-Venter makes the science accessible and delves into the controversy that forensic genealogy has engendered because of privacy concerns. She is less bothered by those qualms, believing fears of a dystopian future stemming from law-enforcement use of genetic information are overwrought. It’s an eye-opening and thought-provoking contribution to the true crime genre. Agent: Frank Weimann, Folio Literary Management.

February 1, 2023
After earning a PhD in biology and working as a patent attorney, Rae-Venter retired and turned her talents to the field of genealogy. What began as a hobby, researching her own family history, quickly turned to fixation. She began volunteering as a genetic genealogist to help adoptees find their biological families. News of her skills traveled all the way to Paul Holes, the lead investigator for the Golden State Killer cold case (chronicled in Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark, 2018, and solved following the book's release). Holes contacted the author, who, with her team, solved the 30-year-old case in a matter of months. Rae-Venter details much of the work involved in this case and several others, including the notorious Bear Brook murders. Her book is both an interesting take on true crime and a crash course in genetic genealogy and the qualities needed for a successful practitioner. While occasionally repetitive, it's ultimately a rewarding, inspiring read on the biggest breakthrough in solving cases and identifying remains since DNA testing.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023

After retiring as a biotechnology patent attorney, Rae-Venter decided to volunteer as a genetic genealogist for DNAAdoption. Her first case as an amateur sleuth was to help find the true identity of a child abductee using genetic genealogy, and she was successful. She was eventually asked to work on a case that had haunted law enforcement for nearly 50 years. Over the course of 44 years, the Golden State Killer had committed 13 murders, dozens of rapes, and 160 other violent offenses. It took her only 63 days to identify the killer, but there was backlash when people realized that their DNA had been used to identify the culprit. Still, Rae-Venter is now viewed as a leader in the field of investigative genetic genealogy, the newest tool used by law enforcement to solve both cold cases and current crimes. It's limited, however, since not all major genealogy/DNA analysis companies have agreed to make their data accessible. VERDICT Rae-Venter describes other cases she helped solve, which is fascinating, but she uses genealogical terms that may be challenging for some readers to follow. Nevertheless, this book belongs in libraries that have a solid true crimes collection.--Michael Sawyer

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.