Katherine Dykstra

Journalist Katherine Dykstra takes authorial intrusion and editorialization to new heights in this true crime tale. The 18-year-old victim, Paula Oberbroeckling, may or may not have died after a botched abortion. Almost fifty years after the fact, Dykstra and her mother-in-law, a documentary filmmaker, examine the evidence and try to solve the cold case. Unfortunately, by this time, memories are dim and key figures in the case are deceased or unwilling to talk, so the two amateur sleuths don't get very far. But the narrative does give Dykstra opportunities to offer cliched opinions about the limitations of Paula's life, the disadvantages of her model-quality beauty, and the small-town controversies surrounding Paula's dating relationship with a Black man. When Dykstra runs out of things to say about Paula, she pads the text with stories about her own experiences and those of her own family.

This book was a disappointing read.… (meer)