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Bitter Remains

A Custody Battle, a Gruesome Crime, and the Mother Who Paid the Ultimate Price

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Bitter Remains

Written by: Diane Fanning
Narrated by: Karyn O'Bryant
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On July 13, 2011, Laura Jean Ackerson of Kinston, North Carolina, went to pick up her two toddler sons. It would be the last time she was seen alive. Laura's ex, Grant Hayes - the father of her two sons - and his wife, Amanda, the mother of his newborn daughter, both pointed the finger at each other as the one guilty of murdering Laura, cutting up her body, and then transporting and disposing of the remains on the shores of Oyster Creek, Texas. This is the hauntingly true story of a devoted mother, a disturbed couple, and how these horrific events came to pass.

©2016 Diane Fanning (P)2016 Tantor Murder Relationships True Crime Crime

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Essentially the title. The book read similarly to a podcast that went on too long.

Like a podcast that went on too long

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There's nothing particularly attention-grabbing about the crime in this exposé: Dismembering a corpse and driving across the country with the body parts is pretty scandalous, and the defendants each claiming that the other one is the guilty party isn't terribly common.. but author Diane Fanning goes as in-depth as possible in exploring a relatively mundane case. Meticulously-researched backgrounds, well-conducted interviews, and word-for-word court transcripts inform the documentary. The writing is furthermore capable and satisfyingly free of artistic license.
Less fortunately, I was never captivated by the events discussed (my mind wandered annoyingly frequently).

Tantor Audio Inc. doesn't help the situation by casting Karyn O'Bryant to read the book, either. Beyond an injudicious attempt at a Southern Drawl, she isn't really deficient, mind you.. just unspectacular. The presentation is best described as "adequate".

If you can get 'Bitter Remains' as a free 'Plus' option, it's not a waste of your time. Should they ask for a Credit for this 5.5/10-star audiobook, however, spend it elsewhere.

"Passable" True Crime

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The cadence of the performance makes the book feel super long. I pushed through but could have DNFd and thought nothing of it.

Not my favorite of 2025

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