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In Light of All Darkness

Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child

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In Light of All Darkness

Written by: Kim Cross
Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
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About this listen

Paced like a thriller and full of insider information, this book embeds listeners in one of the most famous true-crime stories of our generation—the kidnapping of Polly Klaas.

On October 1, 1993, a 12-year-old girl was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom in Petaluma, California, during a sleepover with two friends, while her mother slept soundly in the room next door. This rarest of all kidnappings—a stranger abduction from the home—triggered one of the largest manhunts in FBI history.

New York Times bestselling author Kim Cross has written the first comprehensive account of what happened on that fateful night in October, as well as how the case forever transformed the Bureau’s approach to solving crimes. With unprecedented access to case files, crime scene photos, a videotaped murder confession, and inside sources, In Light of All Darkness follows the investigators who pieced together the evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of the kidnapper—and made the victim a household name and a girl who will never be forgotten.

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

©2023 Kim Cross (P)2023 Grand Central Publishing
True Crime Disappearance Abduction Runaway

What the critics say

“Kim Cross has taken a story we thought we knew and shown so much more, a life beyond the headlines. I cut myself on parts of it, as the author put a human face—and spirit—on this great sadness, and the mystery that haunted us. It is written without adornment, but still rich in details. That is a hard thing to do.”—Rick Bragg, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

"Riveting… reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching revelations."—Beth Macy author of Dopesick and Raising Lazarus

"A terrifying story told with compassion, empathy, and insight. Meticulously researched, In Light of All Darkness illuminates a murder that stunned the nation and the complex forensic science used to solve the case. Try as I might, I couldn’t turn these heart-thumping pages fast enough–and neither, I suspect, will you."—Kathryn Miles, author of Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders

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Very well researched

I was surprised that I didn't know anything about this case before reading this book, because it's quite well known. It's the case that led to the "3 strikes you're out" law in the U.S. The book was really well written and researched. A proper voice actor was used, so the narration was perfect. For a chronological retelling of a true crime case, it read like a fast paced novel.
I appreciate the author's note that such attention to missing white kids is not mirrored when the child is a POC. All missing children deserve this level of attention and this amount of resources.

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FASCINATING CASE REVIEW & MORE!

This was a fascinating and heartbreaking review of all that can go wrong and all that can go right in the abduction and murder of a child. I loved the detailed researched review of this case and the historical review of other cases, changes to forensic and other legal practices and laws that were beautifully woven into the Polly Klass case. I appreciated as well the reference to how some cases receive such national and international attention, while others get very little, often based on race, color, life situation, financial status and more. We need to do better. Every child; every human deserves better. Thank you for a very well researched, educational and informative overview of all of the above.

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