Two Truths and a Lie: A Murder, a Private Investigator, and Her Search for Justice
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- Create Date：2021-02-03 04:20:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ellen McGarrahan
- ISBN：9780812998665
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Editor Reviews
In these beautifully written pages we find both a page-turning whodunit and a sobering assessment of the American justice system。 We walk， at times nervously， in McGarrahan’s footsteps as she reinvestigates the brutal murder that led to that ugly execution， and we find ourselves weeping with her when it becomes clear that there is only one thing of which we can be certain: In our country， meting out punishment is far easier than seeking， finding， and telling the truth。”—Heather Ann Thompson， author of Blood in the Water
“Two Truths and a Lie is a masterpiece—more honest than In Cold Blood and more profound than The Executioner’s Song。 A brilliant addition to the literature of crime and punishment。”—David Von Drehle， New York Times bestselling author of Triangle
“Both mesmerizing page-turner and haunting meditation on various shades of guilt 。 。 。 As the best stories do， Two Truths and a Lie leads us through a fascinating case at breakneck speed， until we find ourselves confronting the elusive nature of truth itself。”—Claudia Rowe， author of The Spider and the Fly
“My heart was in my throat through each page of this captivating memoir of a private investigator’s search for truth， justice， and resolution。 McGarrahan chases her story across the globe， drawing near to a cast of fascinating and dangerous characters along the way。 All important stories involve some risk， and McGarrahan laid her life on the line for this one。”—Sarah Gerard， author of Sunshine State
“McGarrahan’s eagle eye and relentless drive to learn the truth—whatever it may be—carry us with her on this powerful and fascinating journey。”—Eilene Zimmerman， author of Smacked
“[A] vivid re-examination of a puzzling double murder 。 。 。 Journalist and private investigator McGarrahan’s debut is an engrossing， authoritative fusion of true crime and memoir…。a An accomplished， unsettling look at a confounding crime and larger issues of memory， culpability， and punishment。”—Kirkus （starred review）
“Journalist-turned-PI McGarrahan brings readers along on her affecting quest to discover the truth about who killed two law enforcement officers in 1976 Florida。 。 。 。 McGarrahan’s blend of detective work and insights into the criminal justice system makes this must reading for fans of Errol Morris’s The Thin Blue Line。”—Publishers Weekly （starred review）
Reviews
1ody
，
I found I had mixed feelings on this one。 The story was so interesting as it follows along with former reporter turned private detective， Ellen McGarrahan。 While working as a new reporter， she saw a prisoner put to death in an execution in the electric chair， and it has haunted her ever since。 She always wondered if he was guilty of his crimes or not。 Some years later， it appears she had opportunities to dig into the story in her new job as a PI， when it started to really bother her again。 She went back and began looking into it seriously， interviewing people and looking at police files and court records。 Does she find out who really killed the cops， if it was the man she saw executed， or his girlfriend or co-conspirator？ All three were at the scene and had access to weapons。 You will have to read this twisty book to find out。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley， author Ellen McGarrahan， and the publisher。
Kathy
，
Journalist turned private investigator turned author Ellen McGarrahan covered and attended the execution of Jesse Tafero， 43， in May 1990 in Stark， Florida。 Tafero， convicted for the murders of two policemen， did not die easily。 The electric chair malfunctioned， sending out flames and smoke， and required three jolts of electricity over the course of seven minutes rather than the usual one jolt and one minute to kill the prisoner。 It would haunt McGarrahan for decades to come。 So much so， that af Journalist turned private investigator turned author Ellen McGarrahan covered and attended the execution of Jesse Tafero， 43， in May 1990 in Stark， Florida。 Tafero， convicted for the murders of two policemen， did not die easily。 The electric chair malfunctioned， sending out flames and smoke， and required three jolts of electricity over the course of seven minutes rather than the usual one jolt and one minute to kill the prisoner。 It would haunt McGarrahan for decades to come。 So much so， that after she quit her job as a journalist and became a private investigator she decided to look into the case and determine for herself whether， as she suspected， an innocent man had died at the state's hands。 The truth of what happened the day the police officers were murdered will most likely never be known in full， but there appear to have been sufficient contradictions in the evidence and testimonies associated with the case that it seems odd to this reader that the prosecution was able to prove Tafero's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury。The read overall is a bit uneven; steady and even gripping in some parts， a bit boggy and repetitive in others; but that's probably the way real investigations go。 Though the basis of the book is the guilt or innocence of Tafero， the broader issue on the board is the death penalty itself and whether it provides justice。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for permitting me access to an advanced copy of the book which is scheduled for publication on 2/2/21。 Opinions stated in this review are my own。 。。。more
brewabook
，
This one starts off almost like a work of fiction， but by the 3/4 mark I was dolefully aware that it was nonfiction。 Don’t get me wrong I love a good true story who dunnit but it just petered out for me at the end。 I would of given this less stars had the epilogue not been so well written。 The epilogue was so necessary in tying this work of nonfiction up。 “You don’t always know who is telling you the truth and who is lying-especially in a situation like this。 I guarantee you， there’s some people This one starts off almost like a work of fiction， but by the 3/4 mark I was dolefully aware that it was nonfiction。 Don’t get me wrong I love a good true story who dunnit but it just petered out for me at the end。 I would of given this less stars had the epilogue not been so well written。 The epilogue was so necessary in tying this work of nonfiction up。 “You don’t always know who is telling you the truth and who is lying-especially in a situation like this。 I guarantee you， there’s some people that can lie so good that you could not bust them。” This is the crux of the plot。 A journalist needing to find an answer to a crime that haunts her past。 Did she witness the execution of an innocent man？ Two truths and a lie， 3 people involved in a deadly crime but only 1 person is telling the truth。 Ellen sets off on a year long journey to figure out the truth and put the past that haunts her to bed， once and for all。 3 ⭐️ Thank you Netgalley and RandomHouse for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Morgan Hightower
，
Ellen McGarrahan has been haunted by a case since 1990。 She was a young reporter and she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero。 He was charged with murdering two police offers。 She witnessed the execution and something went wrong and he started on fire。 But shortly after his execution people are wondering if they sent the wrong man to death。 This makes her life spiral and she overgoes many life and career changes until she finally decides she has to find out what truly happened。This unfortunatel Ellen McGarrahan has been haunted by a case since 1990。 She was a young reporter and she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero。 He was charged with murdering two police offers。 She witnessed the execution and something went wrong and he started on fire。 But shortly after his execution people are wondering if they sent the wrong man to death。 This makes her life spiral and she overgoes many life and career changes until she finally decides she has to find out what truly happened。This unfortunately was a DNF for me because I was expecting true crime and it was more of a memoir。 I think if I would have gone into it more with the mindset of it being a memoir I would have been able to get more into it but this novel was more about how this crime impacted her life and her choices as opposed to the crime itself。Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Dennis Higgins
，
I was given， Two Truths and a Lie by the author for an honest review。 This book left me with many thoughts and emotions。 The book portrayed a woman that is strong to the core yet vulnerable and sensitive。 I happened to read the book slowly over an extended period。 This helped me get the feel of the long journey the author had， and I journeyed along with her—what an amazing story。 I found myself scared， frustrated， elated at times， and the end left me with a sense of peace。 I was wishing there re I was given， Two Truths and a Lie by the author for an honest review。 This book left me with many thoughts and emotions。 The book portrayed a woman that is strong to the core yet vulnerable and sensitive。 I happened to read the book slowly over an extended period。 This helped me get the feel of the long journey the author had， and I journeyed along with her—what an amazing story。 I found myself scared， frustrated， elated at times， and the end left me with a sense of peace。 I was wishing there really was a time machine through much of the story， a way to go back to that night at the rest stop to see exactly what happened。 If I’m having time travel fantasies， that’s how you know this book struck a chord with me。 I think this book will affect many people， and I can see it as a great film one day。Ellen McGarrahan is an excellent writer and detective。 I admire her talent。 Two Truths and a Lie is a must-read true story。 。。。more
Katie
，
This book was， for lack of a better description， an absolute roller coaster of a read。 I finished it faster than I finish most books， because I simply could not stop reading！ I desperately wanted to know what the author wanted to know: the truth。 Three， maybe even 4， people are convicted of various roles in a shooting。 Two are sent to death row， one ends up facing the electric chair。 Was it the right person though？ The author witnessed the execution in 1990 and it never left her。 She painted the This book was， for lack of a better description， an absolute roller coaster of a read。 I finished it faster than I finish most books， because I simply could not stop reading！ I desperately wanted to know what the author wanted to know: the truth。 Three， maybe even 4， people are convicted of various roles in a shooting。 Two are sent to death row， one ends up facing the electric chair。 Was it the right person though？ The author witnessed the execution in 1990 and it never left her。 She painted the most vivid picture， I felt that I was on the investigation trail with her， right in the seat beside her。 I very nearly started a chart so that I could keep track of the information she was collecting！ One page you think you've got it pegged， who was responsible for shooting 2 law enforcement officers early on the morning of February 20th， 1976。 And then you read the next page and your idea is flipped on its head。 And back and forth it goes - until you are certain that you'll never be sure。 Two Truths and a Lie is the most captivating true crime story I've read in a long time， about a crime that I had no idea had ever even taken place。 I was drawn in and invested in the story right from the first page though。 What I also took from this book is a lesson。 Holding onto things can be damaging。 Am I glad that the author held onto this， and invested all of the time and energy that she did in investigating and writing this book？ Yes， because I enjoyed reading it。 Do I think it was damaging to the author to have held onto something like this for over a quarter century？ Yes， I do。 It took pieces from her life， it consumed her thoughts， it drove her to obsession with finding the truth。 In the end， what she found was not necessarily the truth， but an acceptance of what had transpired。 An acceptance of what she was able to know， and what she might never know。 I think that is the lesson - learning when to accept that what we know is all we may ever know， that we don't get to know everything。 Leaving some things unknown is okay， and we have to find a way to be at peace with it， lest it consume our lives。I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback。 。。。more
Brynn | readyourworriesaway
，
Thank you @randomhouse for the #gifted advance copy。 Two Truths and a Lie comes out on 2/2！Where are my true crime lovers at？ Ellen McGarrahan， journalist-turned-private detective had to cover a death row execution for work， and she hasn’t been able to get it out of her head。 Jesse Tafero was sent to death row after being convicted of murdering two police officers。 When word starts spreading that Tafero may not have committed the murders， McGarrahan becomes haunted by the execution that she witn Thank you @randomhouse for the #gifted advance copy。 Two Truths and a Lie comes out on 2/2！Where are my true crime lovers at？ Ellen McGarrahan， journalist-turned-private detective had to cover a death row execution for work， and she hasn’t been able to get it out of her head。 Jesse Tafero was sent to death row after being convicted of murdering two police officers。 When word starts spreading that Tafero may not have committed the murders， McGarrahan becomes haunted by the execution that she witnessed。 She sets out on a mission to get to the bottom of it。 Was Tafero wrongfully convicted and executed？ I love true crime， and reading this one felt like I was watching a docu-series。 I couldn’t help but put myself in McGarrahan’s shoes and think about the effects it would have on me。 In a way， I was able to understand why she couldn’t put this case to rest。 She had to know if she watched the execution of an innocent man or if he was truly guilty。 Ellen McGarrahan’s writing hooked me from the beginning， and I was trying to piece together the information as she shared it。 I liked that I didn’t have any background knowledge on this case。 Overall， I really enjoyed this one！ 。。。more
Jody Blanchette
，
In May 1990， Ellen McGarrahan was a journalist for the Miami Herald， and was assigned to witness the execution of Jesse Tafero。 Rumors were flying that he was innocent of his accused crime， killing two police officers。 Had she witnessed an innocent man's death？ That traumatic event changed the course of her life。Switching professions， Ellen became a private investigator。 Her quest was for the truth for her clients， as well as herself。 She needed to hear Jesse Taferos whole story， and find out th In May 1990， Ellen McGarrahan was a journalist for the Miami Herald， and was assigned to witness the execution of Jesse Tafero。 Rumors were flying that he was innocent of his accused crime， killing two police officers。 Had she witnessed an innocent man's death？ That traumatic event changed the course of her life。Switching professions， Ellen became a private investigator。 Her quest was for the truth for her clients， as well as herself。 She needed to hear Jesse Taferos whole story， and find out the truth。 This book is an account of her journey for justice， and all of the people she met and connected along the way。Reading Two Truths And A Lie was like watching a docuseries on Netflix。 We get the play by play， small details and character connections that lead to the outcome we all heard about in the news。 The difference in the book， to what you would see on TV， is getting a first hand account with an emotional retelling from someone who chose to investigate for their own need。 Ellen McGarrahan was completley screwed up after watching the execution， and her need for answers became an obsession to heal her。 This is the first time I have heard of this case。 Once I got a few chapters in， and found myself trying to piece things together as well， I was hooked in。 Things didn't add up， too many different stories about how it all happened。 I didnt expect the Mob， Drug Cartel， jewel thieves， excessive amount of guns or the Bonnie and Clyde angel。 I'm still in a funk about all the information I just processed。 This was a great True Crime novel。 The reader is given the facts and the outcome， but are also given the opportunity to figure things out for themselves。 There is no focus on gore， and the victims are mentioned respectfully。 Very informative and personal read。 。。。more
Jessica Woodbury
，
I cannot tolerate most true crime， but I was drawn to this book because the author had a strong tie to the case， when she witnessed a man's execution as a young reporter and couldn't ever shake it。 It's the first time in a long time I've read a book like this where someone gets stuck on a case and you understand completely why。 It's an interesting memoir， and McGarrahan learns a lot， but it's not fully satisfying because the book is about McGarrahan's efforts to learn the truth about whether an I cannot tolerate most true crime， but I was drawn to this book because the author had a strong tie to the case， when she witnessed a man's execution as a young reporter and couldn't ever shake it。 It's the first time in a long time I've read a book like this where someone gets stuck on a case and you understand completely why。 It's an interesting memoir， and McGarrahan learns a lot， but it's not fully satisfying because the book is about McGarrahan's efforts to learn the truth about whether an innocent man was executed when that's not really the thing that's haunting her。 What's haunting her is the death penalty itself， which is only a minor part of this book。 So we can follow along with her quest but it was clear to me all along that she wouldn't find peace because this story was just the thing she could solve， it wasn't the real thing。The last third is the best， the most comprehensive and the most chronological。 Much of the rest of the book jumps around and I wasn't always clear exactly when things were happening。 Because McGarrahan followed the case for decades， especially when the co-defendant in the case is let off of death row on appeal， there are all kinds of things that happen before the main investigation that makes up most of the book。 I wanted it to be clearer， to have a more straightforward narrative。 It's much better when it is and feels muddled in other sections。One reason I don't read true crime much is that I have worked in criminal justice and usually things pile up that rub me wrong or get me frustrated。 I hoped to have less of that in this book， and in a way there was。 But there are things that McGarrahan is absolutely stuck on that an objective observer would be able to easily toss as unreliable or unimportant。 One witness to the crime was a 9-year-old boy that she is talking to 4 decades later， that she wanted him to be a reliable witness surprised me， and that she scolded herself after interviewing him for not pressing him harder with crime scene photos shocked me。 She knows he was a child， she knows after the crime he was held in detention for months， and that because of the crime he was effectively an orphan。 She also cannot drop one statement one person wrote down that allegedly came from the child， but that no one else in the case has ever heard about。 There are several things like this， things that she should know are unreliable， people who are clearly untrustworthy， but she continually berates herself for not pressing harder， convinced that she can get the truth from these sources like water from a stone。 It's very frustrating to read because it was clear to me that there was no way to get the truth from many of these people， that it was something they didn't have or wouldn't give。 But at least you understand why she is so determined。In the end， McGarrahan may not have all the answers， but she does piece together a narrative of the crime that seems like the most likely one。 She's also very effective at questioning the way we accept all kinds of narratives as truth， both to find people guilty and to believe their innocence。 One of the stories is included in the popular play and film THE EXONERATED， and McGarrahan so effectively destroys that story so that not even a shred of it can be believed， that the playwrights should remove it and the play shouldn't be performed again， in my opinion。 Even as someone who is against the death penalty， I can't support outright lies being presented in favor of the position。 Another story is that of jewel thief Jack Murphy， who has become more of a celebrity than a criminal， with stories of his exploits conveniently leaving out a trail of murders and much more。The crime at the center of the story is just one piece， the execution does not go well and is described in detail， there are several other crimes that become relevant and many of them are quite brutal， and include sexual assault。 。。。more
Diana Puckett
，
Engaging memoir。 Lovers of true crime will enjoy this passionate tale。 The author struggles with the possibility that the convicted is innocent and she is plagued by an execution "gone wrong"。 Informative read and interesting take on a private investigators search for truth。 Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review Engaging memoir。 Lovers of true crime will enjoy this passionate tale。 The author struggles with the possibility that the convicted is innocent and she is plagued by an execution "gone wrong"。 Informative read and interesting take on a private investigators search for truth。 Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Valerity （Val）
，
I found I had mixed feelings on this one。 The story was so interesting as it follows along with former reporter turned private detective， Ellen McGarrahan。 While working as a new reporter， she saw a prisoner put to death in an execution in the electric chair， and it has haunted her ever since。 She always wondered if he was guilty of his crimes or not。 Some years later， it appears she had opportunities to dig into the story in her new job as a PI， when it started to really bother her again。 She w I found I had mixed feelings on this one。 The story was so interesting as it follows along with former reporter turned private detective， Ellen McGarrahan。 While working as a new reporter， she saw a prisoner put to death in an execution in the electric chair， and it has haunted her ever since。 She always wondered if he was guilty of his crimes or not。 Some years later， it appears she had opportunities to dig into the story in her new job as a PI， when it started to really bother her again。 She went back and began looking into it seriously， interviewing people and looking at police files and court records。 Does she find out who really killed the cops， if it was the man she saw executed， or his girlfriend or co-conspirator？ All three were at the scene and had access to weapons。 You will have to read this twisty book to find out。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley， author Ellen McGarrahan， and the publisher。 。。。more
LEO TOLSTOY
，
Engaging narrative about the author's quest to find the truth about the murder of two police officers。 The narrative flows well and tells the story of her journey in chronological order。 Details are provided when appropriate and support the narrative。 The author's introspection about the haunting aftermath of witnessing the execution of a death row inmate is well told and develops as her understanding of the reasons surrounding the myth are revealed。 Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for Engaging narrative about the author's quest to find the truth about the murder of two police officers。 The narrative flows well and tells the story of her journey in chronological order。 Details are provided when appropriate and support the narrative。 The author's introspection about the haunting aftermath of witnessing the execution of a death row inmate is well told and develops as her understanding of the reasons surrounding the myth are revealed。 Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Jeff
，
The author， a journalist turned private eye， witnesses the electric chair execution of a man convicted of the murder of 2 police officers。 The event leaves her shaken， and she embarks on a decades-long search for the “truth”， which she finds is elusive。 I was a little dismayed by the author’s actions throughout the book; her crying during interviews， her repeatedly referring to the convicted man as “possibly innocent of the murders” （even though it was clear he was completely involved， if not th The author， a journalist turned private eye， witnesses the electric chair execution of a man convicted of the murder of 2 police officers。 The event leaves her shaken， and she embarks on a decades-long search for the “truth”， which she finds is elusive。 I was a little dismayed by the author’s actions throughout the book; her crying during interviews， her repeatedly referring to the convicted man as “possibly innocent of the murders” （even though it was clear he was completely involved， if not the actual triggerman）， and her failure to alert authorities to the location of a wanted fugitive （who she interviewed） who was also convicted in this case is especially galling。 Her subject is an unsympathetic rapist， drug dealer， and murderer。 And through all her soul-searching， the physical evidence （which is where she probably should have started） convincingly points to the executed defendant， a conclusion she eventually comes to。 This book seems to be her self-therapy， and unfortunately the reader has to go along for the ride。 Disappointing。 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amanda Davis
，
I received my copy of Two Truths and a Lie through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book。 Thank you to Ellen McGarrahan and Random House for the opportunity to be able to read and review this bookEllen is everything we women need in the criminal justice field。 She’s witty， tenacious， but she’s also kind of a dog with a bone。 After witnessing an execution that went wrong and took about 5 minutes longer than it should have， Ellen spends years with the ghost of Jesse Tafero knockin I received my copy of Two Truths and a Lie through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book。 Thank you to Ellen McGarrahan and Random House for the opportunity to be able to read and review this bookEllen is everything we women need in the criminal justice field。 She’s witty， tenacious， but she’s also kind of a dog with a bone。 After witnessing an execution that went wrong and took about 5 minutes longer than it should have， Ellen spends years with the ghost of Jesse Tafero knocking around in her brain。 After Jesse’s girlfriend was later released from death row on technicalities and goes on to write a best selling book and a sold out play on Broadway telling hers and Jesse’s story- Ellen has enough and goes in search of the truth of what happened that morning in 1976 that left two police officers dead and three people behind bars。 Ellen tells this story magnificently; mesmerizingly so。 I couldn’t put it down！ Was Jesse innocent？ Had they killed the wrong man？ I had to know！ She kept me on the edge the whole time。 Absolute fabulous book and if it doesn’t become a bestseller I’ll eat my shoe。 。。。more
Carol Deegan
，
By the time I got to 25% of this book， I was very confused because there seemed to be MANY characters and I was having a hard time following。 I felt the book did not flow smoothly and jumped around in timelines and characters without any idea how I got there。 This was a DNF for me， and I would not recommend it。 I received an ARC of this book from Random House Publishing。 All opinions expressed are my own。
Rae
，
Most importantly， a big thank you to NetGalley， Ellen McGarrahan， and Randomhouse Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review。 "I’m a private detective。 This is a mystery。 I know what I have to do。 But I’ve never worked inside my own life before。 Never dared to face my own shadows。 And I am afraid of ghosts。"The things a private detective experiences has many repercussions。 There's the toll the line of work takes on you and then there's t Most importantly， a big thank you to NetGalley， Ellen McGarrahan， and Randomhouse Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review。 "I’m a private detective。 This is a mystery。 I know what I have to do。 But I’ve never worked inside my own life before。 Never dared to face my own shadows。 And I am afraid of ghosts。"The things a private detective experiences has many repercussions。 There's the toll the line of work takes on you and then there's the toll it takes on your life。 This is the story of how just a few minutes can upend everything you thought you knew。Ellen McGarrahan has never witnessed an execution before。 So in 1990 when she sat down in the observation booth to watch Jesse Tafero's life end in Florida's electric chair， she didn't quite know what to expect。 And it was proven that nobody could have when Tafero burst into flames from a malfunction with the device itself。 A sight that she thought would haunt her for life。 Until the woman that was incarcerated under the same evidence for the same crime as Jesse is exonerated。 Did she watch an innocent man be tortured at the hands of negligence？Written with captivating detail， 'Two Truths and a Lie" will keep the reader engaged and hungry for more as McGarrahan recounts her journey to find the truth behind what actually led Jesse Tafero to that botched execution and how it could happen。 Unlike some other true crime stories， this one hands you the iconic magnifying glass and trench coat and invites you to walk side by side with the author through extremely risky interviews and high stake situations。5 solid stars is what this picky true crime junkie is awarding 'Two Truths'。 Thank you， Ms。 McGarrahan for being a badass and putting it down on paper for us to enjoy。 。。。more
Heather
，
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Ellen McGarrahan⠀⠀I was gifted an ARC e-copy of this through #NetGalley。 This book is to be published on February 2， 2021。⠀⠀Jesse Tafero has been wrongfully accused of murdering two police officers at a rest stop。 Ellen， a reporter turned private investigator， becomes infatuated with this case after seeing Jesse die by electric chair。 ⠀⠀Unfortunately， I had to DNF this book。 The pacing of this was soooo slooooow。 The author spent more time talking about herself and her li TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Ellen McGarrahan⠀⠀I was gifted an ARC e-copy of this through #NetGalley。 This book is to be published on February 2， 2021。⠀⠀Jesse Tafero has been wrongfully accused of murdering two police officers at a rest stop。 Ellen， a reporter turned private investigator， becomes infatuated with this case after seeing Jesse die by electric chair。 ⠀⠀Unfortunately， I had to DNF this book。 The pacing of this was soooo slooooow。 The author spent more time talking about herself and her life than the actual case itself。 ⠀⠀I got halfway through this and it still felt stagnant。 With this being the second book that has disappointed me， I’m hoping this doesn’t become a bad reading streak。 。。。more
Paula
，
Two Truths and a Lie: A Private Investigation by Ellen McGarrahan is about a journalist turned private investigator who looks into a case about a death row inmate who may have been innocent。I love true crime and had high hopes for this book and jumped right in when I downloaded it。 However， I had such a hard time getting through the book and found myself skimming several pages just to reach the conclusion。I know a lot of work went into researching and writing this memoir， and kudos to the author Two Truths and a Lie: A Private Investigation by Ellen McGarrahan is about a journalist turned private investigator who looks into a case about a death row inmate who may have been innocent。I love true crime and had high hopes for this book and jumped right in when I downloaded it。 However， I had such a hard time getting through the book and found myself skimming several pages just to reach the conclusion。I know a lot of work went into researching and writing this memoir， and kudos to the author to make this her passion and look into this case。 There are many twists and turns， and even when I got to the end， I was still left wondering。 Some true crime readers may enjoy this book， but it was just an okay read for me。 #TwoTruthsandaLie #NetGalley 。。。more
Emma Charles
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This memoir is written by a journalist turned private investigator after she witnesses the death row execution of Jesse Tafero。 After spending time solving other people's mysteries， she decides to try to solve the case that has been haunting her: was Jesse Tafero really guilty of the crime that ultimately led to his death？ As someone who is really interested in prison reform and the abolishment of the death penalty in the United States， I thought I would really like this one。 However， I found th This memoir is written by a journalist turned private investigator after she witnesses the death row execution of Jesse Tafero。 After spending time solving other people's mysteries， she decides to try to solve the case that has been haunting her: was Jesse Tafero really guilty of the crime that ultimately led to his death？ As someone who is really interested in prison reform and the abolishment of the death penalty in the United States， I thought I would really like this one。 However， I found the writing to be very repetitive。 McGarrahan talks to many people connected to the crime （Jesse's girlfriend， defense attorneys， medical examiners， witnesses， etc。） and once she writes about those interviews， she sums up what she now knows about the case。 For some people， this might be helpful in order to keep track of the information she is providing， but for me it got boring and I skimmed through her recaps。 Basically， if you are interested in true crime （death row cases specifically）， there are better pieces of literature out there and I would advise skipping this one unless you have a specific interest in Tafero's case。（PUB DATE: 02/02/2021）（I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed above are my own。） 。。。more
Jackie
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This is the story of Jesse Tafero， a man executed for the murder of two law enforcement officers in 1976。 It is also the story of Ellen McGarrahran， a former journalist turned private eye who witnessed Tafero's execution， and was profoundly affected。 She goes on to try to find out if Tafero was wrongly executed， and who， in fact， was guilty of the crime。 This is the story of Jesse Tafero， a man executed for the murder of two law enforcement officers in 1976。 It is also the story of Ellen McGarrahran， a former journalist turned private eye who witnessed Tafero's execution， and was profoundly affected。 She goes on to try to find out if Tafero was wrongly executed， and who， in fact， was guilty of the crime。 。。。more
Jen Juenke
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I was REALLY looking forward to reading this book。 The author does a great disservice to this case， to the victims and to the victims families by writing this book。If you want a love story about the author and the authors process of NOT solving this case。。。read this book。 I finished reading this book， but grew angrier every page that the author did NOT address the full nature of the crime， the suspects， and the victim's families。Most of the book is the author stating how she watched one of the c I was REALLY looking forward to reading this book。 The author does a great disservice to this case， to the victims and to the victims families by writing this book。If you want a love story about the author and the authors process of NOT solving this case。。。read this book。 I finished reading this book， but grew angrier every page that the author did NOT address the full nature of the crime， the suspects， and the victim's families。Most of the book is the author stating how she watched one of the convicted criminals being executed by the state of Florida and how that affected her。 She repeated this ad nausem。。。。。。WE GET IT>>>>MOVE ON！When she goes to interview people， the author would break down crying， NOT asking pertinent questions， and generally being too trusting （spending the night at Walters）。。。。how she made a career as a private investigator is beyond my comprehension。 I am sorely disappointed by the author and the way in which she told this true crime story。 Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me write this honest review for reading this book。 。。。more
Cj
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As a young reporter， Ellen McGarrahan witnessed the execution of a man who had been convicted of killing several police officers。 Although McGarrahan didn’t stay on that job for long， she wasn’t able to shake that experience。 In this memoir， she recounts her attempts to dig deeper into the crime that led to the execution。 At the beginning of the book， McGarrahan leans into her role as a private detective。 The writing is modern and fast-paced， and the rhythm evokes an old school noir。 As McGarrah As a young reporter， Ellen McGarrahan witnessed the execution of a man who had been convicted of killing several police officers。 Although McGarrahan didn’t stay on that job for long， she wasn’t able to shake that experience。 In this memoir， she recounts her attempts to dig deeper into the crime that led to the execution。 At the beginning of the book， McGarrahan leans into her role as a private detective。 The writing is modern and fast-paced， and the rhythm evokes an old school noir。 As McGarrahan pursues information about the crime， the tone slowly shifts and becomes more personal as she begins to come to terms with the trauma that she has not been able to outrun。The topic was heavy， but this memoir was very well-written。 I was hooked almost immediately and jumped right into the investigation with her，。 When she began to focus more on the ‘why’ of her journey， I was cheering her on。 This book deals with heavy subject matter， but the constant focus on the act of investigating leaves little time for reflection， both for McGarrahan and the reader。 True crime fans and detective story readers will enjoy following along with McGarrahan as she seeks to find answers。 🌟🌟🌟🌟 。。。more
Donna Boyd
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