Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case
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- Create Date：2021-04-29 23:31:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Caitlin Rother
- ISBN：0806540893
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Stacy
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Two days after her boyfriend Jonah's son suffered a tragic fall while in her care， 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau was found bound and gagged， with Adam Shacknai， Jonah's brother， claiming he found her hanging by a rope from a second floor balcony， near a message “SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER”。 Did Rebecca commit suicide， feeling guilty about 6-year-old Max's fall， or did someone murder Rebecca？ Author Caitlin Rother lays out all the evidence in this case， which the San Diego Sheriff's Department ru Two days after her boyfriend Jonah's son suffered a tragic fall while in her care， 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau was found bound and gagged， with Adam Shacknai， Jonah's brother， claiming he found her hanging by a rope from a second floor balcony， near a message “SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER”。 Did Rebecca commit suicide， feeling guilty about 6-year-old Max's fall， or did someone murder Rebecca？ Author Caitlin Rother lays out all the evidence in this case， which the San Diego Sheriff's Department ruled a suicide， while a civil trial jury found Adam responsible for Rebecca's death。 This was such a disturbing case， and I felt my opinion of what happened changing as more and more evidence was revealed throughout the book。 Rother did a fabulous job of researching the book and presenting all the evidence that has been found by various resources。 The only downside to the book for me was that Rother's ex-husband committed suicide sometime before Rebecca was found dead， and at a few points throughout the book， she would talk about how her experience with her ex-husband affected the way she felt about this case。 Personally， that took me out of the story and did not enhance the book。 Rachel Perry did an excellent job narrating the audiobook。Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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I have seen bits and pieces of this story before， but I never knew all the ins and outs。 This book was interesting and informative。 It’s a true crime junky’s dream！ But know going in that there is no clear resolution; though the book ends the story clearly hasn’t。 The author brings in personal connections that give the reader an empathetic ear from the very beginning。
Lori
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"I got a girl。 Hung herself in the guest house。" So starts the investigation into the death of Rebecca Zahau， a beautiful young woman who was the live-in girlfriend of the wealthy and older Jonah Shacknai。 According to friends and family， Rebecca was not the type to commit suicide， much less by hanging。 She， like the crime scene， seemed to be a bundle of contradictions， from a smart， ambitious professional to an estranged wife with a tale of kidnapping in between the reconciliations with her hus "I got a girl。 Hung herself in the guest house。" So starts the investigation into the death of Rebecca Zahau， a beautiful young woman who was the live-in girlfriend of the wealthy and older Jonah Shacknai。 According to friends and family， Rebecca was not the type to commit suicide， much less by hanging。 She， like the crime scene， seemed to be a bundle of contradictions， from a smart， ambitious professional to an estranged wife with a tale of kidnapping in between the reconciliations with her husband。 What made Rebecca's case so newsworthy was not only the unusual way in which she died， be it suicide or homicide， and the location - a historic beachfront mansion built in 1908 by one of San Diego's most powerful men in the affluent resort city of Coronado - but that the six-year-old son of Rebecca's boyfriend suffered a fatal fall in the same home only two days before Rebecca's death。How could this lovely home be the scene of two deadly incidents within two days？ Were the deaths of Max and Rebecca related？ Did the authorities do their jobs in both cases or did they close the investigations too quickly？ As a true crime aficionado who has studied abnormal psychology and read more books in the genres than your average reader， the cases of Max Shacknai or Rebecca Zahau are two of the strangest that I have ever come across。 I have an additional "connection" to this case， besides just being a "fan" of true crime。 I lived in San Diego at the time Max and Rebecca died and my former husband and I not only spent a good amount of time in Coronado but we also got married there。 Despite the miles of newsreel on this case， and gallons of ink spilled， I still knew very little about the cases。 Investigative journalist and author of more than a dozen books， Caitlin Rother was present from the start， when news broke that Rebecca Zahau had been found hanging from the balcony of the Spreckles/Shacknai mansion。 As an enthusiast of Ms。 Rother's books （see my reviews for Lost Girls， I'll Take Care of You， Poisoned Love， and Hunting Charles Manson: The Quest for Justice in the Days of Helter Skelter）， she does not disappoint with her newest offering。 Her stellar investigative skills allow her to go deep into Death on Ocean Boulevard， laying bare the backgrounds of Rebecca， her family， Jonah Shacknai， his brother Adam and Jonah's former wife， and Max's mother， Dina。 Through Ms。 Rother， we， the readers， get a first-row seat at the trial where we hear the full length of evidence， both for and against the suicide theory， as well as the inexplicable areas in which there was a lack of investigation and/or answers。 I found Death on Ocean Boulevard akin to diving down a rabbit hole of questions and definitely at least a mystery or two。 Ms。 Rother spent nine years researching this bizarre and uncommon case， which is evident in her strong and solid writing， which is more in the style of narrative nonfiction than that of gratuitous violence。 Additionally for Ms。 Rother， Rebecca Zahau's official cause of death has a more personal link for her and her late husband's suicide， with the pain and unanswered questions it brings。Although Death on Ocean Boulevard is brimming with more facts than has ever been publicly shared before， the book itself is not swallowed up by it and proves to be a worthwhile read。 While others have given their take on the Zahau/Shacknai cases， Ms。 Rother's Death on Ocean Boulevard does the events justice and is the definitive source of the sad and sordid tale。 I would not hesitate to recommend Death on Ocean Boulevard to anyone wanting to know about this tragic case and/or anyone who needs confirmation as to why Caitlin Rother remains one of my favorite true crime authors。Death on Ocean Boulevard is available for sale at most booksellers， as well as Audible if you prefer audiobooks。 For more information on Caitlin Rother， please visit her website。 FTC Disclosure: The review copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review。 The provision of this book did not affect the outcome of my review。 I was neither paid nor compensated for this review。（Originally published at Psychotic State Book Reviews。） 。。。more
Michele
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I heard about this tragedy during my true crime perusals。 A young boy dies in what appears to be a tragic accident in a historic home in Coronado and a couple days later his dad's girlfriend seemly commits suicide in a very strange manner。 The author does a very thorough job of telling the story of all the players involved and the many theories that abound。 I would be very interested in reading more by her。Thank you Netgalley， Ms。 Rother， and Kensington Books for my digital review copy。。 I heard about this tragedy during my true crime perusals。 A young boy dies in what appears to be a tragic accident in a historic home in Coronado and a couple days later his dad's girlfriend seemly commits suicide in a very strange manner。 The author does a very thorough job of telling the story of all the players involved and the many theories that abound。 I would be very interested in reading more by her。Thank you Netgalley， Ms。 Rother， and Kensington Books for my digital review copy。。 。。。more
Fleur
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This book just goes to show all the investigative TV shows don't tell you everything， this books delves so much more into everything that happened as well as the people involved in both tragedies that occurred at Spreckels Mansion。This book steps you through the lead up and aftermath of Rebecca and Max's deaths as well as the many layers and different turns the lives and investigation took which actually left me going from confident in regards to what I thought occurred from watching shows to fe This book just goes to show all the investigative TV shows don't tell you everything， this books delves so much more into everything that happened as well as the people involved in both tragedies that occurred at Spreckels Mansion。This book steps you through the lead up and aftermath of Rebecca and Max's deaths as well as the many layers and different turns the lives and investigation took which actually left me going from confident in regards to what I thought occurred from watching shows to feeling conflicted about almost everyone especially Rebecca after learning so much more about her past which is complex， along with Adam and how he acted then and since， then we have how the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department acted then and now which infuriated me。 This is definitely a book where you can get the honest and hard facts that have been meticulously gathered and laid out for you to draw you own conclusion on， you are not swayed one way or the other into what is believed to have happened it is up to you。 I also felt when added in the personal connection that the author has to the subject it gives everything a more personal feel and depth to it that makes you take note of actions and information so much more。 。。。more
Mary Reagan Richardson （prescribedreads）
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Death on Ocean Boulevard tells the strange and convoluted story about Rebecca Zahau and her death。 The story starts with her boyfriend Jonah's son， Max， having a freak accident while in Rebecca's care。 Then， two days later， Rebecca's body is found hanging。 Was Max's accident really an accident？ Did Rebecca die by suicide or was it murder？ This book is not one where those questions will get answered because those answers don't exist。 I was not familiar with this case when I started so I wish that Death on Ocean Boulevard tells the strange and convoluted story about Rebecca Zahau and her death。 The story starts with her boyfriend Jonah's son， Max， having a freak accident while in Rebecca's care。 Then， two days later， Rebecca's body is found hanging。 Was Max's accident really an accident？ Did Rebecca die by suicide or was it murder？ This book is not one where those questions will get answered because those answers don't exist。 I was not familiar with this case when I started so I wish that I had known that it was still unsolved when I started the book。 HOWEVER， that did not deter from how crazy this story was。 I kept going back and forth on what actually happened。 I have my own opinion at this point but the amount of facts that are included in this book was extensive。 I really enjoyed getting to learn more about this case。 At points， this felt a tad longer than it needed to be。 I was just so devastated for Rebecca， no matter how it happened to her。 I was so devastated for Max。 There was so much promise in these people that was snubbed out too soon。 。。。more
CrabbyPatty
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The image of the Spreckels Mansion is an apt metaphor for this true crime story of death and terrifying loss。 At first glance the historic mansion looks impressive， but inside there is mold on the bathtubs， the carpet is in need of replacement， the decor is somewhat dated - appearances can be deceiving。On the surface， Rebecca Zahau was living the good life with her millionaire boyfriend Jonah and his teenage kids， as well as sweet adorable six-year-old Max。 But on July 11， 2011， Max falls face-f The image of the Spreckels Mansion is an apt metaphor for this true crime story of death and terrifying loss。 At first glance the historic mansion looks impressive， but inside there is mold on the bathtubs， the carpet is in need of replacement， the decor is somewhat dated - appearances can be deceiving。On the surface， Rebecca Zahau was living the good life with her millionaire boyfriend Jonah and his teenage kids， as well as sweet adorable six-year-old Max。 But on July 11， 2011， Max falls face-first from a second story staircase onto the floor below and is taken to the hospital in critical condition。 Two days later， Rebecca is found dead 。。。。 nude， bound in red rope， hanging from an exterior balcony。 Max dies of his injuries on July 16， 2011， having never regained consciousness。 What happened in Coronado in 2011 has never been fully solved， despite a jury in a civil case finding Jonah's brother Adam responsible for Rebecca's death， and the San Diego Sheriff's department declaring Rebecca's death a suicide。 And 。。。 Max may have simply tripped and fell over the bannister， although a trauma doctor believes he was suffocated prior to his fall。 Caitlin Rother begins by sharing her husband's 1999 death by suicide， as well as some unsettling events from Rebecca's past which creates a framework of sorts for the larger mystery。 As Dr。 House would say， "everybody lies" and with that unsteady foundation in place， we move on to investigate the case。 Rother's narrative at times is a bit unclear and while she gives us brief sketches of the major players， at times I found myself trying to remember exactly who some of those players were。 There is also a lot of repetition along the way。 But then again， there are a lot of details about the case， most of which are still highly disputed。 As Sheriff Gore stated: "Sometimes family members hear what they want to hear" or as Rother says: "What comes out in a trial is not a single truth。 Each side tries to win its case by presenting witnesses who offer conflicting interpretations of the same evidence [。。。]。 I came away convinced that the whole truth had not come out - from either side。"Rother's book provides some new information and theories of the case and overall， I felt she did a good job of balancing all the various "truths" about what happened those summer days in 2011。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the case and anyone seeking to learn more about the inner workings of investigation and analysis。 4 stars。 I recieved an ARC from the Publisher， via NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books" 。。。more
Kristi | Hidden Staircase |
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Admission: I am kind of obsessed with true crime （shout out to my fellow Murderinos out there！） and have been for decades。 I don't know what it is， but true crime has me hooked。 Documentaries， books， and - more recently - podcasts。 Audiobooks are now available on NetGalley， and I was very excited to get early access to listen to Death on Ocean Boulevard， which takes a deep dive into the death of Rebecca Zahau。 （Was it suicide or murder？）I am listening to audiobooks more and more， and true crime Admission: I am kind of obsessed with true crime （shout out to my fellow Murderinos out there！） and have been for decades。 I don't know what it is， but true crime has me hooked。 Documentaries， books， and - more recently - podcasts。 Audiobooks are now available on NetGalley， and I was very excited to get early access to listen to Death on Ocean Boulevard， which takes a deep dive into the death of Rebecca Zahau。 （Was it suicide or murder？）I am listening to audiobooks more and more， and true crime audiobooks are one of my favorite genres。 Death on Ocean Boulevard has a good narrator， and listening to it felt like I was watching a documentary。 This book is well written and very engaging to listen to。 Right from the introduction， Ms。 Rother pulls you into the bizarre death at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado， California。I have seen several documentaries on the Zahau case， and this book intrigued me right from the beginning。 Death on Ocean Boulevard is well researched， and through her writing we learn that Ms。 Rother has followed this case from very early on。 She paints a vivid picture of the days leading up to the death， but also the backstory of the victim and those closest to her。 While I knew most of the details of the case thanks to the documentaries I’ve seen， the backstories were something I hadn’t heard before， and I think this knowledge does muddy the suicide vs。 murder waters even more。I appreciated that Ms。 Rother ultimately never makes her own judgement on whether Rebecca Zahau killed herself or was murdered。 Honestly， I think we probably will never know the answer to that。 But she lays out the facts we do have， leaving both possibilities open， giving the reader the chance to sort through the facts and make their own determination。If you like true crime and have never heard of the tragic （and bizarre） death of Rebecca Zahau， this is a great book to read。 If you’re like me and have seen some of the documentaries about her death， you probably already know most of this story， but there are some new pieces here if you want to dive in again。Review originally published on Hidden Staircase。 。。。more
DJ
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Thank you Goodreads and Citadel Press for the digital copy I won！The deaths of Max Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau will probably forever be a mystery， but Rother shed more light on the case。 What I most appreciated about the writing of this book was just how unbiased it is。 That's not an easy feat。 Her incredible journalistic qualities just shine through and make you see things from every perspective and let you decide what you think。 No verdicts， no opinions， no biases， just facts and information ga Thank you Goodreads and Citadel Press for the digital copy I won！The deaths of Max Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau will probably forever be a mystery， but Rother shed more light on the case。 What I most appreciated about the writing of this book was just how unbiased it is。 That's not an easy feat。 Her incredible journalistic qualities just shine through and make you see things from every perspective and let you decide what you think。 No verdicts， no opinions， no biases， just facts and information gained。 Exactly what I want！ If you're a true crime buff， I highly recommend this one。 There are no answers， but it does have information that I hadn't been previously aware of。 Rothers personal experience of someone close to her committing suicide gives her some intersting insight there as well。 This is an extremely sad case regardless。 。。。more
Jenny
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Two days after Jonah Shacknai’s son took a catastrophic fall at home， Rebecca Zahau， Jonah’s girlfriend who was babysitting Max at the time， was found hanging by a rope with the message: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER。 This incident led to a number of bizarre， head scratching events that people are still trying to figure out。 Was this an act of suicide， or a well-planned homicide？I am a self-proclaimed murderino， and a great lover of true crime。 I love reading true crime stories about incidences Two days after Jonah Shacknai’s son took a catastrophic fall at home， Rebecca Zahau， Jonah’s girlfriend who was babysitting Max at the time， was found hanging by a rope with the message: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER。 This incident led to a number of bizarre， head scratching events that people are still trying to figure out。 Was this an act of suicide， or a well-planned homicide？I am a self-proclaimed murderino， and a great lover of true crime。 I love reading true crime stories about incidences that I am not familiar with， and Death on Ocean Boulevard fit the bill for me。 I was not familiar with the case at all when I started the book， so I did not go in with any preconceived notions。 The story itself was bizarre and baffling， and I found myself constantly changing my mind on what actually happened。At times I found the writing style to be disjointed。 I had a hard time following along， and at times I was confused on what was happening due to the way facts were presented by the author。 However， I will give the author props for trying to present the case in an unbiased way， so readers were able to form their own opinions。 And in the end， there are still no conclusions。 Readers can agree that everything is not how it seemed but there is really no definitive answers uncovered， at least at the time of publication。An interesting and thorough review of a wild， fascinating case。 A must-read for any true crime fan。 3。5 stars。I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley and RB Media in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tasnim
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Death on Ocean Boulevard was indeed a bizarre case。 The way Rebecca Zahu's body was found was odd and gruesome。 It immediately made me curious and question what had happened to her。 It's praise worthy the way author had researched the case from the beginning to the end to provide her readers a detailed information。 Repetition of some facts seemed boring but it might be written to make the readers reassess the situation。 I liked the audiobook narrated by Rachel Perry。 I liked how she alterted her Death on Ocean Boulevard was indeed a bizarre case。 The way Rebecca Zahu's body was found was odd and gruesome。 It immediately made me curious and question what had happened to her。 It's praise worthy the way author had researched the case from the beginning to the end to provide her readers a detailed information。 Repetition of some facts seemed boring but it might be written to make the readers reassess the situation。 I liked the audiobook narrated by Rachel Perry。 I liked how she alterted her tone and voice a bit depending on the situation。 It made the story more engaging。 。。。more
Kelly Parker
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I was surprised to learn that this case has received so much national attention， as I had never heard anything about it prior to this book。 I guess that’s why I read。 🤷🏻♀️Upon reading， it’s no surprise to me that this case generated so much buzz， as it certainly has many fascinating aspects， beginning with what seemed to be a horrible accident suffered by an active little boy， which was quickly followed by the apparent suicide of his devastated caretaker。 Throw in a millionaire boyfriend， a hos I was surprised to learn that this case has received so much national attention， as I had never heard anything about it prior to this book。 I guess that’s why I read。 🤷🏻♀️Upon reading， it’s no surprise to me that this case generated so much buzz， as it certainly has many fascinating aspects， beginning with what seemed to be a horrible accident suffered by an active little boy， which was quickly followed by the apparent suicide of his devastated caretaker。 Throw in a millionaire boyfriend， a hostile ex-wife， and a creepy brother and you basically have Lifetime movie gold。 Both of these events on their own would be tragic enough， but having them occur back to back is almost unfathomable。 As if those two things weren’t already sufficient to blow one’s mind， the amount of suspicious circumstances surrounding each event is， for lack of a better word， crazy。 I spent half of the book agreeing with the San Diego Sheriffs Dept。 that the little boy’s very unfortunate accident， indeed， brought about the suicide and the other half convinced of foul play。 Ultimately， that’s where we’re left， with no definitive answers and no satisfyingly wrapped up Lifetime ending。 Thanks to #netgalley and #citadelbooks for this ARC of #deathonoceanboulevard in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lady ♥ Belleza
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Review will be published April 29， 2021
Paz
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This is my first investigative book and the author did a good job providing different perspectives， especially a perspective that is not within law enforcement。 I had seen the 20/20 episode when it aired many years ago and I think this book provided some additional revelations。 The writing style made the book easy to read， the case itself is quite complex making at moments difficult to follow， some parts felt a little stretched but over all it was a decent book。
Gail
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This was my first audio book narrated by Rachel Perry and she did a really good job。 She made the story come alive。I had heard about this case on the news when it happened in 2011 and I had formed my own opinions。 After listening to all the facts about the case， I feel more informed。 The author did a tremendous amount of research and presented all the facts without bias so that the readers can form their own opinions。I really like true crime books and I have never read anything by this author bu This was my first audio book narrated by Rachel Perry and she did a really good job。 She made the story come alive。I had heard about this case on the news when it happened in 2011 and I had formed my own opinions。 After listening to all the facts about the case， I feel more informed。 The author did a tremendous amount of research and presented all the facts without bias so that the readers can form their own opinions。I really like true crime books and I have never read anything by this author but I will definitely look up more books by her。 I liked the book very much！Thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley for this audio book。#DeathonOceanBoulevard #NetGalley 。。。more
Brenda Feinen
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Rebecca Zahau lived with her boyfriend， Jonah， and his three children。 Jonah had shared custody with both his ex wives。 Rebecca experienced some hostility from both wives and Cindy， Jonah's daughter。 Rebecca was very loving， especially with Jonah's youngest son， Max。 His mother， Dina， had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role。 In July 2011， Max suffered severe injuries from a fall， though no one is able to determine how it happened。 Two days later， Rebecca Zahau lived with her boyfriend， Jonah， and his three children。 Jonah had shared custody with both his ex wives。 Rebecca experienced some hostility from both wives and Cindy， Jonah's daughter。 Rebecca was very loving， especially with Jonah's youngest son， Max。 His mother， Dina， had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role。 In July 2011， Max suffered severe injuries from a fall， though no one is able to determine how it happened。 Two days later， Rebecca is found at the mansion， rope around her ankles and hands， nude， hanging from a balcony。 Ruled a suicide， Rebecca's family fight for the truth knowing their daughter would never kill herself。 Harrowing story。 Why did the police rule suicide and fail to investigate other possibilities？ Such as homicide？ 。。。more
Janie Hickok Siess
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The San Diego County Sheriff's Department may have quickly deemed Rebecca Zahau's death a suicide， but to this day， the circumstances surrounding the fatal injury sustained by little Max Shacknai and Rebecca's demise just two days later remain a mystery。 If the Sheriff's Department was motivated to rush to a specific conclusion， the reason（s） have not yet been revealed。 But award-winning author Caitlin Rother has spent years searching for answers。Rother relates that her curiosity was aroused as The San Diego County Sheriff's Department may have quickly deemed Rebecca Zahau's death a suicide， but to this day， the circumstances surrounding the fatal injury sustained by little Max Shacknai and Rebecca's demise just two days later remain a mystery。 If the Sheriff's Department was motivated to rush to a specific conclusion， the reason（s） have not yet been revealed。 But award-winning author Caitlin Rother has spent years searching for answers。Rother relates that her curiosity was aroused as soon as she heard about the case， but "the more I learned， the more haunted I became。" To her memoir， Secrets， Lies， and Shoelaces: A Story of Hardship and Healing， Rother brings the same unsparing honesty and journalistic integrity that make her meticulously researched true-crime novels intriguingly readable。 Therein， she relates the harrowing story of her marriage to Rich Rose， who threatened to commit suicide several times before following through in April 1999。 He took his life by hanging in a hotel room in San Quintin， Mexico， where he left his driver's license and bank card on display so that he could be identified and notification made to Rother。 She had no way of knowing then that twelve years later the death of a local thirty-two-year-old woman by hanging would become "so all-encompassing that every time I would try to walk away it would pull me back in。" Her exploration of the case would not only span years， but also prove enormously difficult， exasperating， and a "compulsion -- obsession even -- to solve this mystery。"In painstaking detail， Rother tells the story of Rebecca's familial history， as well as her bizarre relationships with three men。 She had an on-again， off-again relationship with her allegedly abusive ex-husband， Neil Nalepa， who， even at the time of her death， had "exceedingly insistent contact" with her， texting daily to declare that he would do anything to make their marriage work。 Additionally， Rebecca was involved with Michael Berger， a martial arts instructor， from whom she initially hid the fact that she was still married to Neil。 In fact， when she began dating Michael， she was still living with Neil。 Michael urged her to move forward with the divorce she said she wanted when she related that her marriage to Neil had been arranged by her father and Neil was an abusive drug user。 At one point， she disappeared but contacted Michael claiming that someone "took me。" Insisting she didn't know where she was because her purported abductors put "something over my eyes，" she told Michael she was only able to make a call because her kidnappers permitted her to use the bathroom。 She then hung up， but called him several more times。 He filed a police report。 In one call， she seemed to recite a drafted statement informing Michael he was "not to see me anymore， ever again。" Michael heard men's voices in the background， and one of them threatened， "I know where you live。" When Rebecca showed up at Michael's house again， he insisted they go to the police。 In reality， Rebecca had again reconciled with Neil and， meeting alone with detectives， confessed she had failed to inform Michael of that fact。 A couple of days later， she disappeared yet again， texting Michael that she was in Portland， Oregon， to "clear my head，" but professing love。 In truth， Rebecca had by then made her way to her sister's home in Missouri after living with Neil in Portland where things "went sideways once again。" After further stints with Neil in Pennsylvania and Colorado， Rebecca went to Arizona in December 2007。Rebecca told her sisters that every time she tried to break away from Neil， he begged for another chance。 He supposedly promised repeatedly to go to counseling， and that he would refrain from yelling and threatening Rebecca， who loaned him money and returned to the marriage time after time。 Rebecca purchased a home in Arizona and got a job as an ophthalmic technician。 It was there， in October 2009， that she met Jonah Shacknai， a twice-divorced father of three children， and then-CEO and founder of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation， headquartered in Phoenix。 Jonah initially purchased the historic Spreckels Mansion to serve as a summer home， but it became his full-time residence。 Jonah was able to supply Rebecca with the lifestyle she had always wanted and she called him her "warrior。" Although they came from very different backgrounds， and Jonah was significantly older than Rebecca， they were both interested in health and fitness， and Rebecca was willing to be a caregiver。 Unfortunately， after Rebecca moved into the house in March 2010， without Jonah's knowledge because he was away visiting his parents， Rebecca's relationships with Jonah's two oldest children and his second wife， Dina， were fraught with conflict。 But she and Max loved each other， even though Dina was concerned about having Rebecca caring for her young son when he spent time at his father's house。 To Dina， "something felt amiss，" but she was initially unable to ascertain any information about Rebecca's past。 Dina's sister， Nina， felt Rebecca was "never what she seemed。 She was presenting herself in a way of what Jonah would want。"On July 11， 2011， Ariel， Rebecca's thirteen-year-old sister had just arrived for a visit。 When she heard Rebecca scream her name， she looked down to the foyer of the mansion from the second floor landing。 She saw Rebecca cradling Max's head in her lap as he lay in an alcove near the bottom of the stairs。 Around him was glass， the broken chandelier lay nearby， and Rebecca's dog was pacing around。 Ariel called 911 and responders reported that Max was lying on his back with a razor scooter across his right shin with a soccer ball nearby。 Rebecca claimed she had given Max mouth-to-mouth resuscitation， but could not recall if she had found him on his back or flipped him over。 The chandelier's cord had been "severed" and Rebecca was distraught， relating that she was in the downstairs bathroom under the stairwell when she heard a crash， ran out， and found Max， who had gone upstairs to his bedroom twenty minutes earlier。 She also claimed Max uttered several unintelligible words， but then he lost consciousness after uttering her dog's name， Ocean。 When Max arrived at the emergency room， he was resuscitated but not before he was deprived of oxygen for twenty-five to thirty minutes。 Tragically， Max was later declared brain-dead and removed from life support。 And just two days later， tragedy befell Jonah again when his brother， Adam， who had come to San Diego to support Jonah when Max was injured， placed another 911 call from the mansion， stating that he found Rebecca's body。 Rother employs her signature straight-forward style to relate the details of a case that continues to fascinate and confound those who have followed it。 She lays out the various ways in which the investigation conducted by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department was rushed， flawed， and inconclusive， even though officials quickly ruled that Rebecca took her own life。 That Rebecca could have logistically killed herself in the manner the evidence at the scene suggested is not just implausible， but virtually impossible， according to some experts。 Moreover， the forensic evidence does not bear out that Rebecca managed to bind her own hands and feet， place a t-shirt around her neck and into her mouth as a gag， and tie rope around her neck before hurling herself off the second-floor balcony。 Notably， she showed no signs of being distressed or feeling guilty about Max's injuries to the point that she might be contemplating suicide。 It appeared there was no blame hurled at her by Jonah， even though he pressed her for answers， and she did not express responsibility for Max's fall， contending that she found him in the foyer and did not know what happened。 Experts on the topic opined that women do not take their own lives in the way Rebecca allegedly did -- and certainly not nude -- even though， in rare cases， individuals do take steps to ensure that， at the last moment， they will be unable to change their minds and save themselves。 Rebecca's family has steadfastly maintained that she would never have taken her own life。 And most certainly not in such a spectacular manner that would bring shame to herself or the family。 And what of the cryptic message scrawled on the door？ If Rebecca wrote it herself， what did it mean？Rebecca's injuries were inconsistent with suicide。 An autopsy showed that she had four subgaleal hemorrhages on her scalp， and even though she allegedly fell nine feet from the balcony， her spinal cord and cervical vertebrae were intact。 Although she had abrasions and contusions on her body， they were not on her arms， face， and the front of her body where they would logically appear as a result of contact with the large plants under the balcony。 Perhaps most telling， if she had been actually been hanging by the neck for several hours before being discovered by Adam， blood should have pooled in her feet and lower extremities， not across her back and in other areas of her body where signs of lividity were observed。 The evidence suggested that she had， in fact， been lying on her back， not hanging upside down。In clear， readily understandable prose， Rother highlights the disparities between the Sheriff's Department's conclusions and the evidence collected at the scene， as well as the various steps that investigators stepped， clues they ignored （willfully， perhaps）， and evidence they failed to collect and analyze。 Rother attempted unsuccessfully to uncover a connection between Jonah -- a powerful， wealthy resident of a community known as a safe environment where people did not， even in 2011， lock their doors -- and Sheriff's Department officials that would provide the impetus to rush to a conclusion and close the case。 Likewise， Rother explains that Max's injuries were not consistent with conjecture about the manner in which he fell。 In the opinion of Max's physician， it would have been impossible for him to speak when Rebecca discovered him lying on the floor。 And if she had truly performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation Max might have had a better outcome。 Did he fall over the railing while riding his Razor scooter on the second floor， grabbing for the chandelier as he fell？ Or did he suffer from an underlying medical abnormality that caused him to suffer sudden cardiac arrest before falling to the floor below？ Or was he murdered？ Rebecca's family filed a wrongful death suit and Rother attended the contentious jury trial。 Her play-by-play of the legal machinations， including the performances of the parties' attorneys， is absorbing and entertaining。 She relates her first-hand observations and impressions， as well as the shocking verdict delivered by the jury。If Rebecca did not kill herself， but was， instead， murdered， who is responsible for her death？ Rother ponders the motives that various potential subjects might have harbored for wanting both Rebecca and Max dead。 Jonah wondered if a disgruntled former employee could have hurt him by harming his child or girlfriend。 Dina never enjoyed a harmonious relationship with Rebecca， even banning her from Max's hospital room after he was injured， and her sister， Nina， was closely aligned with her。 Could a grieving mother or aunt have sought retribution？ Dina， at least， was confirmed to have been at Max's bedside when Rebecca died， and Jonah's whereabouts were also confirmed。 A neighbor claimed to have heard a woman screaming for help， raising questions about whether Adam killed Rebecca after she rebuffed his advances。At one point， a private investigator retained by Dina's insurance company even consulted medium Jackie Bensinger。 Performing an energy reading， she claimed the energy emanating from Rebecca's bed was "electrified" and she could sense the placement of the rope that had been placed around it。 The opposite end of that rope was tied around Rebecca's neck， and Bensinger also reported that she channeled Rebecca who had been "lying on the bed。 I saw her look up" and a man she knew was hurting her， as Rebecca asked， "Why are you doing this to me？" Bensinger felt the sensation of being choked and was convinced that Rebecca died in that manner。 She also insisted that she channeled Max， who showed her that "he was taken down， that he was murdered" when someone behind him threw him over the railing。 She believed two men who involved who had a business connection to Jonah， and the murders of Rebecca and Max were revenge killings。Rother explores the various conspiracy theories that have abounded and continue to be floated by interested observers， as post-trial legal proceedings continue winding through the courts。 She notes that her investigation caused her to reject many of those theories outright because they were unsupported by forensic， medical or mechanical evidence， or debunked by uncontroversial clues。 Despite her dedication to the case and quest for answers， Rother concedes that， at this point， no one is able to state for certain what happened to Rebecca or Max。 Rebecca's history of lies， deceit， and instability certainly call into question whether someone from her past caught up with her in Coronado and murdered her。 But Rother also knows from personal experience， as well as professional expertise garnered through her years of investigative journalism， that family members frequently are unaware that a loved one was contemplating suicide 。 。 。 until it is too late。 Even so， Dina and Rebecca's family remain convinced that both Max and Rebecca were murdered。Rother's tautly-constructed， enthralling telling of their story is both fascinating and haunting， and a must-read for true crime fans。 A less-skilled author could easily have imprinted his or her personal experiences upon the writing。 But Rother deftly strikes a perfect balance between compassionately exploring Rebecca's life and what transpired。 She considers the complex emotions of all involved， and objectively examines the available evidence through the lens of a woman who survived a dysfunctional marriage and suicide of an ex-spouse。 Because of her background， she credibly offers insight and perspective while inspiring readers to take all of the information presented into account before drawing their own conclusions。 For Rother's part， she concludes that， based upon her years-long， intense exploration of the case， "Rebecca's death was staged to look like something it wasn't。" But she concedes that she doesn't "know what happened。 I can see both sides of it， and I have never been convinced either way。 There are big holes in the investigation that will never be filled。"But what really happened may forever remain a mystery that little Max and Rebecca took with them to their respective graves。 Rother observes， "This is a tragedy， no matter how you look at it。" 。。。more
Debra
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"SHE SAVED HIM， CAN YOU SAVE HER。"Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Yahau was found hanging naked， gagged， and bound from a balcony at her boyfriend's （Jonah Shacknai） historic Coronado mansion in 2011。 This message "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER" was found written on a door。 Her death was deemed a suicide， but was it？It was the second time that the police were called to that residence。 The first time was when they responded to a call for help for Jonah's six-year-old son， Max who took a fall while u "SHE SAVED HIM， CAN YOU SAVE HER。"Thirty-two-year-old Rebecca Yahau was found hanging naked， gagged， and bound from a balcony at her boyfriend's （Jonah Shacknai） historic Coronado mansion in 2011。 This message "SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER" was found written on a door。 Her death was deemed a suicide， but was it？It was the second time that the police were called to that residence。 The first time was when they responded to a call for help for Jonah's six-year-old son， Max who took a fall while under Rebecca's care。 Did Rebecca commit suicide out of guilt？ Did she feel responsible for Max getting hurt？Jonah Shacknai was not home on the night of Rebecca's suicide。 His son， Max was in Rady Children's hospital in San Diego。 He was staying at a hotel close to the hospital so he could be at the hospital at any given moment。But Rebecca was not alone， Jonah's brother Adam had arrived and was staying at the mansion as well。 Could he have been involved？Rother takes readers through the events beginning with the 911 call to get help for Max after his tragic fall。 She leads us through the days with information given from all involved including Max's mother and aunt。 She provides the facts in a comprehensive manner。 I had not heard about this case when it occurred （was I living under a rock？）， so all the information was new to me。 Readers a presented with information and theories from the authorities and experts。 Rother takes readers are through the trial and after。The author's research was impressive and extensive。 She took nine years to research and write this book。 She uses her personal interviews with both experts and witnesses。 Her dedication to detail and providing the facts results in a comprehensive and informative book。 There is a lot of information， but this book does not feel bogged down with it。 Fans of true crime will enjoy this book。 In addition to be well written， it is informative， comprehensive and riveting。 I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Michelle P。
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Like practically every millennial woman， I love True Crime。 Whenever I’m out for a walk on the trails near our neighborhood， the sun shining through the trees， quiet， no one else around， I stop and think - “Am I gonna get Datelined right now？” And yes， I use Dateline as a verb。Ann Rule， Michelle McNamara， James Renner， a slew of others。 I will read， listen， and watch ALL of the things that have to do with True Crime。 I read Helter Skelter in middle school。 The Black Dahlia， Son of Sam， The Golde Like practically every millennial woman， I love True Crime。 Whenever I’m out for a walk on the trails near our neighborhood， the sun shining through the trees， quiet， no one else around， I stop and think - “Am I gonna get Datelined right now？” And yes， I use Dateline as a verb。Ann Rule， Michelle McNamara， James Renner， a slew of others。 I will read， listen， and watch ALL of the things that have to do with True Crime。 I read Helter Skelter in middle school。 The Black Dahlia， Son of Sam， The Golden State Killer， Ted Bundy， the Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin， TX， which literally still boggles my mind to this day。I don’t dabble too much into recent crime stories， besides the big ones like Laci Peterson or Chris Watts， the not-so-perfect father， so I didn’t really know much about the Rebecca Zahau case。 I buddy read this one with @pazthebookaholic who has seen the Dateline episode of this case， and who told me that some information she thinks she definitely remembers from the episode， so if you have watched it， a lot of this book will seem a bit repetitive。This book is absolutely dense with information。 Rother does an amazing job of researching and interviewing key witnesses nine years after the fact of Rebecca being found dead in the Coronado Mansion。My issue with the book was， all of this information was written in a way that I could not engage with。 It felt clinical and dry。 I wasn’t spooked， I didn’t feel creeped out， or like someone was watching me through my windows。 I didn’t feel anything。 This was just the facts。Usually， when reading True Crime the author gives us something， some personal connection that ties it all together。 At one point， Rother does try to connect with Rebecca’s case by offering a personal story， but it comes in the last quarter of the book， and mostly mentioned in passing and I just thought， damn， that was a missed opportunity。It’s a highly informative book， especially if you have zero knowledge of this truly bizarre case。 Unfortunately， it was just missing a little extra spark of something for me。Thank you @netgalley & @kensingtonbooks for the eARC。 This is out April 27th。 。。。more
Kryssybyss
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I used to live in San Diego so this story felt extra interesting to me。 I am familiar with Hotel Del and the Spreckles Mansion。 I did not hear about these deaths- are they murder？？？ Rother does a great job presenting evidence for both sides and really leaves you wondering what actually happened？！ I am biased obviously so I feel like I know what happened 🙃 and there was plenty of detail in the book to support my theory。 It was such a good read！ A real life true crime mystery！！！！
Missie Jacobson
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Author did a great job putting both perspectives on this case。 I watch alot of crime shows but had not heard about this case。 In the end I am still unsure the proper ruling of this case。 But author was definitely unbiased
Jennifer
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This was an audiobook for me and narrated by Rachel Perry who by the way did a great job。 This crime was such a mystery to me and it had a million unknowns。 I watched some of this on tv and was excited to get my hands on this。 This book takes an in-depth look into this tragedy。 What happened in that house？？ What。 Happened？？？If you read this you’ll see a biography on really all the people mentioned in this story。 I thought it was very informative and interesting。 I love true crime。 I would defini This was an audiobook for me and narrated by Rachel Perry who by the way did a great job。 This crime was such a mystery to me and it had a million unknowns。 I watched some of this on tv and was excited to get my hands on this。 This book takes an in-depth look into this tragedy。 What happened in that house？？ What。 Happened？？？If you read this you’ll see a biography on really all the people mentioned in this story。 I thought it was very informative and interesting。 I love true crime。 I would definitely recommend it and read another book by this author。 Thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for this。 I’m voluntarily leaving my review。 。。。more
Alexander Ayers
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This book （Kindle version）was won as part of a GoodReads giveaway。 Due to the recent rise in popularity of true crime through media such as podcasts and documentaries， I decided to enter and give this a try。The events surrounding the deaths of Max Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau are most certainly cause for further examination as multiple theories exist on to what actually happened。 The first two thirds of the book are written "Dragnet" style （just the facts， ma'am） which make for quick reading and w This book （Kindle version）was won as part of a GoodReads giveaway。 Due to the recent rise in popularity of true crime through media such as podcasts and documentaries， I decided to enter and give this a try。The events surrounding the deaths of Max Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau are most certainly cause for further examination as multiple theories exist on to what actually happened。 The first two thirds of the book are written "Dragnet" style （just the facts， ma'am） which make for quick reading and wonderfully set the stage。 The histories of all the players involved definitely involves further scrutiny and examination， which the author adeptly researched。 I did not feel as if I was led down one theoretical avenue through the author's point of view， but was instead given the opportunity to make up my own mind。 Much like the many people who have taken an interest in this case， I felt my opinions changing between chapters， and often within chapters。 The final third of the book has some of Ms。 Rother's opinions， but it is not until the end where the reader finds out her beliefs， although due to the nature of the case， can still be interpreted as somewhat ambiguous。 There is definitely a sense of frustration as we will probably never find out what really happened， but the way the author paints an equal and open-minded picture， gives the reader the chance to decide for themselves what they think really occurred。 。。。more
Judy Odom
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Caitlin Rother has done an amazing job of presenting the facts in one of the most bizarre crimes of the death of Rebecca Zahau in the book Death on Ocean Boulevard : Inside the Coronado Mansion Case。 Is it suicide or is it murder。 Experts disagree 。 I thought I knew this case from Dateline， 20 20 but this book brought so much out that I did not know。Caitlin's honesty and forthrightness made her novel stand out。 She brought the characters to life。At one point I had made up my mind it was murder， Caitlin Rother has done an amazing job of presenting the facts in one of the most bizarre crimes of the death of Rebecca Zahau in the book Death on Ocean Boulevard : Inside the Coronado Mansion Case。 Is it suicide or is it murder。 Experts disagree 。 I thought I knew this case from Dateline， 20 20 but this book brought so much out that I did not know。Caitlin's honesty and forthrightness made her novel stand out。 She brought the characters to life。At one point I had made up my mind it was murder， the next I thought a bizarre suicide。Sadly for the family ， I don't think we will ever know。 This will not be my last Caitlin Rother novel by any meansThanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books， Citadel for perplexing and fascinating read。 。。。more
Obsidian
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I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。So I heard about this case， eons ago it seems。 Ann Rule talked about it in one of her anthologies， and I always thought it was weird she didn't finish it or come back to it。 I found out via this book though， she got threatened via a lawsuit so that explains that。 But the case of Rebecca Zahau， who was found hung in 2011， with her arms bound behind her back， her ankles tied， her mouth gagged， all while naked， has fascinat I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。So I heard about this case， eons ago it seems。 Ann Rule talked about it in one of her anthologies， and I always thought it was weird she didn't finish it or come back to it。 I found out via this book though， she got threatened via a lawsuit so that explains that。 But the case of Rebecca Zahau， who was found hung in 2011， with her arms bound behind her back， her ankles tied， her mouth gagged， all while naked， has fascinated true crime followers for a decade。 The author follows all of the main people in Rebecca's life at the time of her death and provides context and details that the police had never released to the public。 This book really does ask though， was Rebecca murdered， or did she commit suicide because she thought her relationship with her live in boyfriend， Jonah Shacknai was about to end。For readers who don't know， "Inside the Coronado Mansion Case" starts at the "beginning" of the story and we get details about Jonah Shacknai's son， Max， who was hurt a few days before Rebecca's murder or suicide。 Jonah's son Max was 6 and while playing or sliding down a bannister， somehow went over the banister at his father's mansion， tried to grab onto the chandelier and then was found on the ground covered with glass and unresponsive。 Rebecca and her sister were the only ones at home at the time and Rebecca apparently tried to give Max CPR while her sister was on the phone trying to give directions to the 9-1-1 operator that they called for help。 Police and ambulance converge on the mansion and take him to the hospital。 Rebecca is asked to not go to the hospital by Jonah because she and Max's mother （his second wife） don't get along。 For a time many people thought that Max would recover， but when all signs point to him not， Rebecca is found dead by Jonah's brother Adam。 From there Rother follows whether Rebecca would have committed suicide over the accident or was she murdered。 I think that Rother does a great job of giving a lot of development to Rebecca。 You get to see how she was a contradictory woman throughout her life。 She had a long time husband who she was separated off and on from for years while they both perused relationships with other people。 You find out that relationship was abusive， but she still seemed reluctant to leave it。 She seemed to fall in love with men and they fell in love with her， but she seemed to want to be independent from them at times too。 We get backstories on her parents， her sisters， her ex-husband， and ex-boyfriends。 All of that I think was to try to give us details about why Rebecca may have been hiding something or been scared to say what happened to Jonah's son Max。 I also felt really sorry for her at times because I think all signs were pointing to her relationship with Jonah ending。 He seemed like a cold fish and at times made it seem like she was getting overly emotional about things and I was all， ehh well your second wife has pretty much called her a gold digger， your daughter doesn't sound much better， I don't blame her for being emotional。 Rother also provides us backstories on Jonah， his first two wives， his children， and his brother Adam。 You have Rother following up with private investigators and providing us information from medical reports on both Max and Rebecca。 I think that Rother did a great job of staying neutral with this book。 She provides us facts and contexts around things many readers may not have known。 Heck， I don't know if most of the participants had any idea。 But from my point of view it seems like the San Diego County Sheriff Department bungled this whole case from beginning to end。 I do think that Rebecca was murdered。 My only question is though， was only 1 person involved， or more。 。。。more
Kelly Hager
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Like many people， I am incredibly interested in this case。 And like many people， I started this book thinking I was well-versed in this case and that I knew what had happened。It turns out there was a lot of stuff I didn't know （A LOT） and this book made me rethink a lot of things。I don't want to spoil anything and I also don't want to be like， "Here are the biggest things we didn't know！" because you need to read the book。 （It's great and it won't take you long。） But I started from a place of "I Like many people， I am incredibly interested in this case。 And like many people， I started this book thinking I was well-versed in this case and that I knew what had happened。It turns out there was a lot of stuff I didn't know （A LOT） and this book made me rethink a lot of things。I don't want to spoil anything and I also don't want to be like， "Here are the biggest things we didn't know！" because you need to read the book。 （It's great and it won't take you long。） But I started from a place of "I don't think she killed herself; I think she was murdered" and went to a "Well。。。maybe。。。？" and back and forth about three more times。 I don't know if we'll ever know everything。 If this is also one of the stories that's gotten stuck in your brain， read this。 And then talk to me about it because I have some real thoughts and questions。 。。。more
CaraDico
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"Thank you to NetGalley， Caitlin Rother and Citadel Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"Previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/de。。。Death on Ocean Boulevard tackles one of the most bizarre true crimes in recent history: the deaths of Maxfield Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau。 These deaths occur two days apart in the same house in Coronado， California， and while both are ruled accidental， the evidence points to murder。 Caitlin Rother has written a book about this unusu "Thank you to NetGalley， Caitlin Rother and Citadel Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"Previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/de。。。Death on Ocean Boulevard tackles one of the most bizarre true crimes in recent history: the deaths of Maxfield Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau。 These deaths occur two days apart in the same house in Coronado， California， and while both are ruled accidental， the evidence points to murder。 Caitlin Rother has written a book about this unusual case， tackling evidence and personal interviews that were not presented in the trial。 On July 11， 2011， 6-year-old Max Shacknai took a tumble off of a 2nd floor railing while home with his Father’s girlfriend， Rebecca and her younger sister。 According to police， he grabs onto a chandelier and swings， falling down two flights and lands on his face， breaking facial bones and severing his spinal cord。 What stands out to the first responders is that somehow a scooter lands on top of him， along with the chandelier。 He is rushed to the hospital， where he dies a few days later。 Max’s death is ruled an accident， but was it？During Max’s hospital stay， Jonah Shacknai’s brother， Adam， comes to stay to support Jonah。 Adam is an interesting character and the complete opposite of pharmaceutical magnate， Jonah。 He is a tugboat Captain who has been with the same woman for decades but has not introduced her to family。 The morning after he arrives， he leaves the guest house and sees Rebecca’s nude body hanging off a second floor balcony with her hands and feet tied behind her and a gag in her mouth。 He calls 911 while simultaneously cutting her down and trying to resuscitate her。 Despite mounting evidence that points to murder， including a strange sign outside the bedroom door， that the balcony railing was above her center of gravity and other evidence that points to her being murdered before she goes over the balcony， the responders rule it a suicide。 They believe she committed suicide out of guilt over what happened to Max， who was under her care at the time of the accident。 But if a murder， who would have murdered a woman who had no enemies？Rebecca’s family， not believing she would ever commit suicide， especially suicide by hanging while in the nude， files a wrongful death civil suit against Adam Shacknai， stating he sexually assaulted her and then murdered her。 Claiming evidence of the intricate knots that only a riverboat captain would know。 The Zahaus win the civil suit， having said all along that Rebecca would never embarrass her family like this。 Since then， there have been multiple investigations to explain how Rebecca went over a balcony with both her hands and feet bound， and no one has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Rebecca committed suicide。Ms。 Rother has done an amazing job giving her readers a detailed description of who Rebecca really was， which serves to thicken the mystery surrounding her death。 Her extra-marital affairs， lies， and a covered up shoplifting crime only muddle the truth。 She also admits to a strong personal connection with the case， as her husband also died by suicide。 In the last chapters of Death on Ocean Boulevard， Rother talks about her personal interviews with all involved， including Jonah and Adam Shacknai。 It is interesting to hear their takes on Rebecca’s death and to see their personalities which come across in the interviews。 She also brought other theories in， including the idea that Jonah Shacknai was the original target。 Death on Ocean Boulevard is a fascinating view of an unsolved crime， even after a decade has gone by。 The perfect book for true crime junkies！ 。。。more
Kelly
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