-By Soul Sword-
Genre: True Crime, Police Procedural
Rating: 5/5
Met with Foul Play by A.M Rau is a true crime book. It is based on a 66-year-old cold case that the author worked on while serving in the police force in 2025.
CASE: In July 1960, Frances Lacey went missing on a Sunday morning on Mackinac Island (newspaper articles about the case are available on Google). Her dead body was found later, and thus started the hunt for the infamous Mackinac Island killer. The case went cold despite the police force’s hard work.
The book is fast-paced and atmospheric. It is divided into 3 parts: the consolidated case file, a fictional account of how it could have been solved, and a detailed breakdown of the clues that led the author to the killer.
While reading fiction, I often wonder if real investigations are this seamless, or if it’s just clever storytelling. This book gives a more realistic view and makes the reader feel part of the investigation.
The narrative presents the raw data, timeline, and witness statements as is. At times, the sheer number of witness statements felt overwhelming.
Unlike the usual single-officer investigation, this case was worked by 40 officers across three departments. The officers meticulously follow up on many unrelated and unhelpful leads. This shows the magnitude and pressure of working a case in real life.I enjoyed reading the interrogation scenes.
The investigation felt airtight to the reader until the very end, where the author points out the instances where it missed crucial clues. This was my favourite part of the book as it speaks about how the author went about solving the cold case. The book includes witness interviews extending up to 2025.
Reading true crime hits differently. Fiction gives thrills, while true crime carries the weight of reality, leaving behind a lingering heaviness. This book is a must-read for thriller fans.
Met With Foul Play is set to release on 1st May 2026.
(I thank the author for providing me with the ARC. All views expressed are my own. )
-By Soul Sword-
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