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Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation

Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation

by Erika Krouse

Flatiron Books ·2022 ·288 pages
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
56/99
Top of the Pile

96/99

Critics' Rating Index

Bottom of the Pile

16/99

Readers' Rating Index

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Scholars' Citation Index

84/99

Volume of Reviews

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About This Book

Part memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything is the mesmerizing story of a landmark sexual assault investigation and the private investigator who helped crack it open. Erika Krouse has one of those faces. "I don't know why I'm telling you this," people say, spilling confessions. In fall 2002, Krouse accepts a new contract job investigating lawsuits as a private investigator. The role seems perfect for her, but she quickly realizes she has no idea what she's doing. Then a lawyer named Grayson assigns her to investigate a sexual assault, a college student who was attacked by football players and recruits at a party a year earlier. Krouse knows she should turn the assignment down; her own history with sexual violence makes it all too personal. But she takes the job anyway, inspired by Grayson's conviction that he could help change things forever--and maybe she could, too. Over the next five years, Krouse learns everything she can about P. I. technique, tracking down witnesses and investigating a culture of sexual assault and harassment ingrained in the university's football program. But as the investigation grows into a national scandal and a historic civil rights case, she finds herself increasingly consumed. When the case and her life both implode at the same time, she must figure out how to help win the case without losing herself.


Reviews

"nothing undermines Krouse's self-description more than the scenes in which she interviews victims, witnesses, and perpetrators in the campus rape case."

Laura Miller· Slate Read review ↗ Near the Top

"With graphic descriptions of horrifying events, Krouse's brutal candor and perceptive insights make for powerful storytelling."

Kathleen McBroom· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Rather than simply demonizing individuals, the author convincingly demonstrates how institutional practices have enabled (and covered up) predatory environments ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Fans of true crime might be disappointed in the eccentricities of the writer, who regularly finds reason to detail, say, drought conditions in Colorado, instead of giving a straightforward accounting of crimes and cover-ups...The book swirls around major sexual issues of our day — consent, college rape culture, institutional accountability — without ever feeling preachy or didactic."

Patrick Hoffman· The New York Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"As the investigation progresses, Krouse unfurls a storyline as compelling as any detective novel ..."

Marion Winik· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"a memorable, highly personal account of a landmark legal case, as well as a thoughtful examination of the long-lasting damage of sexual assault."

Alice Cary· BookPage Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"An important addition for all libraries."

Mattie Cook· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"[an] enthralling blend of true crime and memoir ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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