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Katherine is a former journalist and Chicago prosecutor who spent 20 years as an FBI Special Agent. In her latest book, Women Who Talk to the Dead, two women lead the largest FBI exhumation in history to give voice to 200 forgotten murder victims. The book is “especially and unreservedly recommended” by the Midwest Book Review, which calls the book “a simply fascinating read from start to finish,” and “inspiring.” The New York Times’ Devlin Barrett calls it “a haunting account of what it takes to give victims’ families something more important than closure—to give them answers.” For fans of Mindhunter, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and We Keep the Dead Close, Schweit’s book draws her expertise in law enforcement together with her gift for storytelling to bring readers this gripping true-crime story of social justice. Schweit is also the author of Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis, and the dual-titled, A Simple Guide to the Second Amendment/How to Talk About Guns With Anyone. Honoring the book with its Ben Franklin Award, the Independent Book Publishers Association called the book a “comprehensive, non-partisan guide [to] equip readers with strategies to engage in informed discussions about guns in America.”
Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite
Women Who Talk to the Dead by Katherine Schweit is a gripping true-crime narrative that delves into the largest excavation of murder victims ever undertaken by the FBI. The book centers on the efforts of a detective and FBI agent to identify and bring justice to hundreds of forgotten victims, who are mostly marginalized, which isn’t surprising at all for anyone who reads or watches true crime stories. Forensic breakthroughs have provided investigators with a way to listen to the victims, a way to find answers. The real gem in this story is how the author explored the emotional toll this kind of work takes on the investigators and the victims’ families. While the subject matter is heavy, this story is about hope and perseverance. It is the story of how a team of women worked together to give names to victims in a system that had failed them for years.
Women Who Talk to the Dead is both haunting and inspiring. Katherine Schweit's detailed recounting of the investigation offers a glimpse into the forensic science factor that many true crime stories often glance over. Cold case crime solving is particularly compelling because of the forensics involved, and the author did a wonderful job of highlighting those details. As a true crime junkie, this was a story I’d never heard and I couldn’t read it fast enough. A team of female investigators seeking out justice for victims long forgotten is a compelling hook, but the read is even better. The story was well written and totally engaging, from the biographies of the investigators to the stories of some of the family members of the victims.
