Meticulously researched, centered on the women victimized by Edgar Smith and never credulous of his account. Would have been a little more interesting with engagement with prison abolitionism

This book was incredibly engaging in how it was written, but I didn't like the framing of Smith's jailhouse correspondence with the Sophie and the other women he had romantic interactions with. I understand the necessity of exploring the depth of his psyche and how he was able to portray himself in how that impacted or manipulated his public perception leading to his release, but the amount of space given to it in the book was unsettling. In some instancet, it felt as if it was attempting to make reader empathize with him and the women he manipulated, rather than framing him as the manipulator. This was a really interesting look into 20th century politics, and how greatly they differ in reference to the ability to form bonds surpassing political lines from politics and life the 21st century. It was also a very interesting look on hypocrisy.