Review of Gone in the Night: The Springfield Three

Post by **Bertha Jackson** » 24 Mar 2022, 12:50

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gone in the Night: The Springfield Three" by Alan Brown and Brian Brown.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Gone in the Night: The Springfield Three by Alan Brown and Brian Brown is a crime thriller based on a true story. It is one of the four books in the Detective Booger McClain series. On June 7, 1992, three women in Springfield, Missouri, disappeared and were never found. The women, 19-year-old Suzie Streeter, her mother, 47-year-old Sherrill Levitt, and her friend, 18-year-old Stacy McCall, were the victims. They were abducted from Suzie and Sherrill's home sometime between 2:15 and 6:00 that morning. Friends and family members entered and searched the house, destroying any evidence that may have been left behind. Twenty-eight years later, during the COVID-19 isolation, Alan Brown recognized his son, Brian's, interest in investigating the case. He referred him to his old friend Booger McClain, a Private Investigator in Springfield. Brian goes to interview Booger, and Booger puts him in his "war room," where he has sticky notes, handwritten notes, and other information about the case pinned on the walls with strings running to relevant facts. Each wall was titled "Clues," "Facts," or "Suspects." What does Brian learn from these walls and Booger? Does Brian solve the case?

Alan and Brian Brown have done a fantastic job of relating the facts of the case. Usually, I'm not fond of repetitiveness in a book, but the way the authors analyzed the same evidence from different perspectives was interesting. The authors took me into the minds of each of the characters, whether they were the victims, friends, family, or suspects. Although the novel revolves around an unsolved crime, Alan and Brian incorporated humor into the narrative with analogies like "this place covered like Pooh Bear on honey," "pigs on fritters," and "shakier legs than a newborn calf," to name a few. I enjoyed reading about other cases that had the potential of being connected to this one and the investigative techniques used in each of them. Each of the four books in the series focuses on different cases investigated by Booger McClain and can be read separately.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. This novel has a well-written and fast-paced plot that flows smoothly. There is a lot of emotion in this book due to family and friends having to deal with grief and fear of the unknown.

Although this book appears to have been professionally edited, it could use another round of editing because I did find over ten errors. The editing is the only thing that keeps this book from getting the maximum number of stars. Therefore, I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book to fans of crime thrillers and true-crime stories. Readers do need to be aware that this book does contain non-borderline profanity. The investigators assumed that the three victims were sexually assaulted, and other cases were about rape, but nothing is described.

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Gone in the Night: The Springfield Three
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Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 07 Apr 2022, 07:55

I’ve watched a few documentaries about this case and I find it fascinating. Well-meaning friends and family can destroy evidence making the job of investigators that much harder.

Aisha Yakub · Post by **Aisha Yakub** » 07 Apr 2022, 11:23

Lovers of crime thrillers should enjoy reading this. Great review.

Patty Allread · Post by **Patty Allread** » 07 Apr 2022, 12:35

Trying to solve unsolved crimes would be a fascinating endeavor for "civilians" like Alan and Brian. I think it makes a great story for a book like this. Good review!

TheGayOne12 · Post by **TheGayOne12** » 08 Apr 2022, 02:36

Crime thriller sounds like something I could read right now. Great review!

nwankwo chibuchi · Post by **nwankwo chibuchi** » 08 Apr 2022, 21:08

Crime thrillers offer great reads every single time and I’m sure this wouldn’t be an exception

Mmaduabuchi Eze · Post by **Mmaduabuchi Eze** » 11 Apr 2022, 01:48

This is a socially-conscious narrative. Grief and fear, sadly, are most of the emotions we face as humans due to harsh realities of life.

Ceeco2002 · Post by **Ceeco2002** » 11 Apr 2022, 12:17

Crime thrillers are just the right books for me. Thanks for a great review!

wmeki510 · Post by **wmeki510** » 20 Apr 2022, 15:55

A thorough review. I hope to enjoy this crime thriller.

wmeki510 · Post by **wmeki510** » 20 Apr 2022, 15:55

Buch1-Dm wrote: ↑08 Apr 2022, 21:08 Crime thrillers offer great reads every single time and I’m sure this wouldn’t be an exception

Yeah. The book, no doubt, promises a great read.

Ceeco2002 · Post by **Ceeco2002** » 21 Apr 2022, 05:57

I wonder what Brian learns from the clues and facts he gathers, and if he is finally able to solve the case. Excellent review!

nwankwo chibuchi · Post by **nwankwo chibuchi** » 22 Apr 2022, 12:09

I'm not a huge fan of crime thrillers but your review draws me to this one. Well done.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 10 May 2022, 16:06

This seems like an interesting book considering that it's based on a true story and goes in-depth analyzing the case files, so I hope the author does another round of proofreading to make it excellent. Thank you for your great review!