Bright Young Women - Jessica Knoll

 Bright Young Women - Jessica Knoll

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023

She read

It is 1978; two young women are murdered and another two brutally attacked in their sorority house at Florida State University.The sorority president, dubbed “Perfect Pamela” by one of the deceased due to her fastidiousness, saw the attacker and is the lone witness. She receives a visit from Tina who says she knows who did it because he has killed women in the west and northwest and is responsible for the disappearance of her friend, Ruth.Unfortunately, the police take neither Tina nor Pamela seriously. 

Flashback to 1974 and the story of Tina and Ruth.Flash forward to the present and a letter that Pamela receives results in her traveling back to Florida and the final resolution of loose threads. 

The timelines alternate throughout, with that of 1978 continuing on to the trial of the killer. He is not called by name in the narrative, only referred to as “The Defendant”. While he is on trial, the press and public fawn over him; the judge calls him a “bright young man”, ignoring the stories of the bright young women who were murdered.

Does this sound a bit familiar? Yes, it was influenced by real life serial killer Ted Bundy. 

This is a good story although sometimes the jumping around in timelines is wrenching.It throws light on the homophobia and misogyny of the 1970’s (perhaps not much different from today) and the failings of the justice system.  It appears to have been well researched, is well written, and astute.I liked how Pamela evolved into a self actualized independent woman. 

However, I just wasn’t comfortable with this book. I appreciate true crime non fiction and all the research that goes into it to present real information. While this story parallels the Bundy case, it is fictionalized and I didn’t like the blurring of the lines between fact and fiction. I kept wondering what was really true regarding the characters and, in particular, the victims. Perhaps if it didn’t follow the case so closely, I might have been more comfortable with it. That is my personal preference; others will respond differently.

Thanks to #netgalley and @simonandschuster @marysuericcibooks for the arc. 

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