Stephanie Kane is a lawyer turned crime fiction/suspense novelist. Her works have earned her numerous accolades and praise from industry experts and readers for decades. One of her novels, Quiet Time, follows the murder of a housewife and mother in her seemingly typical family home, and how the incident shatters her family’s lives and uncovers secrets. In reality, the book is based on Stephanie’s own experiences with her ex-husband Doug Frye and the murder of his mother Betty. True Crime Redux is Stephanie’s first nonfiction title in which she recounts the consequences of Quiet Time’s release. She walks readers through the day of Betty’s murder in 1973 and the whirlwind of events that surrounded the Frye family for the next 40 years. 

Stephanie describes her place in the events of Betty’s murder as, “More than a witness but less than an active participant, I was a bit actor whose role in the crime shaped my life.” Stephanie starts True Crime Redux by recounting her conversation with Betty on the phone just hours before she was found dead in her garage with blunt force trauma to her skull. She also recalls Betty’s husband, Duane, and how peculiar his behavior and appearance was during that time frame when he and his other son, Greg, came to visit them. From the beginning, Stephanie captivates readers into continuing the story. She sets the stage as to what she speculates happened to Betty before we learn the details of the crime. 

For years, Stephanie thought she may have inadvertently had something to do with Betty’s death. Betty was a devout Catholic, and Stephanie was her son’s Jewish live-in girlfriend. Betty was extremely upset with her son’s choice in a wife – so much that she couldn’t be consoled. For years afterward, she wonders, already suspecting Duane as the killer, if she sparked the events that led him to murder his wife. 

In True Crime Redux, Stephanie organizes short chapters in a timeline of sorts. She introduces the premise of the true crime turned fiction novel and covers the day of the murder and the investigation. Readers also get a psychoanalysis of Duane’s personality, the Frye family background, and effects on the Frye children and Betty’s family. She then covers how the case went cold then revived decades later, and her reflections. Yes, Duane went on trial for Betty’s murder. But the case was thrown out due to reasons readers will have to discover for themselves. Then decades later, after the release of Quiet Time, the case gained steam once again after new evidence – and even a possible confession brought forth by Duane’s sister Cherrie – came to light. 

Stepanie’s unique experience and role in the events will keep readers hooked throughout True Crime Redux. She indeed came under attack after the release of Quiet Time. The defense team for Duane argued that Stephanie and Cherrie colluded and fabricated the new details in order to increase book sales. But as readers will eventually learn via Stephanie’s reflections and her own research into the case files, it’s not quite that simple when it comes to personal accountability. 

True Crime Redux is definitely a unique read. Never before had I read a true crime story that covers the actual crime plus the author’s own involvement. I enjoyed learning how it inspired her work of fiction, and then how the investigation was revived. The chapters and details are easily digestible. Stephanie even includes definitions of terms at the beginning of each chapter to give readers context into how all the pieces fit together. My only gripe is that each chapter seemed unfinished – I expected more elaboration before the next chapter began. Nevertheless, all those true crime junkies out there need to add this one to their reading list. 

Stephanie Kane joins us for a Cantina Conversation to talk about her experiences writing a true crime novel and how the events shaped her life. Keep an ear out for the interview on an upcoming episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast and preorder True Crime Redux, available May 2.