Booklist Review

Veteran crime journalist Raguse tackles a complex and decades-spanning midwestern cold case. Told in vignettelike chapters, this true-crime tale details the disappearance of two South Dakota high schoolers, Sherri Miller and Pam Jackson, in the 1970s. Raguse's journalistic skill is on full display as extensive interview content with Miller and Jackson's loved ones, Vermillion community members, and other major players is featured throughout the case's recounting. These interviews transform the bare facts of the case into a crime narrative that captures over 40 years of investigation and community experience while simultaneously creating a window into the intricate details of the lives of those affected. Beyond recounting the tragic loss of and search for Miller and Jackson, Vanished in Vermillion chronicles a series of mistakes, beliefs, and perceptions--held by law enforcement and by Vermillion community members--that send destructive shock waves far beyond those initially caused by the girls' disappearances. Readers who enjoy procedural true crime will appreciate the well-researched, linear narrative, while readers interested in cold-case true crime will take satisfaction in the forensic storytelling.