We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence

FINALIST FOR THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS BOOK PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Named One of The Best Books of 2020 by NPR's Fresh Air * Publishers Weekly * Marie Claire * Redbook * Vogue * Kirkus Reviews * Book Riot * Bustle

A Recommended Book by The New York Times * The Washington Post * Booklist * The Boston Gl...show more

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528 pages

Average rating: 6.5

38 RATINGS

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5 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Amymc713
Feb 20, 2024
7/10 stars
Very very long and thorough. Not my typical genre and it might be because I just don’t care about all the details or it might be this author was just more detailed than most. Read for a book club and can’t wait to discuss.
AlexGJ
Aug 16, 2023
2/10 stars
Just.... not good. There was no clear narrative. It reads like 500 pages of her notes on the investigation, a diary about how connected she feels to the women - her rambling opinions and digressions and non sequiturs.

It's meant to be a contemplation on the privilege of Harvard, and the best example isn't in anything about Jane, but rather the fact that the author, because of her Harvard connections, was able to get a book deal for this, and was ...read more
tarahigh
Mar 02, 2023
8/10 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hard for me to put this book down. The author did a great job of keeping the story interesting, providing twists and turns and historical information. I really thought I had this book figured out, multiple times! I also love books with photos - I know it sounds silly but it really makes me feel apart of the case. This book is pretty long and can provide for extra detail I’m not sure always necessary, but if ...read more
AlexCruse
Jan 03, 2023
8/10 stars
4 stars.

I had never heard of this case before and found the handling of it and the storytelling around it masterful. Cooper's care for Jane and her case is astounding and her investigations not only into her murder but also the systems in place that impacted Jane and women throughout time within academia were spot on.

At times, it felt like being on a rollercoaster, with lots of ups and downs as Cooper explores different suspects, but it felt l...read more
Kris O.
Sep 12, 2022
5/10 stars
The book is highly readable, though the author is a bit prone to wandering off on tangents, particularly in the first part of the book, and gets rather repetitive with returning to the crime scene and the initial investigation multiple times over the course of the narrative.

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