Overview

Similar Transactions is the fascinating story of the author's seven-year quest to solve a 20-year-old cold-case. S. R. Reynolds has never forgotten the mishandled case of fifteen-year-old Michelle Anderson, a vibrant beauty who went missing from Reynolds' Knoxville, Tennessee, neighborhood years earlier. Aided by her old professor, famed forensic anthropologist Dr. William Bass--founder of the University of Tennessee's Body Farm --Reynolds picks up the trail of this long-cold case. ⠨⠨As she presses neglected pieces of the puzzle into place, she unearths a string of brutal kidnappings and rapes across the South, crimes that span decades. All evidence points to one man: convicted sex offender Larry Lee Smith. She meets with victims and former investigators who worked on the case. A picture begins to form. Patterns appear. ⠨⠨As a result of Reynolds' efforts, the Knoxville Police Department reopens the cold-case of Michelle's disappearance, but Larry Lee is about to be released from a Georgia prison, where he served time for a related crime--a similar transaction. As his sentence ran out, Reynolds found herself in a real-life drama. What transpires in this story is amazing on many levels. Reynolds writes a gripping and fascinating true story, including how victims, former police and FBI investigators, and a savvy prosecutor came together on a mission to get justice for Michelle. Similar Transactions is the recipient of the 2017 eLit Gold Award for True Crime, and is among the top five books named The Best of Everything Nonfiction 2016 by author, critic, and screenwriter Emilio Corsetti III.

Full Product Details

9780996383707

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Born and raised in Frederick, Maryland, I lived for many years in Knoxville, Tennessee. At the University of Tennessee, I majored in criminology and correctional studies while minoring in cultural anthropology. I obtained a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Alabama. Today my husband and I reside in North Alabama. While I was a resident in Knoxville, a 15-year-old girl, Michelle Anderson, went missing from the North Knoxville neighborhood in which I resided. My son had been a classmate of hers. After she disappeared, I had some marginal contact with a couple of persons related to her case. Not long after that I accepted a job offer in Alabama and moved away. But the case stayed with me. It was nearly a decade later, after having moved to Alabama from Knoxville, as I watched one of the new forensic shows on television, that I finally learned of Michelle's fate. Her remains had been found outside Knoxville two years to the month after she'd gone missing. My old professor, Dr. William Bass, led the team that excavated the site. He was featured on the show discussing the case. Fast forward to 2007. I run into Dr. Bass when he is giving a talk in Guntersville, Alabama, about a new book he and his co-author, Jon Jefferson, have just published (Jefferson Bass, Harper-Collins). Obtaining his phone number, I call Dr. Bass concerning the old, very cold case of Michelle's disappearance. He sends me his forensic report from 1989 and some additional materials. My investigative journey begins. Seven years later, I have identified the man most likely to be Michelle's abductor and murderer, serial rapist Larry Lee Smith, and I have gotten the KPD to re-open her cold case. My book, Similar Transactions, tells the rest of this amazing story, including how victims, former police and FBI investigators, and a savvy prosecutor were brought together on a mission to get justice for Michelle. I won't lie to you. This was a tough story to tell. The awards were a pleasant surprise, but even more meaningful is your feedback after you've read the book.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available