Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town is a true crime story about two girls who are abducted, raped, and murdered in the small town of Casper, Wyoming in 1973. The book is written by Ron Franscell, a Casper native who eventually became a newspaper journalist and knew the girls personally. Because of this very fact, Ron Franscell's account is well-researched and questions surrounding the crime have been thoroughly answered because of Ron Franscell's interest. The book is severely impacting from a personal standpoint and well-written.
As with most true crime books, Fall begins with the first chapter dramatically detailing the scene and the crime's events from the victim's viewpoint. This is no longer surprising with this genre, but I have found true crime more interesting and engaging when we learn about the characters' background and family before the crime is told in its gruesome detail. Despite the dramatics in the first chapter, the entire book reads easily and flows very well.
As we near Fall's ending, we are presented with a chapter entitled "Untold Destiny", in which we are given one of the murderer's "autobiography", written while in prison. The autobiography is a complete joke as it's obvious fabrication is sickening and very sad.
I was happy to also see Ron Franscell's mention of fellow true crime author Jack Olsen, who has written a book on one of the doctors who "treats" Becky years after the crime. Jack Olsen is one of the best true crime writers in the market and I highly recommend his works.
Overall, Fall is a great book as far as true crime is concerned, and its content not easily forgettable.
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