Thank you Brilliance Audio for the ALC and @OTRPR & Amazon Crossing, #partner, for the advanced copy of All the Lies They Did Not Tell in exchange for my honest review.
Today, I’m so happy to be a tour stop on the blog tour for All the Lies They Did Not Tell. Thank you OTRPR for inviting me to participate.
Publisher: Amazon Crossing / Brilliance Audio
Published: August 1, 2022
Summary:
The accusations. The suspicions. The devastating impact. This is the true story of the Devils of the Bassa Modenese—the most notorious Satanic Panic investigation in the history of Italy.
In 1997 a six-year-old boy questioned by authorities relayed disturbing stories of abuse. The more he talked, the more people were implicated in his shocking revelations. And he was only the first child to come forward.
Within a year, fifteen more children with similar tales were transferred out of the Bassa region of Italy to protected locations. Their parents were accused of belonging to a satanic sect that performed sex rituals under the aegis of beloved local priest Don Giorgio Govoni. With each child’s confession, the network of monsters grew. Families were torn apart. Lives were forever destroyed—and some ended—as allegations of kidnapping, torture, sacrifice, and murder escalated beyond comprehension.
But what was really happening in the Bassa Modenese?
In this gripping account of the Satanic Panic of the 1990s, investigative journalist Pablo Trincia returns to the scene of the crimes to find the answer. And the truth he uncovers is as terrifying as the lies.
My thoughts:
As soon as this book was pitched to me, I knew I had to read it. I love true crime and had never heard of this one…and what a shocking, unsettling read it was!
I will say, this book is hard to read and I found myself getting so angry at times as I made my way through it. While I did have the print copy on hand, I did listen to it, and I’m glad I did because books like this make it a little easier for me to process sometimes. But, having the print made it easier to flip back to someone earlier in the book, which in this case, I did find myself doing a bunch of times.
This book is based on a true story and as I still consider myself pretty much a novice when it comes to true crime, I’m not surprised I hadn’t heard it, especially since it didn’t happen here in states. It definitely will be, however, a case I do not forget anytime soon. I cannot believe how many lives were uprooted and/or destroyed because of this. Mass hysteria really is such a fascinating topic and this case definitely proves that.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s a tough read. It’s about satanic rituals and gets uncomfortable at times, especially when the children are involved. I found myself going through a range of emotions as I was reading this, but I also found the book itself to be very readable – it was engaging and at no point did I want to put it down.
As hard as this book was to read at times, I’m glad I read it. I would recommend this one to all die-hard true crime fans.
Audio thoughts:
Listening to this one was definitely the way to go for me. I think the narrator, Adam Barr, did a great job with the narration, making the story come to life. His pacing and intonation were spot on and I found myself completely engaged with the story.
