Mystery at The Blue Sea Cottage

The murder of a young woman, found nude on the beach, begins one of the most complex, and intense investigations that San Diego had dealt with.
Fritzie Mann, a vivacious dancer, was found on the beach by a young boy. After alerting his father, who flagged someone down to alert the police, another person had to take a look before phoning authorities (cause lookie-loos are in abundance). Once the investigation got underway, there were problems from the start.

Many witnesses were unreliable, unsure of what they had seen, while others did not want to get involved. The police used many questionable tactics, including intimidation to get the information they wanted, not necessarily the correct information. While the family wanted justice, the police department just wanted a conviction. As the main players came into focus, it narrowed down to two main suspects, and there was not a very strong case against either. What was to follow during the investigation, the trial, and the subsequent questions leave a case today that still has lingering questions.

This was a fabulous read! The book goes through the different aspects of the case, the complexities, hidden players, dubious evidence, and so much more. James Stewart lays out the case and the story of the main suspects, and Fritzie Mann in a way that allows you to connect with them, while drawing more attention to the open ends of the case.
While quite a bit of time has passed since the murder of Fritzie, there are still questions, and questions deserve answers.

True crime lovers - you will enjoy this one! It is a great weekend read!

3.5 - A roaring 20s true crime story? I was immediately intrigued! I feel like I've heard about Fritzie Mann somewhere before, but I could be confusing her story with someone else's.

First off, I have to say kudos to James Stewart and his dedication to the research. He took a good look at every angle of the puzzle, putting them together and speculating what might have happened. The pictures were also a great addition. As for the writing, it dragged in places for me and I didn't feel my interest consistently held, but there were some interesting bits that made up for the others. Overall, a good true crime read, especially if you like the pre-forensic era and speculation.

Thanks to BookSirens for providing a free review copy. I am leaving my thoughts voluntarily.