Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

Genre: Non-Fiction, Crime 

Published: October 15, 2019 by: Little, Brown and Company 

Pages: 608

Rating: 5/5 stars 

CW: detailed descriptions of sexual assault against both women and minors 

In 2017, Ronan Farrow, a reporter working with NBC news, was led to a story about numerous sexual abuse allegations made against one of Hollywood's most powerful producers: Harvey Weinstein. In the months following, Farrow made attempts to put together the pieces of this story that soon would unravel Hollywood as we know it. But threats by the producer and by NBC itself proved to be challenging to Farrow's career and his own safety. Catch and Kill is a detailed description of the steps Farrow took to bring this story to public eyes despite all of the people in power advising him not to. 

I was very late to the game when it came to this book. But finally I saw it at the library over the summer and I just knew it was time to pick it up. I remember when the #MeToo movement, which was started by Tarana Burke in 2006, made waves across Hollywood, and quite frankly, the world. I remember men saying this was a "witch hunt," and that pretty soon, no man would be safe. I remember news organizations documenting Weinstein's eventual arrest and how some who once defended him cowardly declined to talk about it. I know people called this one of the "best kept secrets in Hollywood," until Farrow decided enough was enough. This text was overall a powerful crime novel about how men in positions of power work to abuse that power through physical and emotional force against innocent victims, and how victims are often scared into silence. 

The only thing I really knew about Farrow before going into this book is that he is the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen. I was wondering if Allen's own sexual abuse would be mentioned within this text, but Farrow handles this issue with sensitivity and transparency, especially considering how Allen's victim was Farrow's sister Dylan. Farrow acknowledges that this story is not his to tell, as his sister has documented for years Allen's abuses against her, but he also acknowledges that Allen's abuse continues to perpetuate how men in Hollywood seek to abuse and cover up. I really appreciated how Farrow took every step to establish himself as an unbiased journalist simply reporting on an issue, and not tying anything to his family name or stories that are not his to tell. He gives respect to his sister and also respect to himself by not speaking on issues personal to him. In handling this situation, he showed what a great reporter he is by refusing to let this issue go unsaid, but also respecting the victims involved. 

The book was well-organized and easy to follow. Farrow handles everything sequentially, beginning from when he first started investigating the story, to more recent times when similar abuses were also being shared. I think he really did well to establish a recognizable timeline to the story, despite some of the abuses going back decades. He took care to be clear in his reporting of significant dates and significant connections that needed to be made between these dates and the context of Weinstein's crimes. He also is able to keep descriptions of crimes or descriptions of victims brief and private if needed. He doesn't overshare if it is not needed, especially considering the overall sensitivity of this story. 

One thing that I appreciate that Farrow does do, is namedrop when applicable. Since Weinstein was such a powerful figure in Hollywood, a lot of folks in Hollywood had much to say (or rather not say) about this issue. Farrow makes clear that some of the most well-loved, writers, directors, actors and actresses of Hollywood knew things, but didn't say anything. Or, they found it difficult to believe that Weinstein would do such a thing. Farrow doesn't dance around details that need to be addressed. He makes clear that those who didn't speak up are not on trial, and yet, this book does put into perspective how often in the movie and tv industry, people know things but choose to stay silent to protect their own careers. Now some people needed their careers in order to keep living. But some, had enough privilege that speaking on these issues would not have had an affect on them. And yet, they chose the easy way out. Why was this? Well, Farrow doesn't get the chance to really interview everyone in depth. But he did reach out to many recognizable names who knew or worked with Weinstein to get their opinions. And I was shocked by how many declined to comment. 

Farrow also takes care to fact-check with The New Yorker, the news organization that published his piece. He doesn't let anything he says be up to assumption or opinion, rather every single bombshell he drops has evidence to back it up, which is so important when relying on good reporting. These facts are shocking, but needed so that Farrow can help the victims in this situation have the right to credible news reporting. I can't imagine the stress that Farrow and others helping him were under this time period, but truly they were doing such important work to help raise awareness of this story. 

Overall, this book is a must-read for future journalists, crime writers, or those who simply know a bit about the MeToo movement but want to know more about how and why it affected Hollywood. Farrow's dedication to the field of journalism cannot be forgotten, nor can the brave stories of Weinstein's victims be forgotten either. 

Have you read Catch and Kill? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

As The Wicked Watch by: Tamron Hall

Genre: Mystery/Crime 

Published: October 26, 2021 by: William Morrow 

Pages: 384 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars 

Jordan Manning is a star reporter in Chicago, and she continues to be a voice for the voiceless. After she covers a string of murders of young Black girls, Jordan becomes frustrated with how soon these girls are forgotten. When Masey James, a 15-year old girl is murdered, Jordan knows that she can turn her anger into action, and she seeks to use her reporting skills to solve the case. She quickly gains contacts within Masey's inner circles. But, solving a crime will prove dangerous, especially when the killer may be closer then she believes. 

I've never really watched Tamron Hall on tv, as she's not as popular in Canada as she is in the States. However, the name recognition definitely did make me intrigued to pick up this book, as a reporter writing about a reporter interested me. I knew that Hall would definitely use her skills to produce a factually accurate piece, especially one that provides the reader with an inside look at how newsrooms work. This book didn't disappoint, though there were some issues with it that I couldn't shake. So, let's get into it: 

First things first, I really appreciated Hall's sensitivity when writing a crime novel. As true crime becomes such an oversaturated market, full of insensitive portrayals of serial killers and disrespecting victims, I am always weary of reading crime books. Despite this book being fictional, I knew it would play off of the tropes of true crime. However, Hall handles the story with as much respect as possible, as these victims mirror the lives of real-life victims. Hall does well to show Manning's anger with the current justice system and how she seeks to correct it. I also appreciated how Manning slowly begins to learn how to deal with victim's families, and she seeks to teach others, especially the younger interns in her newsroom, how they too can be respectful towards grieving families. At no point did I feel like this book was just profiting off of people's interest in crime content, and I think Hall's expertise in the subject of news reporting really came through in that aspect. 

I also think that each character in this book was well-written. Of course, we hear everything from Jordan's point of view, but I actually liked learning about Masey's family the most. Her mother, in particular, is a frightened, obviously very shaken individual, who walks a fine line between wanting to fight for justice for her daughter but also wanting to be at peace. Jordan's interactions with Masey's mother were the most interesting to me, as I think Hall accurately portrayed a grieving mother who has to make some tough decisions, and whose opinions change based on new information she is given. Hall did a good job at showing how victim's families go through a range of emotions and opinions during an investigation, and that their grief is not a one and done process. 

I think Jordan was a strong character, and I didn't mind at all reading from her point of view. The problem I had with her, however, is not necessarily a reflection on her character, but how Hall writes about the investigative system as a whole. Manning is given free-reign to interview suspects, investigate neighbours, and head into crime scenes with not so much backlash at all. In real life, I can't imagine that a reporter would be allowed to be as involved in an active investigation as she was, as she was not a detective and yet knew more than the detectives did. It just didn't strike me as realistic that Jordan had as much freedom as she did and didn't experience any repercussions for clearly crossing boundaries in an investigation. In real life, I would imagine that detectives and police would be quite secretive towards reporters, and it seemed in this text that everything was an open book. 

I also found the ending to be slightly underwhelming. As I discussed, I really loved Masey's mother's character in this book. However, by the end of the book, once the crime is solved, we do not get to see her reaction to the events that unfolded. She just kinda fades into the background as an unanswered question, while Jordan experiences relief that the crime is solved. For someone who played such a big part in the ongoing build up in the book, to have her not be at the end to see the crime be solved really confused me. I wanted to know her reaction, and I was left guessing. 

Overall, this book left me conflicted. It wasn't awful, and had some strong points. But, I didn't leave it feeling fully fulfilled by the ending, and some things just struck me as unrealistic despite Hall being a reporter. I wouldn't not recommend it to people, but I also think that the mixed reviews are valid. 

Have you read As the Wicked Watch? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess