IndieReader has a special place in my heart. It’s where Chained Birds won the True Crime category in the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Awards, so when I entered The Jacklighter in its contest, I held my breath for IR’s first take on the book. The short IndieReader “Verdict” arrived soon after, and I’ve been quoting one line from it ever since:
“Thorough, well written, and devastating in its impact, this book ensures that Marty [Dillon] has not been forgotten.”
That line resonates with me every time I read it, because it’s the whole reason I wrote the book 🥹
Now, one week out from my launch date, IndieReader’s full review is here from reviewer Jeff Somers, and it’s my sixth editorial review for The Jacklighter. His bottom line:
“… a compelling and well-researched work of true crime that successfully makes a decades-old story feel fresh and urgent …”
Fresh and urgent for a 50-year-old case is exactly what I was hoping for.
Jeff also noticed something I’m proud of: the research. He writes that I “confidently [walk] the reader through the often eye-popping details of the case, from Scher’s flagrant adultery to the shocking incompetence (and laziness) of some who were supposed to be seeking justice.” Thirty years of files, interviews, and notebooks will do that 😅
But this passage made my day:
“When the story enters the 1990s and the case is reopened, Conti skillfully weaves in the way the O.J. Simpson case rocketed true crime to the forefront of America’s shared consciousness, and adds a fascinating personal angle as she discusses her efforts (as one writer among many) to secure a book deal based on the case. This is one of the high points of the book; following along as she chases down interviews, leverages her local ties to the town, and shares notes with other journalists adds something unique you don’t normally find in the true crime genre.”
Including that thread of my own 1990s book chase was a narrative risk, and not every reviewer has warmed to it. So I’m especially grateful Jeff saw what I see: you can’t fully understand this case without the media frenzy that surrounded it—and I was right in the middle of it.
Jeff summed up the book in this closing note:
“Armed with some fresh insights and new facts … THE JACKLIGHTER does a terrific job of bringing this old case back to vibrant life.”
A quick word about IndieReader—it’s a review site and awards program devoted to independently published books. Its full reviews are paid, with no guarantee of a positive outcome, and its reviewers don’t pull punches. Thank you, Jeff and the IndieReader team, for two thoughtful reads of the same book ✨
Read the full IndieReader review here.
The Jacklighter releases Oct. 27, 2026. Hardcover, paperback, and ebook preorders are live now.
