Don’t Say a Thing: A Predator, a Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered

Emmy- and Peabody-winning journalist Leitner uses an emotionally charged tone when narrating her memoir about the investigation of Claude Dean Hull II, a serial rapist who sexually assaulted hundreds of women across the U.S., including the author’s neighbor. It took 20 years of research and interviewing police and victims in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida for Leitner to piece together the trail of survivors that Hull left behind. Although she is clinical when reporting details about each highlighted case, there is an edge to her words that hints at the PTSD she developed because of the investigation. Her frustration with the National Crime Information Center is evident, as a glitch in the system helped Hull evade justice. Interwoven within the crime narrative, Leitner reveals that her personal life was crumbling around her during this time. When her partner was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, he went out of state for treatment. She describes her pain in seeing a dramatic change in his personality and discusses how their relationship eventually became toxic.