While the City Slept

Listener Reviews

1. 4.0(1)

   Great story, not the best narration.

   This book goes beyond what a typical true crime tale delivers by humanizing both sides of the case and shining a spotlight on how similar tragedies could be avoided. It was difficult, however, for me to appreciate or lose myself in the details and intricacies due to the narrator's dry, monotone delivery.

   brian flynn · July 4, 2024

2. 5.0(1)

   Great book!

   Loved this book! Amazing story and really well told! Definitely recommend to anyone who likes true crime or is interested in mental health issues in the US.

   Lana Archer · June 30, 2024

3. 5.0(1)

   Deserves the prize

   The writing in this book is amazing-complete, respectful of all people concerned, and lots of relevant facts. As with many substance-based raksBooks books, though, I would like to see the raksBooks book come with a PDF with sources--and in the case, with some of the statistics Sanders gives in the last chapter. Guess I'll have to check the book out of the public library. ...

   Tracie David · June 19, 2024

4. 4.0(1)

   An in-depth view of the flaws in our mental healthcare system

   This book was very well researched and written. If you're looking for a fast paced or mystery style crime novel, this isn't it. But if you're interested in character studies, court proceedings, and deep analysis of a multifaceted social problem, this is a detailed and compassionate look at the people involved with a crime that most likely could have been prevented by mental healthcare intervention at any one of multiple points in the deterioration of the perpetrator's mental state. As someone looking at a career in psychology, this book really hit home for me. There is a desperate need for mental health services in this country, and the lack of them is a direct cause of enormous costs, both financially (in court costs, property damage, and prison housing costs) and in lives. The victims of crimes like this one, as well as the families of perpetrators, and even the perpetrators themselves pay an enormous price for our lack of adequate mental health resources. This book demonstrates that in a detailed account of the instances in which intervention might have made a major difference, and in shedding a broader light on the flaws and gaps in the intersection of our mental healthcare and criminal justice systems.

   Madelyn Herbert · May 21, 2022

5. 5.0(1)

   Powerful, provocative and pensive.

   An honest and brilliantly written account of all sides of a horrific crime. It's rare to find a reporter so willing to explore the background of victims and criminals alike and to find a survivor with so much strength and courage to fight for justice.

   Jeanice · February 28, 2022

6. 3.0(1)

   Too many boring detais

   Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

   No. It was 3 hours of material stretched over 9 hours. I didn't need to know the life story f every minor character in the book. Very redundant as well. Had to skip ahead a lot.

   Would you ever listen to anything by Eli Sanders again?

   Maybe. He is a skilled writer but this was just too much.

   What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

   The narrator die a good job.

   Could you see While the City Slept being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

   Movie maybe.

   Molly Acosta · November 2, 2021

7. 5.0(1)

   Moving, tragic story

   This is a truly stunning book. The author does an amazing job honoring the two women affected by such a horrible, tragic crime. He also does a wonderful job detailing the life of the perpetrator. Too often we see news footage of someone who has committed a violent crime and we shake our heads and move on. This story shows us how the system failed Isaiah Kalebu, missing opportunity after opportunity to get him the help he needed. In turn, they failed Jennifer Hopper and Teresa Butz who suffered horrific torture and death at the hands of a clearly mentally ill man. The narrator is wonderful, leading the listener through the sorrow gently. Hard to listen at times but we must listen if we hope to change things.

   Mango4 · August 17, 2021

8. 3.0(1)

   Sad, but Common...

   The narration of this book was good. However, I have read true crime novels with much more punch than this book offered. That's not to say the writing isn't good. It's grammatically correct and there are moments of poetic prose. Also, I thought the author did a good job of grounding the readers in scene by describing various aspects of the city in the beginning of chapters. However, the manner in which this story was told made out feel common. That's not to say that what the victims experienced should be trivialized. It is not unheard of, though. This story hardly sheds new light on a subject we are all too familiar with - mentally ill individuals are not getting the help they need, committing crimes that are poorly judged so they can be pushed through the system.

   Bearfoot · January 6, 2020