NetGalley Top Reviewer

NetGalley Top Reviewer
NetGalley Top Reviewer

Sunday, December 27, 2020

We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps

  "...sometimes people arrive in our lives and, like black mold, create havoc and hell without us having a clue what is happening."

This is a very well-written true crime account with all the details surrounding the murder of Mary Yoder by Katie Conley in 2015. I do not remember this case on my radar, though I typically follow news of this sort. The story was so interesting because it involved a perpetrator who had insinuated herself into the Yoder family (as girlfriend to Adam Yoder) and as a receptionist/office manager at Chiropractic Family Care, the family business in upstate New York.

The murder weapon was quite unusual -- colchicine -- a very toxic medication used in the treatment of gout. It has a very narrow therapeutic window, and has no antidote or effective treatment if that range is exceeded. The revelations that describe how Katie planned and carried out the poisoning of Dr. Mary Yoder were chilling. It is incredibly scary that a 23-year-old family friend and trusted employee ended up charged in Oneida County Court with second degree murder, forgery, falsifying business records, and petit larceny. The motive(s) behind Katie's acts further demonstrate her narcissism and sociopathy. The lengths Katie went through to try to frame others to hide her guilt defy any understanding of emotions or empathy. I am not sure she got the punishment she deserved, but you will have to read all about the trials to see for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I plan to look for other books by this very talented author -- he really broke this down well and laid out all the facts.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - true crime, murder, secrets, betrayal, deception, poisoning

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