I was given Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls as a birthday present this past November (those around me have accepted my love of true crime – though a lot of them don’t completely understand it). The title alone drew me in, but I was not prepared for the intense feelings of connection I would feel to this book.
To begin, the story of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible is devastating. The continuous layers and turns to the story itself are enough to engage any reader. The people introduced in this book are dynamic. You know this is based on real events, but I couldn’t help but think this was some type of movie script, as the story kept me on the edge of my seat and I was unable to peel my eyes away from the page.
Yes, the story itself is phenomenal. The introduction of the drug world, multiple murders, and possible police corruption would be enough to get any true crime fanatic hooked, but in my opinion, this story has a certain element that drew me to keep reading. That element was Jax Miller.
Without turning this into a novel myself, there are a few things I wanted to state about the writing style of Miller. For starters, as someone who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks their entire life, the integration of her mental health made me feel more connected to her as a human being. The way she described the overwhelming sensation as one can feel a panic attack rush over their body. The loss of control knowing you’ll be engulfed by whatever thoughts or emotions comes with this irreversible and uncontrollable disorder. Isolated, anxiety and panic attacks can make you feel as though there is something wrong with you as if there was a mistake deep within your DNA, but listening to Miller describe the ever-looming shadows of fear and doubt made me feel less alone. I understood what she was going through and desperately wanted to say “You’re doing an amazing job. This will make a difference. Keep going!”. Miller’s first-person narrative also makes the reader feel as though you are not simply reading about her journey, but instead embarking on it with her. I found myself excited to come home from a long day at work and get lost within this story. As someone dealing with the stresses of being a teacher, going to graduate school, mental health in general, and all of the inconsistencies that come with the time we live in, it was a relief to be able to have this book to rely on. I was comforted by Jax (in the least creepy way possible).
I HIGHLY recommend Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls by Jax Miller. I will attach a link to the book on Amazon with this post. Though I have not seen the HBO documentary series yet (as I said, I am a little late to the party with this story), I cannot wait to see how well these people and places match up with the vivid imagery that Miller creates in her book.
Please feel free to comment below and start a discussion about the book. Let me know if you have any recommendations, suggestions, or commentary. Thank you for reading!
check out my Amazon affiliate link to purchase the book here: