Dirty John and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders

Pulitzer Prize finalist Goffard (Snitch Jacket) succeeds in evoking the palpable struggles of the subjects of his 15 stories (the term he prefers over articles for reasons he explains in his introduction), most of which previously appeared in the Los Angeles Times. The title entry, which inspired a TV series, is the longest—a grim true-crime tale of the tragic consequences of a lonely middle-aged woman falling for someone unsuitable. Texan Debra Newell met John Meehan through an online dating site in 2014, and, despite some initial reservations and her adult children’s objections, let him move in with her; they later married. The tale unfolds like a slow-motion train wreck, as it becomes increasingly clear that Meehan is bad news, before it ends violently. Goffard makes Newell’s denials of reality understandable, and he’s also adept at making the sad stories of his other subjects sympathetic. In “Riders,” Adam Kuntz, who leads an itinerant life on the rails and resists family attempts to ground him, is especially memorable, persisting with his dangerous, insecure lifestyle even after it claims the life of someone dear to him. Goffard consistently finds the humanity in everyone as he exposes readers to darker aspects of American life. [em]Agent: Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Gotham Group. (Nov.) [/em]