Lost Girls
About this ebook
Chelsea King was a popular high school senior, an outstanding achiever determined to make a difference. Fourteen-year-old Amber Dubois loved books and poured her heart into the animals she cared for. Treasured by all who knew them, both girls disappeared in San Diego County, just eight miles and one year apart. The families’ anguish galvanized the community and captivated the media. A desperate search led authorities to John Albert Gardner, a brutal predator, convicted sex offender hiding in plain sight—and a complex man whose own mother, a psychiatric nursing professional, failed to see the signs of trouble.
Ultimately, Gardner shared a prison unit with Charles Manson. In 2010, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Chelsea's Law: anyone convicted of certain sex offenses against a child in California would get life in prison without parole. Based on Pulitzer-nominated author Caitlin Rother’s exclusive access, Lost Girls is an incisive, heartbreaking true-life thriller that strikes at our deepest fears.
“A a cautionary tale and a horror story, done superbly.”
—Los Angeles Times
“A terrifying portrait of a man who was sweet and cuddly one day and a crazed killer the next.”
—San Diego Reader
“Gripping . . . chilling . . . a must-read.”
—Sue Russell
“Boldly dissects how a boy with psychological problems formed into a man indifferent to his monstrous acts.”
—Katherine Ramsland
“Caitlin Rother stirs up the lethal stew of family dysfunction, mental illness, substance abuse and deadly psychopathology. . . . Frank and riveting.”
—Diane Fanning
Includes dramatic photos
Ratings and reviews
- Flag inappropriate
- Show review history
- Flag inappropriate
- Flag inappropriate
About the author
New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co‑authored 15 books. She worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before deciding to write books full- time‑. Her work has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego UnionTribune‑, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Daily Beast. As a TV and radio crime commentator, she has appeared on more than 250 shows, many of which air internationally, including 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia’s World News, Nancy Grace, and Snapped, as well as Netflix, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, HLN, Reelz, Oxygen, E!, and A&E. Rother also works as a writing-research coach and consultant, enjoys ocean swimming, and plays keyboards and sings in a band. Please visit her website at caitlinrother.com.
