REVIEW: The Woman in the Strongbox

The Woman in the Strongbox
Author: Maureen O'Hagan

Lori Ruff was a bit different. She avoided talking about her life before college, said she had no living family, and made few friends. Following a divorce from her husband Blake, Lori killed herself. Only after her death was it discovered that she was not the person she said she was. She had stolen the identity of a dead child years before, and her real identity was unknown. The Woman in the Strongbox is the story of the search for Lori's true identity. A reporter, online amateur sleuths and an expert in tracking down similar cases all worked together to piece together this woman's life.

This was such an interesting story! This woman basically erased her real life at the age of 18 and created a new one....then spent her entire life hiding the truth. Even her husband had no idea. Strange, sad and engrossing, The Woman in the Strongbox is definitely worth reading! This is a non-fiction story outlining the facts of the case. Anyone who enjoys true crime or non-fiction stories will enjoy this tale. I read a lot of non-fiction books (and audio books/podcasts on the topic) about history, true crime and interesting facts, so this was perfect for me. Readers who don't enjoy non-fiction/true crime should probably pass this one by.

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell, the audio is just under two hours long. Campbell read at a nice steady pace and was easily understandable. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand this entire novella.

The Woman In the Strongbox is the first story in the Missing Collection from Audible/Amazon Originals. The collection has six true stories about life changing events, ranging from the mysterious to the inspiring. I'm looking forward to the rest of the collection!