While Idaho Slept

“Appelman’s pathos is visceral and cathartic… his investigative work into this dark, twisted case is remarkably thorough and perceptive.” - Publishers Weekly on The Kill Jar“J. Reuben Appelman spent what seems like a lifetime digging into the unsolved case of the Oakland County Child Killer…(the result) was worth it.” - New York Times Book Review on The Kill Jar“The Kill Jar is a must-read… . Appelman is an amazing writer who speaks with an eye so jaundiced that the pages are yellow by proxy. There is gutter poetry in this book.” - New York Journal of Books on The Kill Jar“A powerful true crime memoir. Appelman is unrelenting both in his search for the truth about the Oakland County murders, and in his exploration of his own experiences with violence, abuse, and near abduction.” - Crime Reads on The Kill Jar“Always deft, often sublime, Appelman uses his investigation to draw us into his personal journey through darkness, to light and life.” - Chip Johannessen, Emmy-Winning writer of Dexter, on The Kill Jar”(Appelman is) a powerful, confident voice in the new true crime memoir genre.” - James Renner, bestselling author of True Crime Addict, on The Kill Jar“J. Reuben Appelman has successfully captured the strained relationships between police, media and victim’s families during the investigation into the deaths of four Idaho students and how the forensic sciences identified the perpetrator.” - Michael Baden, M.D., Former Chief Medical Examiner, NYC and author of American Autopsy, on While Idaho SleptAppelman’s fastidious attention to detail here is admirable, but what really sets this apart is his examination of the tension between Moscow police and the self-appointed investigators who descended on the town. The result is a propulsive real-life thriller with a conscience. - Publishers Weekly on While Idaho SleptThis is an extremely rigorous book. Appelman uses first-hand sources (police files and interviews with people involved in the case) whenever possible, and, while he rightly gives credit where credit is due, he also doesn’t shy away from revealing the investigation’s weaknesses, including the fact that the prosecution’s ongoing case isn’t airtight. A chilling, haunting work of crime nonfiction. - Booklist on While Idaho Slept

J. Reuben Appelman’s true-crime memoir, The Kill Jar, inspired the popular Hulu docuseries, “Children of the Snow” (2020), with Appelman serving as an on-camera investigator and Executive Producer. He received an MFA in poetry from Boise State University and has published across all genres. Appelman currently works as a private investigator in the state of Idaho, where he has lived for nearly twenty-five years.