Raised by a Serial Killer by April Belascio 
Genres: Non Fiction
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Goodreads
The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards.
One evening in 2009, April Balascio was searching online, as she had been every night, for unsolved murders in the towns her family had lived growing up, when she stumbled across the latest investigations into the “Sweetheart Murders” cold case. All at once, the buried memories of her father’s dark history were awakened, and she knew she had to take action. She picked up the phone to call a detective and the rest is infamous true crime history.
In her unflinching memoir, Balascio bravely reveals an astonishing tale of a lifetime of manipulation, unexplained upheavals, and silent fear. Some part of her had always known what her father was capable of, but the full truth of how she came to these revelations is as riveting as it is quietly terrifying. Through searing storytelling, dedicated research, and intimate insight, Raised by a Serial Killer is a gripping, courageous memoir unlike any other.
Raised by a Serial Killer is not an easy read. Her insights are interesting though, because she is simply telling her story. I think a lot of the red flags were present and overlooked, like they are in many cases. Abuse, manipulation, charisma…it was all there. Even as a child, April recognized it at dangerous.
What I found interesting about the story is that by the time her parents married, her father was already a felon! Her mother stayed with him knowing he was physically abusive (to her as well as the kids). This power dynamic is so common. But April recalls so many other instances where her father showed his charming side, and as a reader, you actually feel the creepiness of it all. I had never heard of Edward Wayne Edwards, but it didn’t take away from the story. I don’t consider this a “true crime story” but more a psychological study. If you are interested in the psychology of dysfunctional families, this is a good read.
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books exploring crime and the psychology of psychopathy like Tangled Vines by John Glatt…then you will probably like Raised by a Serial Killer!
Sounds like a definite creepy read! Thanks for sharing this review!