Diane Fanning is one of the more prolific writers in the true crime genre, and I have read several of her titles, being appropriately creeped out and generally entertained by them all. Usually, I am not familiar with the topics, but I either had read something about this one, or possible listened to a podcast about it. In any case, Death on The River, set on New York’s Hudson River, is the setting for her latest and it was a story that creeped me out somewhat the first time I heard about it and COMPLETELY creeped me out when I read Ms. Fanning’s book about this heartless crime.
There is no mystery in this one. A beautiful blonde name Angelika Graswald and her fiancé, Vincent Viafore, went kayaking on the river, and while it seemed like it should have been a perfect romantic afternoon, only Angelika came back. She had called 911 from her kayak to report Vincent had fallen into the extremely cold and fairly rough waters. A search party came quickly, but what they all assumed was an accident started to look like it maybe was something ese when Angelika posted videos of herself doing cartwheels on social media, after Vince disappeared but shortly before his body was found.
Her story unraveled quickly, as she admitted to police that she felt “trapped” by Vincent and was totally over his demands for a wild lifestyle: he loved nightlife, strip clubs, and threesomes. She says she wanted him dead, but she also said she didn’t kill him. Turned out she was the beneficiary of his life insurance , and she admitted not only removing the plug from Vincent’s kayak, but knocking his paddle away as he struggled to stay afloat after he fell in.
Pretty classic Fanning true crime. Solid, sure to be enjoyed by her fans and pretty much anyone who enjoys true crime. Four stars.