I’m a big fan of: podcasts, including several focused on true crime; Emily Bazelon, one of the podcasters on Slate’s Political Gabfest; and mystery/thrillers set in academic environments (Think Donna Tartt’s Secret History). So I was ecstatic to get a copy of Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions For You from Penguin Group/Viking and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review, (especially right after I heard Emily B. rave about it). 

The story revolved around Bodi Kane, a film professor, podcaster, and former student at the very waspy and preppy Granby School, which she had attended prior to going off to college. She was mostly miserable all four years at the school, particularly considering her senior year roommate Thalia Keith was murdered that spring.  

Years later, the conviction of the athletic trainer, a twenty-something African-American named Omar is still nagging at Bodie, particularly since she has fallen (voluntarily) down the rabbit hold of true crime podcasts, reddit threads, and message boards that are still discussing and debating whether Omar was wrongly convicted. 

So when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie jumps at the opportunity to work with some aspiring podcasters, one of whom has done a boatload of research on Thalia’s ‘s death and begins to research the story. 

Rebecca Makkai’s novel explores several issues including the ethics of true crime research/reporting, the reliability of memory, faculty-student relationships, and the ways groups of high school-age female interact and act. It’s a complex story, with surprises, fully formed characters, and a terrific mystery at the core. I plan to read more of Ms. Makkai’s work, and give this one five stars.