With One Shot, by Dorothy Marcic, is a well-written look at injustice in a small Wisconsin town. The crime seems straightforward: a man is murdered and his wife confesses. So, what is the book about?

The victim, LaVerne Stordock, was a former police detective who disrupted his whole life to marry Suzanne. Their relationship was volatile, and Suzanne’s insanity plea resulted in less than a year of confinement. LaVerne was the author’s beloved uncle, partly because re represented calm in her tumultuous upbringing. 

The author, a successful professor, playwright and theatrical producer, puts her life on hold to investigate the case years after it seemed closed. TBH, the whole family creeped me out but I found the story believable. The problem is that the author’s clear bias prevents this from being an objective look at a family tragedy.  

It’s interesting, and true crime fans will totally dig in to the book and enjoy the story of Ms. Marcic’s dogged pursuit of truth. Three and a half (round up to 4 for good writing) stars.