Missing from the Village: The Story of Serial Killer Bruce McArthur, the Search for Justice, and the System that Failed Toronto’s Queer Community by Justin Ling.

I couldn’t even finish this book before I began writing down my thoughts. Local Toronto reads are great for that ‘close to home’ feeling, but this one was chillingly close:

It’s Summer 2017 and I’m hanging out in the Village with my friends. I’m 25 years old and a night at Crews & Tango’s is our go-to idea for summer fun; that jovial blue building packed with the most talented Drag Queens in the city. We didn’t know that Bruce McArthur was a few doors down with his next victim; another regular of our preferred locale. It had already been almost a decade that too many died, and too many errors were made by Toronto Police. I recalled the stories before opening this book, but the chills set in when I realized just how ‘close to home’ this was; the Toronto serial killer in The Village. This wasn’t something from decades ago to separate myself from, this was now.

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For those who haven’t read the Hunger Games prequel yet, don’t read on. Spoiler warning! But you want my initial thoughts? Reading this book was a chore. I’m drained, physically exhausted, and overall deeply disappointed in this addition to a well-loved franchise.

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