The Book of Atlantis Black by Betsy Bonner

 In 2008 a body is found in a Tijuana hotel. The ID is that of a woman named Atlantis Black. The body itself is noted as not matching the ID but it is cremated before fingerprint or dental analysis is done. 

Betsy Bonner still isn't sure if the body found in the hotel room was her sister. She still isn't sure if her sister is dead or alive. She still isn't sure exactly what happened in June 2008. 

What she does know is that her sister was trying to get out of charges of which she vehemently claimed she was innocent. Atlantis also mused about finding a way to get out of the country. And her Facebook posts from the months prior point to someone on a very dark path. 

This is the story of Atlantis Black as told by her sister Betsy. 

The Book of Atlantis Black is not at all my typical read. It's non fiction—a memoir with a hint of true crime flair. It's a sister trying to suss out the maybe final days of her missing sibling. It's also a sister trying to deal with grief and loss. 

And the story itself is absolutely bonkers! I mean that in a good way. This is undeniably an incredibly compelling read. I mean, it begins with the discovery of a body!

Betsy talks about her and her sister's upbringing. Their home life, their mom and dad (both of whom had a lot of issues). She talks about the fact that Atlantis's path of destruction seemingly began before she was really old enough to know any better. 

It's a tragic story, honestly. It's not a pleasant read by any means. But it is a story that pulls you along. It's filled with paranoia and conspiracy theories, the kind you reach for when there seems to be no other logical explanation as to a mystery this bizarre!

I had the pleasure of attending a virtual cocktail hour with Tin House and they were raving about this book, which of course meant that I had to find out for myself. They were right! This is a book that you really can't put down once you begin. It's also the closest thing to a one-sitting read that I've had in a while!

Admittedly, this is a book that should come with lots of warnings. But if you're ok with dark and disturbing stuff (it's fortunately not terribly graphic for the most part) and you're drawn into sort of cold case, unsolved mysteries, this is a book you'll absolutely gobble up!

Order it from your favorite indie via Bookshop!