THE MULTIPLE MURDERS OF MARY KELLEY CAMPBELL

In this richly detailed memoir, a woman revisits the murder of her mother more than half a century ago.

Campbell begins her story on the day of her mother Mary’s death: March 8, 1961, when she was 11 years old and her family lived in a farmhouse in Kent, Washington, just outside of Seattle. The first chapter moves through the day of the murder but stops short of the crime itself, leaving readers in suspense as the author traces her maternal and fraternal lines. What initially seems like a true-crime whodunit effectively becomes a history of settlement, hardship, and opportunity in the American West of the 19th and 20th centuries. Campbell goes on to meticulously sketch a family portrait, lingering with affection and reverence on her descriptions of her mother: “Mary was nick-named ‘Mary Sunshine’ by her sisters because every morning she would run to all the windows and pull back the curtains to let the warmth and light of the morning sun pour into the house.” The Campbell family moved frequently, and the author chronicles her father’s career trajectory, which culminated in a “top-paying job as an engineer at Boeing.” Religion is another steady theme, as the family belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is a key element of their identity; “I am a descendent of polygamy,” Campbell declares at one point. The author eventually picks up the pieces of her mother’s murder in a chapter entitled “March 8, 1961: Part II”; from there, the book turns into a police procedural and courtroom drama. The murderer is found, but unanswered questions linger to this day.

The author, who co-wrote this memoir with her cousin Stroschein, quite capably turns a story of family tragedy into a suspenseful narrative. Some of the early chapters get a bit bogged down by backstory, but the parts that focus on Mary, her immediate family, and the circumstances and aftermath of her death move along briskly. However, Campbell clearly has a goal beyond simply spinning a gripping yarn; she also seeks to memorialize her mother. In this regard, she’s successful, as Mary is vividly presented as a loving and playful presence. The prose is steady and efficient throughout, which makes the occasional moments of figurative language stand out, as when Campbell writes, “My mother’s death would leave a tear in my soul I could not heal.” She also includes her mother’s letters about another painful part of the family’s history: her father’s infidelity and her parents’ separation. Mary’s distinct voice comes through in these missives, allowing readers to see her even more clearly. At times, the book is tonally inconsistent, moving from genealogical study to murder mystery to loving homage. Campbell is irrevocably drawn to the central crime, which proves to be as strange and horrible as the first chapter promises. The revelations don’t disappoint, but a sense of closure and justice proves elusive. The inclusion of several of Mary’s drawings offers a poignant endnote.

An absorbing and suspenseful family remembrance.