In 1988, detectives from the Sacramento Police Department were called to investigate the disappearance of a man at his last known address, a boarding house for the elderly, homeless and mentally ill. The owner, Dorothea Puente, was an adorable old lady who cared for stray cats and the rest of society’s castaways. She had a strong standing in the community and was celebrated for her selfless … charitable work.
The search revealed nothing untoward but one of the guests recalled some unusual incidents leading up to the disappearance. He shared stories about holes being dug in the garden and filled in overnight. Guests who were taken ill and vanished overnight, and a number of excuses why they couldn’t be contacted. This was enough to launch a thorough investigation and on 11th November 1988, the Sacramento Police Department headed back to the boarding house with shovels in hand.
Were they wasting their time pursuing a charming and charitable old lady or were they closing in on a clandestine killer who exploited the most vulnerable members of society? The investigation gripped the entire nation and the answers lay Buried Beneath the Boarding House.
Ryan Green presents a dramatic and chilling account of one of the most bizarre true crime stories in American history. Green’s riveting narrative draws the reader into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller.
CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further
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WOW, what a read! The plot was intense, powerful and thrilling and held me captive all the way through! The characters fairly leapt off the page, and the tension was palpable. If you are looking for a book that you just CAN’T put down, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
If you are a fan of true crime you will like this one. It was a quick read and held my attention. It is hard to believe Dorthea got away with crime for as long as she did…..
A short true crime read about the life and crimes of Dorothea Puente. This was such an intense read and hard to walk away from.
It’s hard to believe someone could be so without a conscience or any feeling for others and could not only commit such crimes but get away with them for so long.
Sweet little ol’ lady???
In Sacramento, California, during the 1980’s there was a most unexpected serial killer at work who was ostensibly providing room and board to various disadvantaged individuals including the elderly, the mentally ill, alcoholics, and addicts. In reality, however, she was stealing their benefit checks and burying her victims out in her garden. This is the story of Dorothea Helen Puente which, understandably, drew a frenzy of media attention when her treachery was finally exposed. Ryan Green has once again penned a riveting expose that draws you in and firmly holds your attention from start to finish. The story flows smoothly and with such explicit detail that you can picture the events in your mind as clearly as if watching them unfold on the big screen. If you choose to listen to the audio version of this book you will be treated to another impeccable performance by the narrator, Steve White. I always look forward to the collaboration of this author with this narrator as they never fail to provide an educational and enjoyable experience.
While I did purchase a copy of this story in The Ryan Green True Crime Collection: Vol. 4, I was provided with an audio copy of the story by the author for which I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
Before there was Aileen Wuornos there was Ms. Dorothea Puentes.
A lot of serial killers start out by having terrible childhoods, and I wasn’t surprised to find out Dorothea was no different. It seemed though that a lot of her problems growing up were caused by her inability to see the world for what it was. She wanted to be what she wasn’t and did what she had to do to make that image a reality. Since this happened in a time when mental illness was taboo to talk about and the scope of mental health was different, I wonder what she could’ve been if she had her illnesses properly diagnosed and cared for.
Image was so important to Dorothea that she literally killed to maintain it.
It’s crazy to think that just about anyone can be a killer if their desires push them toward it. Dorothea didn’t murder her boarding house inhabitants for pleasure, she did it for monetary gain. Even though she looked to be nothing more than a sweet old lady with a heart of gold, she was nothing but pure evil.
This audiobook left me with a lot more thoughts than Ryan Green’s books usually do. I wonder a lot about how she maintained such order over the boarding house members, and how she got so many of them to stay quiet about what she was doing for so long.
Regardless, this is a very fascinating audiobook.
Steve White did a perfect job with the narration as always.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
BOOK REVIEW – TRUE CRIME
“BURIED BENEATH THE BOARDING HOUSE “ by Ryan Green
Ryan Green gives much needed detail to set the story. The character, Dorothea, is a sinister and wicked manipulator. I don’t want to give away details so I’ll just say this is a MUST READ. My favorite True Crime author was Ann Rule, May she Rest In Peace. Ryan Green is now my “go to author”!! He’s just that good!!! I highly recommend this book and ANY of his other books.
Predictable
This is an unputdownable, fast paced, fascinating story. Ryan Green writes as if you were watching the murders take place on YouTube. He gives a unique perspective on the victims and only covers what’s absolutely necessary in the courtroom. His favorite killer is the serial killer.
Dorothea was a sick and twisted serial killer. She suffered a very abusive, nightmarish childhood causing her the inability to bond with other people. She never knew how to accept or give love to anyone.
She ran a boarding house that took in those that no one else wanted. After embezzling her guests, some had shorter stays, due to her paranoia and greed, and then her guests would disappear. I’m on the advanced readers team and received a free copy of the book, before it went live, for an honest review.