News & Media

“But nothing is ever simple, especially our hunger for the past. As I wrote the book’s 2003 timeline, I started to remember the era’s darker parts—the sexism, homophobia, and diet culture. Crime fiction seeks to unsettle the reader, and there’s something disquieting about viewing the past—even the recent past—through the lens of our current era.”

“If crime fiction is compelling because it shows us the best and worst of humanity, then power shows us something similar. How a person wields their power tells us everything about who they are and what they value.”

“Alternating between past and present storylines raises questions seamlessly. We want to know how the characters got from where they were to where they are. That tension hooks us, and if the storyteller is careful in how they reveal and withhold information, we’ll be riveted until the final pages or moments on screen.”

“Twelve years ago, Abby Hartman, 18, disappeared, but her story has long been overshadowed by that of Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder. Now that he’s about to be executed, Abby’s former best friends, Bree and Chelsea, reunite to share her story on a high-profile true crime podcast. Old resentments resurface, deeply buried secrets come out and the past haunts them in this thought-provoking tale.”

“A heartbreaking story of female friendship, first love, and betrayal, Rebecca McKanna explodes onto the thriller scene with her debut, Don’t Forget the Girl. Absolutely phenomenal!”

“This riveting thriller explores, in shifting timelines and narrative voices, what it means to lose and to grieve someone dearly loved, particularly in the context of complex female friendships. Don’t Forget the Girl deftly examines the practice of whitewashing people’s lives, whether in the present or the past, to make them seem “acceptable” to society and thus worth caring about. The book asks: What makes a young woman good? What makes a girl worth remembering? […] This novel is an exemplary portrait of women trying their best to live with honesty and grace in the early 21st century, while finding justice for a friend who can no longer claim it for herself.”

“Twelve years ago, 18-year-old University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder, is about to be executed. Abby’s best friends, Bree and Chelsea, watch as Abby’s memory is unearthed and overshadowed by Blue and his flashier crimes. The friends, estranged in the wake of Abby’s disappearance, and suffering from years of unvoiced resentments, must reunite when a high-profile podcast dedicates its next season to Blue’s murders.”

“Twelve years ago, 18-year-old University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder is about to be executed. Abby’s best friends watch as Abby’s memory is overshadowed by the suspect and his flashier crimes. The friends, estranged in the wake of Abby’s disappearance, must reunite when a high-profile podcast dedicates its next season to Blue’s murders. McKanna’s debut thriller is about the complexities of friendship and the secrets that we may take to the grave.”

“Serial killer Jon Allan Blue is about to be executed, and friends Bree and Chelsea are frustrated to see Blue’s crimes and execution overshadow their friend Abby’s case. Twelve years ago, Abby disappeared and was believed to be the victim of Blue. While Bree and Chelsea have been estranged since Abby’s disappearance, the two reunite when a popular podcast decides to make their next season about the victims of Jon Allan Blue’s murders.”

“McKanna, who layers realistic suspense and plot twists, elevates her insightful character studies with crackling dialogue and complex friendships.”

“Tense and introspective, for readers of Megan Goldin and Heather Gudenkauf, Don’t Forget the Girl is an astonishing debut thriller that mines the complexities of friendship and the secrets between us that we may take to the grave.”

“Let me start with the book I’m most excited about and that’s Don’t Forget The Girl by Rebecca McKanna. This is a true-crime fiction, following two friends whose other friend is murdered and it’s essentially following some of the past and present as her murderer is about to be executed so it’s become a huge case within the true crime world.”

“Murderers make headlines, but who remembers their victims? That’s the question asked in Don’t Forget the Girl by American debut author Rebecca McKanna, out on 20 June. It was 12 years ago that 18-year-old University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartmann disappeared. Now, Jon Allan Blue, the serial killer suspected of her murder, is about to be executed and the media is filled with stories about him. Abby’s best friends, Bree and Chelsea, watch as Abby’s memory is unearthed and overshadowed by Blue and his flashier crimes. Why should Abby be forgotten?”

“Don’t Forget the Girl brought up so many important conversations people gloss over about true crime. [...] It was just so refreshing to see an author handle these topics without glamourizing them.”

“The worst thing that ever happened to one person or their family is just this thing we casually consume while we go to the grocery store. And again, I’m guilty of it — I understand the impulse. [...] But no matter what, like as a reporter or when reading it, there is this sort of voyeur kind of dynamic that can be ethically challenging which I wanted to understand.”

“It’s a true crime that most Americans are hungry to know all about killers, but not so much the innocent people they murder. That fact motivated Bettendorf native Rebecca McKanna to write her first novel, “Don’t Forget the Girl,” which was published by Sourcebooks Landmark in June 2023. ”