The Perfect Father by John Glatt

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

In the early morning hours of August 13th, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family’s safe return.

But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: he had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family’s Facebook accounts was slipping—and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, and boiling rage.

My thoughts-

I remember hearing about this case as it unfolded and it was absolutely devestating when it came out that Chris Watts was responsible for the death of his entire family. I was already familiar with the case and was hoping to get more insight into it, which I did get at the beginning with the early years of both Chris and Shannan. At the beginning the book almost felt sympthetic towards Chris, but as the book went on it was evident that it was just giving all of the information that we may not have had before. After reading the book, I don't feel like I understand the case any better, but I don't know that it will ever be possible without Chris Watts telling someone exactly what happened and not changing his story. I felt terrible reading the story and thinking about his own parents trying to process what this person they raised, who was a "good guy" buy all accounts, did. The book was difficult to read in places and isn't for the faint of heart, but if you find true crime interesting I definitely recommend this book to you.