Bar Jonah was a suspected serial killer. Author John Espy is considered one of two experts in the United States in the area of pedophilic and paraphilic OCD. Eat the Evidence represents hundreds of hours of interviews with Bar Jonah and those who knew him well, and captures the extent of his life, actions, and death. It is highly recommended reading for those who relish true crime accounts, psychological inspections of criminal and pedophilic behavior patterns, and in-depth inspections of serial killing.

Eat the Evidence (Book One of the Bar Jonah Trilogy) by John E. Espy, Ph.D.

It’s important to note that this is the first book in a trilogy about Bar Jonah—surprising, because nonfiction in general and biographical and crime stories in particular rarely run over a single volume. In this case, Bar Jonah’s story is provided over the course of multiple volumes to allow for more detailed examination, incorporating the many interview results and facets of his entire life. When one considers that literally thousands of hours of interviews were conducted and synthesized for this effort, three books seems like an excellent way of assuring that nothing important is omitted for the sake of brevity.

One might anticipate a dry compilation of facts from the results of so much research and so many interviews, but Dr. Espy crafts his narrative to read like a novel. Thus, it’s packed with dramatic descriptions of encounters between Bar Jonah and those who knew or encountered him. This creates a livelier read than anticipated by the subject matter, making it accessible to a much wider audience than nonfiction readers alone. Many a mystery or crime story fiction reader will find it intriguingly compelling.

This is not to say the treatment assumes a ‘whodunnit’ or detective-style inquiry. Indeed, it is filled with disturbing revelations about pedophilia and the mind of the serial pedophile, and encourages readers to enter an inner sanctum of this world which they may ultimately be quite uncomfortable navigating.

This caution aside, it’s especially notable for this very aspect: it provides a rare and unprecedented opportunity for parents and law enforcement alike to enter the mind of the pedophile to better understand not only his psychology, but how he lives and operates in daily life. From how a pedophiliac finds victims to the realization that they don’t operate in a vacuum, as is so commonly believed, but participate in networks with connections to others like themselves, readers should expect to be disturbed, challenged, and educated by Eat the Evidence.

Eat the Evidence is a powerfully compelling survey that should be required reading for law enforcement personnel, educators, and parents alike. There’s simply nothing like it in print—no other coverage approaches the depth of history, psychology, and criminal justice insights of this story.