Catch the Sparrow

A Search for a Sister and the Truth of Her Murder

By: Rachel Rear

Narrated by: Julia Locascio

Bloomsbury presents Catch the Sparrow by Rachel Rear, read by Julia Locascio.

The gripping story of a young woman’s murder, unsolved for over two decades, brilliantly investigated and reconstructed by her stepsister.

Growing up, Rachel Rear knew the story of Stephanie Kupchynsky’s disappearance. The beautiful violinist and teacher had fled an abusive relationship on Martha’s Vineyard and made a new start for herself near Rochester, NY. She was at the height of her life—in a relationship with a man she hoped to marry and close to her students and her family. And then, one morning, she was gone.

Around Rochester—a region which has spawned such serial killers as Arthur Shawcross and the “Double Initial” killer—Stephanie’s disappearance was just a familiar sort of news item. But Rachel had more reason than most to be haunted by this particular story of a missing woman: Rachel’s mother had married Stephanie’s father after the crime, and Rachel grew up in the shadow of her stepsister’s legacy.

In Catch the Sparrow, Rachel Rear writes a compulsively readable and unerringly poignant reconstruction of the case's dark and serpentine path across more than two decades. Obsessively cataloging the crime and its costs, drawing intimately closer to the details than any journalist could, she reveals how a dysfunctional justice system laid the groundwork for Stephanie's murder and stymied the investigation for more than twenty years, and what those hard years meant for the lives of Stephanie’s family and loved ones. Startling and deeply moving, Catch the Sparrow is a retelling of a crime like no other.©2022 Rachel Rear (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Undoubtedly the best true crime book ever

This one take you from the beginning to the moto the end. Here we learn about victim, crime, perpetrator and the entire resolution. We get to understand what happened and some of the closure that goes all with the system. It’s a great read.

Stunning, compassionate & haunting

A true stand out in the genre of true crime- I’m in awe.
Rachel Rear honors the memory of Stephanie and other victims without sugar-coating, the beautiful, the ugly

A Great Choice

This is a beautiful, sorrowful story that is told well and brilliantly read. Often the pathos of true crime books is ruined by overly emotive narration, which robs the story of sentiment. Here, the narrator does absolute justice to the haunting glory of the writing. Well worth your time.

Great book

Loved this book! From beginning to end it was excellent. Easy to follow, yet I felt like I needed to grip onto every word to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

Interesting story

Excellent reader with a calm and steady voice. There are no wild or dramatic revelations in the books, but it’s a story well told.