Sins of the Mother

The Heartbreaking True Story Behind the Susan Smith Murder Case

By: Maria Eftimiades

Narrated by: Suzie Althens

On October 25, 1994, a hysterical Susan Smith told police a tale that would strike terror in the hearts of mothers everywhere: An unidentified gunman had sped off with her two little boys, leaving her screaming on the side of the road.

For more than a week, the people in the tiny town of Union, South Carolina, rallied around the young mother. They combed the woods and neighborhood parks for the missing children and prayed for their safe return, while FBI teams launched a massive manhunt.

No one ever suspected that the pretty twenty-three-year-old who tearfully pleaded for her children in front of millions of TV viewers could be capable of such a heartless act . . . until she led police to the watery graves of her young sons. Now, as a shaken community confronts its outrage and sorrow, a stunned nation asks how is could have happened.

©1995 Maria Eftimiades (P)2023 Tantor

Good listen

My first audiobook and normally I don’t like them but this one kept my attention. I was little when this happened and I distinctly remember how rocked everyone was even living in Florida. This is the first I’ve really looked into what she did.

I wanted to hear about the trial

The narrator sounded like she was reading a book of meditation most of the time.Really monotonous.

The book was more about God than the actual crime.

This book did not go into detail about the Susan Smith nor about the crime. It talked way too much about God and details that are not interesting in a true crime novel.

Long & Meandering

I felt the story added many non essential areas and left out other important information . It felt more like a monologue than storytelling. Susan Smith’s story is a gripping tale, but the author wandered through details and kept the story linear and purposeless. We don’t get any idea of the massive hunt that went on or much about Susan during the whole hunt for her children. It seemed a bit flat to me.