Unbelievable

Written with T. Christian Miller

• New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
• Winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award

Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists tell the riveting true crime story of a teenager charged with lying about having been raped—and the detectives who followed a winding path to arrive at the truth.

The backstory: T. Christian Miller and I partnered to write “An Unbelievable Story of Rape,” published by The Marshall Project and ProPublica. (How we came to partner is its own story, weird enough that CNN wrote about it.) With producer Robyn Semien, we turned the story into a This American Life episode, called Anatomy of Doubt. Then we wrote this book, published by Crown. Then the story became a dramatized Netflix series, starring Kaitlyn Dever, Merritt Wever and Toni Collette. (I was a producer and consultant on the show.)

Buy the Book

“A captivating page-turner … It would be all too easy to compare the book to a Grisham novel or an episode of Law & Order: SVU, but to do so would trivialize its achievement. A False Report is framed as a police procedural but illuminates the agonizing realities of rape culture as well as the fractures in our criminal justice system. …. Rich in forensic detail, deftly written and paced, A False Report is an instant true-crime classic, taking its rightful place beside Vincent Bugliosi’s Helter Skelter and Dave Cullen’s Columbine.”
—The Minneapolis Star Tribune

“This is a deep, disturbing, compelling, important book. A False Report digs into timeless issues—crime, victimhood, honesty, sexism—which have never been more timely. It is also a fascinating, sharply written story that will twist and surprise you.”
—Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin

“Miller and Armstrong tell their story plainly, expertly and well.”
—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“America has never adequately addressed sexual violence, a tragedy made worse by many who employ their own hierarchy of victimization, leaving many women and vulnerable people unaided. This meticulously researched, powerful exposé eliminates ignorance as a defense. This is a devastating but necessary read, composed by masters of investigative journalism.”
—Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy

“Miller and Armstrong excavate a disturbing strain of misogyny in American culture … The authors use this dramatic, almost unbelievable sequence of events as a springboard to a broader survey of the disturbing ways victims of rape are treated in America … [A False Report] shines a critical light on an urgent and timely subject.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An important piece of journalism… The authors’ exhaustive research brings to life not only Marie and other victims, but also the police and other authorities who are devastated by their own mistakes… Even in the relatively enlightened 21st century, A False Report reminds us there is no standard response to trauma.”
—Associated Press

“A riveting true-crime story.”
—O: The Oprah Magazine

“The authors describe how [several] cases come together in a highly suspenseful (chapters often end in cliffhangers) and thorough manner that still considers the victims and avoids gratuity… This timely, well-researched, highly readable account will appeal to readers interested in true crime and social justice issues.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Chilling … Throughout the book, the authors display meticulous investigative reporting skills … Their urgent account delivers absolute vindication in a serpentine crime investigation that initially betrayed its victim. A riveting and disturbing true-crime story that reflects the enduring atrocity of rape in America.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In prose that rivals that of a suspense novel, two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists describe the tragic effects skepticism can have on victims of sexual assault.”
—Ms. Magazine

“More vivid and urgent than any Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode… veteran reporters Miller and Armstrong vividly portray the characters in this serpentine drama and emphatically detail how the investigation of sex crimes and the treatment of victims have evolved. The result is a chilling true-crime story that is also a powerful critique of a flawed system.”
—The National Book Review

“A revelation—taut, nuanced, and expertly reported.”
—New York Post

“This astonishing piece of journalism reveals the disturbing truth about how sexual assault is investigated and the long history of skepticism toward rape victims.”
—Book Riot

“A False Report is a reporting triumph: a heartbreaking deep dive into a case gone horribly wrong; a bone-chilling portrait of a monstrous criminal; and a forceful cri de coeur on behalf of those victims whose claims fall on deaf ears. You’ll never read another crime story quite like it.”
—Robert Kolker, author of Lost Girls