This Is True Crime: A Guide to Becoming an Advocate for Justice by Raven Rollins

From the author of the bestselling, award-winning true crime book "Allegedly" and the acclaimed podcast Sirens. When violence shatters a life, it doesn’t just leave behind a crime scene—it leaves behind families searching for answers, advocates fighting to be heard, and storytellers determined to make sure the victim is not forgotten. This book is for all of them. Whether you are a grieving mother staring down a twenty-year-old cold case, a survivor trying to reclaim your voice, or a podcaster, writer, or researcher called to tell these stories with care — this is your roadmap. Raven Rollins has stood in all of those places. She is a survivor, a victim family member, and an advocate who has spent years pushing against silence and navigating the systems that so often feel unmovable. In these pages, she shares not only the tools to dig, such as how to request records and uncover what lies buried in files, but also the wisdom for doing this work ethically, honoring victims and their families along the way. This book serves as a guide for navigating the true crime space for anyone who refuses to give up on cases when the system goes quiet. Inside, you will find clarity, compassion, and direction. You will learn how to take those first steps forward—whether you are carrying your own loved one’s case or shining a light on someone else’s. In these pages, Raven shares both the strategy and the soul of true crime advocacy: practical tools for requesting records and autopsy reports, pursuing DNA testing, crafting press releases that get attention, and working ethically with media, investigators, and the law. You’ll learn how to uncover the truth when the system goes quiet —and do so with empathy, accuracy, and respect. Read more