Author Allison Mann and Michael Brodkorb
About the Authors:
#NetGalley
Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann met during the 2016 Grazzini-Rucki
criminal trial. Allison worked at a law firm representing David Rucki, the
father, who was trying to find his girls. Michael was working for the Star
Tribune, covering the story as the case developed.
Michael and Allison have spent the last two years working
together investigating and researching to find the answers to many questions
that had been left unanswered for years. They have analyzed court documents,
reviewed investigative files, and conducted numerous interviews to provide a
completed story about how and why two children vanished from their family and
friends for 944 days. Their passion for
following the case and connecting the dots to figure out the truth of what
really happened led them to write “The Girls Are Gone.”
“The Girls Are Gone”
provides new details about the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki and
includes interviews with members of the Rucki family, including exclusive
interviews with Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The book also discusses the
connection between Michelle MacDonald, who
is currently a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court. MacDonald
was labeled a “person of interest” by the Lakeville Police.
Amazon
Michael's GoodReads Author Page
Allison's GoodReads Author Page
BookBub
Summary
Michael's GoodReads Author Page
Allison's GoodReads Author Page
BookBub
Summary
The Girls Are Gone: The True Story of Two
Sisters Who Vanished, the Father Who Kept Searching, and the Adults Who
Conspired to Keep the Truth Hidden’ by Michael
Brodkorb & Allison Mann.
“The Girls Are Gone” tells the true story of two sisters
who went missing, the father who kept searching, and the adults who conspired
to keep the truth hidden.
On the evening of April 19, 2013, Samantha and Gianna
Rucki disappeared. Two of five children born to David Rucki and Sandra
Grazzini-Rucki, the teenage sisters vanished in the midst of their parents
divorce.
The girls father, David Rucki, worked tirelessly with law
enforcement to search day and night for his two missing daughters, following
every lead while raising three remaining children at home. Their mother, Sandra
Grazzini-Rucki, used her newfound freedom to vacation around the world,
abandoning her children. And as the investigation intensified, catching the
attention of the media, Sandra also disappeared.
On November 18, 2015 – 944 days after they disappeared –
the girls were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law
enforcement.
Criminal charges were filed against four people, including
the girls’ mother, for their role in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters.
“The Girls Are Gone” chronicles key events during the criminal trials of the
people who were later convicted or pleaded guilty for their involvement in this
heinous crime. The book examines the
other adults who aided in the conspiracy to hide the truth and the Rucki
sisters.
The
Girls are Gone
By
Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann
Review
written by HeidiLynn’s BookReviews
First, I want to thank Michael Brodkorb, and
Allison Mann for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
The Girls are Gone is a true story of two sisters
who vanished, the father who kept searching, and the adults who conspired to
keep the truth hidden. Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann both collaborated on
this book together and made a fantastic team.
This book Is dedicated to the parents who never
stop searching for their missing children.
Allison and Michael did an incredible job doing all
the research on this case and telling it in this story. The Girls are Gone is
incredibly detailed with a lot of information from the case. This book had the
backstory of the couple, interviews from court, emails back and forth,
explained about the rough custody battle, etc.
In the beginning of the book you get to learn about
David and Sandra and how they met, fell in love, married and had a family.
However, good things come to an end and unfortunately this book is written
because of that. It is a very unique story. One that I was surprised I didn’t hear
on the news myself.
My favorite part of the book was when the girls go
missing and that aspect of the drama. That added some excitement into the book.
Some of the scenes were drawn out with the legal end of things due to the
custody hearings.
Throughout this book my heart was always with the
kids and what they were put through in all of this. None of this was fair to
them to have them play one parent over the other. So many times, I just wanted
to give them a big hug.
The electronic copy I received was not formatted
correctly. Many places the font size was different than the rest of the font
making it smaller.
