Death On The River by Diane Fanning

 

Vince Viafore loved to kayak.  On April 19, 2015, he set out for a day of fun on the Hudson River with his fiance, Angelika.  The couple kayaked to a private island, Bannerman where they explored and took pictures as Angelika was a volunteer there and had access.  As they started to return home, the water had gotten much rougher due to wind conditions.  Angelika ended up calling 9-1-1 for assistance.

When help arrived, the crews were in time to see Angelika's kayak capsize and she was quickly pulled from the water with no issues.  But Vince was nowhere in sight nor was his kayak.  The kayak was later located but there was no sign of Vince.  It was almost a month before his body was later recovered.

Was this just a case of bad luck and unforeseen weather conditions?  Within days, family, friends and the police did not think so.  Angelika seemed unconcerned, posting cheerfully on Facebook about the search for Vince and never showing any grief or sadness.   It turned out that while Angelika had a safety vest, Vince did not although he was a stickler for proper equipment.  Then there was the life insurance policy for $250,000 that she was the beneficiary of.  Police brought her in for questioning.

As the questioning progressed, Angelika started to portray a relationship on the verge of collapse.  They were to have married while on a visit to Europe, but Vince had delayed the marriage.  Angelika portrayed Vince as controlling and possessive, saying she felt trapped.  Soon she was admitting that she had taken the plug from Vince's kayak and then pulled his oars away.  She was charged with murder.

Fans of true crime will enjoy this book.  Fanning lays out the facts, including dialogue from Angelika's police interrogation.  She also researched both Vince and Angelika's background and what family and friends thought about the relationship.  She also covers the trial extensively.  This book is recommended for true crime readers.