The Carpool Detectives: A True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case

By Chuck Hogan

The incredible true story of a group of moms who, united by a search for new purpose, attempt to solve a fifteen-year-old double murder.

"A true crime mystery that reads like a novel . . . It can be easy to forget that the underlying case is based on real, not fictional, murder."--Los Angeles Times

A lot of us like to think we could solve a mystery. Can these four moms actually do it?

In 2020, Marissa, Jeannie, Samira, and Nicole find themselves at a familiar crossroads: when motherhood takes charge of their lives, they begin grappling with their own identities. Their thriving careers seem like a lifetime ago, and as their children become more independent, they struggle to find purpose. But when they meet at a bowling night fundraiser for their kids' school, they discover a shared interest in true crime that crystalizes around a mysterious double homicide that took place in their hometown a decade earlier: A couple in their 60s vanished overnight from their home and mysteriously shuttered their family business, leaving millions of dollars unaccounted for. Initially believed to have absconded with the money, they went from suspects to victims when their bodies were discovered in their car at the bottom of a steep ravine. And then the case turned cold.

But what if the moms could solve it? What if they could bring a killer to justice and give closure to a grieving family?

The four women have no connection to the case and no law-enforcement background, but the determined group find themselves in incredible and often dangerous situations-digging for evidence in prohibited ravines, scouring potential crime scenes for blood splatter, and sifting through pages and pages of dense police files. As they get more and more entangled in this complex investigation, they also find themselves in real danger--and with information that could blow the case wide open.

An emotional and often terrifying odyssey through a DIY criminal investigation, The Carpool Detectives is the ultimate wish fulfillment for any true crime fanatic, an absolutely thrilling read for armchair sleuths and mystery fans alike.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593733223
• ISBN13: 9780593733226
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

True crime in California

I rarely choose true crime though I do prefer procedurals and other dead bodies, but gave this one a go. I didn't care for the extremely slow detailing of the protagonists' past until they joined forces to cure their boredom (2020 and all that), but the execution of their investigation was well done by them. Still not my thing, but a visiting friend nabbed it, ignored me, and read on into the night until finished and pronounced it a 5 (compared to my 3). Therefore, I post it as a 4 star read. I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof from Random House via NetGalley. #TheCarpoolDetectives @thecarpooldetectives by #ChuckHogan #NetGalley @randomhouse #TrueCrime #Nonfiction #mysteryThriller #TrueStory #FourMoms #Twocorpses #ColdCase