"We Keep the Dead Close" was both similar to and different from what I expected... definitely met my expectations in terms of the murder-mystery thread, and I was completely invested in Jane and tracing the life that lead to her death. I found the time jumps only occasionally jarring, but I think all in all they worked in plotting the story as well as the parallels between the author's life and Jane's. While Jane's murder is of course chilling, the revelations about power in academia are also disturbing and frustrating. It is not necessarily news to read that women were looked down upon and even shut out of a boy's club specialty; however, the almost blatant discarding of women, and the secret processes that allow it, is tough to stomach.

This book raises important discussions about access to opportunities and the idea of credibility—how men seize it, and how women must fight for it—in the academic world. It is scary to think that institutions as large as Harvard are essentially accountable only to themselves, as their private nature allows them to shroud decision-making and evade any investigation. When we're battling systems that predate and outlive us, how can we pull back the curtains and fight for change? Becky Cooper works here to demand answers, but there will likely always be more work.