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The Woman in the Strongbox  By  cover art

The Woman in the Strongbox

By: Maureen O'Hagan
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's summary

In this tantalizing true mystery of a stolen life, an acclaimed reporter and an identity theft investigator follow a series of incredible revelations about the actual identity of a wife, mother, and friend turned perfect stranger.

Days after Lori Ruff’s suicide, her family discovered her hidden strongbox containing stunning evidence that her entire life had been invented. Her real identity was buried so deep it would take five years to unearth. Who was Lori Ruff?

Maureen O’Hagan’s The Woman in the Strongbox is part of Missing, a collection of six true stories about finding, restoring, or accepting the losses that define our lives - from the mysterious to the inspiring. Each story can be listened to in a single sitting.

©2018 Maureen O'Hagan (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

What listeners say about The Woman in the Strongbox

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  • Overall
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thoroughly engaging

I felt that the story was well-crafted, and well narrated. It's the longest story in the Missing series and I had been expecting it to wind to conclusion at around the 1-hour mark. I think that that added to my enjoyment - because everything that came after that felt like a bonus. The story *could* have wrapped up earlier... but I felt that it was good story-telling to keep adding little temptations to keep the reader engaged.

I'd not normally choose or listen to something like this, but I am glad that I did.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

a good missing person story

I struggled with the climax, it was very repetitive and finally the last 5 minutes told you how it happened. just drug out too long for my taste.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Identity

Why would she change her identity? Was she hiding from someone who abused her?

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • M
  • 09-12-18

Couldn't hold my interest

this sort of story this is not my thing. it just doesn't hold my interest.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting short story

I am very sensitive to the voices of the narrators in audio books. They can make or break a book for me. This narrator has a cadence and an inflection I find distracting. If the book was any longer I could not have finished it, but I stuck with it because it was intriguing and interesting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truth is stranger than fiction. Very interesting.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Very interesting. Well read and well researched. Definitely worth a listen.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unsolved Mysteries

When I was younger, I loved the TV show Unsolved Mysteries. This story was exactly the kind of story that would have fit in an episode. The mystery woman was identified, but the why can't be answered. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a real-life mystery. Campbell does a solid job of narrating.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Unappealing characters

A cast of unappealing characters on top of an unrealistic plot, not impressed. I am disappointed.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Finding Your Way Through The Past

It's the past that rules our future. What drives the human behavior. When do you stop running. How much hurt does it take for you to give up. The story is good but left too many questions unanswered..

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Murder who?

This book could have been much better with extra work put in by the author. The book was drab. The story was interesting but not delivered well.

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