One of the most notorious true crime cases of recent years is the 2018 Watts family murders – a tragedy that quickly spiraled into a global media frenzy. It had all the chilling hallmarks of a case destined to capture headlines: a seemingly perfect family, a cheating husband, and the unimaginable aftermath of a father annihilating his pregnant wife and two young daughters. In The Perfect Father, true crime author John Glatt revisits the horror with a thorough and compassionate investigation into the events leading up to that August day, the murders themselves, and the devastating aftermath the world watched unfold in real time.

Glatt acknowledges early in the book that this was the most emotionally draining case he’s ever written about – and it shows. Like many millennial moms, Shanann Watts shared much of her daily life online through photos, videos, and status updates. That digital footprint gave this case an unprecedented level of public intimacy, allowing not just investigators but readers to feel a painful closeness to Shanann and her daughters – Bella, 4, calm and observant, and CeCe, 3, vibrant and energetic. Glatt notes that even seasoned investigators reported emotional distress, having come to feel like they personally knew the victims through the social media posts.

Having followed this case closely from the beginning, I was struck by how much I still hadn’t known – especially about Chris and Shanann’s early lives and relationship. Interviews with Chris’s family added a layer of authenticity, but I was deeply disturbed by the fact that some relatives continue to deny his role in the murders, despite his heavily failed polygraph and detailed eventual confession. I understand denial may help them sleep at night, but refusing to acknowledge the truth dishonors the memories of their grandchildren (even if done unintentionally) whose lives were heinously ripped away from them.

My heart breaks for Shanann’s loved ones. Reading about her friend who dropped her off from the airport in the early morning hours that same day and tried desperately to reach her just hours later was gut-wrenching. The weight of those unanswered messages must be unbearable and my heart aches for her. I was also especially moved by the memories shared by Shanann’s high school drama teacher. As a former teacher myself, that kind of loss strikes an incredibly personal chord – this kind of scenario playing out with any of my students would be my personal nightmare.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is gut-wrenching, disturbing, and impossible to put down. I felt compelled to read every word, to honor the lives of Shanann, Bella, CeCe, and baby Nico. They deserve to be remembered not for how their lives ended, but for how deeply they were loved.

It’s no surprise this book is making waves on BookTok. I highly recommend it to anyone who followed the case or is interested in a respectful, in-depth look into one of the most haunting family tragedies in modern memory.