A Father’s Unraveling: When Tragedy Strikes, Will the Self You've Made Survive?

Mark Cosman 
BookSurge (2008)
ISBN 9781419694738
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (1/09)


What can a parent do and what do they feel when they find out their child has been murdered on her prom night?

Mark Cosman, in “A Father’s Unraveling,” takes you along on his quest for the truth of his daughter’s death, trying to find answers to so many unanswered questions.  As he recounts the events of that night, he can’t help but wonder, “what happened and why?” She was so happy, so full of life and so excited about the prom. What possessed that young man to kill his daughter, what did he have against her, if anything at all?

Reminiscing, the author looks back on his life and reflects some touching and heartfelt moments - meeting his wife, the birth of his daughter (the murder victim), her school years and the precious time they had with her. His mind drifts to better times, the times he sat with his wife and discussed concerns of “Berlyn” going out and the boys she was dating.

Then there was the capture and the trial of the murderer. He remembered hearing that the killer showed no remorse after the crime. When the police apprehended him, they said, “He was devoid of sentiment and showed no remorse.” There were agonizing moments during the trial, hearing and watching the witnesses on the stand, and seeeing the murderer not affected by any emotion, the same emotionless attitude he had the night he killed “Berlyn.”  Years pass and the father of the dead girl, faces her murderer at his parole hearing.

The ending is interesting to say the least, with a very intriguing twist. This well-documented story, “A Father’s Unraveling, by Mark Cosman is fast-paced, has good character depth and gives the reader a detailed insight into a true happening.

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