In The Chandra Levy Case, the 50 States of Crime series continues to profile some of the most famous (at least in the United States) cases in recent American history. This book profiles the mystery of a young woman who disappeared in 2001, and was eventually found dead. Revelations of her affair with a prominent politician captured the interest of the media, and after another suspect was identified and convicted, the case was thought to be closed… but later revelations, largely ignored by the news, have led to the crime becoming once more unsolved.
While Coutard’s recounting of the facts of the Levy case are quite strong, her attempts to describe and explain American culture and thought are far less skillful. At times (at least in translation), Coutard makes sweeping, dismissive statements about the United States that feed into the worst stereotypes of French anti-Americanism. Quips describing 9/11 fail to capture the breadth and depth of the national mood from a quarter-century ago, comments about American sexism also need context (such as condemnations about how women in the public eye were treated during the 1990’s, ignoring the fact that the men connected to these women were frequently treated just as harshly by the press), and statements about “American arrogance” made without explanation add to a recurring problem with the 50 States of Crime project as a whole. The series is trying to do more than prepare a series of interesting true crime books for a general audience, it is trying to point out perceived defects in the American character.
Granted, the social evils, hypocrisies, and other problems pointed out by these authors are generally quite real. Yet the books suffer from the implication that there is something uniquely American about these problems, that other nations are immune to such shameful issues, and that the more enlightened French are doing the United States a favor by pointing out these foibles, while almost never offering any solutions. While there is some justification to these social criticisms, the truth is that many of these problems are universal, and that the United States is not uniquely susceptible to these sins, prejudices, and acts of violence. Perhaps American oversensitivity may be in play here, but the little digs at perceived distinctly American faults every few pages start to chafe quickly. One wonders how the French would respond to an American book series called Eighteen Administrative Regions of Crime, where journalists from the United States profiled famous murders from the thirteen administrative regions of metropolitan France and five overseas regions, all the while looking down their noses at French culture, the legacy of colonialism, and intellectual trends. Again, a lot of the criticisms towards America are valid to a certain extent, but they are far from universal and often incomplete, and they sometimes extend the cruelties of a minority to the whole, or conflate the excesses of the mass media with the general populace.
Aside from the swipes at perceived American causes for shame, the book is pretty strong. The coverage of the case is very well done, the pacing strong, and the presentation of a complex narrative is clear and effective. Some of the other books in the 50 States of Crime series have lacked thoroughness and detail but Coutard’s coverage of the Levy case is, if not definitive, at least extremely extensive, competent and interesting. Part of this is due to the original interviews with the Levy family, which provide surprisingly poignant and heartfelt expressions of grief, and arguably the best parts of the book.
In comparison to the previous book in the series on the Murdaugh Murders, when a reversal of fortune shines a new light of suspicion upon individuals who were thought to be exonerated, and the political apparatus of Washington D.C. suddenly seems to be suspiciously desperate to shield one of its own, Coutard does not delve into speculation. All she does is state the evidence and raise questions, but she doesn’t try to draw conclusions without evidence, only state what isn’t known about the case.
The Chandra Levy Case is mostly a strong entry to the 50 States of Crime series, and people who thought they knew the story may well learn that they only got a fraction of the narrative from the news.
The Chandra Levy Case (50 States of Crime– Washington, D.C.)
Hélène Coutard, translated by Laurie Bennett
Crime Ink
November 4, 2025
