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zenarae's review against another edition
3.0
This was fine, although I do wonder what the end result would have been had Michelle been able to finish it herself. The book we got was very disjointed, and I wasn't a fan of how frequently it jumped around in the timeline. After awhile, I just gave up on remembering when or where most of the incidents happened, and just sort of let the audiobook wash over me.
heidimayerkruse's review against another edition
5.0
In true crime, it's easy to leave a story most affected by the evil of the perpetrator. Or the anguish of the victim. In this case, McNamara is the quiet protagonist. Deftly, pursuing evil with uncommon composure and kindness. Ultimately, she'd be the last of his victims. But undoubtedly, he is also hers. A brilliant, beautiful read.
Thank you Patton O. for ensuring this work of grace was ushered onto shelves and into the hands of readers where it belongs. You and Alice should be so proud.
Thank you Patton O. for ensuring this work of grace was ushered onto shelves and into the hands of readers where it belongs. You and Alice should be so proud.
melissalac's review against another edition
3.0
Ugh. I really wish Michelle hadn’t died, mostly of course because she died too young and I’m sure her family misses her terribly. But also because this book would have been so much better if she had been able to complete it. It is kind of all over the place in the story telling, which is mostly because it has been put together from Michelle’s notes and partial writing. I get that, but it makes it difficult to get into the book. That said, I’m really glad they finally caught this effer. Michelle can Rest In Peace.
mikalou's review against another edition
5.0
I have had chills all day since finishing this book. It was conversational, clear, full of facts, and humanizing. An amazing read!
sara_reads_things's review against another edition
4.0
The first half of this book was really interesting and i flew right through it. The second half of the book was slow and mucky. It was hard to read and I felt like I was going over the same information over and over again. I still enjoyed it though.
Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
cristhecryptid's review against another edition
5.0
An amazingly detailed account of all of the crimes the GSK committed. It does an excellent job of giving you all the evidence in a way that is easy to understand and comprehend, because there is a lot of evidence to discuss.
Since police have caught him, I'm anxious to hear what they find in his house and what they find out through interviews.
Since police have caught him, I'm anxious to hear what they find in his house and what they find out through interviews.
hrh_sara's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book. What was particularly interesting is that it focused more on the process of the investigation than the crimes themselves, though there is definitely some discussion and description on the crime. I read it just after they caught the man who is most likely the Golden State Killer, so it made the read easier knowing there was an answer to the questions the book posed.
mollyziske's review against another edition
2.0
1. Before reading, please know that I am aware of the author's death prior to this book's publication. I mean no disrespect in anything I say. Anything written below I'm writing with the assumption that, had the author lived to edit & publish the book, those issues would be fixed.
2. I love true crime. Ann Rule got me hooked and I love reading accounts of true crimes that made you feel as though you were right in the thick of the crimes - even if they happened years ago. Maybe Ann Rule is the standard by which I judge all other true crime authors. I'm willing to admit that.
I honestly thought I'd finish this book around my 94th birthday. If I finished at all. I could not get into it. Summary of the GSK (Golden State Killer): He raped & killed people in California in the 1970s and 80s then just stopped. His M.O. was inducing fear after stalking these people enough to know about their lives (schedules, jobs, etc.) so that he sounded like someone who knew them. He knew where everyone's bedroom was in a house. He began by raping and leaving his victims. Next, he moved to couples where he raped the wife and left the husband bound in another room. He stops around 1986 (?) and no one can find him. DNA was not reliably used while his crime spree was taking place.
Michelle McNamara was obsessed with this case & had written several pieces about it. Her goal was not to be the one to find the killer, but to simply have the killer found. I suppose the book (given its title) was about her chase. Or was it about the GSK's killings? Or was it about DNA technology? Yep, it was about all of them. Which made it really hard to follow.
I'm guessing finishing a book someone has started (especially one with thousands of pages of notes & computer files) is daunting but I still really did not enjoy this.
2. I love true crime. Ann Rule got me hooked and I love reading accounts of true crimes that made you feel as though you were right in the thick of the crimes - even if they happened years ago. Maybe Ann Rule is the standard by which I judge all other true crime authors. I'm willing to admit that.
I honestly thought I'd finish this book around my 94th birthday. If I finished at all. I could not get into it. Summary of the GSK (Golden State Killer): He raped & killed people in California in the 1970s and 80s then just stopped. His M.O. was inducing fear after stalking these people enough to know about their lives (schedules, jobs, etc.) so that he sounded like someone who knew them. He knew where everyone's bedroom was in a house. He began by raping and leaving his victims. Next, he moved to couples where he raped the wife and left the husband bound in another room. He stops around 1986 (?) and no one can find him. DNA was not reliably used while his crime spree was taking place.
Michelle McNamara was obsessed with this case & had written several pieces about it. Her goal was not to be the one to find the killer, but to simply have the killer found. I suppose the book (given its title) was about her chase. Or was it about the GSK's killings? Or was it about DNA technology? Yep, it was about all of them. Which made it really hard to follow.
I'm guessing finishing a book someone has started (especially one with thousands of pages of notes & computer files) is daunting but I still really did not enjoy this.