Scan barcode
tammyaz's review against another edition
4.0
The style is a little messy, I'm sure due to the fact that the author died and didn't have a chance to complete the book how she would've wanted. That said. This may be the scariest book I've ever read - scarier than Helter Skelter. I'm not sure I'll ever feel completely safe again.
waxbiplane's review against another edition
5.0
I DEVOURED this book. I'm not generally a true-crime adherent, but this felt less gratuitous than (rightly or wrongly) I generally think of the genre as being. It was as much about McNamara's growing (problematically, it can be argued) obsession with the case as it was about the case itself. The author, in a sense, sacrificed herself to the story told in this book, and it is a worthy testament to that sacrifice. Recommended.
PS. It has also encouraged me to be more diligent about making sure all doors are closed and locked on my first floor before I go to sleep.
PS. It has also encouraged me to be more diligent about making sure all doors are closed and locked on my first floor before I go to sleep.
jkpenny's review against another edition
5.0
A really compelling story that treats the victims with respect and not as props for titillation. It's even more fascinating now that the suspect has been arrested. I would've loved to have seen how McNamara would have finished her investigation and the story.
ebats's review against another edition
3.0
so i really liked this, but i think i was more intrigued by the case than the book, if that makes sense. been listening to related podcasts and reading other articles, etc. perhaps my knowledge about her passing affected this thought - but it did feel disjointed and unfinished. i could have used a little more explanation of the crimes and the timeline, and less about what california was like, or about the culture of cops (just something you read too much about in mystery books). i also didn't think the parts where she questioned her obsession were needed--girl, we're with ya, don't worry.
all that said, when she does describe the crimes, it's electric and creepy in the best way. i also read this a mere few days after he was caught - i cannot imagine how she or any of the detectives (armchair and salaried) felt hearing that news. wow.
all that said, when she does describe the crimes, it's electric and creepy in the best way. i also read this a mere few days after he was caught - i cannot imagine how she or any of the detectives (armchair and salaried) felt hearing that news. wow.
jackiyork's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not typically a true crime reader but this one piqued my interest. It'm sorry that Ms. McNamara was unable to finish her work but I'm glad the reading public had the opportunity to read what she had written prior to her death.
kate_albers's review against another edition
4.0
A truly fascinating read about a woman’s obsessive quest to hunt down a serial killer. It’s sad that Michelle McNamara did not live to see him caught. Hopefully, her book will help bring him to justice.
abuchan's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not typically a true crime fan but this was fantastic! Very compelling writing from Michelle McNamara and it had me doing so much of my own personal research on the GSK. I’d recommend this book to really anybody and everybody, such an intriguing read!!
lindsaystadter's review against another edition
4.0
A great book for fans of true crime. I enjoyed that it was not only about the evidence and suspects of the crimes, but also a memoir about armature web sleuths and what their lives look like. I’d love an updated version now that they’ve caught the suspect; it’s unfortunate McNamara wouldn’t be able to write it.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
4.0
l’ll Be Gone in the Dark is my first foray into true crime, which seems a little surprising. With the recent capture of the Golden State Killer and all the positive reviews of the book, I took a chance.
I didn’t know anything about the Golden State Killer until the recent news coverage. He committed at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986. And it took detectives until this year to capture him. McNamara died before Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested, but the book is fascinating. It details the crimes, without being overly graphic. She talks about the victims and their families, how the crimes affected them, their families and their communities. She goes over the evidence and talks to detectives. She works with other amateur sleuths and is tireless in her own investigation with the resources she can access. But we also learn about her, about how she thinks, what drives her, how her obsession affected her life,
While I don’t know that the book helped lead to the arrest, the extra attention to the case couldn’t have hurt. I do know she would be thrilled with the capture and not at all surprised that what finally got him was DNA evidence.
I especially appreciated the afterward by her husband, Patton Oswalt. He so clearly loved, respected and supported her.
I didn’t know anything about the Golden State Killer until the recent news coverage. He committed at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986. And it took detectives until this year to capture him. McNamara died before Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested, but the book is fascinating. It details the crimes, without being overly graphic. She talks about the victims and their families, how the crimes affected them, their families and their communities. She goes over the evidence and talks to detectives. She works with other amateur sleuths and is tireless in her own investigation with the resources she can access. But we also learn about her, about how she thinks, what drives her, how her obsession affected her life,
While I don’t know that the book helped lead to the arrest, the extra attention to the case couldn’t have hurt. I do know she would be thrilled with the capture and not at all surprised that what finally got him was DNA evidence.
I especially appreciated the afterward by her husband, Patton Oswalt. He so clearly loved, respected and supported her.
caitlynebs's review against another edition
5.0
A must-read if you are at all interested in true crime. Michelle’s writing is gorgeous and pulls you into this frustrating and fascinating story. While reading, I would get bursts of sadness when I remembered that Michelle is not here to see the resolution, to see the Golden State Killer “walk into the light”.
Terrifying, engrossing...simply a masterpiece.
Terrifying, engrossing...simply a masterpiece.