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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I really liked this! I love true crime, So I really enjoyed hearing how the golden state killer was eventually caught. I liked that Paul included the political drama that made solving the case harder. you would think that the priority in solving crimes is justice and public safety, but no, for so many it is the recognition they seek; that made me sick. I really liked that he included pictures. This was an easy read and not tooo graphic for people worried, there is some descriptions but I didn't think they were bad.
4.5 stars!
I truly enjoyed reading Paul Holes' retelling his career as a forensic pathologist. The Golden State Killer case was exceptionally interesting. His writing was concise, clear and succinct. I've already recommended this book to several of my friends who love true crimes and one of them actually has been enjoying the book as I'm writing this review. Highly recommended!
I loved the book and didn't want to miss anything. Even though I listened to it for the most part but there were plenty of chapters I re-read again in prints.
Took a star off because other cold cases being mentioned in the book were not as thoroughly as the Golden State Killer one but that made sense otherwise the book would be too long to enjoy.
I truly enjoyed reading Paul Holes' retelling his career as a forensic pathologist. The Golden State Killer case was exceptionally interesting. His writing was concise, clear and succinct. I've already recommended this book to several of my friends who love true crimes and one of them actually has been enjoying the book as I'm writing this review. Highly recommended!
I loved the book and didn't want to miss anything. Even though I listened to it for the most part but there were plenty of chapters I re-read again in prints.
Took a star off because other cold cases being mentioned in the book were not as thoroughly as the Golden State Killer one but that made sense otherwise the book would be too long to enjoy.
4.5 stars.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I was taken aback throughout the book at Holes's honesty about his obsession with his work, and how he both knew the ways it interfered with his family and personal life but was unable to keep himself from doing it anyway.
Holes was personally involved in the investigations of so many huge, well-known crimes - Jaycee Dugard, Laci Peterson, and of course the Golden State Killer. Hearing about his experiences with these cases and others even more gruesome leaves you wondering how anyone in his line of work could possibly come out of those experiences unscathed. And, as becomes clear throughout the book, the truth is you probably don't.
There is so much horror in the stories Holes shares, the horrors he has seen and the unspeakable things that people can do to one another. But in that horror is also where his sense of purpose lies - if the very least he can do is try to bring some peace and closure to the families of the victims of these unspeakable atrocities, then isn't it is responsibility to do what he can to make that happen?
I found this to be a very honest read that truly gave me insight into Holes as a person, and I really appreciated the ways in which he talked about his mental health and struggles with anxiety and panic attacks throughout his life. I especially appreciated him confessing the ways in which he felt incapable of communicating how much he cared about the people in his life that he loved. How there was somehow this wall between how he felt and his inability to actually SAY that to the people he loved the most, even though he knew he could lose them, something he was terrified of happening.
A great, engaging read, though it does get pretty dark, something it's probably good to know going in.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I was taken aback throughout the book at Holes's honesty about his obsession with his work, and how he both knew the ways it interfered with his family and personal life but was unable to keep himself from doing it anyway.
Holes was personally involved in the investigations of so many huge, well-known crimes - Jaycee Dugard, Laci Peterson, and of course the Golden State Killer. Hearing about his experiences with these cases and others even more gruesome leaves you wondering how anyone in his line of work could possibly come out of those experiences unscathed. And, as becomes clear throughout the book, the truth is you probably don't.
There is so much horror in the stories Holes shares, the horrors he has seen and the unspeakable things that people can do to one another. But in that horror is also where his sense of purpose lies - if the very least he can do is try to bring some peace and closure to the families of the victims of these unspeakable atrocities, then isn't it is responsibility to do what he can to make that happen?
I found this to be a very honest read that truly gave me insight into Holes as a person, and I really appreciated the ways in which he talked about his mental health and struggles with anxiety and panic attacks throughout his life. I especially appreciated him confessing the ways in which he felt incapable of communicating how much he cared about the people in his life that he loved. How there was somehow this wall between how he felt and his inability to actually SAY that to the people he loved the most, even though he knew he could lose them, something he was terrified of happening.
A great, engaging read, though it does get pretty dark, something it's probably good to know going in.
This book was everything I wanted it to be. I could have read 400 more pages, even though I don't typically like long books. I knew of Paul Holes because of Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" about the hunt for the Golden State Killer. Soon after that book came out and after I read it, Holes caught the Golden State Killer through a new and unconventional method of submitting DNA to genealogy sites and mapping out a family tree to narrow down the suspects. It was fascinating, and I remember watching and reading multiple interviews with Holes.
In this book, Holes talks about his obsession with the Golden State Killer, from his early days in criminal labs to finding out who the killer was just days before Holes' retirement. But he also talks about lots of other cases he worked on and cold cases he tried to solve. He dives a bit into the science of the lab work and DNA improvements. He's also incredibly honest and candid about how his mission of solving cases ruined his first marriage, hurt his relationship with his kids and damaged his second marriage. His story isn't over, and I wonder how his second marriage is doing now—even though he's retired, he's semi-famous now and talks all over the country about cold cases and the science, while also hosting podcasts.
Any fan of true crime who wants to know about the police investigations and doesn't mind hearing about cases that still aren't solved should love this book.
In this book, Holes talks about his obsession with the Golden State Killer, from his early days in criminal labs to finding out who the killer was just days before Holes' retirement. But he also talks about lots of other cases he worked on and cold cases he tried to solve. He dives a bit into the science of the lab work and DNA improvements. He's also incredibly honest and candid about how his mission of solving cases ruined his first marriage, hurt his relationship with his kids and damaged his second marriage. His story isn't over, and I wonder how his second marriage is doing now—even though he's retired, he's semi-famous now and talks all over the country about cold cases and the science, while also hosting podcasts.
Any fan of true crime who wants to know about the police investigations and doesn't mind hearing about cases that still aren't solved should love this book.
Definitely not a fan of the “woe is me“ attitude that the author had throughout the book. As a result I skimmed a lot of the text relating his personal life. The cases were interesting and I found those sections of the book captivating. Michelle McNamara deserved a lot more credit than she received for GSK.
I liked this book. My only problem was the jumping back and forth threw me a few times.
This is one of those books where I think I need to tell you where I sit before I tell you where I stand. First up…the genre. I’ve been a true crime fan for decades. (I blame A&E, I got hooked on true crime in the late 1990s/early 2000s.) Secondly – I’m a fan of Paul Holes. I really enjoy his podcast (The Murder Squad) and I’ve watched several shows on TV that he’s involved in. Also I should tell you that if you’re not into true crime, this is probably not the book for you.
I first stumbled across the name Paul Holes in Michelle McNamara’s book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark; Michelle meets and befriends Paul in her search for the Golden State Killer. I was really interested to pick up this book and learn more about Paul Holes’ career with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, his work hunting for the Golden State Killer, and his work/life balance. How do you witness these horrific scenes, hunt for the killer, and then put all that aside and come home to your family?
Unmasked is really interesting, but a tough read at times. Paul briefly touches on a lot of different cases throughout his career, spending the most time on his decades long passion to find the Golden State Killer. At times, I would have liked more information on some of the cases. Although I know that an in-depth look at some of these cases probably could be a whole book just by itself. We see them from Paul’s perspective, which at times can be pretty graphic and unflinching. Paul describes in the book his ability to compartmentalize his emotions and separate from the case, and I think his reflections in this memoir reflect that.
Paul gets very involved in his cases, and his obsession in finding justice for the victims takes a huge toll on his family. Throughout this memoir we see his lack of work/life balance, and his struggle to be there for his family while keeping his private promises of justice for the victims and their families.
This memoir is a great look into the life of a criminologist who is obsessed with finding justice. Paul is empathetic, dedicated, and detailed, and this book takes you through his lifelong journey to find answers and solve the toughest cases.
I first stumbled across the name Paul Holes in Michelle McNamara’s book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark; Michelle meets and befriends Paul in her search for the Golden State Killer. I was really interested to pick up this book and learn more about Paul Holes’ career with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, his work hunting for the Golden State Killer, and his work/life balance. How do you witness these horrific scenes, hunt for the killer, and then put all that aside and come home to your family?
Unmasked is really interesting, but a tough read at times. Paul briefly touches on a lot of different cases throughout his career, spending the most time on his decades long passion to find the Golden State Killer. At times, I would have liked more information on some of the cases. Although I know that an in-depth look at some of these cases probably could be a whole book just by itself. We see them from Paul’s perspective, which at times can be pretty graphic and unflinching. Paul describes in the book his ability to compartmentalize his emotions and separate from the case, and I think his reflections in this memoir reflect that.
Paul gets very involved in his cases, and his obsession in finding justice for the victims takes a huge toll on his family. Throughout this memoir we see his lack of work/life balance, and his struggle to be there for his family while keeping his private promises of justice for the victims and their families.
This memoir is a great look into the life of a criminologist who is obsessed with finding justice. Paul is empathetic, dedicated, and detailed, and this book takes you through his lifelong journey to find answers and solve the toughest cases.
I liked this unflinching behind the scenes look at a criminalist’s life. I knew if Paul Holes from his podcast, and it was interesting to hear about how he channeled his natural obsessive tendencies towards solving cold cases.
Paul is a treasure. The work he did with Michele McNamara in the golden state killer was amazing to hear more about. I absolutely loved hearing Paul’s history in law investigation. It gave such a good background and told who he is as an investigator. He shows how much he cares about every victim. A true to god hero.
Good book... I found this guy to be quite arrogant, but he definitely had a wild career