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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder
This was a solid read. It is a tragedy that the author did not live to complete her own work. She had a real gift.
dark
informative
medium-paced
what an incredible work
i will say i haven't read other true crime books (though i have plenty on my goodreads shelf) but i've heard about this one on my favorite murder for so long that i've really wanted to read it. finally bought a copy and it's just wow wow wow, michelle mcnamara was an incredible writer
i can't help thinking what it would've been if she'd gotten to finish it herself (and i do certainly hope that everyone involved knew publishing what she had and finishing it up for her is what she would've wanted because otherwise like. that would suck), but as it is, i did have to take my time through it because it's so intense, but definitely captured my interest. and i appreciate anything that reminds us the victims are/were real people, especially hearing about the book that one detective wrote (how insensitive can you be). like, my experience with true crime content is absolutely not the dehumanizing shit, BUT it is absolutely there, especially in a lot of these books i would imagine, so i'm just glad that my first foray into reading true crime (rather than just listening to podcasts) is not that
i guess maybe i'll have to do some independent research bc i was hoping the addition would tell us what witnesses/criminalists were right about in terms of the details of this man's life and appearance and whatnot, especially with all the inconsistencies (wild how many people thought he was late teens/early twenties when he was in his thirties at that point) and for everything that michelle laid out here, what was and wasn't relevant or accurate in all the theorizing and info given?? (which, by the way, hate how some of those people who weren't even really part of the case were like "yeah sorry she had nothing to do with it" whereas paul holes was like "yeah we worked together, we shared information, she was like my partner" LIKE sure she might not have put completely unknown information in this book that led to the guy's capture, but she DID condense it in one place and dug for all the information she could and followed leads like all of you do, so like, no she wasn't an Actual Detective but she was doing the same work, get out of here with your superiority complex)
anyway, i just wanna know what threads were pointing in the right direction at joseph deangelo and what ones were inaccurate or just irrelevant, i'm so interested (OH also the fact that all the departments destroyed evidence except contra costa?? there's no statute of limitations on murder you weirdos why did you get rid of it!!! like you hear the horror stories of evidence being destoyed in fires or floods or going missing or "missing" i think WHY would you intentionally get rid of things that would be helpful i needed more on that bit). maybe the docuseries will answer some of my questions. ALSO, i wonder if patton oswalt did have any opportunity to speak to him, i would guess maybe not during an active case, but. even knowing it was solved, there's still so much i want to know
(also in the afterword it mentions her working with dateline on a mormon black widow case but google isn't coming up with any information, anyone know what it is?)
i will say i haven't read other true crime books (though i have plenty on my goodreads shelf) but i've heard about this one on my favorite murder for so long that i've really wanted to read it. finally bought a copy and it's just wow wow wow, michelle mcnamara was an incredible writer
i can't help thinking what it would've been if she'd gotten to finish it herself (and i do certainly hope that everyone involved knew publishing what she had and finishing it up for her is what she would've wanted because otherwise like. that would suck), but as it is, i did have to take my time through it because it's so intense, but definitely captured my interest. and i appreciate anything that reminds us the victims are/were real people, especially hearing about the book that one detective wrote (how insensitive can you be). like, my experience with true crime content is absolutely not the dehumanizing shit, BUT it is absolutely there, especially in a lot of these books i would imagine, so i'm just glad that my first foray into reading true crime (rather than just listening to podcasts) is not that
i guess maybe i'll have to do some independent research bc i was hoping the addition would tell us what witnesses/criminalists were right about in terms of the details of this man's life and appearance and whatnot, especially with all the inconsistencies (wild how many people thought he was late teens/early twenties when he was in his thirties at that point) and for everything that michelle laid out here, what was and wasn't relevant or accurate in all the theorizing and info given?? (which, by the way, hate how some of those people who weren't even really part of the case were like "yeah sorry she had nothing to do with it" whereas paul holes was like "yeah we worked together, we shared information, she was like my partner" LIKE sure she might not have put completely unknown information in this book that led to the guy's capture, but she DID condense it in one place and dug for all the information she could and followed leads like all of you do, so like, no she wasn't an Actual Detective but she was doing the same work, get out of here with your superiority complex)
anyway, i just wanna know what threads were pointing in the right direction at joseph deangelo and what ones were inaccurate or just irrelevant, i'm so interested (OH also the fact that all the departments destroyed evidence except contra costa?? there's no statute of limitations on murder you weirdos why did you get rid of it!!! like you hear the horror stories of evidence being destoyed in fires or floods or going missing or "missing" i think WHY would you intentionally get rid of things that would be helpful i needed more on that bit). maybe the docuseries will answer some of my questions. ALSO, i wonder if patton oswalt did have any opportunity to speak to him, i would guess maybe not during an active case, but. even knowing it was solved, there's still so much i want to know
(also in the afterword it mentions her working with dateline on a mormon black widow case but google isn't coming up with any information, anyone know what it is?)
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Michelle McNamara absolutely immerses you into these victims’ final moments and the tension and fear that filled the community’s tormented by this monster. Her dedication to telling these stories and helping figure out this mystery was unwavering. I had to take breaks from reading because it was so visceral at times but it’s a testament to her skill and empathy. It’s tragic that she passed while writing this but we all know her efforts helped find this killer after this book was published. Patton Oswalt did a great job touring with this book and shedding light on the author’s experience and fight for justice for these victims.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Murder
“But the truth is memories fade. Paper decays. But technology improves.”
4.75
4.75
4.5 rounded up. Michelle was incredible. As truly, truly fucked up this monster is, Michelle writes about each of his victims with true sincerity and respect. Even with knowing a lot about the case, I was gripped from start to finish. Her research, dedication and foresight are unmatched. I hope she is resting easy now that the monster has been caught and convicted.
It’s also very clear there was a lot of loved shared between Michelle and Patton. I loved how she described him and really appreciated his afterword ♥️
It’s also very clear there was a lot of loved shared between Michelle and Patton. I loved how she described him and really appreciated his afterword ♥️
Michelle’s “Letter to an Old Man” At the end was what bumped it to a five star read for me. Her research was so thorough, the data was so clearly drawn out, and the community that came together to track down the Golden State Killer was incredible.
Ahhhhh, how my heart aches for Michelle! She spent her life chasing down the GSK, only to have him arrested shortly after her death! But as she says herself, the hunt is more thrilling and exciting than the capture. This book took me back to California in the 70s. I felt like I was living during this monster’s assault/ murder sprees. So much detail is packed into each chapter, yet it’s not overwhelming. This author KNOWS how to write, I wish she chronicled every serial killer story!
second time around the narrative voice started to irk me so much, but still probably the most interesting serial killer of the 20th century