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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
slow-paced
The thing is, this isn't a book for people who are interested in true crime, or who are used to maybe the Serial format of storytelling. McNamara knew this case inside and out and wanted it solved, so there's a lot of information about DNA testing, geomapping, criminal profiling, etc. It is beyond meticulous. I don't think it makes for a great audiobook (although I thought the narrator did a great job and Flynn and Oswalt's additions are a nice personal touch) because there's so much information and so many people that I felt a bit lost. For true crime lovers who really dig into the meat of the crime and the how to of the solving.
Such an exciting read. It sucks she passed right before they caught him -- with help from her book
Started reading this book knowing the man (GSK) had already been caught in April 2018. Nonetheless, Michelle’s way of writing and her description of the attacks made me want to keep on reading to see how in-depth she got. The amount of research she did was obvious and I enjoyed the attention to detail, specifically in the Visalia and Goleta/SB chapters. I got goosebumps during many chapters of this book, and kept crosschecking her theories regarding the identify of the GSK, to who he actually was (now that he’s been caught). Also interesting was the piece on familial DNA, ancestry.com/23&Me and her views on the possibility of being able to find the killers identity through a 2nd or 3rd cousin (how it was actually done). Great read.
The parts written by the author are so good, so interesting, so relatable - the parts written after she died are less so. I was still drawn in and loved this story of the hunt and the hunger that consumes you.
dark
informative
I became interested in this book when Patton Oswalt mentioned it on Twitter. I enjoy True Crime accounts, but generally via podcasts. Other than [b:In Cold Blood|168642|In Cold Blood|Truman Capote|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424931136s/168642.jpg|1940709], this is one of my few forays into the genre. Michelle McNamara, Oswalt's wife, died unexpectedly and young, just past her 46th birthday in 2016, while still in the middle of writing this book, which was the focus of many years of research and, to be fair, obsession. She'd published several magazine articles about the killer in question, but wanted to bring it all together into something more detailed. Oswalt and two researchers who had been working with McNamara on the project finished it up and brought it to press. And Oswalt himself adds a nice afterward.
It's quite a good read. A page turner, in fact. I plowed through it. And, even though there are some necessary editorial intrusions and repetitions, due to the nature of the composition, it's a very enjoyable and thoughtful narrative. McNamara can turn a phrase. And she knows the value of understatement. What emerges is half true crime novel and half memoir. But it's a nice balance and a rewarding read.
It's quite a good read. A page turner, in fact. I plowed through it. And, even though there are some necessary editorial intrusions and repetitions, due to the nature of the composition, it's a very enjoyable and thoughtful narrative. McNamara can turn a phrase. And she knows the value of understatement. What emerges is half true crime novel and half memoir. But it's a nice balance and a rewarding read.
Well-written! The author has a tremendous way of weaving her personal narrative into those of the victims and the procedural hunt for the suspect. I personally struggle with non-linear structures, so I had a hard time keeping up with the dates and places. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the story.
The investigation process and information about forensics was fascinating. The description of the crimes was heartbreaking and hard to read.
I can appreciate what Michelle McNamara did here. She has an amazing ability to research and that show in her detail and ability to write. Unfortunately, for me, the book didn't pace well in parts and left me a little bit on the short end of the stick.