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jansbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
Well written book about the Golden State Killer. Interesting information thanks to those people who bordered on being obsessed with finding the guilty man. I found myself googling a few things to fill in the blanks. I can see how they got sucked into the rabbit hole.
thebookhaze's review against another edition
5.0
There was so much to process here. I loved how it was written and organized, and I love the biographical nature of the author writing down her thoughts about the case and including personal information and why it’s important to her. I care about the case because she cares about the case, and I think it’s important to have just as much highlight on the people who put the work into solving the case, as it is on the victims and perpetrators. There are so many crimes that go unsolved because sometimes people just don’t care enough, and perhaps it’s not always healthy for any one person to care too much, but I still respect that they do care.
I have seen some discussions online about how the author didn’t contribute to solving the case and didn’t even have the killer in her sights, and while the latter may be true, I don’t agree with the former. The fact that she kept the case active and in the spotlight (with her true crime blog), kept talking to detectives, witnesses, and victims, kept doing research and cross-checking data, kept bouncing ideas off of other people who were also still working on the case, is a huge contribution to making sure someone was taking action to find the killer, and to disregard that is ignorant and disrespectful.
It was horrifying to read about all the terrible things the killer did, and to so many victims. It was heartbreaking to read about the victims, the fear, the powerlessness, the devastation of so many families and those left behind. It was infuriating to think of all the close calls where they could’ve caught the killer but didn’t. And it’s so sad to realize that the author didn’t live to see the killer caught and her life’s work achieved. But I am glad that I finally read this book.
I have seen some discussions online about how the author didn’t contribute to solving the case and didn’t even have the killer in her sights, and while the latter may be true, I don’t agree with the former. The fact that she kept the case active and in the spotlight (with her true crime blog), kept talking to detectives, witnesses, and victims, kept doing research and cross-checking data, kept bouncing ideas off of other people who were also still working on the case, is a huge contribution to making sure someone was taking action to find the killer, and to disregard that is ignorant and disrespectful.
It was horrifying to read about all the terrible things the killer did, and to so many victims. It was heartbreaking to read about the victims, the fear, the powerlessness, the devastation of so many families and those left behind. It was infuriating to think of all the close calls where they could’ve caught the killer but didn’t. And it’s so sad to realize that the author didn’t live to see the killer caught and her life’s work achieved. But I am glad that I finally read this book.
lily_reads_it_all's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
ericaskytte's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing way to tell such a complex and complicated string of events. I couldn’t stop once I started even though I already knew who the killer was. So interesting to hear all the different points of views, processes, and people involved in this case.
blaineduncan's review against another edition
5.0
For the full review, click here:
https://thealabamatake.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/as-must-reads-go-ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-is-one-of-the-best/
For many, Michelle McNamara is better known as the recently deceased wife of comedian Patton Oswalt; after reading her nonfiction book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, people will hopefully come to know her for the fluid storytelling style and hard-nosed, yet never tedious, research.
In I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, McNamara carefully examines and extensively searches out the “Golden State Killer,” a moniker given to a serial rapist and killer by McNamara herself, who was never caught although he was active well over a ten-year period. His rape and murder spree was likely confined to Southern California, but it all feels like a larger part of America. The book itself is one of the more fascinating pieces of nonfiction since In Cold Blood and is utterly addictive reading. (McNamara manages to be powerfully engaging while avoiding hyperbole or inventing portions that Capote was often criticized for creating.)
https://thealabamatake.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/as-must-reads-go-ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-is-one-of-the-best/
For many, Michelle McNamara is better known as the recently deceased wife of comedian Patton Oswalt; after reading her nonfiction book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, people will hopefully come to know her for the fluid storytelling style and hard-nosed, yet never tedious, research.
In I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, McNamara carefully examines and extensively searches out the “Golden State Killer,” a moniker given to a serial rapist and killer by McNamara herself, who was never caught although he was active well over a ten-year period. His rape and murder spree was likely confined to Southern California, but it all feels like a larger part of America. The book itself is one of the more fascinating pieces of nonfiction since In Cold Blood and is utterly addictive reading. (McNamara manages to be powerfully engaging while avoiding hyperbole or inventing portions that Capote was often criticized for creating.)
natashiataylor's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
purplepierogi's review against another edition
2.0
tw: reinforcing the batshit crazy true crime woman stereotype