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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Can't wait for the sequel
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
He's done it again - and even better than the first!
I began it just after finishing the first one, and I don't read crime much often. However, Chizmar is an author who is among the likes of King, so of course I was willing to get right back into his twisted world.
It started off pretty slow for me, and I wasn't really enjoying it. But by the end, I could barely put it down and finished off the remaining 50% in a little less than a day.
I am excited for the next in the series and will be purchasing it as soon as it comes out.
I began it just after finishing the first one, and I don't read crime much often. However, Chizmar is an author who is among the likes of King, so of course I was willing to get right back into his twisted world.
It started off pretty slow for me, and I wasn't really enjoying it. But by the end, I could barely put it down and finished off the remaining 50% in a little less than a day.
I am excited for the next in the series and will be purchasing it as soon as it comes out.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Setting the Scene: đșđž Weâre back in Edgewood, Maryland and nearby towns.
POV: We are following the author of Chasing the Boogeyman in present day (2022), long after the success of their first book. We are also taking a tour through their thoughts, their past, and a town thatâs seen better days as they work on their full memoir. Sprinkled throughout is online commentary about the author, their work, and speculations on copycat killings.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
POV: We are following the author of Chasing the Boogeyman in present day (2022), long after the success of their first book. We are also taking a tour through their thoughts, their past, and a town thatâs seen better days as they work on their full memoir. Sprinkled throughout is online commentary about the author, their work, and speculations on copycat killings.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Reflective memoirs with fandom levels of information and commentary
- Excerpts and mini-interviews about copycat killings and a true crime author
- Fragmented stream of consciousness with snippets of victimology and theories on what motivates a killer
- Touches on elements of problematic true crime âstansâ, the downsides of fame, human nature, psychology, family, ambition, anonymity, and legacy.
----
đș Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags đ
đŹ Tale-Telling: The story felt like it was aiming for complex, but to me it came off a corny in its reflection on crime, fame, and the human condition using tired, clichĂ© commentary and pointing out the obvious. For those less familiar with true crime, or crime fiction and thriller tropes, it may work and feel like a straightforward narrative?
đ§ Audio had its hiccupsâŠâdoing the voicesâ arenât exactly this narratorâs forte, but we also had annoying dates, times, and â2022â repeated before every online comment or post. They didnât make minor adjustments in the audio production for the epistolary parts.
đ€ Readerâs Role: Part amateur sleuth, part Chizmar fan. The story started off captivating but soon became meandering and interrupting of itself,
đ„ Characters: Center stage is our MC, Richard Chizmar, and his family, so this might feel too insular if youâre not feeling invested in him and his world. The book teetered on the edge of asking for empathy for our MC but felt whiny and âpoor olâ meâ, especially against the backdrop of the murders. The character study of our MC felt one dimensional and repetitive in its over-exploration of the same themes and thoughts. If this was an actual memoir, I wouldn't rate it since heâs telling us his story, he should be allowed to do that in his own way. But this was a fiction/metafiction and in that context, our MC came across as vapid, self-centered, and long-winded without ever addressing it or developing further.
đșïž Ambiance: The evolution of the town of Edgewood and Chizmarâs home set the backdrop for the story, which was less about atmosphere and more about actionâor the contemplation thereof. There was minimal setting of the scene, but I didnât have the text and audio didnât come with the photos. Iâm not sure if there just werenât any in this book, or if listeners are missing out.
đ„ Fuel: A mix of catch-up, commentary, and walks down memory lane that sometimes enhanced the story, but mostly left me craving more as each storyline stalled out. This felt like an unfocused mishmash of multiple drafts that were never given enough investment to take off and it just didnât work for me. I lost interest in the plot and character arcs.
đ Journey: This is a journey thatâs as much about the narratorâs inner world as it is about any external mysteries. There are different kinds of memoirsâ ones that are about someone going through something traumatic or unique, and others about someone who is well known and therefore their memoir may contain a lot of ânothingâ and stream of consciousness because it is meant to appeal to fans and people who WANT to know them more intimately. This read like the latter.
Random Thoughts
đ€ What worked: The book does a decent job of tying back to its predecessor without making prior knowledge a prerequisite.
đ« What didnât: Itâs an unnecessarily long book, with a disjointed narrative trying to wear many hatsâtrue crime, memoir, philosophical inquiry. The exploration of various elementsâpast, present, killers, victimsâwere a mess of thoughts and plot lines. The focus on Chizmar himself could read as introspective but for me read as self-indulgent. Trying to use the same format of the first book (Chasing the Boogeyman) didnât work here - the storytelling and blurred lines between fact and fiction felt awkward and forced.
----
Content Heads-Up: Murder. Body horror (decomposition, dismemberment; brief, investigative context). Adoption. Stalking/threatening.
Rep: White and ambiguous Americans.
đ Format: Everand Audio
âReviews are my musings đ powered by puppy snuggles đ¶ refined by my AI bookworm bestie âšâ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Stalking
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have to be entirely honest, at the conclusion of this book I found myself not really warning another one. I adored the first book and felt like the story had been told. I was eager for the second book to see how the story could expand but it feels as if the author took one successful story and decided to stick with it.
From a true crime perspective, I really liked how this book explored copycats and the responsibility that falls on authors, reporters and consumers of true crime. It does beg the question of why write more books? But alas, I will most likely pick up book three if I stumble across it.