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275 reviews for:
Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
Paul Holes, Peter McDonnell, Jim Clemente
4.44 AVERAGE
275 reviews for:
Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
Paul Holes, Peter McDonnell, Jim Clemente
4.44 AVERAGE
Amazingly put together. This reads more of a "Story about Paul Holes' investigation" through the years, rather than a book about Joseph DeAngelo himself - which is good! Because I was wondering how they were going to tackle that before the trial happens. This is definitely more about the /process/ of catching the Golden State Killer than the man himself.
I love the actual in-person interviews with the victims and investigators. It reads like a great radio documentary more than an audiobook. You definitely need to give this a listen.
I love the actual in-person interviews with the victims and investigators. It reads like a great radio documentary more than an audiobook. You definitely need to give this a listen.
I've been kind of going in and out of a serial killer media phase for the past year or so, and I think, having finished this production, that phase might be beginning to draw to a close. Part of it, I think, has to do with having just finished watching the first two seasons of Mindhunter, and how that series' restraint and sobriety contrasted with the lurid celebration of gore in NBC's Hannibal, which I had watched immediately prior. Where Hannibal revels in its macabre subject matter and eventually even has you root for the serial killers, Mindhunter reminds us that these are actually quite terrible crimes and there's something a little bit gross about glamorising them. I'll still probably consume a thriller or a true crime podcast here or there, but I think, after this, I'm ready to take a break for a little while.
But I should specifically address Evil Has a Name, seeing as that's what this is supposed to be a review of. This production comes hot on the heels of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, and about half of its runtime covers the same territory. You do get to hear the victims describe their experiences in their own actual voices, which is something Michelle McNamara's book didn't have, but aside from that there is little novelty until we move beyond the point in the investigation where McNamara passes away and her book ends. Anyone who read the news coverage will also already know the broad strokes of how the Golden State Killer was caught—DNA, genealogy databases, etc—so the true novelty here is mostly in hearing Paul Holes speak about the investigative red herrings and blind alleys he ran into along the way, of which there seem to have been quite a few.
It's funny: when you think of true crime classics like I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Robert Graysmith's Zodiac, they're often not written with closure in mind, since an amateur investigator, no matter how dedicated and astute, usually cannot hope to solve a cold case on their own, lacking the resources of the FBI or a DNA lab. Evil Has a Name of course does have that closure, so you might think that would make it a more satisfying work, but I don't think that's really the case. It is satisfying, of course, it's just maybe not quite as engrossing as those other books. I'd like to say that what makes the others so compelling is the passion of their authors, who pour decades of their lives into the pursuit of their subjects, but of course that's also true here: Paul Holes spent twenty-four years of his life on this case, and was as dedicated as any Zodiac killer obsessive. The most relevant point is probably just that Evil Has a Name is mostly retreading territory that has already been covered well elsewhere. As a result, it's probably not a classic, but it's perfectly serviceable as a true crime podcast-style audio production.
But I should specifically address Evil Has a Name, seeing as that's what this is supposed to be a review of. This production comes hot on the heels of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, and about half of its runtime covers the same territory. You do get to hear the victims describe their experiences in their own actual voices, which is something Michelle McNamara's book didn't have, but aside from that there is little novelty until we move beyond the point in the investigation where McNamara passes away and her book ends. Anyone who read the news coverage will also already know the broad strokes of how the Golden State Killer was caught—DNA, genealogy databases, etc—so the true novelty here is mostly in hearing Paul Holes speak about the investigative red herrings and blind alleys he ran into along the way, of which there seem to have been quite a few.
It's funny: when you think of true crime classics like I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Robert Graysmith's Zodiac, they're often not written with closure in mind, since an amateur investigator, no matter how dedicated and astute, usually cannot hope to solve a cold case on their own, lacking the resources of the FBI or a DNA lab. Evil Has a Name of course does have that closure, so you might think that would make it a more satisfying work, but I don't think that's really the case. It is satisfying, of course, it's just maybe not quite as engrossing as those other books. I'd like to say that what makes the others so compelling is the passion of their authors, who pour decades of their lives into the pursuit of their subjects, but of course that's also true here: Paul Holes spent twenty-four years of his life on this case, and was as dedicated as any Zodiac killer obsessive. The most relevant point is probably just that Evil Has a Name is mostly retreading territory that has already been covered well elsewhere. As a result, it's probably not a classic, but it's perfectly serviceable as a true crime podcast-style audio production.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
A very raw look at the rampage that was the Golden State Killer. Most of the story is told by the lead investigator, but also by the victims and their families. Some parts and descriptions were difficult to listen to and would creep into my mind at night, laying awake in my bed, maybe hearing a noise outside the bedroom window?
I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. It is real life and scary. But that’s not why I took a star away - there were instances when I didn’t know who was speaking. I wish there had been a more direct way to keep track of that. Otherwise, it is told in a very produced, podcast feel. I liked that.
I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. It is real life and scary. But that’s not why I took a star away - there were instances when I didn’t know who was speaking. I wish there had been a more direct way to keep track of that. Otherwise, it is told in a very produced, podcast feel. I liked that.
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
More of a podcast than an audio book but insanely compelling and binge worthy. Highly recommend if you’re interested in true crime.
An excellent companion to "I'll be gone in the dark".
Is about Paul Holes journey, is very exciting.
In the end, there are some very interesting interviews with the Golden State Killer's friends and neighbors.
Is about Paul Holes journey, is very exciting.
In the end, there are some very interesting interviews with the Golden State Killer's friends and neighbors.
Beautiful collection of interviews and the perfect follow up and partner to "I'll Be Gone In The Dark."
This was more intriguing in ways than Michele McNamara's book because you got to see the ending and where they finally have that moment of getting the bad guy. I really loved it, and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to know the details of the Golden State Killer, that being said Michelle McNamara's book was better at diving into the specifics of the case and that I found valuable.