Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

41 reviews

notlikethebeer's review

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

3.25

This is a really hard book to review. Part of that comes from the book being pieced together post-humously: there are several sections that were written based on McNamara's notes, rather than anything else. Given that it's complicated enough as it is - spanning decades, with a vast number of names to remember, and an ever-merging number of horrific crimes - the somewhat disjointed writing doesn't help! But equally, it is to be expected. I do think that there were better ways of arranging this, I felt very confused and the jumping between time and events didn't happen. As well, there were some threads that were begun and then just... lost.

Something I've heard about this book, and part of the reason I wanted to read it, is that it's meant to be very victim-centric, in a way that true crime often is not. There definitely was a lot of space given to the victims, including narratives of their life before they became victims. However, I don't know whether I'd describe the victims as being centered as such. McNamara was definitely eager to talk about gory details. And that has made me question, even more, whether victims CAN be centered within the true crime genre.

I think, as well, I would have liked some more reflexivity. McNamara was so caught up in this "mystery", and at times she talked a little about the desire to know, the urge to solve a puzzle. I also appreciated that she thought a little about her own experiences, and their relevance. However I never really understood why this "story" in particular, or why to such an intensity.

On that note, it's hard not to read IBGITD and wonder a little about McNamara's life, and the others in her life. I wonder what her daughter's autobiography might read like: whether she feels she even got to share her mother with this obsession. It IS an obsession, that clearly infiltrated every part of her life. Of course, I'm an outsider, but it does seem that it wasn't to a healthy degree. I'm struck by the knowledge that McNamara is believed to have died from an accidental overdose from various drugs. I wonder how much of her obsessive drive to solve a mystery she initially had no stake in lead to that. It's easy, in reading IBGITD, to wonder whether there is any harm in 'civilians' becoming involved in investigations, if they have the skills and can genuinely provide a benefit. Thinking about McNamara's lack of boundaries is just one example of the harms this can bring (note, just one!).

I will allow that we don't know whether this was the book McNamara wanted to write. We can hope, and trust, that it was. But we don't know. And that makes it difficult to critique. However, I came to this hoping for something that might humanize the true crime genre a little more: that might provide me with some of the understanding I seek in myself, as well as more broadly. I came away largely empty-handed.

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laestaci's review

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dark informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

3.0

Solid storytelling and tons of detail, very relatable style that got me intrigued into the case. But true crime is not my jam.

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booksandmarvel's review against another edition

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dark informative slow-paced

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probablytoolate's review

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dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

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bethboo's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

2.0

This is the story of a true crime junkie becoming obsessed with a serial rapist and murderer. To the point that she worked with detective from the cases, knew all the sordid details, and made several attempts at naming a suspect. She died before she could finish her book or catch the guy, so the author put together her story.

This book kind of solidifies my opinion about weird true crime junkies. Look man, I get it. It's morbidly interesting and makes you feel a little adrenaline. It's all so mysterious and violent that it feels separate from real life. I've been there, I've listened to true crime podcasts and watched the youtube videos. But at some point you have to realize that this is weird and those events truly happened to someone and that you, a random person, is not the "key to the case". You're just consuming trauma-porn of the worst day of someone's life. Like if you can't be self aware, then wtf. This lady let it take over her entire life.

I thought the book was well written and I thought the case was well laid out, thought I wish we hadn't focused on the lady obsessed with this guy rather than the victims. I feel like we really skipped over a lot of women, like they were just pins on a map. I'd never heard of this guy before and I hate to think that all those women had to live through such a horrid experience. Their safety had to be shattered so thoroughly. And I can't imagine you being married to one of those women and having to see someone you love so much be hurt like that. It's horrible.

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