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

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

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

245 reviews

wandering_canuck's review

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Although this book pulled me in from page 1, it lost me about midway through. Though McNamara was obviously thorough in her research, I found my mind wandering throughout the second half. To be fair, this book was cobbled together by other writers after McNamara's early demise, so one can't judge it too harshly. I, of course, wanted the book to end with the capture of the Golden State Killer but, alas, McNamara didn't live long enough to witness his arrest and conviction. Though well written, the test of a great book for me is whether I would recommend it to others. Sadly, this one falls short of the mark.

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hayleyfitz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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dejasquietplace's review

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dark informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

I'll Be Gone in the Dark is a tense investigative recounting of the Golden State Killer's horrific crimes and the obsessive search for him by a few very dedicated people. It delves well into the circumstances of every rape and murder attributed to him, with a focus on the victims, never once straying into tactless humor about the situation, portraying it as it was-- almost beyond words. While a couple parts could meander a little, I enjoyed pretty much every minute of McNamara's writing. It's obvious how dedicated she was to the case.
What lingers large over the book that gives it an even sadder air is the knowledge that the GSK was found through ancestry DNA only a couple short years after the author's passing. And of course, the answer is the most boring, obvious, and gut-wrenching one: he was a cop. I had a distinct melancholy while listening to the audiobook, knowing she would never get to see him served justice, although the victims' remaining families do, thankfully. This is a great read that I would recommend to anyone interested in a thorough history of a true monster in the dark, written maturely and unflinchingly.

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erickaonpaper's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

4.25

ugh... weird rating this so highly, but how can i not? when michelle mcnamara dedicates so much of her time and life humanizing the GSK's victims and compiling information and stories into one deeply satiating book... michelle mcnamara could've written about how grass grows and i would've been so deeply invested. the kind of detail in this book is the kind of detail-oriented i claim to be on my resume. just outstanding work, really.

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