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A review by maryleong
Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
3.0
(3.5/5) I've been chomping at the bit for this sequel! After the thoroughly compelling Chasing the Boogeyman, waiting for this novel to come in from the library was downright excruciating.
Richard Chizmar returns as both author and protagonist in this propulsive thriller. After his bestselling debut, the Chizmar family has been plagued by unwanted attention. There's the unhinged stalkers, true-crime fanatics, and online conspiracy theorists. On the other hand, there are long-time Edgewood residents who accuse him of being a sellout, capitalizing on the murders and reinforcing their town's bad reputation.
However, things take a sinister turn when human remains are found dumped on Rich's property precisely 34 years after the Boogeyman's first murder. The Boogeyman has unfinished business – and he's just getting started. Just like in 1988, the town is whipped into a frenzy – but in the era of social media, viral videos, and true crime celebrities, rumours are rampant and Rich quickly becomes an online target.
Tinged with nostalgia for small-town Americana, this was a love letter to home in all its forms, with a nod to the ugliness that lurks behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the characterization of Joshua Gallagher as a brilliant schemer in the sequel didn't work for me – what made him such a compelling and terrifying villain was his utter mundanity, the Everyman, the normal father and husband. Turning him into the "genius serial killer" trope made this novel less engaging and interesting for me.
We are left on a cliffhanger – I'm certainly looking forward to reading the next instalment in the series and seeing where the story takes us next.
Richard Chizmar returns as both author and protagonist in this propulsive thriller. After his bestselling debut, the Chizmar family has been plagued by unwanted attention. There's the unhinged stalkers, true-crime fanatics, and online conspiracy theorists. On the other hand, there are long-time Edgewood residents who accuse him of being a sellout, capitalizing on the murders and reinforcing their town's bad reputation.
However, things take a sinister turn when human remains are found dumped on Rich's property precisely 34 years after the Boogeyman's first murder. The Boogeyman has unfinished business – and he's just getting started. Just like in 1988, the town is whipped into a frenzy – but in the era of social media, viral videos, and true crime celebrities, rumours are rampant and Rich quickly becomes an online target.
Tinged with nostalgia for small-town Americana, this was a love letter to home in all its forms, with a nod to the ugliness that lurks behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the characterization of Joshua Gallagher as a brilliant schemer in the sequel didn't work for me – what made him such a compelling and terrifying villain was his utter mundanity, the Everyman, the normal father and husband. Turning him into the "genius serial killer" trope made this novel less engaging and interesting for me.
We are left on a cliffhanger – I'm certainly looking forward to reading the next instalment in the series and seeing where the story takes us next.