THE BASIS FOR THE MAJOR 6-PART HBO® DOCUMENTARY SERIES
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:
Washington Post | Maureen Corrigan, NPR | Paste | Seattle Times | Entertainment Weekly | Esquire | Slate | Buzzfeed | Jezebel | Philadelphia Inquirer | Publishers Weekly | Kirkus Reviews | Library Journal | Bustle
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for Nonfiction | Anthony Award … | Jezebel | Philadelphia Inquirer | Publishers Weekly | Kirkus Reviews | Library Journal | Bustle
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for Nonfiction | Anthony Award Winner | SCIBA Book Award Winner | Finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime | Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence
The haunting true story of the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California during the 70s and 80s, and of the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case—which was solved in April 2018.
The haunting true story of the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California during the 70s and 80s, and of the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case—which was solved in April 2018.
Introduction by Gillian Flynn • Afterword by Patton Oswalt
“A brilliant genre-buster…. Propulsive, can’t-stop-now reading.” —Stephen King
For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.
Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Utterly original and compelling, it has been hailed as a modern true crime classic—one which fulfilled Michelle’s dream: helping unmask the Golden State Killer.
more
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark will undoubtedly be stocked in the True Crime section, which is fine, but in so many ways it’s a brilliant genre-buster. It’s propulsive, can’t-stop-now reading, which makes it all too easy to ignore the clean and focused writing. What readers need to know — what makes this book so special — is that it deals with two obsessions, one light and one dark. The Golden State Killer is the dark half; Michelle McNamara’s is the light half. It’s a journey into two minds, one sick and disordered, the other intelligent and determined. I loved this book.
This is a one sit-down read. That’s how riveting it is. Very few writers have the skill to bring a decades-old cold case to life; in these pages, Michelle McNamara has not only successfully resuscitated the fascinating case of the Golden State Killer, but done so with humanity, insight, and grace.
I tore through I’ll Be Gone in the Dark in two days. It was so deeply rewarding beyond any ‘solution’ because it’s ultimately not just about the Golden State Killer case — it’s a portrait of a woman’s rich and complicated mind and her immense heart. And it goes a long way to exploring what’s too often underexplored: the real connection so many of us — especially women – have with these crimes. This book just knocked me over.
A compelling, well-told true story that will stay with you.
After the King of horror’s glowing review, not sure anything more needs to be said here. But if you have any interest in true crime, this book is a must read. I’d say it’s the creepiest book I’ve read to date.
What really added to its complexity was the way that McNamara allowed the reader into her mind and her story. I found that learning about her journey with and feelings towards this case were as interesting as the actual crime elements.
This book is not an easy read because of the subject matter. And I wouldn’t recommend reading it in the way I did–at night when I was home alone–because there’s nothing more terrifying than reading about these crimes and knowing that this is all true. But the author did an amazing job conveying the story with detail, heart, and respect for the victims. It’s a tragedy that the author passed away but she left quite a legacy of a book behind.
Such an important book–one of the most brilliant true crime novels ever–and the story of the diligent and passionate author who died in her pursuit of the truth about the Golden State Killer. This is a page-turner in every way, from the extensive and shockingly revealing research to the devotion of a truly dedicated journalist. A absolute must-read.
What an incredible tribute to such an incredible woman. I am so, so glad this book was published and that the staggering research McNamara did into this case could be brought to light.
I loved this book. I love this story. I love the way Michelle McNamara never backed down from a challenge. This book is so much more than just true crime. It’s an in-depth look at how our minds work, the ways we obsess, the way we persist even in the face of adversity. I recommend this book to everyone and it’s one of the few NYT Bestsellers that I can truly say deserves all of the awards and accolades heaped on it.
So much to admire about this book. First, there’s the author’s impressive research: not just one or two, or even a handful of crimes, but over 50 cases. Secondly, there’s the tragic backstory, the author dying before the book was completed, the research team and editor finishing the book. It’s beautifully put together, so that it tells the complex story of these crimes and the attempts to figure out who was behind them–but then there are notes from the editor explaining what was done in a part that hadn’t been completed before the author’s passing, and it breaks the fourth wall in a way that’s so much like how we experience grief in real life. How, as we go about the business of our lives, grief from loss lurks right under the surface, breaking through in moments. The book makes you feel not only the terror of the crimes, but the tragedy of the author’s abrupt passing. It really is a remarkable book in that regard.
I loved the true crime of this book, but even more, I enjoyed Michelle’s personal stories about how she became interested in true crime and how it affected her life. I’m so glad they caught the Golden State Killer, and I have to believe some of her work led to his capture. The audio version was excellent.
One of my favorite nonfiction reads over the past year. Highly recommend!
This book is hands-down one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read. It’s the best of the best of the genre from a very skilled and talented writers. I was so sad to learn of her passing. What a great contribution she made with this book and with her incredible research.
Fantastic book about the Rapist who was caught after this book was written, very well documented, very well researched. I would highly recommend to all true crime genre readers.
This is my top read of 2018. Scary, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and beautiful. Loved it.
They did a fine job finishing Michelle’s book. She was a wonderful writer and I would have loved to have read more books by her. I just wish she had gotten to see they used her idea to catch him.
The book is highly detailed and well written and shows a deep dedication by the author of her subject matter. This book would make a GREAT MOVIE and closely resembles other classic true crime books like “Helter Skelter”.
Great for fans of true crime. Extremely well written. Michelle McNamara was a wonderful writer, very honest and self aware.
This book reads like the best crime drama you’ve ever read, and is all the more poignant because not only is it true, but McNamara’s hard work paid off on the end. Though she didn’t live to see this story through, the fact that the Golden State Killer was caught just months after this books release stands as Michelle’s enduring legacy.
The East Area Rapist (EAR), Original Night Stalker (ONS), maybe even the Visalia Ransacker… whatever you call The Golden State Killer, his horrific crimes span a decade and he has never been caught. Probably more interesting to me is how few people have heard of him given how prolific a predator he was. In a post-Zodiac, Investigation Discovery world, it took Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and probably, to some extent her own untimely death, to make The Golden State Killer a household name.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is a book elevated by celebrity. By Michelle’s marriage to comedian Patton Oswalt, who has done an incredible job paying homage to the countless hours she invested in aiding in the investigation of this cold case. What Michelle has done is beyond what any other civilian sleuth might have. She has traveled the routes the EAR took, ridden along with key investigators, personally interviewed family and friends of victims, profiled the killer from a variety of angles, tracked down potential evidence, and read through and analyzed tens of thousands of pages of documentation, but what Michelle does best, what shows like The Golden State Killer: It’s Not Over fails to do, is to humanize the victims. Her empathy is as clearly conveyed through her writing as her drive to help catch this man.
But… the book suffers a sort of bipolarity, and I have to wonder what stage the manuscript might have been at when Michelle passed. Even the finished product feels a bit like a rough draft. The difference between Michelle’s actual writing versus chapters recreated from her notes versus compiled data from other articles she had written is staggering. In the epilogue, those who worked closely with Michelle admit to being unable to mimic her style. As a writer, I understand that Michelle’s notes were likely prompts, and that the real story she meant to tell, unfortunately, died with her. I believe had she been able to finish I’ll Be Gone in the Dark it would have been an amazing read on par with David Cullen’s Columbine—a definitive and complete work that brings the dead to life in a way only a talented, compassionate writer can. Michelle had a knack for evoking empathy with an efficiency of description, which is the highlight of I’ll be Gone in the Dark. Much of the book besides feels like a regurgitation of facts from police files devoid of her magic.
I am rating the book five stars based on Michelle’s commitment to this case and to the parts of the book that are authentically hers. I have no doubt had she finished the manuscript, it would have been incredible. On a personal note, Patton Oswalt is the new standard for spouses. He deserves honorable mention for his relentless support of Michelle’s passion and for making I’ll be Gone in the Dark possible. His continued backing of the book is nothing short of inspiring, and I wish him, Alice, and their new family all the best. You have done a selfless and incredible thing, Patton. You have made Michelle’s dreams come true, and with the continued press there is renewed hope that the man she has persistently pursued may be identified, if not brought to justice, yet. I can’t think of a better tribute.