THE BASIS FOR THE MAJOR 6-PART HBO® DOCUMENTARY SERIES
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:
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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.
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Superb writing that portrays the facts around the search for the Golden State Killer in a way that is not dry. The descriptions of the people and the events bring the story to life as you read it.
Easily the best and most heartfelt “true crime” book I’ve EVER read. you realize that crimes aren;t just about the people who commit them. They touch relatives, the families of the police, and even everyday people that try to piece the evidence together on their own seeking justice. The author made this story so much about the victims and how the world loses wonderful people for no good reason. She worked to make sure the victims would take president over the evil bastard that committed the crimes.
Loved this book!
Something different for me. I listened to the audiobook of this over the past week while dog walking and driving down to D.C. to see one of my sons. There is a lot going on here – the hunt for the Golden State Killer, clearly, but also emotional toll of the long-running investigation, the developments in forensic science, the impact of the internet, the concept of citizen detectives, not to mention the horrible crimes themselves. Definitely essential reading for any true crime fan. I felt very drawn to Michelle McNamara and sad that she did not live to see this man caught and jailed.
This story is captivating in its own but then add the tragic death of the author as she was writing the book makes it even better. McNamara was soooo close to finding this guy on her own and her collaborative efforts with law enforcement really made it happen.
Frightening story. Reminds you to make sure your doors and windows are locked at night!
Interesting to see all the police have to go through to finally find this guy. Michelle is kind & relentless
Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating read and well worth the accolades. It’s such a shame the author wasn’t around to see the culprit finally get caught.
Brilliant, profound and meticulous writing and research done by Michelle.
I could not put this book down. I stayed up until 4:30 am to finish it! Her style of writing pulls you in with stories of the crimes and a mix of historical facts about the geographical areas and the people. Just excellent. So sad she will not be writing another book.
This book was released after the author’s death. Her work on the Golden State Killer case led to his capture via an ancestry DNA database.
Heavily researched and carefully written. So sorry the author did not live to see the arrest and conviction of the ex-cop who terrorized so many people.
Overwritten, overhyped with a breathless TV true-crime series that’s inexplicably adoring of the widower, a minor stand-up comedian. The late author did a great amount of terrific, obsessive research and sensitive interviewing of women with these horrible, shocking stories, but she died of a drug overdose before the killer/rapist was found. And that was primarily due to the brilliant work of a forensic genealogist and the persistence of a cop. The unfinished book was completed — patched together — by outside writers and very skillfully packaged by an editor and publisher.
Excellent writing
The story is terrifying, but Michelle McNamara tells it in such a fascinating way. I couldn’t put this book down.
This book was brilliantly written. It was hard to put it down once I started. You can feel the passion of the writer in the pages as she tells the story.
Gripping!
Exciting and informative read.
Michelle McNamara was drawn to true crime from the time she was a teenager. The Golden State Killer consumed her life for many years before she suddenly died. This book is a compilation of the chapters she had written and work written from her notes after her death. Although she did not love to see the The Golden State Killer, her work did bring the case to the forefront of unsolved cases. A great book for true crime fans!
Truly scary true crime.