I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara Published by HarperCollins on February 27, 2018
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Law Enforcement, Murder, Personal Memoirs, Serial Killers, True Crime
Pages: 352
Format: Audiobook
For over a decade, a sadistic predator terrorized California, commititing 50 sexual assaults before moving on to murder. The territory of his crimes spanned the state, involving numerous police jurisdictions. His crimes took place over thirty years ago, long before computer technology allowed police to track his crimes and evidence using a central source.
Michelle McNamara, a crime journalist and creator of the website TrueCrimeDiary.com, became obsessed with the case and the still unidentified perpetrator. So invested in the case, McNamara was the one who dubbed the nickname "Golden State Killer." She thoroughly reviewed police reports and interviewed victims, investing all of her free time in studying this case. Her sudden death put a halt on her investigation, but her perseverance catapulted this story back into the focus of the police, ultimately leading to the capture of the Golden State Killer.
I studied psychology and criminal justice in college. My personal obsession was the mind of serial killer: the motives, the root cause, the rationale, behind our nation’s most terrifying killers. I interviewed individuals who, if they hadn’t been caught, may have embarked on a serial killing rampage.
I don’t typically read true crime. After reading so much that was written by very very very amateur sleuths that took create liberties with the conclusions and evidence they presented, I permanently banned true crime from my reading. So, when I first learned of the release of this title, I was not interested. At all. Until the rush of new information in the news announced the apprehension of the Golden State Killer, and how McNamara’s passion may have led authorities to his arrest.
This was, by far, one of the most well researched books I have ever read. McNamara’s passion for this case, and her desire for the perpetrator to get the punishment he deserved, was very apparent. What makes her writing different is that she shared her emotion, the emotion of the victims, the human aspect of the cases, that is often overlooked in true crime novels. The emotional journey she takes the reader on is quite painful and difficult to take at times, but completely necessary to understand the true grasp of this man’s evil.
This is certainly a classic of true crime, one that will be talked about for some time. A must read for readers of all types! Highly, highly recommended.
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