MARCH 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Gabra Zackman delivers this terrifying account of a little-known serial rapist and murderer in the mid-1970s and ‘80s, dubbed the "Golden State Killer." Her calm, objective voice makes the minute details of GSK’s 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders in California chilling. Michelle McNamara, the True Crime journalist and creator of TrueCrimeDiary.com who died suddenly while writing this book, became obsessed with finding the killer of these unsolved cold cases. She investigated every clue in order to unmask the killer who always wore a mask while attacking victims as they slept in their own homes. McNamara’s research makes for intriguing listening, thanks to Zackman's restrained, intelligent presentation of the grim details. S.J.H. 2018 Best Audiobook, 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Marilyn Stasio
…the definitive crime study of one of the most elusive offenders to come out of California—or anywhere, really.
Publishers Weekly
★ 01/29/2018
This posthumous debut recounts the chilling crimes of a serial murderer in California in the 1970s and ’80s, alongside the indefatigable investigation of crime writer McNamara to uncover the identity of the killer decades later. When McNamara first started writing about the case on her website TrueCrimeDiary in 2011, DNA testing had already linked 10 murders and 50 sexual assaults to one unknown man. The culprit, whom McNamara later gave the moniker “The Golden State Killer,” was a serial rapist in San Francisco’s East Bay in the mid-1970s, attacking women and girls in their homes. But in 1979, a close encounter with law enforcement led to a change in his M.O., and from that point on no one survived his attacks. McNamara fills in each crime with haunting details (“The suspect began clicking scissors next to blindfolded victims’ ears”) and tells the story of her own investigation, going as far as to track down and purchase from a vintage store a pair of cuff links that she believed the Golden State Killer stole from a victim. By the time of her sudden death in 2016, McNamara had inspired an online community of sleuths who continue to research the crimes. With its exemplary mix of memoir and reportage, this remarkable book is a modern true crime classic. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Both a vivid and meticulous investigation of a twisted predator who terrorized quiet, upper middle-class communities in California for nearly a decade, and a wrenching personal account from a writer who became consumed by her subject.” — Alexandra Alter, New York Times
“Unputdownable.... Powerful.” — Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air
“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.” — Michael Connelly
“A singular, fascinating read. It’s lifelike in its incompletion... a posthumous treasure that feels thrillingly alive. A-” — Entertainment Weekly
“What makes McNamara’s work so compelling is her empathy and sensitivity toward the people touched by these crimes.... I wish I could read the next 10 books she would have written.” — Kate Tuttle, Los Angeles Times
“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.” — Stephen King
“Both a vivid and meticulous investigation of a twisted predator who terrorized quiet, upper middle-class communities in California for nearly a decade, and a wrenching personal account from a writer who became consumed by her subject.” — New York Times
“Remarkable… The detective’s nose for the crucial clue transmutes so easily into a novelist’s eye for the concrete detail that conjures a memory or emotion. She applies the same gift to a handful of portraits of people affected by the killer’s crimes.... These read like fragments from Raymond Carver stories, tales of ordinary lives fractured by incomprehensible violence. Had she lived, McNamara might have helped identify the man who committed that violence, but before she died, she did something nearly as miraculous: making them all live again in some small way.” — Laura Miller, Slate
“This book just knocked me over.” — Megan Abbott
“Utterly gripping.” — People
“A powerful portrait of the scale of the Golden State Killer’s crimes, of the mechanics of criminal investigations, of the strange particular dread and paranoia in the California in the 1970s, and of McNamara’s own obsession with violent men, and this one violent man.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Breathtaking, ambitious, and exquisitely written.” — New York
“Michelle McNamara was an obsessive. She was also a damn good writer. That combustive mix has produced I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, a dark page-turner.... Scintillating.” — USA Today
“That the book feels triumphant even after tragedy upon tragedy is a testament to McNamara’s skill as a reporter.” — Esquire, “The 25 Best True Crime Books Every Person Should Read”
“Narrative true crime journalism at its very finest, a complex, multilayered, chilling portrait of a faceless monster, and a remarkable tribute to the woman who, up until her last day, believed she would one day have him in her crosshairs.” — Village Voice
“Any true crime project is basically a reckoning with death, but in this case, it’s a reckoning that is no longer theoretical. McNamara is gone. And what’s especially sad about her absence is just how good she was.” — The Portland Mercury
“Remarkable.... A modern true crime classic.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Chilling.... Hard to put down.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“The work has many notable qualities — in particular, a penetrating and elegiac voice.” — Seattle Times
“Impressive.” — Booklist, starred review
Megan Abbott
This book just knocked me over.
New York Times
Both a vivid and meticulous investigation of a twisted predator who terrorized quiet, upper middle-class communities in California for nearly a decade, and a wrenching personal account from a writer who became consumed by her subject.
Stephen King
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.”
Laura Miller
Remarkable… The detective’s nose for the crucial clue transmutes so easily into a novelist’s eye for the concrete detail that conjures a memory or emotion. She applies the same gift to a handful of portraits of people affected by the killer’s crimes.... These read like fragments from Raymond Carver stories, tales of ordinary lives fractured by incomprehensible violence. Had she lived, McNamara might have helped identify the man who committed that violence, but before she died, she did something nearly as miraculous: making them all live again in some small way.
Kate Tuttle
What makes McNamara’s work so compelling is her empathy and sensitivity toward the people touched by these crimes.... I wish I could read the next 10 books she would have written.
Alexandra Alter
Both a vivid and meticulous investigation of a twisted predator who terrorized quiet, upper middle-class communities in California for nearly a decade, and a wrenching personal account from a writer who became consumed by her subject.
People
Utterly gripping.
Michael Connelly
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.
Entertainment Weekly
A singular, fascinating read. It’s lifelike in its incompletion... a posthumous treasure that feels thrillingly alive. A-
Maureen Corrigan
Unputdownable.... Powerful.
starred review Booklist
Impressive.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Chilling.... Hard to put down.
Village Voice
Narrative true crime journalism at its very finest, a complex, multilayered, chilling portrait of a faceless monster, and a remarkable tribute to the woman who, up until her last day, believed she would one day have him in her crosshairs.”
New York
Breathtaking, ambitious, and exquisitely written.
Seattle Times
The work has many notable qualities — in particular, a penetrating and elegiac voice.
San Francisco Chronicle
A powerful portrait of the scale of the Golden State Killer’s crimes, of the mechanics of criminal investigations, of the strange particular dread and paranoia in the California in the 1970s, and of McNamara’s own obsession with violent men, and this one violent man.
The Portland Mercury
Any true crime project is basically a reckoning with death, but in this case, it’s a reckoning that is no longer theoretical. McNamara is gone. And what’s especially sad about her absence is just how good she was.
USA Today
Michelle McNamara was an obsessive. She was also a damn good writer. That combustive mix has produced I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, a dark page-turner.... Scintillating.
“The 25 Best True Crime Books Every Person S Esquire
That the book feels triumphant even after tragedy upon tragedy is a testament to McNamara’s skill as a reporter.
USA Today
Michelle McNamara was an obsessive. She was also a damn good writer. That combustive mix has produced I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, a dark page-turner.... Scintillating.
San Francisco Chronicle
A powerful portrait of the scale of the Golden State Killer’s crimes, of the mechanics of criminal investigations, of the strange particular dread and paranoia in the California in the 1970s, and of McNamara’s own obsession with violent men, and this one violent man.
New York Times
Both a vivid and meticulous investigation of a twisted predator who terrorized quiet, upper middle-class communities in California for nearly a decade, and a wrenching personal account from a writer who became consumed by her subject.
USA Today
Michelle McNamara was an obsessive. She was also a damn good writer. That combustive mix has produced I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, a dark page-turner.... Scintillating.
People
Utterly gripping.
Village Voice
Narrative true crime journalism at its very finest, a complex, multilayered, chilling portrait of a faceless monster, and a remarkable tribute to the woman who, up until her last day, believed she would one day have him in her crosshairs.”
Seattle Times
The work has many notable qualities — in particular, a penetrating and elegiac voice.
“The 25 Best True Crime Books Every Person S Esquire
That the book feels triumphant even after tragedy upon tragedy is a testament to McNamara’s skill as a reporter.
Entertainment Weekly
A singular, fascinating read. It’s lifelike in its incompletion... a posthumous treasure that feels thrillingly alive. A-
New York
Breathtaking, ambitious, and exquisitely written.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Chilling.... Hard to put down.
The Portland Mercury
Any true crime project is basically a reckoning with death, but in this case, it’s a reckoning that is no longer theoretical. McNamara is gone. And what’s especially sad about her absence is just how good she was.
starred review Booklist
Impressive.
The Portland-Mercury
Any true crime project is basically a reckoning with death, but in this case, it’s a reckoning that is no longer theoretical. McNamara is gone. And what’s especially sad about her absence is just how good she was.
Booklist (starred review)
Impressive.
MARCH 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Gabra Zackman delivers this terrifying account of a little-known serial rapist and murderer in the mid-1970s and ‘80s, dubbed the "Golden State Killer." Her calm, objective voice makes the minute details of GSK’s 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders in California chilling. Michelle McNamara, the True Crime journalist and creator of TrueCrimeDiary.com who died suddenly while writing this book, became obsessed with finding the killer of these unsolved cold cases. She investigated every clue in order to unmask the killer who always wore a mask while attacking victims as they slept in their own homes. McNamara’s research makes for intriguing listening, thanks to Zackman's restrained, intelligent presentation of the grim details. S.J.H. 2018 Best Audiobook, 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-05-01
The Golden State Killer is once again in the headlines after finally being caught. This book about the search for him is sure to catch—and keep—readers' attention.McNamara, a TV screenwriter and true-crime blog and magazine writer, was particularly captivated by the man she dubbed the Golden State Killer. A prolific criminal who left dozens of cold cases (including at least 12 murders and 50 rapes) in his wake, the GSK had been glimpsed but never seen, and the author was sure he would be caught despite evading police for over 30 years. She hunted him mostly through online research, and she became friends with other cold-case enthusiasts, detectives, and others who still pursued justice, giving her unparalleled access to information about the GSK and his crimes. In this explosive book, McNamara combines her prodigious research with her impressive storytelling skills and ability to seamlessly weave the narratives of all those lives into one terrifying story. Sadly, the author died in 2016 before finishing the book (her husband, Patton Oswalt, provides the afterword), and the manuscript was completed by investigative journalist Billy Jensen and her lead researcher, Paul Haynes. The last section of the book is written in exactly the style one would expect from an investigative journalist: no nonsense and loaded with facts and relevant observations. For armchair true-crime enthusiasts, this cold case, packed with countless cases and near misses, would have been captivating based on nothing but the dry facts. However, in McNamara's skilled hands, this enthralling book becomes so much more: a detective story with an unlikely narrator, a study in changing forensic techniques, a multidecade saga that never loses urgency, and a potent analysis of human behavior in victims, witnesses, investigators, and onlookers.An exemplary true-crime book, and with an HBO adaptation in the works, this book will be enjoyed by any reader with an interest in human nature, crime, puzzles, and investigative dramas.
