Billy Jensen

Journalist Jensen spent 15 years investigating unsolved murders, fighting for the families of victims. Every story he wrote had one thing in common--they didn't have an ending. The killer was still out there. But after the sudden death of a friend, he came up with a plan to investigate past the point when the cops had given up and to solve the murders himself.self.

How One True Crime Writer Started Solving Murders

Chase Darkness with Me

Derek Barlas

A fellow sleuth of Michelle McNamara. He details how he uses various on-line methods to track down criminals and re-open cold cases.

Denaiir

Investigative journalist Billy Jensen really pulled me into his work, his passion and his desire to make killers pay for their crimes. His dedication to help the families find closure was inspiring and his methods were quite interesting to get deeper into. 

I really loved the parts discussing his dad's "bedtime stories" reading horrible news to him or talking about unsolved cases, I loved their relationship and how it shaped him as a person.

It was also quite interesting to have an account of his work and friendship with Michelle McNamara,who is quite famous to true crime aficionados. Billy Jensen helped finished I’ll Be Gone in the Dark after Michelle passed away and even though I remembered other people helped wrap this up, I didn't really pay attention. Now Billy Jensen is a name I won't forget.

Billy Jensen is an advocate for the use of DNA databases, along with McNamara, and also extensively uses social media to appeal to the public and get information on violent crimes. I found this section of the book quite enlightening. 

If you’ve ever wanted to become a citizen detective, the author has a section at the end of the book with instructions, tips and warnings. I personally wasn't interested in that section at all and I think it could totally be skipped.

This was a compelling true crime book but can be frustrating since the author doesn't focus on the cases he solved, but also tries to convey how discouraging it is to never be able to find closure. It might be less appealing to some readers, but I thought that it was way more realistic.

Lara Engle

As a listener of Billy Jensen's podcast with Paul Holes, The Murder Squad, I couldn't help but hear this whole book in Billy's voice, even though I read it in paper form. I learned a great deal more about the cases Billy has worked on. The details of how Billy has used social media campaigns to help identify and track people down are interesting and accessible to the average citizen detective. While I don't intend to try to track down any murderers any time soon, knowing how regular people can help gives me hope that fewer murderers will go free.

Ashley Hernandez

Beautifully written, captivating, solidifies my love of him and his work.

Journalist Billy Jensen has built his career on solving cold case murders, often using information found on social media and in other places the police don't think to look. When detectives have no answers, they call Billy, the world's first digital "consulting detective."Step inside the world of true crime as Billy solves the Halloween Mask Murder, finds a murder/fugitive hiding out in Mexico, and investigates the only other murder in New York City on 9/11. Readers will also follow Billy closely as he helps finish Michelle McNamara's #1 New York Times bestseller I'll Be Gone In the Dark, after her sudden death. Full of twists, turns, and rabbit holes, Chase Darkness with Me allows readers to ride shotgun with Billy as he uses groundbreaking techniques to identify the criminals behind seemingly unsolvable murders.

Tracking Serial Killers, Catching Criminals, and Getting Justice-How One True-Crime Writer Became the World's First Digital Consulting Detective

Jimena Vázquez Oliver

Hello I am DEEPLY in love with Billy Jensen. 😍😍😍

This book is EVERYTHING to a true crime fan. The way Billy writes really resonates with me. Enjoyed every single word.

Christina M Masters

I got this book digitally from the library, so I had to move it ahead of most of the other books I was reading to make sure I finished in time, but that was sooo not a problem. I picked this up and within the first day, I was over halfway through. Being a true-crime buff this book was always going to grab me, but I just loved reading about Billy Jensen's stories and how he started believing he could help solve the unsolved and then how he actually started doing it. Not sure where this man gets the time to do all he does, but bless him for it. Even if he doesn't end up helping solve a lot of cases the few that he has managed to help with I am sure makes a world of difference to the families and friends of those who have lost someone. I also loved how he included Michelle McNamara's quest for the Golden State Killer in his book and the labor of love it was for him and Patton Oswalt to finish her story after her untimely death.

Zoe Smolen

Oh Billy, this book is just wonderful. As an MFM fan, who has read "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" and listens to the Murder Squad this book was a great insight into how Billy Jensen got to where he is today. The stories are captivating, and the balance of drawn out stories and shorter pieces blend nicely. It was a great book to read, and I look forward to seeing how many more crimes Jensen and Holes will be able to help solve. 

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Devin Mainville

Billy Jensen has made a name for himself as a citizen detective with a proven track record. In hie memoir he tracks the path that led him to that calling and outlines the way all citizens can step up and help solve some of the hundreds of thousands of unsolved murders in America.

Like many, I was first introduced to Billy through his connection to Michelle McNamara and the hunt for the Golden State Killer. Thanks to his close relationship to Michelle and the case (he helped finish her book after her sudden death), this book is the perfect companion piece to I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. Billy provides a behind the scenes look at that experience as well as his exact thoughts when he found out GSK was caught.

But all the cases Billy describes in this book are interesting, not just the ones with headline recognition. It was fascinating to read about the ways in which Billy has utilized social media to track down murderers and missing persons and inspiring that, if one has endless dedication, they too can solve a murder.

How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders

Kelsey McCallister

Billy Jensen is a captivating human with excellent story telling skills. In this book he is not only telling his story, but the stories he's covered and the steps those jouneys all went through. He gets emotionally invested in what he's saying and gives you the tools to do something actionable with those emotions. My true crime self loved this book and has reread it more than once.

Ashley Lock

Tobias V. Langhoff

Armin Sh

***With an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation between Billy Jensen and retired detective Paul Holes on the Golden State Killer, their favorite cold cases, and more*** Have you ever wanted to solve a murder? Gather the clues the police overlooked? Put together the pieces? Identify the suspect? Journalist Billy Jensen spent fifteen years investigating unsolved murders, fighting for the families of victims. Every story he wrote had one thing in common—they didn't have an ending. The killer was still out there. But after the sudden death of a friend, crime writer and author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara, Billy became fed up. Following a dark night, he came up with a plan. A plan to investigate past the point when the cops had given up. A plan to solve the murders himself. You'll ride shotgun as Billy identifies the Halloween Mask Murderer, finds a missing girl in the California Redwoods, and investigates the only other murder in New York City on 9/11. You'll hear intimate details of the hunts for two of the most terrifying serial killers in history: his friend Michelle McNamara's pursuit of the Golden State Killer and his own quest to find the murderer of the Allenstown Four. And Billy gives you the tools—and the rules—to help solve murders yourself. Gripping, complex, unforgettable, Chase Darkness with Me is an examination of the evil forces that walk among us, illustrating a novel way to catch those killers, and a true-crime narrative unlike any you've read before.

Chase Darkness with Me How One True Crime Writer Started Solving Murders

Reviews