Michelle McNamara

One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

** SOON TO BE A MAJOR NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES FROM HBO AND SKY ** WINNER OF THE GOOD READS BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES #1 BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2018 The masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer - the serial rapist turned murderer who terrorised California for over a decade - from the late Michelle McNamara. I'll Be Gone in the Dark offers a unique snapshot of suburban West Coast America in the 1980s, and a chilling account of the wreckage left behind by a criminal mastermind. It is also a portrait of one woman's obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth, three decades later, in spite of the personal cost. Updated with material which takes in the extraordinary events that followed its initial publication, Michelle McNamara's first and last book is a contemporary classic - humane, haunting and heroic.

The #1 New York Times Bestseller

Maria

Ultimately, "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" is an apotheosis of the genre in which true crime becomes something infinitely larger than the sum of its conventional parts. It testifies to the strength of storytelling, keeps a reckoning eye on justice, and pays a humanly sensitive tribute to those whose lives have been irrevocably changed by violence. McNamara's voice remains loud at the end of the last page, asking questions about what might be done-what should be done-in response to crime and the abiding hankering for truth and justice.

Doyenne

Carmen Malca

Teresa Bonifácio

It’s an amazing book and I just wish that Michelle wherever she is knows that he was caught and that she helped.

Melissa Palmer

Book #7 Read in 2019
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

This is a true crime book and a genre I don't usually read, but I really found this to be an interesting. McNamara relentlessly investigated a cold case of the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer and kept a constant spotlight on the case. Sadly, she died before an arrest was made. I borrowed this book from the public library.

Denaiir

This was a riveting true crime book. I can't compare it to others because it was my first, but I was really invested in it and found the case fascinating.

This was a page-turner and I loved the first part, unfortunately the cases bled together at some point and I soon found myself a bit less interested and confused. The second part dragged on a little bit, and I did not understand why some personal anecdotes were included (some clearly had a link with Michelle's obsession with true crime, but some others did not). 

I think Michelle's work was instrumental in catching the Golden State Killer and it struck me how she predicted the method with which he would be caught! Truly impressive work, it's a shame that she didn't get to see it published and to see the killer apprehended. 

I highly recommend it to fans of true crime or thrillers.

Brandy

This is the most empathetic true crime book I've read, which I think is why it managed to sustain my interest. Brilliantly written, details of horrifying crimes are laid bare without hint of being exploitative. Michelle's self insertion, the story of her investigating & the toll it took on her kept me close. Would highly recommend.

Krystyna 

This book was seriously the best true crime book that I have read. It was so well-written and extremely researched. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are even remotely interested in true crime, I highly recommend you try this one. This is probably one of the most surreal reading experiences that I have had. It is a story that will stick with me forever. Reading this book will really make you stop and think and may even result in a few nights where you toss and turn and can’t really sleep. This was a very memorable book. The only “bad” thing was that she passed about two years prior to catching this killer, and she worked so hard to catch him. Her hard work, dedication, and obsession to catch him did not go in vain. She did a great job!

Wynter

I dropped this book months ago, but it's probably a good idea to take it off my tbr as well and mark it abandoned. The book was never finished by the author due to her untimely death, and unfortunately it shows. While there are many instances of great writing, her manuscript was in need of much organizing and editing before being published. There is very little purpose here, except endless retellings of horrific incidents of rape and murder perpetrated by one prolific serial killer. That is something I can read up on a Wikipedia page and it would take me less time. The woman was obsessed, I get it, but I don't recall feeling the author's presence or her involvement in this case on the book's pages. There is no interesting weaving of narratives, no structure, no logic - just monotone slideshow of pain and tragedy stripped of emotion. Michelle wasn't even that influential to the development of the case, and sadly I can only come to the conclusion that the book's sales and hype , as well as the author's importance, were boosted by the killer's final capture shortly after Michelle's own tragic death.

I listened to this as an audiobook. Which I think for specifically this book it made it a bit harder to stay fully engaged. That being said, I did find the overall book intriguing in the sense the main author took an interest in this specific and horrific case. It’s not one I was familiarized with prior to this book.

Jazz

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 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.

Marloes

I don't think true-crime in book form is the way to go for me. I'll just stick to watching true-crime shows/documentaries.

Izza

2.5 stars | While I respect that Michelle McNamara pretty much dedicated her life to finding the truth and I am sad that she passed away before she could finish her book and get closure on the case, I wasn't captivated by the narrating style. Had I not listened to this on audio, I never would have finished it.

Kayla

This book captivated me from start to finish. I am a genealogy amateur and the DNA and profiling speak in the novel greatly interested me and I feel like it was explained very well and laid out in a way that was very easy to understand. It is so tragic that Michelle (the author) was not able to see the novel and the case through to the end, but I am so glad that the book was finished in her honor. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in true crime. The way it is written is so unique for it being completely non-fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Anna Cashman

not a nonfiction type of person and not good at keeping track of dates and people,but given that, i was quite impressed with how this kept my attention. the parts that were written by Michelle herself had great storytelling, so i think if she had been able to write the whole thing i would’ve enjoyed it even more. listened to it on audiobook which helped too, i think

Charlee Boone

Very detailed. Not too graphic, very respectful of the victims. Ending felt rushed, but that is likely do to the change in writer.

Ley Stanton

I listened to the audiobook edition which was brilliantly done, I teared up when listening to Patton Oswald talk about his wife and how sad he was that she was not there to see the Golden State Killer after all the years she had spent hunting him down. While the case of the Golden State Killer might not be the most interesting for all true crime enthusiasts, I do think the audiobook of this is worth listening to. The desperate search for him comes through so clearly in the narration of this book. The introduction read by Gillian Flynn and the afterward read by Patton Oswald were amazing, they were each so personal and provided insight into the kind of person Michelle was. 

Listening to this kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so sickeningly detailed. At times, it felt like we were sorting through the facts and leads with Michelle McNamara. Each new lead was an excitement that was quickly proved false or a dead end. Each thread to the Golden State Killer lost broke your heart, for the victims and for Michelle. She was so invested in finding him. She knew that her searching would eventually find him, if only she could dig deep enough in the files and evidence that was already there.

I was quite disappointed that some law enforcement involved in the capture of the Golden State Killer tried to diminish the impact of Michelle's research or the fact that her book did lead, in some part, to his capture. While the evidence and leads she dug up did not directly lead to his capture, she did shed new light on the cases and brought people's attention back to the Golden State Killer. I do believe that without her research or her book, this case might have remained a cold case. He was caught because a new task force was formed and they used her name for him when he was eventually captured.

This book illustrates what it is like for cold case hunters and armchair detectives everywhere. While Michelle was certainly more invested than others, this is what it looks like. A particular cases can completely consume your mind and you spend hours, or years in Michelle's case, trying to figure out what really happened with what limited evidence exists on the internet. This fervor is what creates true crime enthusiasts.

Celeste Richardson

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I’ve heard amazing things about I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer. One of my resolutions for 2020 is to read more nonfiction that I find interesting, and true crime is a topic that is endlessly fascinating to me. I expected to be caught up in the chase for an elusive killer. What I didn’t expect was breathtaking, engaging prose dripping with compassion and empathy for the victims. Beautifully written and deeply insightful, this book was an experience unlike any other I’ve yet found in the genre. 
“I love reading true crime, but I’ve always been aware of the fact that, as a reader, I am actively choosing to be a consumer of someone else’s tragedy. So like any responsible consumer, I try to be careful in the choices I make. I read only the best: writers who are dogged, insightful, and humane.” 
- from the introduction, written by Gillian Flynn
I’m blown away by the level of research McNamara put into this book, and the fact that she didn’t give the killer center stage, because he didn’t deserve the attention. Instead, she focused on the victims, on the ties that bound them together, on their lives and how those lives were forever changed by said criminal. Something I found interesting is how seamlessly McNamara wove her own memoir into a work of true crime without the book ever truly becoming about her. We see how consumed with the hunt she becomes as she mixes the crime narrative with what her days look like, how the case began to interrupt her sleep and her life with her husband, who she always painted as immensely understanding. We follow along as McNamara hunts down the tiniest wisps of clues, spending countless hours mining every bit of information she can find for the slightest details that might have been overlooked.
“He loses his power when we know his face.”
The fact that McNamara didn’t live to finish her book or to see the killer she had hunted for so many years be brought to justice is heartbreaking. You can tell distinctly what sections she wrote herself and what was compiled after her death by others. The woman could write, and that shone through the sections she penned. The final sections were missing that style for obvious reasons. However, the afterword included by her husband, Patton Oswalt, was poignant and incredibly moving. I can’t imagine how hard her loss must have been, and how raw that loss must have still been when this book was published. I love that a further note on the killer’s capture was included at the very end showing that, while McNamara didn’t live to see it, his being brought to justice will forever be linked to this book in the minds of her readers.
“One day soon, you’ll hear a car pull up to your curb, an engine cut out. You’ll hear footsteps coming up your front walk. Like they did for Edward Wayne Edwards, twenty-nine years after he killed Timothy Hack and Kelly Drew, in Sullivan, Wisconsin. Like they did for Kenneth Lee Hicks, thirty years after he killed Lori Billingsley, in Aloha, Oregon.

The doorbell rings.

No side gates are left open. You’re long past leaping over a fence. Take one of your hyper, gulping breaths. Clench your teeth. Inch timidly toward the insistent bell.

This is how it ends for you.

“You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark,” you threatened a victim once.

Open the door. Show us your face.

Walk into the light.”

You can find  this review and more at Novel Notions.

Alex Q

Listening to this audiobook just as a suspect for the GSK was taken into custody has been truly eerie. And yes, I did have nightmares.

Hannah Pratt

The only thing wrong with this book is the author tragically passed away before the Golden State Killer was finally caught. This will forever be one of my top favorite True Crime books and one of my favorites in general. The author has an incredibly strong voice, you feel like her friend listening to her talk about this case she's been looking into. She has so much passion it's contagious! I highly recommend this book!

Mary Rose Luksha

Rarely have I read true crime that is so nuanced and self-aware. The sheer number of people involved in the case could have made it hard to keep track of all the victims and investigators involved, but McNamara has a fantastic way of taking someone’s measure in a short sentence or two, making them individual and memorable. Her writing is honest and brutal, without revelling in the brutality. Her sense of justice and compassion shines through on the page. 

 And she speaks openly about her own obsession to unmask this monster, and what it says about her that she reads gruesome details all night but plays with her young daughter in the morning. 

I’ve described this book to several people and it always begins with “Patton Oswalt’s wife” for which I am deeply sorry. From now on I’ll be referring to Patton Oswalt as “Michelle McNamara’s husband.”

Nash

Wow. This masterpiece has, no, IS everything. It is truly one of the best books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is so well documented. The editors and everyone that help put the book together after Michelle McNamara’s passing did an amazing job. She was really dedicated to find out who this monster was, and it did payed off. There was a quote from her husband that really stuck with me after finishing the book. He basically was recalling how Michelle told him that she didn’t care if she was the one that capture him, she only wanted him shackled and behind bars. This horrific case has impacted the life of many many people; the victims and the people left behind, the detectives, the first responders, and even Michelle’s, but she had the talent of talking about all the horrible stuff with so much grace, professionalism and most importantly with empathy, that is truly amazing. 


 She was so committed, and to a point obsessed with “The Responsible”, that her work help shed some light into the cold-case and kept it in the media and in people’s mind. She had them talking. That is the most important thing in decades-old cases, people need to keep talking about it so sooner-rather-than-later the criminals are held responsible. 


Even with all the information that she’s throwing at you, all the scenarios, all the victims, all the people involved in solving the case, there is no way that you’re going to get lost or confused. Michelle did an astounding job at keeping everything well documented and literally labeled, so when the time came for her team to put all this together, they were able to finish this masterpiece. It is really sad that she wasn’t able to see the outcome of her project that took a lot of years of her life. But my guess is that from wherever she is watching, she is definitely happy that the nightmare is over. 

He’s no longer in the dark.

Sara Turner

Never really finished this one. It’s not my style of book- meaning I don’t usually read true crime on my own. This was a book club pick. While it was interesting and thorough, I thought it was too much for my romance-loving brain to comprehend! I was having nightmares and got anxious the more I read on. I got about 1/2 way and decided that was enough. I’m just not interested in every single detail of every rape, murder, and creepy phone call. The writing was good and informative, just not my cup of tea.

Bunnhi

A must read if you're a fan of true crime. It's a shame I didn't know of Michelle's work when she was alive, but her legacy will live on.

Sarahi Flores

Her obsession became my obsession. That’s how good this book was. What she shared, it all felt personal. Check out my review on my blog.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

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