I'll Be Gone in the Dark

 

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

By Michelle McNamara, Introduction by Gillian Flynn, Afterword by Patton Oswalt

Published February 27, 2018 (posthumously)

352 pages

Geographic Setting-Oak Park, IL, Hollywood, CA, Sacramento, CA, Irvine, CA, various California towns

Time Period-1976-2016

Subject Headings-Home invasions, cold cases, serial rapists, serial murders, criminal investigation, Michelle McNamara

Type-Autobiography, biography, true crime

Summary: The Golden State Killer terrorized California for two decades. He is responsible for at least fifty sexual assaults and ten murders, in addition to countless counts of theft, vandalism, stalking, and destruction of property. He was never found.

In this book, Michelle McNamara presents her own story alongside that of the Golden State Killer, recounting the origin of her true crime passion, and her growing obsession with finding the person responsible for dozens of terrible crimes. Part-autobiography, part true crime, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark details the crimes committed across California over the course of nearly ten years and across two decades. McNamara shares her journey as she works even the mot obscure leads, determined to find this man, and bring him to justice.

Take a step back in time and find yourself immersed in the 70’s, working alongside Detective Shelby as he hunts the East Area Rapist, the man McNamara would later coin the Golden State Killer. Feel the trepidation as the city waits for him to strike again, the fear as he makes his next move. And McNamara’s own sense of triumph as she connects these crimes to the horrific murders committed years later, hundreds of miles away. Her sense of urgency, her close encounters, and her unwavering determination bring this cold case back to life.

“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

Non-Fiction Characteristics

Author Intent-McNamara compiled these stories and this information to document her hunt for the Golden State Killer, with every intention of following through until he was found. McNamara died in her sleep at age 46, her book unfinished and the GSK still unknown. The book was compiled by her lead researcher and the investigative journalist she worked closely beside.

Setting-The story moves with the author and the killer. McNamara’s hometown, Oak Park, IL, is described in detail, as is the crime scene there that ignited her interest in true crime. Sacramento in the 70’s comes alive, both the unflinching resolution of the city’s residents and their underlying fear. The terror overtaking Irvine as the GSK escalates to gruesome murder is both difficult to endure and important to understand.

Graphic Materials-A timeline of events is provided prior to the narrative, along with a cast of characters noting victims as well as law enforcement professionals

Read-Alikes

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Mindhunter by John Douglas & Mark Olshaker

Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker

Chase darkness with me: how one true-crime writer started solving murders by Billy Jensen

 

 

Comments

  1. Abigail SmithApril 3, 2021 at 4:16 PM

    Hi Jennifer,

    I have been wanting to read this book, her detailed settings make it sound even more intriguing. Do you think this would be a good fit for mystery readers? Does it focus much on how she runs her investigation?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jennifer humphreyApril 4, 2021 at 6:53 AM

      I chose this book because I love mysteries and detective stories so I want to say yes. Gillian Flynn mentions something in the introduction that stayed with me while I was reading though; she says that reading true crime is different from mysteries/thrillers because the victims are real people and the crimes really happened. It was a gripping book but difficult to read with that knowledge. It does focus a lot on how she investigates and balances being a mom and a wife going to Hollywood parties while spending her nights scouring internet chat rooms and following up on obscure details.

      Delete
  2. Erin CataldiApril 7, 2021 at 9:19 AM

    I too enjoyed this book. There is something about true crime that keeps me coming back! Full points and great job on this annotation!

    ReplyDelete

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