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I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Hardcover – February 27, 2018

by Michelle McNamara (Author), Gillian Flynn (Introduction), Patton Oswalt (Afterword)

846 customer reviews

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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.

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Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of March 2018: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara’s compelling investigation of the “Golden State Killer,” who terrorized northern California from the mid-70s to the mid-80s, is one of the best true crime books to come along in a decade. It’s the story of two obsessions: McNamara’s obsession with the criminal, and whatever abhorrent obsession drove him to commit a series of horrific rapes and murders over ten years. The author, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, describes the crimes and examines clues in an effort to uncover his identity. Occasionally, she challenges convention by inserting herself into the narrative (at one point, she even writes directly to the Golden State Killer), and the book acquires even more personal weight when one takes into account the fact that McNamara, at the age of 46, died while writing it. Knowing all of this, and with each chilling description, McNamara’s obsession begins to become our own. She believed that the Golden State Killer would still be alive today. You will discover yourself hoping she’s right, so that you can see him captured and brought to justice. -- Chris Schluep, the Amazon Book Review

Review

“Unputdownable.... Powerful.” (Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air)

“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)

“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 )

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Product details

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Harper (February 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062319787
ISBN-13: 978-0062319784
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 846 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Law Enforcement
- #3 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > True Crime > Serial Killers
- #38 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs

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THE truest of true crime

March 3, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Author Gillian Flynn, of GONE GIRL fame, wrote an introduction to Michelle McNamara’s true crime book I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK: ONE WOMAN’S OBSESSIVE SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER, which was published posthumously, in which she states about the author: “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.” This pretty much sums up why I read and how I select the books that I do about the deep, dark, and twisted behind-the-scenes grit of true crime. My interest is in the writing itself and the research that the writer has put into the book to examine the backstory of a criminal mind. In this case, McNamara did not live to complete her nearly finished story about the Golden State Killer who spread fear and unthinkable crimes up and down the state of California, but her researchers and husband Patton Oswalt put her decade of work together into an astonishing book, an in-depth look at a most horrific series of events.

The subject is a serial rapist and murderer, who committed crimes from the 1970s through 1980s. Police and FBI agents tracked the case from city to city and once DNA testing came to be, it was confirmed that the crimes were in fact all committed by one person, however he still eluded them.

McNamara was determined to understand who he was, to find him. She immersed herself in each case. With each law enforcement officer. They welcomed her. She was one of them. Her research is staggering.

Even if you are used to reading terrifying details that accompany true crime, this is one that you will need to brace yourself for. It is not easy to read. It is haunting. The crimes that the Golden State Killer committed are beyond sadistic, truly the actions of a disturbed mind. There were times that I thought about putting the book down. I wasn’t sure I could finish it. It wasn’t about what he did that intrigued me, it was about what the author was doing to find him.

That Oswalt lost his wife and was grieving, that their young daughter was left without a mother (he has since recently remarried) but he was able to take his wife’s work and put her book out in the world is nothing short of incredible. As he said: “I wanted to do right by her.”

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The light and dark side of obsession

February 28, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I made the mistake of starting this book when I didn't have an ocean of time ahead of me. Don't make the same mistake. Once you pick this book up, at the risk of sounding trite, you won't be able to put it back down.

I'm not a huge fan of the true crime genre, exactly. I've enjoyed a true crime novel now and then, but it isn't a genre I reach for often. But that said, I know the transformative power of a truly well-written crime book. Truman Capote's In True Blood introduced me to the narrative non-fiction genre, and it completely changed my life. I'll Be Gone in the Dark is the same kind of transformative book. It is the kind of genre-busting, heart-breaking, world-shaking book that will introduce a whole new generation of readers to the power of non-fiction done well.

Not only does the pitch-perfect pace grab the reader by the wrist and pull them breathlessly along, but the book walks the line between memoir and true crime in a way that has never been done so flawlessly before. McNamara takes the reader on an emotional journal that is at times shocking, entertaining, joyful and devastating.

I don't care if you are into true crime... you need to grab this book and set aside a day to wrap yourself up in its story obsession - both good and bad.

253 people found this helpful

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I like listening to true crime podcasts during my long commute

March 6, 2018

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

I'm writing this review of the Audible format of the book. I wasn't sure about buying it for Audible; I like listening to true crime podcasts during my long commute, but obviously a book means more hours of listening that you're committing to. In the end, I'm glad I bought this format. The reader's voice is perfect: compelling and yet not at all show-offy, like a friend telling you a serious story over mugs of coffee in a comfortable kitchen. It might just be a little harder to follow than the print version, but I'm still with it, 11 chapters in.

83 people found this helpful

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May 23, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I bought and read this book based on the fact that the horrible man who committed all of these horrendous crimes has just been identified and arrested after 42 years of roaming free but also because this book got such incredible reviews on my Kindle. I must be honest and say I was a bit disappointed. As an avid reader of true crime books, having read hundreds since the 1970s, I would not place this one in even the top 20. I'm trying to be understanding, knowing that the author sadly passed away before the book was finished and someone else had to step in a and finish it. Perhaps Michelle's final work would have been different, but the book was very disjointed and was not in any type of chronological order making it very difficult to follow. There was also quite a bit of unnecessary filler which can always take away from any book. Sorry, but this just want one of my favorites and I doubt I would recommend it to others.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Michelle's family and friends, especially her husband and daughter. It is such a shame she didn't live to see this monster caught and arrested! I'm sure her work helped p to see justice done!!!

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Amazon Customer

Gripping True Crime

Be prepared to devour this book, Michelle Macnamara’s writing is top notch, she draws you in with beautiful prose that is such a treasure in non-fiction writing.Read more

Published 3 minutes ago

Dennis Ede

Don’t buy

Book focused too much on investigation techniques. Actually book got old. Boring. I want read about crimes and events. Not how author investigated. Don’t buy it.Read more

Published 1 hour ago

Amazon Customer

Pretty good!

This book is pretty good. The writing is good, but I find it a little strange going back and forth between her writing and the others that had to finish the book for her.Read more

Published 2 hours ago

Bookwyrm61

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

This is a well-written true crime book. There is information in this book for True Crime readers and anyone that is interested in this breaking story.Read more

Published 3 hours ago

J. Perez

Good book for True Crime Readers

Bought for my wife as a gift and she loved the book. Her favorite author was Ann Rule

Published 7 hours ago

Joseph D. Dubay

There was no protection inside to protect this shipment. Very bad packaging.

Good price. Product is good.

Published 7 hours ago

Captured!

A great read especially since he’s been captured!

Published 8 hours ago

jill romick

Loved it

Great read

Published 9 hours ago

john godfrey

The Author new her business

It was well written

Published 10 hours ago

dean simpson

Great read

Published 14 hours ago

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