I'll Be Gone in the Dark -Nightmares come to life

"Most violent criminals smash through life like human sledgehammers. They have fists for hands and can't plan beyond their sightlines. They're caught easily. They talk too much. They return to the scene of the crime, as conspicuous as tin cans on a bumper. But every so often a blue moon surfaces. A snow leopard slinks by."

-Michelle McNamara, I'll Be Gone in the Dark

~~~

True Crime, the genre that fascinates, thrills, and terrifies. Something we all have an interest in, against our better judgement, but not always the stomach for. Well, if you've ever had an interest this is the book for you, but be warned, it's sickening and terrifying and worst of all, it's true. I'll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is a true account of the crimes committed by the Golden State Killer. A monster that stalked California in the 70's and 80's and couldn't seem to be caught. A man that drove police in circles and excelled in fear. He had at least 50 sexual attacks to his name and 13 known murders under his belt yet no one could pin him. Michelle takes a deep dive into the crimes, motivations, theories, and suspects to try and root out who this man is. 

The storytelling in this book is chilling, cold facts mixed with speculations on the feelings and emotions and frustrations of the victims and the investigators whose lives were turned upside down by one common enemy. I've never devoured a book so fast. 

There's not a whole lot I can say without spoiling the book for anyone looking to read it (although how much can I spoil it when his actions have been splashed across news articles for over 40 years?). He started as the East Area Rapist who attacked women, he then moved onto becoming known as the Original Nightstalker, attacking couples in the night and eventually escalated to the that name Michelle McNamara gave him: The Golden State Killer,  a man who not only attacked couples but murdered them in their beds. He moved to different areas in California and committed his attacks, never getting caught, hitting up quiet neighbourhoods and terrorizing the residents. 

This book details the different areas of California where his known attacks were reported, carefully detailing the lives of the victims before giving us the gruesome details of how they died. Michelle lists them in a way that threads different connections throughout the book so that we can see the similarities for ourselves without her having to outright say it. She gives a voice to the victims and paints them as they are, real people, not just victims. 

Michelle never finished the book, she passed away before that could happen and she never got to unmask the man behind the vicious crimes that criss-crossed the state. The writing goes abruptly from intricate storytelling to a truck load of facts dumped at the end. The best tthat could be done with all the information she left behind and never got to put into words herself. It's an unsatisfying ending, to spend an entire book hearing/reading about all the atrocious things someone has done but never be able to find out who did it or that justice was served?

Although you don't get to find out the who/why/how in this book, it might comfort you to know that they caught the guy not long after the release of this book. Which is the reason I decided to read it, a story that started in 1974 and and is finally getting some closure. I don't think I could have been able to stomach it if I didn't know that there could be justice in the end. Even then, it was a hard one to get through.

No rating, just a recommendation. If you like True Crime, definitley read this book.