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I'll Be Gone in the Dark

One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 82 items
Feb 17, 2024FloraWest rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A really thoughtful true crime book, but also a bit of memoir. There are conflicting reports as to whether McNamara posthumously helped catch the killer but her research and dedication are evident.
May 29, 2023rpavlacic rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A great example of what true crime writing should be. Not every serial rapist turns into a serial killer (think Paul Bernardo as an example), but when he does it demands the attention of the police, who in this case were way behind the…
Apr 29, 2023kmccullough9520 rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I'm not sure if it was just me or what, but this book confused me. It felt like it didn't go in chronological order and it felt like it was all over the place. Definitely would not read again.
Sep 08, 2022dissymissylessy rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
patton oswalt's wife wrote this. and died. r.i.p. michelle mcnamara.
Apr 19, 2022SamK_2 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
McNamara did a great job in writing this story. I was so impressed with her dedication and perseverance throughout the story to solve the case. It was so hard to read the very chilling, horrible details of the crimes committed by this…
Mar 13, 2022jlautry rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Although she died 2 years before the his capture, her work contributed to the capture of the Golden State Killer. Her ability to tell a captivating story with true events and facts is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a non-fiction piece.…
Feb 23, 2022meganhall29 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Michelle is a brilliant writer! She somehow manages to tell a really horrific story in a way that honours the police officers, the victims, and their families. I only wish that Michelle were still alive to continue writing, the world has…
Jan 15, 2022AmyLynn_0721 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
As others have said, this book somehow strikes a balance between retelling the crimes of the Golden State Killer while still honoring the victims & all the lives that were affected. The out-of-order timeline did throw me off at first, but…
Jan 03, 2022camrynstobart rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Amazing book, Michelle McNamara beautifully lays out the story of the GSK while honoring the victims. The story as her search for the truth of the killers identity and if that even matters is intriguing and overwhelming at times. McNamara…
Jun 03, 2021bre_uriz rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A wonderfully humane true crime book, it strikes a delicate balance between describing the harrowing details of the crimes but not sensationalizing the sprees to the level of caricature. McNamara's writing is thoroughly researched and…
Apr 28, 2021JCLLizW rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I'll Be Gone in the Dark does not cover the crimes of the Golden State Killer chronologically: chapters go from “Irvine, 1986” to “Ventura, 1980” to “Goleta, 1979." In addition to jumping around to different times when the GSK was active,…
Mar 15, 2021maipenrai rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
I was disappointed by this true crime book. One of the main reasons concerns the fact that Ms. McNamara never finished the book. She died in 2016 from complications of the combination of the medications fentanyl and xanax. No reason has…
Jan 10, 2021trotter73 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A definite must read for people interested in true crime stories.
Jan 07, 2021ArapahoeJohanna rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I've been wanting to read this one for a while! I was a little afraid that the hype around this book had more to do with the author's tragic death and the timing of the arrest of the Golden State Killer, and less to do with the quality of…
Nov 13, 2020jade310 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Michelle's writing is so personal and engaging. You're drawn in so quickly, and she really makes you feel what she's talking about. So sad she wasn't able to see the capture of this predator that she'd worked so tirelessly on identifying,…
Oct 26, 2020LCPL_Krystyna rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Investigative journalism and true crime at its best! This was chilling and terrifying. It's a great book to pick up, even if you're not typically a fan of true crime. It's very well-researched and brilliantly written.
Sep 16, 2020tfassett88 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic read! The focus here is on McNamara's literal obsession with catching the Golden State Killer. It's sad knowing she passed just a couple years before he was caught, but this book is evidence of how her work contributed to his…
Sep 09, 2020samsue rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I'd already watched the TV documentary by the same name, but still very much enjoyed the book. Michelle's attention to detail, persistence and her obsessive investigation of every tiny clue are truly awe-inspiring. I have to admit,…
Aug 25, 2020redtayres rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Had she lived to complete her book, the author would have most certainly written the portion written post-mortem in a tone more consistent with the pages that preceded it. That said, this book did a good job at continuing the author's…
Aug 13, 2020
This incredibly detailed factual account will interest fans of the true crime genre, mystery aficionados and anyone who watches forensic files. Do not read alone after dark!
Aug 01, 2020TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed reading I'll be Gone in the Dark and I would highly recommend it. In particular, I would recommend this book to someone who loves crime/mystery novels. I enjoyed how suspenseful the book was. I was constantly on edge about…
Jul 20, 2020mattfromthecity rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The book was unfinished at the time of Ms. McNamara's death and, especially the last half, is pieced together from old notes, drafts, and other works she published before, so there is a bit of a disjointed nature to it, but overall it is…
Jun 22, 2020AMWayment rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is not just a tale of a decade-long crime spree, of a maddeningly elusive peeper, burglar, rapist, and murderer. The GSK burglarized more than 120 homes, raped dozens of women, killed at least ten people, and at…
Apr 06, 2020Jcrawley_0 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Even though I am drawn to true crime documentaries and podcasts, I struggle to read true crime because I can't tune things out when it gets to be overwhelming. However, McNamara could explain the hard stuff without turning it into a…
Mar 26, 2020Lord_Vad3r rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I remember when Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested. Having never heard of the Golden State Killer or the East Area Rapist, it passed by me as a blip. Like many other people, I must admit to a morbid curiosity when it comes to the darker…