After watching the Murdaugh Murders trial, my book club was on a true crime kick and we picked I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara as our next read. I used to be a big true crime podcast girly so I knew the story of the Golden State Killer, but I hadn’t read this book yet. I’m glad to have finally gotten to it as it had been on my list and shelves for a long time. I mostly listened to the audiobook. 

In this book, McNamara shares her own journey as a cold-case aficionado running a true crime blog, and how she became obsessed with solving the mystery of the Golden State Killer. The book goes back and forth between her life and the life of the killer, who was known in different areas by different criminal nicknames - he was also called the Visalia Ransacker, the East Area Rapist, and the Night Stalker.

This book is chilling due to the nature of the crimes. I was grateful to have a home alarm system while reading! Sadly, McNamara passed away before finishing it, and before seeing the killer brought to justice. I found this book to be mostly well-written but choppy-feeling. I think that likely has to do with it being published after her death, and having to piece together her notes and work after. Overall I thought it was a good book about the Golden State Killer, and I’m so glad he was finally caught.