I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is a true crime book about the Golden State Killer. I read this for a true crime book group I’ll be participating in, so this is not something I’d pick up on a whim. In general, I prefer fiction. When it comes to non-fiction, I often get lost in 
the details. But Michelle McNamara’s personable writing style won me over. The last part of the book, a very short portion of it I might add, gets a little too technical and specific for my liking, as it delves into things like geo-profiling and tracking DNA evidence. However, I understand that these discussions were necessary for giving the reader the fullest picture possible.
While the very last part dragged for me, I was fully invested in the first half of the book, which transports readers to the nights of his crimes. It makes sense that I enjoyed these parts most because I’m a sucker for a good thriller. Of course, being that this book is about a famous serial killer, it features the many twists, turns and dark themes of a literary thriller. Unfortunately, however, this book reflects real-life horrors and tragedies.
I think the most difficult part for me in reading this book was feeling enthralled by the terrifying details of the Golden State Killer’s actions, while simultaneously feeling guilty for feeling enthralled. Of course, the victims of his crimes are not characters in a work of fiction. Michelle McNamara acknowledges the sort of challenges that come with being a true crime fan and writer. On the one hand, true crime makes for fascinating literature. On the other hand, it’s also important to respect the victims while not glorifying the evil actions of the killer.
What’s also interesting about this book is that Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist, spent a great portion of her life researching the Golden State Killer, attempting to put a complex puzzle together using whatever pieces she could find. Though the puzzle was incomplete, through her research and through her dealings with law enforcement, she was able to paint a rather vivid picture of the man responsible. For anyone who’s followed the case or who has heard of the Golden State Killer before, they’d be aware that in 2018, through DNA evidence, a US Navy veteran and former police officer was charged with the crimes of the Golden State Killer.
Sadly, Michelle McNamara passed away shortly before the killer was identified. Still, there is some sense of justice and closure in knowing that, ultimately, he did not get away with his horrific crimes. McNamara notes how odd it is that for so long, information about the Golden State Killer both online and in books was scarce despite the fact that he had committed so many crimes over the course of more than decade. It’s not unlikely that much of Michelle McNamara’s work in bringing awareness to the case helped in identifying him. The quality of McNamara’s writing is commendable, but I think the impact that her research had on achieving justice is what gives her book deep meaning.
Pawsitive Reads 