Michelle McNamara (1970–2016)

Absolutely fascinating look at the exhaustive search for the Golden State Killer. It's a little exhausting to read at times, so I can only imagine how it must have been for McNamara. Reading it with the knowledge that he's been caught can be a little frustrating at times - you just want to scream the details at her. It's also very striking how gifted a writer McNamara is, once her colleagues pick up a chapter after her death (sorry guys). Overall, a great read if you can handle the creep factor. And the unbearable unfairness that she died not knowing who he was.… (altro)

Absolutely fantastic true crime read! You can feel all the hours spent slogging through thousands of leads for that diamond in the rough. McNamara's writing in the first handful of chapters creates a story focused around the suffering of the victims and their families. She takes care to protect privacy of the grieving families but still impart important details to the reader. Quite a delicate balance to hold.

After her passing, the novel was completed and built from interview transcripts and incomplete chapters. I appreciate that they did not attempt to copy her way of writing, instead focusing on breaking down the loads of facts that can take the search for the elusive killer in many different directions. The true capping point of the book was the letter to the Golden State Killer at the end written by McNamara. Her words are powerful and direct.

As a reader after the announcement of the capture of the alleged killer, it was unsettling to read about the methods she used realizing the exact same process is what eventually brought justice to lives of victims and their families. All and all a really good read.
… (altro)