I'll Be Gone in the Dark

I'll be Gone in the Dark
i'll be gone in the dark
by Michelle McNamara
Golden_State_Killer_wanted_poster

Photo caption: "Golden State Killer"  (Photo by bionicteaching is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Hello from Alison at the Norton Shores Branch of MADL. Welcome to the MADL hoopla Book Club Blog for the month of October 2020!  Ah, October; that month of windy days, falling leaves, apples and pumpkins. This time of year always seems perfect for a book that sends a chill down your spine or raises the hairs on the back of your neck.  Not sure if that’s because Halloween falls at the end of October or if it’s the passing of all the summer lushness that causes that feeling.  As I’m one of those people who doesn’t like scary movies or fictional horror, I chose a true crime novel instead.  Go figure!  I know I’m not alone; true crime is an extremely popular genre in publishing and I know there are many MADL readers who also enjoy this type of book.  However, it seems slightly ironic that I don’t enjoy horror novels but do like a true crime book.  I don’t know if it’s the solving of the case or bringing the criminals to justice that is appealing to me, because obviously the crime itself is just as horrific as any made up supernatural storyline, if not worse.  I’ll be honest—I can’t explain it; I just know that I enjoy true crime.

Having said that, serial killers aren’t normally a topic that I’m interested in when I read true crime, but the draw for me to I’ll be Gone In The Dark is really the story of the author Michelle McNamara.  I want to know why a true crime journalist became obsessed with this particular case—what was it about this series of crimes that captured her like no others?  Michelle kept a blog called True Crime Diary that is still up and available to read, although nothing has been added since her last post in June of 2015. And if you weren’t aware, the Golden State Killer was just recently sentenced in August 2020, during which he offered an unusual statement in court that is documented in this article from the Associated Press. I want to find out what Michelle uncovered that helped to finally track down this particular murderer.

If serial killers are a topic that interests you, you might enjoy a three-season fictional TV series originally on FOX from 2013-2015 called The Following. Kevin Bacon (one of my favorite actors) plays former FBI agent Ryan Hardy, a psychologically scarred veteran who had captured notorious serial killer Joe Carroll nine years earlier. Carroll has now escaped from death row and is not only communicating with a network of killers in the outside world, but has much more planned than just a prison escape - and there's no telling how many additional killers are out there. Here is season one’s official trailer:

 

For your viewing pleasure, MADL owns all three seasons of The Following.  Visit MADL’s online catalog to request a copy.

Next week, we'll be discussing the Prologue - Irvine 1986 chapters of I’ll be Gone In The Dark, so make sure to read through the Irvine 1986 chapter before checking the discussion page for week 2 to avoid spoilers. I hope you'll check back and leave a comment-- I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

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WEEK 2: Prologue - Irvine 1986

WEEK 3:  Ventura 1980 - Los Angeles 2012

WEEK 4: Contra Costa 2013-Epilogue