Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Pandemic Audio: "I'll be Gone in the Dark" by Michelle McNamara

Pandemic Audio: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara.

McNamara really did put together a nice book. She died before completion and the two guys who completed the book did have a different style.

McNamara had nice telling details. She - or maybe the afterword - mentions how she never writes guts and gore, supermarket crime. McNamara does not dwell on crime scene and autopsy details. The horror of the serial rapist and murdered shows through loud and clear.

Impossible to listen to this without thinking about the guy they caught after publication. McNamara was correct in thinking commercial databases like 23 And Me would provide the needed leads. She had many online collaborators and true crime hobbyists who would dedicate themselves to searching but most everything was done with online searching and pontificating. They were not researching the multiple case files that covered several jurisdictions. They were not re-interviewing multiple victims and witnesses.

But, McNamara did get access to case files and interviewed people. She used all the information to great effect. 

Much later thoughts as I finally post this:
1. Unknown crook takes on mythical aspects. He can run like the wind, climb like a monkey, and surveils each night for hours on end. 
2. Rapist/Murderer was awful, awful, awful. So glad he was caught and brought to account.

1 comment:

pattinase (abbott) said...

HBO series was good. Pretty scary stuff though. And maybe two episodes too long.