I'll Be Gone in the Dark

So, maybe you shouldn't read this if you sleep like the dead. And, you probably shouldn't read it when you're traveling and sleeping alone in a hotel room by yourself. I did both and lived to tell the tale.

I wish I could go back in time and read this before April. Before the man whose legacy haunted families across California was unmasked. Sadly, I had never heard of Michelle McNamara's book - and her death in the midst of writing it - until after the man was arrested. But, the chain of events that led to that arrest intrigued me enough that I felt compelled enough to read the book.

Michelle McNamara was a true crime writer who became obsessed with this man who stalked couples and singles for years. He was a man who slipped into homes in the dark of night, awakening them in their beds. Some were killed, some raped. In every case, he was careful enough to get away. McNamara's book went deep into the case files as she gained the trust of investigators to retrace his frightening, frustrating steps.

We now know who he was - a one-time police officer who abruptly stopped his crimes and went on to live a seemingly normal life. We know DNA helped solve what once appeared to be unsolvable. But at the time of her writing, he was still a monster without a face. And, while the book (and her life) ends without McNamara discovering the killer's identity, she sets the table for the dessert that would come two years later.

As I mentioned, I read this book when I was away from home, sleeping in a large, dark hotel room in Arizona. It made falling asleep difficult, but more than kept my attention. Was it the best-written book I've ever read? No. And I didn't expect it to be. But, as a reporter, I was enthralled by the meticulous detail she went through in order to lay out a case that spanned years and miles of highway.

The hardest part about reading this book was not stopping to Google details of the case now that the suspected killer is in custody. As soon as I was done, I dove deep into current articles to see if any of the theories about the man held up.

Should you read it? If you enjoy true crime, yes. If you worry about who may be stalking your darkened yards and streets at night, I wouldn't recommend it...