by Michelle McNamara
352 pages
Okay, so it took a couple days longer than I wanted, but this post will catch me up.
I had been considering this book for awhile now. This book was written by Patton Oswalt's wife, who passed unexpectedly during the writing of it. What really caught my attention about this book is that this killer had been caught after the release of the book.
Let me tell you about this book. Back in the '70s and '80s, there was a string of home invasions. It quickly became clear that they were being committed by the same person. In some homes, the occupants were murdered, but in all of them, the women were raped. If there was a couple in the home, the man was often tied up with dishes stacked on his back. He was given the instructions that if he (the rapist) heard the dishes fall, he would kill the woman. He would then take the woman to the living room and rape her there. If there were children at the home, they were always left unharmed and often slept through the invasion.
There were usually "warning" signs that he was coming. Things like footprints around the home, sliding doors left unlocked, and so on. I'll tell you, even though I know he has been caught, and his "hunting ground" wasn't anywhere near me, I did freak out a little as I read this book. Near the beginning McNamara mentions that he often struck single story, middle class homes, second from the corner. OMG! That's me. Later, they make this connection to homes for sale and open houses. OMG! My next door neighbors just moved away and left their house for sale. It also didn't help that I wasn't sleeping well, and often found myself reading at 3:00am -- the early hours when many of the attacks occurred.
Anyway, back to the book. It was good. It is definitely accurate that this was an "obsession" of hers, but as such, she did an amazing job of presenting the evidence. In reading the book, it was also clear that she cared deeply for the victims. She wanted them to have closure and above all, sought justice.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in true crime type reading. Just keep in mind that she passed away before the writing was complete. There is a chapter written after her death to help close things up, but there is still an incomplete feeling. Also, keep in mind that now that he has been caught, you can do a little research of your own to see what happens.
4 Stars