Jill Chalk and Stephanie Hershberger provide tours at the Warsaw Community Public Library with local students.

By Melissa Chapman, Cataloging Supervisor

I love true crime, by that, I mean watching true crime shows, as well as reading true crime novels. When I first heard about the true crime book “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” by the late Michelle McNamara, I knew I had to read it. It is about the Golden State Killer, who had skipped detection for nearly four decades in California.

I found her book to be superior to the usual drab prose in most true crime stories. McNamara’s creative delivery invests you in her story, those of the victims, and the investigators seeking to bring the killer to justice. She weaves her story into two threads that run parallel to each other: the story of a rapist/serial killer and his victims, and her own story as an amateur detective several decades later. Her unique style of writing made the novel read like a fast paced, gut wrenching thriller. Rarely does a true crime book scare me. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” gave me an uneasy creepy feeling, and honestly, I only read it when my husband was home.

The Golden State Killer, a name McNamara gave him, raped dozens of women before becoming a serial killer and murdering at least 12 people. After killing his last victim in 1986, he suddenly disappeared. Police and FBI agents tracked the case from city to city. After the developing of DNA testing it was discovered that one person committed all the crimes, yet he still eluded them.

McNamara’s passion for this case, and her desire for the perpetrator to get the punishment he deserved, was obvious. Unfortunately, Michelle McNamara died in her sleep on April 21, 2016 having completed much of her manuscript. After McNamara’s death, her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, was determined to make sure her book was completed and published. That Mr. Oswalt lost his wife, was grieving, and was able to take his wife’s work and put her book out in the world is nothing short of amazing. As he said, “I wanted to do right by her.” He undoubtedly did.

On April 25, a suspect was arrested and it appears the elusive serial killer known as the “Golden State Killer” has finally been caught. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” is not a book for everyone due to the content. If you’re a true crime enthusiast, I would recommend it.