Tag: True Crime

Thursday, April 18, 2019

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

Content warning for explicit descriptions of sexual violence and murder

“A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.” – Goodreads

This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction (2018) and is one of the scariest books readers will pick up in their life. A heart-stopping blend of descriptive true crime, personal memoir, and extended discussion of law enforcement ethics, McNamara painstakingly traces the actions of the East Area Rapist (also known as the EAR). This violent criminal terrorized people in northern California for years before moving south and committing ten horrifying murders. Through her dogged research, McNamara rebranded this person as the “Golden State Killer,” and this book is about her attempt to help solve this string of cold cases with one singular perpetrator.

The explicit descriptions of sexual violence and murder means this is a book that is NOT for everyone; however, it provokes plenty of questions about human nature, the use of DNA in criminal justice, and the sacrifices that everyday people can make in the relentless pursuit of a goal.

Call # 364.15 M45987il

Review by Vicki

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Bonnie and Clyde by Karen Blumenthal

“Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious–and celebrated–outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way.
Bonnie and Clyde: we’ve been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why?” – Goodreads

Highly recommended for true crime fans, award-winning young adult non-fiction writer Karen Blumenthal delves deeply into the lives and deaths of these notorious criminals. In this endeavor, she also explores the circumstances of poverty and Southern culture during the Great Depression. With descriptions of page-turning exploits and a surprisingly humanizing portrait of two figures we’ve come to know as evil, Blumenthal’s detailed research paints a complex portrait of two marginalized people as well as the devastating and terrible consequences of their violent behavior. Each chapter that contains the death of one of Bonnie and Clyde’s victims ends with a brief biography of that person’s life; this is a compelling and informative conceit that really emphasizes the grave and tragic impact of their acts of violence. This book also does an interesting job exploring the surprising nature of law enforcement during one of America’s most challenging time periods as well as the public fascination with crime and celebrity culture. Overall, the thoughtful structure of the book as well as the outstanding and gripping primary source photos make this a must-read pick.

Call # 364.15 B627bo

Review by Vicki