I'll Be Gone in the Dark cover art

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

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I'll Be Gone in the Dark

By: Michelle McNamara
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Gillian Flynn - introduction, Patton Oswalt - afterword
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About this listen

Short-listed for the Gordon Burn Prize 2018

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

'You'll be silent forever, and I'll be gone in the dark.'

For more than 10 years, a mysterious and violent predator committed 50 sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated 10 sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website True Crime Diary, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called the Golden State Killer. Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark - the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death - offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman's obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth.

Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelle's lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic - and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2018 Michelle McNamara (P)2018 Audible, Ltd
Murder Inspiring Funny Scary Cold Case California

What listeners say about I'll Be Gone in the Dark

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Indescribable

The performance was amazing and the writing is beautiful and horrifying all at once.

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5 people found this helpful

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Extremely Informative

I found this book interesting and was fascinated with Michelle’s determination to identify and catch the Golden State Killer. The book is well written with Passion and an almost fanatical obsession that captivates the reader/listener. It is sad that such extraordinary talent has been lost at such a young age and that she never got to see her book published or the capture of the Golden State Killer.

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2 people found this helpful

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Revalation of a keen obsessive just investigator

Michelle's persistence in her tireless sifting through clues in huge efforts in finding this serial rapist is so amazingly written that it captivates the reader. The reader becomes drawn in by the dialogue so much so that they feel compelled to be part of the cold case detection. Michelle arourses the social justice in us all and empathic compassion for the victims of this weak minded assailant.

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1 person found this helpful

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I couldn't stop listening.

Loved the book. I couldn't stop listening! Very well written and read. Crazy how everyday people helped solve the crime.

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Extremely interesting

So many layers of bizarre and interesting aspects of this book that gripped me. From the seemingly juvenile style crimes that no one guessed would lead to such a difficult case, to the strangeness of how obsessed the people tracking the killer can be.
I was deeply saddened by the sudden death of the author and moved that people made her book happen anyway.
This was a well written, well delivered book. Goes without saying; Not for those who cannot handle violent, horrific crime.

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I enjoyed it

I don't normally read these kinds of books but have this one a go anyway.
I found it interesting and really feel it's a Shane that the writer herself wasn't able to finish the novel.
I do commend her colleagues and editors for making a really good effort to piece together the parts she hadn't completed though.
Well done!

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Even better than the hype

This could only be better if Michelle had had a chance to finish this herself.
I wish you could access the extra materials from the App but that is no flaw of the book!

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Compelling

Never heard of the EAR/Golden State Killer before. The background and technical data was interesting & informative. I googled the East Area Rapist in Oct 2020 & found he's been caught & jailed in June 2020. Well done to all involved.

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Rest in peace Michelle McNamara. One of a kind

Loved it, not a huge fan of the reader putting on character voices but that's such a tiny issue and the book is fantastic.

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What a listen!

What a fantastic read about a serial killer I knew little about. Michelle McNamara shows her passion for a subject matter that most people wouldn’t even know where to start.

I highly recommend this book.

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