If you're prepared to sleep with the lights on, then go ahead and read this book! True Crime writer Michelle McNamara obsessively pursued this serial rapist (50 attacks) and killer (13 murders), sharing her research and reportage via her blog, "True Crime Diary." McNamara was instrumental in unearthing many boxes of forgotten police files from different cities, digitizing and sharing these, pouring over collected evidence, interviewing detectives who worked on the case years before, revisiting crime scenes with them, and re-interviewing victims and witnesses, all in an effort to gain fresh insights, and leverage new technologies to solve this massive mystery. It is fair to say that without her persistent, dogged efforts, this crime might never have been solved.

Sad to say, McNamara did not get to experience the triumph of her efforts. Dying in 2016 of a drug interaction with an unknown underlying medical condition, McNamara missed the opportunity to see her hard work pay off--the killer was uncovered and apprehended in 2018, after the publication of her book. She predicted that he would be in his early 70's (72), familiar with law enforcement (former cop), attended Sacramento State University (a graduate). Thanks to DNA analysis, the suspect was arrested and trials began in December, 2018. McNamara felt certain DNA would be the key to his discovery, and she was right.

This is part true crime, part memoir. McNamara gives enough suggestion and description to help the reader understand the nature of his methods and surmise his motives, while never straying into excessive, gratuitous depictions. She gives just the right type of detail to tell the tale, without undue disgust or morbid titillation. The reader can find herself grasping at theories along with the detectives, stymied with the lack of definitive evidence, the daring and flawless performance of each heinous crime, one right after the next, leaving law enforcement clueless and neighbors terrified.

McNamara understands the somewhat peculiar fascination that grips her, and is self-aware of the commonality of her obsession and that of the killer's; how he studies his potential victims in great detail, rarely moving spontaneously into a situation, but sizing up various characteristics until he deems the time is right to strike. Likewise, McNamara studies victims and killer from all angles, digging deeply to find common threads, any link that may betray his identity. The story structure is clever, and her prose is fine. This is no pulp true crime story. It is a well-told tale. Even if this genre is not your cup of tea (not at all my typical choice) you will miss out on a truly riveting story if you pass on this. Be prepared to read this in one sitting--you will not be able to put it down.