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I'll Be Gone in the Dark cover art

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

Written by: Michelle McNamara
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Gillian Flynn - introduction, Patton Oswalt - afterword
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Publisher's Summary

The basis for the major six-part HBO documentary series.

Number one New York Times best seller.

A best book of the year:

Washington Post | Maureen Corrigan, NPR | Paste | Seattle Times | Entertainment Weekly | Esquire | Slate | Buzzfeed | Jezebel | Philadelphia Inquirer | Publishers Weekly | Kirkus Reviews | Library Journal | Bustle

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for Nonfiction | Anthony Award winner | SCIBA Book Award winner | Finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime | Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence

The haunting true story of the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California during the '70s and '80s, and of the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case - which was solved in April 2018.

Introduction by Gillian Flynn

Afterword by Patton Oswalt

“A brilliant genre-buster.... Propulsive, can’t-stop-now reading.” (Stephen King)

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 TrueCrimeDiary.com, 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. 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 PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Tell Me Productions (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

What the critics say

"Narrator Gabra Zackman delivers this terrifying account... Her calm, objective voice makes the minute details of GSK's 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders in California chilling.... McNamara's research makes for intriguing listening, thanks to Zackman's restrained, intelligent presentation of the grim details." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: 20 Best True Crime Audiobooks for Your Inner Detective

There is nothing more thrilling than the unfolding tale of a true crime story. Whether an unsolved mystery, a deep dive into a criminal mastermind, or a look at an infamous serial killer, true crime is gripping, captivating, and engrossing. The best true crime audiobooks will have you on the edge of your seat, anxious for more. Add to that an emphatic and powerful narrator, and you simply won't be able to stop listening. Here are the 20 best true crime audiobooks to satisfy your inner detective.

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

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Confusing as an audiobook

I think this would have been better to read in book form and not as an audiobook. It was hard to follow.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Stunningly Written and Incredibly Illuminating

I have read many, many true crime books over the past decade and this is probably one of the best. The pros is beautiful and it is not to detail heavy— there are enough memoir type instances that make it easy to fully comprehend the enormity of the EARONS/GSK case and the all encompassing search Michelle McNamara undertook.
I have recommended this book to everyone I know— true crime fans and fiction lovers alike.
I just hope that wherever she is now, Michelle knows he has finally been brought into the light.

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8 people found this helpful

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amazing!!!!

One of the most spellbinding investigations I've ever heard. Almost cried when first person switched to third after Michelle's death. so happy they've caught him now. she would be so proud and pleased

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5 people found this helpful

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Blown away

Phenomenal book - gripping and incredibly written with passion, skill, and dedication, and only enhanced by an incredible performance by the reader. I had trouble putting it down, and only did so because I wanted it to last. Wil be listing to this one over and over.

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4 people found this helpful

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Equally talks about the killer and the author

Excellent. A lot of chapters start with Editor's Notes explaining it was pieced together from the authors notes before she died. Then switches to third person near the end. It's a great read/listen.

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3 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars

Author is annoying

Meh at best.. To much about her personal life and not nearly as good as other books on gsk should have got btk instead of this

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2 people found this helpful

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Engaging, suspenseful, Heart Wrenching

Knowing the author died before finishing this book, and before the killer was caught- is a punch in the gut while listening. She comes so close, she's on the right path, and it's sad to know she didn't get to live to see it.

The book tells like a story, easy to follow, with great narrators and anecdotes by various contributors. Hearing from her husband is really beautiful.

Absolutely worth the listen. Now excuse me while I go down the google search rabbit hole...

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2 people found this helpful

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Riveting

An absolutely riveting and fascinating story! The single minded pursuit of the facts and the connection of details in such a large case is incredible! I could not stop listening!

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Hard time getting into it…

I felt some pieces repeated as if they were giving new information and it was difficult to get excited about this book. Perhaps more information about the killer after apprehension.. it was okay, but I struggled to finish it.

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1 person found this helpful

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Struggling to finish

This book jumps back and forth so often that it’s impossible to keep track of the timeline. Had I known it was about the author just as much, if not more, then the Golden State Killer I would not have bought it. Wish audible had a return option.

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1 person found this helpful