Michelle McNamara Leaves Behind An Incredible Legacy With I'll Be Gone In the Dark

Title: I'll Be Gone In The Dark 

Author: Michelle McNamara 

Publication Date: February 27th, 2018 

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The masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer - the serial rapist turned murderer who terrorised California for over a decade - from the late Michelle McNamara. 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark offers a unique snapshot of suburban West Coast America in the 1980s and a chilling account of the wreckage left behind by a criminal mastermind. It is also a portrait of one woman's obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth, three decades later, in spite of the personal cost. 

Review

I’m worried that this review won’t really convey how accurately I feel about I’ll Be Gone in the Dark or do Michelle McNamara’s work justice. I write this with so much respect for what McNamara has left behind with this incredible read. She really has left us a legacy to remember her with. 

It’s McNamara’s writing style, how she sets out the content and facts and overall tone that makes I’ll Be Gone in the Dark stand out. It’s easy enough to head online and search up the details of the killer’s crimes and cases, but McNamara adds to the learning experience by also detailing her research efforts, the connections she made and how much her long-standing fascination with the Golden State Killer really affected her personal life. I loved that McNamara was so upfront and honest as she wrote this. She didn’t mind inviting myself, as a reader, into her daily life as she reflected on how she became interested in true crimes, which then extended into her obsession with discovering who the Golden State Killer is. She admits to her obsession, which makes reading through her much more relatable. It’s well known that we are find fascination in gruesome events or stories, and serial killers are something many people invest their time into reading, watching or learning about. McNamara’s writing also flows in a way that delivers the details of the cases in an immersive way. I could vividly envision what was occurring, which becomes very confronting but also made sure I was engrossed whilst reading. 

Beyond appreciating my reading experience, I think, ultimately, the reason why I hold I’ll Be Gone in the Dark in high regard is because of the feeling I had while reading a book that was completed and released posthumous. Michelle McNamara, sadly, passed away in 2016 - 2 years before I’ll Be Gone in the Dark was finally published. Unfortunately, I was not aware of who she was until picking up this book and so did not have the experience of reading her articles and blog pieces when she was still alive. She didn’t get the opportunity to finish writing this novel or see her work come to fruition but the completion of it, with the help of a number of people in her life, really gave us something special. That’s how I felt, at least, throughout reading it. It was also somewhat saddening to think that what I was holding in my hand had the author’s heart and soul poured into it without her even witnessing its completion, but if anything, McNamara should be proud of what I’ll Be Gone in the Dark has become. 

It’s hard not to get lost in I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and find yourself becoming obsessed as McNamara was with the Golden State Killer. I will be honest in saying I barely knew anything about the Golden State Killer when starting this so reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark was my first introduction to the killer and the murders he committed. This might have enhanced my reading experience as I cannot speak on behalf of those who are aware and know a fair deal about the killer. 

Ultimately, I want to thank Michelle for being the drive force behind I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and leaving us with something that took up a part of her life.  

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My Attempt At Explaining How Impressed I Was With Joe Cinque's Consolation by Helen Garner

Title: Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law 
Author: Helen Garner
Publication Date: 1st January, 2004
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In October 1997, a clever young law student at ANU made a bizarre plan to murder her devoted boyfriend after a dinner party at their house. Some of the dinner guests - most of them university students - had heard rumours of the plan. Nobody warned Joe Cinque. He died one Sunday, in his own bed, of a massive dose of Rohypnol and heroin. His girlfriend and her best friend were charged with murder.

Helen Garner followed the trials in the ACT Supreme Court. Compassionate but unflinching, this is a book about how and why Joe Cinque died. It probes the gap between ethics and the law; examines the helplessness of the courts in the face of what we think of as "evil"; and explores conscience, culpability, and the battered ideal of duty of care.

Review

I thought it would’ve been easier to review and rate a Helen Garner novel considering I’ve already read some of her works. I was wrong.

I’m struggling to really put into words, and have been for say the past year now, how I really felt or thought about Joe Cinque’s Consolation. That’s not to say this was a bad read, far from it actually. It is just difficult, at least for me, to review/rate a book that is a blend of facts and personal recounts because I never want to tread on someone else’s personal perspective in a negative manner.

In saying that, Garner has presented a bizarre and horrifying case in her own way, opening not only the case itself but also her writing to invitation for thought, judgement and debate. Garner's strong point is her ability to weave personal anecdotes, relatable to the everyday reader, into the crime narrative. It allows people to better understand the case. It does require patience though, as Garner's writing pace is slow and methodic. It feels as though every sentence that Garner writes has been thought over for many hours, each point intentional. I really like that from Garner, the fact that, as she is mulling over her own thoughts and decisions, she is also bringing us along on that journey. Carefully, peeling back the covers to reveal to us an image we would not have seen beyond just what is being reported about the trial, the victim and the perpetrator. However, there is no forcefulness. She is just nudging us, not in a direction that she deems correct per se, but more so so that we start thinking. At least, for me, I was thinking, and thinking hard. I was thinking about the context of the crime, the participants to and of the crime and the consequences of it all.

It is easy to categorise things as black and white - the law does that. Yet, Garner makes us see the various shades between the black and white. She does this by not just recounting the facts of the case, but by drawing on family and friends personal stories and experiences with Anu and Joe. She conducts research on their background, their personalities and overall paints a story for us to better understand them as people - not just perpetrator and victim. What I really liked about Joe Cinque's Consolation is that in her journey to find out who Joe and Anu was, Garner discovers and builds a bond with those involved - especially Joe's family. She doesn't let that become a bias in her narrative, but rather, Garner explores the idea that in any crime it is not just the perpetrator and victim involved. It is not only the victim that is affected and the perpetrator held responsible for their actions. There are people who suffer pain and loss as a consequence, whilst other are indirectly blamed and held accountable despite not committing the crime.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Joe Cinque's Consolation. Whether it's because, as any other person, I am drawn towards stories of crime - the more bizarre and terrifying, the more fascinated we (or maybe just I) am. Or the fact that Garner covered the case in a thorough and engrossing manner, Joe Cinque's Consolation remains a memorable and thought-provoking read.

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A Good Month for Murder is More Than Just a Good Read

Title: A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad

Author: Del Quentin Wilber

Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

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Twelve homicides, three police-involved shootings and the furious hunt for an especially brutal killer - February 2013 was a good month for murder in suburban Washington D.C. 

After gaining unparalleled access to the homicide unit in Prince George's County, which borders the nation's capital, Del Quentin Wilber begins shadowing the talented, often quirky detectives who get the call when a body falls. After a quiet couple of months, all hell breaks loose: suddenly every detective in the squad is scrambling to solve one shooting and stabbing after another. Meanwhile, the entire unit is obsessed with a stone-cold "red ball", a high-profile case involving a seventeen-year-old honor student attacked by a gunman who kicked down the door to her house and shot her in her bed.

Review

I was expecting A Good Month for Murder to read almost like mainstream crime shows - fast-paced, gruesome and nail biting. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the way Del Quinton Wilber narrated the different cases. 

My favourite part about AGMM is that it didn’t need to dramatise or sensationalise each case to grab my attention. Wilber kept his narration at an objective level, detailing each case as it happened. The murders and care real life, there’s no doubting these killings happen, but he also includes the context behind them. The deaths occur in low-socio economic areas, mostly by minority groups, but instead of fixating on the usual discourse of minority youths or groups having “deviant” natures and drawn to crime, Wilber’s narrative outlines the background of the individuals and the circumstances that could have led them to committing the crime or becoming a victim. It conveys further issues that lack addressing in most Western societies, such as drug abuse, lack of job opportunities and lack of support or resources available for residents in disadvantage areas. 

I also liked that the voices of the detectives were included. Wilber showcased each detective involved not only to relay the hard work each officer contributed but to also make them personable and relatable. It’s hard, especially in a US context, to really like police officers following news reports of police abuse and miscarriage of justice. The media coverage on police shootings have negatively impacted the image of police squads and their ability to deliver justice and safety. However, police officers in this recount, though not always perfect, attempt to treat each case with respect and the impact it has on them at a professional and personal level. Homicide cases are not easily solvable, as crime dramas seem to portray, as so I found AGMM to be realistic in that sense as well.

The book is structured so that the recounts are not chronological. I’m moving in and out of the 12 cases, which keeps me engaged but also wanting to know more. I flew through AGMM, reading it in a day and a half. Not once was I ever confused about which case I was reading, and despite finishing this at the end of 2018, I can still recollect details of some of the cases. Wilber was thorough in his description and never fluffed about. It was easy to visualise and recall the events of each case. 

If you want to get into true crime or are already a fan, definitely give this a go!

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