I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

This book crossed my radar because it is written by Patton Oswalt's late wife, she died suddenly before she could fully finish the work.

There are parts/sections that have a note by the editor telling the reader that it is a section or part that was put together with Michelle's notes, from an article she had written, or from her blog posts, and you can tell reading these sections. They are still good but they lack a certain something that is evident in her fully fleshed out, completed chapters. She writes, even with this dark subject matter, in such a warm and real way. She reveals some pieces of her life and feelings, and a compassion comes through for those she is writing about. There is nothing but respect for the victims and their families and her heart shines best here.

One of the best parts of how Michelle wrote this is that it reads like a who-done-it, you want to skip to the last page to see who the perpetrator is and how the lead detective finally gets his man. But this is isn't a novel, these horrible crimes are real, real pain and real blood was shed, and the case becomes consuming for many who are touched by it. It spans jurisdictions and years and captured the imagination of detectives and arm-chair detectives all over the place. Michelle ties the pieces together in a gripping story.

I remember being so heartbroken for Patton and their daughter Alice over the sudden loss of Michelle, but while I know it doesn't compare with their loss, I can say the loss is to the literary world too, her talent and light are gone too soon.

(Finished March 28, 2018)