Chasing the Boogeyman

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar is one of the best books I've read this year. Composed in moving yet highly readable prose, this novel combines fact and imagination from the author's life to form a fictional “true” crime book following a serial killer. Unlike many real true crime books, a genre I have dabbled in but do not count among my favorites, the reader does not know who the criminal is from the outset. This allows Chizmar's masterful narrative to combine elements of mystery along with the journalistic and procedural thriller to weave his tale as the reader, along with Chizmar, seeks to discover the responsible party behind the Edgewood murders. Chizmar's inclusion of photos following each chapter really helped to sell the true crime book genre and really enhanced the reading experience. Although the audiobook narrator did a great job, I'd highly recommend checking out Audible's included PDF or getting a print/ebook copy to check out the pictures. In addition to being a suspenseful and creepy story, where Chasing the Boogeyman really shines is in making sections of the book feel so warm, personal, and nostalgic. By using elements of his own lived experience in the book, author Chizmar has endowed the character Chizmar and his setting with both verisimilitude and personality that draws the reader in and tugs at the heart. Few authors, Chizmar's sometimes collaborator Stephen King among them, manage to write dark fiction that is both scary and heartwarming. This is one area where Richard Chizmar has truly succeeded in Chasing the Boogeyman. Although the story is not historical, it nevertheless felt true, and the character of Richard Chizmar felt relatable. Part “true” crime armature detective thriller, part new adult, part book about books, and part love letter to small towns...Chasing the Boogeyman is not to be missed. I've already pre-ordered Becoming the Boogeyman, and can't wait to read it!