Online Book Club Reads “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”
Image from “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”, currently airing on HBO.
Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, a violent and sadistic predator stalked California. This callous, calculating psychopath would enter homes undetected; assault more than fifty people and kill thirteen, and vanish without leaving a single useful link to his identity. And until his capture in 2018, many people, both law enforcement and internet sleuths, would obsess over his crimes, and would pour over every last movement the criminal made. Who is “Bonnie”? What is the “punishment map”? Why were the police sketches so different? How long had he been researching this residence for? Was he in the military? Who is he?
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is a testament to the lasting power of mystery. Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent maniac 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. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelle’s lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic—and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.
Join us this summer as we read I’ll Be Gone in the Dark from July 23 through September 24.
With over 300 community members already signed up, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Online Book Club is ready to connect readers at a safe distance while we continue our quarantine. Membership is free and eBooks are available for download for all library cardholders. By taking part in this online community, readers can connect with their fellow Glendalians through the enjoyment of reading and discussing great books. The book club members will read a new book every two to three months, which allows readers plenty of time to finish each book.
Upcoming book club titles will include topics related to lifelong learning, social issues, literature, psychology, as well as selections suggested by book club members. Sign up today!
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to library staff by calling 818-548-2021 or by sending us an email at LibraryInfo@GlendaleCA.gov.