I'll Be Gone in the DarkI'll Be Gone in the Dark
Score Modern
What it's about
For more than ten years, a violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California, then moved south and committed ten sadistic murders, before vanishing. True crime writer Michelle McNamara became obsessed with finding the man she named the Golden State Killer, and this book tells of her search, and the cases.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and spent 28 weeks on the lists. It's both a chilling crime story and a portrait of obsession.
You'll love it if you liked
In Cold Blood
The Devil in the White City
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandGood to know
McNamara died before finishing it; colleagues completed it. The killer was arrested in 2018, shortly after publication.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller74 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #115 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #330 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #653 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Gripping, Dark
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Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small TownExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is I'll Be Gone in the Dark worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and spent 28 weeks on the lists. It ranks #653 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is I'll Be Gone in the Dark about?
For more than ten years, a violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California, then moved south and committed ten sadistic murders, before vanishing. True crime writer Michelle McNamara became obsessed with finding the man she named the Golden State Killer, and this book tells of her search, and the cases.
How long does it take to read I'll Be Gone in the Dark?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after I'll Be Gone in the Dark?
If you liked it, try In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson or Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe.