Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
I rated Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar 4 out of 5
pages.
The reader is introduced to recent graduate and author,
Richard Chizmar, and his hometown of Edgewood as they reel with the terrifying
events plaguing their community. Several young girls have gone missing,
abducted right from their homes and neighborhoods, and found mutilated. The town
is thrown into the grasp of a serial killer who taunts the police, Richard and
his family. As a community grapples with the horrific events unfolding and are
left with no answers from the police, Richard makes it his mission to collect
as much of a personal account as possible of the events unfolding. The investigation
soon consumes Richard, so much so, he is considered a suspect himself.
As Richard, and his close journalist friend, dig deeper into
the crimes leaving his small town in a state of paranoia, he soon realizes the
killer may be closer than anyone could’ve ever imagined. A realization that
will haunt Richard many years later.
I cannot say enough about how thrilling, well-written and clever
this book is. Richard Chizmar’s imagination and combination of horror fiction
and true crime provided unique writing that it was refreshing to read. Chasing
the Boogeyman leads the reader on the journey of a serial killer and the crimes
being committed from start to finish, detailing all the trials and tribulations
the families, communities, friends, and law enforcement officials are forced to
grapple with. Chizmar perfectly captures the victims and their families as well
as the mind of the serial killer. It is done so in a way unlike most other
novels within the genre. Not only is the read unique from start to finish but Chizmar
sets the reader up for the perfect twist at the end, one that was unpredictable,
terrifying and, sadly, relatable today. I applaud Chizmar for his approach in
this novel and how well thought out each chapter was, focusing on varying
aspects of the crimes, from an emotional standpoint and scientific one. This
coupled with Chizmar’s unique psychological insight, made the novel feel as
though you were part of the investigation every step of the way with Chizmar
and the detectives.
As an aside, there are some heavy topics dealt with in this
book, not in super detail to make it gory, but enough which may be off putting
to some readers. Be mindful of this before deciding to join Chizmar on the hunt
for a serial killer.
I would highly recommend this book to lovers of horror, true
crime, and thrillers! I will also advise you know to set aside a few hours because
you’re going to have a very difficult time putting the book down.
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