I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bittersweet. The name of the cocktail I paired with I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and the primary emotion flowing from its pages. The primary author, Michelle McNamara, passed away unexpectedly while working on this book. Her lead researcher and a close colleague worked to piece together the unfinished chapters using her extensive notes, occasionally adding their own commentary or explanations introducing chapters they left in the form of her original notes or pulled from other writings.
McNamara shared her life with the reader as she worked on the book, adding in descriptions of working from her daughter’s room in between detailed explanations of the killer’s patterns and methods. This glimpse into her life - along with the knowledge that she passed before the killer was found and brought to justice - made the book that much more difficult to read.
McNamara brought empathy to the page where she could and left the rest as matter-of-fact as possible, but reading about the various crime scenes and impacts to the victim’s families verged on voyeuristic at times. I think this is an issue with the genre more than a problem with McNamara’s writing - if you’re a true crime fan I’d love to get your thoughts!
I’m not generally a true crime reader. I prefer escapism to real life and feel no need to get inside the head of a deranged sociopath. I was able to stick through this only because it was so well laid out, and because by the time I picked it up the GSK had been arrested. The version I read was a re-release after the arrest and included a gently soul-crushing afterward by her husband Patton Oswalt. He has been upfront in his comedy and interviews in the past about how deeply he was impacted by his her death, and wrote a beautiful send off. Or two, really. One heartfelt and tear-inducing for his late wife, and one shredding the frightening legacy of the GSK as only a wordsmith could. I’m never going to reread I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and it hasn’t convinced me to check out more of the genre. But I respect high-quality work when I see it and McNamara’s research and writing deserve the accolades they’ve received. If you’re a true crime fan this should be on your list for sure!
Bittersweet Cocktail
1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz Campari
2 oz berry syrup
1 dash orange bitters
Orange garnish
Steps:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a coupe glass.
I thin sliced a clementine for garnish because twists never look as nice as I want them to. Be super careful if you try this - I almost cut myself several times.
