Chasing the Boogeyman
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- Create Date：2021-08-18 21:21:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Richard Chizmar
- ISBN：B08MWRMFKS
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Summary
The
New York Times
bestselling coauthor of
Gwendy’s Button Box
brings his signature “thrilling， page-turning” （Michael Koryta， author of
How It Happened
） prose to this story of small-town evil that combines the storytelling of Stephen King with the true-crime suspense of Michelle McNamara。
In the summer of 1988， the mutilated bodies of several missing girls begin to turn up in a small Maryland town。 The grisly evidence leads police to the terrifying assumption that a serial killer is on the loose in the quiet suburb。 But soon a rumor begins to spread that the evil stalking local teens is not entirely human。 Law enforcement， as well as members of the FBI are certain that the killer is a living， breathing madman—and he’s playing games with them。 For a once peaceful community trapped in the depths of paranoia and suspicion， it feels like a nightmare that will never end。
Recent college graduate Richard Chizmar returns to his hometown just as a curfew is enacted and a neighborhood watch is formed。 In the midst of preparing for his wedding and embarking on a writing career， he soon finds himself thrust into the real-life horror story。 Inspired by the terrifying events， Richard writes a personal account of the serial killer’s reign of terror， unaware that these events will continue to haunt him for years to come。
A clever， terrifying， and heartrending work of metafiction， Chasing the Boogeyman is the ultimate marriage between horror fiction and true crime。 Chizmar’s “brilliant…absolutely fascinating， totally compelling， and immediately poignant” （C。J。 Tudor， New York Times bestselling author） writing is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page。
In the summer of 1988， the mutilated bodies of several missing girls begin to turn up in a small Maryland town。 The grisly evidence leads police to the terrifying assumption that a serial killer is on the loose in the quiet suburb。 But soon a rumor begins to spread that the evil stalking local teens is not entirely human。 Law enforcement， as well as members of the FBI are certain that the killer is a living， breathing madman—and he’s playing games with them。 For a once peaceful community trapped in the depths of paranoia and suspicion， it feels like a nightmare that will never end。
Recent college graduate Richard Chizmar returns to his hometown just as a curfew is enacted and a neighborhood watch is formed。 In the midst of preparing for his wedding and embarking on a writing career， he soon finds himself thrust into the real-life horror story。 Inspired by the terrifying events， Richard writes a personal account of the serial killer’s reign of terror， unaware that these events will continue to haunt him for years to come。
A clever， terrifying， and heartrending work of metafiction， Chasing the Boogeyman is the ultimate marriage between horror fiction and true crime。 Chizmar’s “brilliant…absolutely fascinating， totally compelling， and immediately poignant” （C。J。 Tudor， New York Times bestselling author） writing is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page。
Reviews
That Library Ghost
，
I had a feeling this book wasn't going to be the one for me， I was right。。。A lot of this book was just so mind numbingly boring。 Couple that with an awful main character and a predictable whodunit （I seriously figured out the killer after the first death） and I'm just glad this book wasn't very long。"Chasing the Boogeyman" read more like a slice of life/autobiography than it did a thriller or true crime throughout most of the book。 I had a feeling this book wasn't going to be the one for me， I was right。。。A lot of this book was just so mind numbingly boring。 Couple that with an awful main character and a predictable whodunit （I seriously figured out the killer after the first death） and I'm just glad this book wasn't very long。"Chasing the Boogeyman" read more like a slice of life/autobiography than it did a thriller or true crime throughout most of the book。 。。。more
Jess Frias
，
4。5Loved this book so much but can't give it a perfect 5 ⭐ rating because the middle of book dragged a tad bit。 Overall great book it felt so real and I think Chizmar wrote an amazing book。 4。5Loved this book so much but can't give it a perfect 5 ⭐ rating because the middle of book dragged a tad bit。 Overall great book it felt so real and I think Chizmar wrote an amazing book。 。。。more
Kayla Lenzen
，
Happy Publication Day！I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 In this story we are following the author who is the protagonist in the story。 Four teenage girls are murdered in the summer of 1988 where Richard grew up。 With all these tragic events comes terror from the town and everyone is on edge。 The killer is still at large and the media is calling him the boogeyman。 Richard and his friend Carly try to figure out who the boogeyman is and Richard ends up gra Happy Publication Day！I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 In this story we are following the author who is the protagonist in the story。 Four teenage girls are murdered in the summer of 1988 where Richard grew up。 With all these tragic events comes terror from the town and everyone is on edge。 The killer is still at large and the media is calling him the boogeyman。 Richard and his friend Carly try to figure out who the boogeyman is and Richard ends up grabbing the boogeyman's attention。I really enjoyed this story that read like a true crime novel but also meshed his real life into it。 It was executed perfectly。 I also liked that he explained in his author note what exactly was real and fiction in this novel。 I have a couple complaints。 There is a part of the investigation that seemed to mean something important involving numbers and in the end we just don't get the answer to it。 I also did not consider this book horror and some parts of this book just lacked for me。 I feel like it's missing something。 Overall I enjoyed this book。Trigger Warning: animal abuse 。。。more
Sarah-Grace （Azrael865）
，
A very uniquely told story。 I love true crime and this story has that feel to it。 I loved all the autobiographical content very much as well。 The descriptions of how life was in the 80's makes me wish I had been a young adult then。 Being born a little bit later means so much experiences were missed out on， so I very much love hearing stories from those who lived in those times。 I did Google some of the story points and read about them as I followed along in this story。 I really need to read more A very uniquely told story。 I love true crime and this story has that feel to it。 I loved all the autobiographical content very much as well。 The descriptions of how life was in the 80's makes me wish I had been a young adult then。 Being born a little bit later means so much experiences were missed out on， so I very much love hearing stories from those who lived in those times。 I did Google some of the story points and read about them as I followed along in this story。 I really need to read more of Richard Chizmar's works。Thank you so very much to Gallery Books， Simon and Schuster， and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC。 It was a very pleasant experience。 。。。more
Jameson
，
Hype is a double-edged sword。 A horror novel disguised as true crime could be fun， like found footage horror movies were for five minutes， but I wouldn’t know because this wasn’t that。 I admit， my expectations may have colored my reading experience。 A few days ago I happened upon an early review claiming Chasing the Boogeyman was scary and original and clever， that the conceit used by the author was the best thing since sliced bread， that the twist was a jaw-dropping surprise。 Not half way into Hype is a double-edged sword。 A horror novel disguised as true crime could be fun， like found footage horror movies were for five minutes， but I wouldn’t know because this wasn’t that。 I admit， my expectations may have colored my reading experience。 A few days ago I happened upon an early review claiming Chasing the Boogeyman was scary and original and clever， that the conceit used by the author was the best thing since sliced bread， that the twist was a jaw-dropping surprise。 Not half way into the book I began to wonder if that review wasn’t written by the author’s first grade teacher。 Or stalker。 Chasing reads to me like a combination of hometown memoir and true crime。 Not horror。 There were certain aspects that skirted close to horror， but even using the broader definitions often supplied when fans debate what is and is not horror， I would not label this book horror or even thriller。 It inspired in me no dread or fear or， surprisingly， even a sense that the characters were in danger， which is weird considering the subject matter。 As for the book itself， I’m not the biggest fan of the kind of fiction that relies on elaborate book design or photographs。 I love comics and graphic novels but so far I’ve yet to find a book of prose genuinely enhanced rather than encumbered by that sort of thing。 （I also don’t like comics that include actual pages of text。） This does come pretty close， though。 A few of the photographs were very good and helped suspend my disbelief that this was an actual true crime book （although some of them betrayed their artificiality more than others—some photos look like they were ripped from Instagram last night。） At one point in the story the heroes discover some tantalizing clues in the photos yet， unless I missed them， these were not included！ Baffling choice。 It would have been cool to give the reader a chance to discover the possible secrets hidden within the images。 The best part of the book was the beginning， when I thought I was reading a story about The Boogeyman。 More Babadook than Ted Bundy。 But those hints of Something Supernormal evaporated and I was left with a run-of-the-mill serial killer story， with shoe prints， alibis， DNA， that sort of thing。 Sometimes it’s good to subvert the reader’s expectations， but sometimes it means you’ll have to work that much harder to get them onboard: in my case， I don’t like true crime。 If I knew it were true crime， I never would have read it。 The ending kind of recursively circled back to those Supernormal hints， implying the devil may be in the details， yet by then the story was over。While I liked the hometown material， I never felt rooted in a specific time and place， only a place。 In fact， I just finished the book minutes ago and I am struggling to remember in which decade it was mostly set。 As for the true crime aspect， even that felt more like a shaggy dog story。 This happened， then that happened， then that other thing happened， too。 As for the twist？ Nope。 Would I recommend it？ No。 Do I think it was a good read？ No。 Do I think I’d feel differently had I not read all the hype beforehand？ Yes。 I don’t even know why I’m giving it two stars。 （Well， actually， I do: I just read Camp Slaughter。） 。。。more
Ashley The Bookworm
，
I thought this was great！ I read it in one sitting and thought the concept， and execution of this was so good and I'm really looking forward to reading it again in the future！Full review on my instagramAshley_the_bookworm I thought this was great！ I read it in one sitting and thought the concept， and execution of this was so good and I'm really looking forward to reading it again in the future！Full review on my instagramAshley_the_bookworm 。。。more
Mackenzie Hickey
，
Thoroughly entertaining with just the right amount of horror/suspense。 I was fully invested in the story， which made the twist at the end all the more shocking。 I don't want to give anything away， but if you like thrillers， horror， true crime， suspense， metafiction， etc。， you will definitely love this book。 High recommend。 Thoroughly entertaining with just the right amount of horror/suspense。 I was fully invested in the story， which made the twist at the end all the more shocking。 I don't want to give anything away， but if you like thrillers， horror， true crime， suspense， metafiction， etc。， you will definitely love this book。 High recommend。 。。。more
Peter Evans
，
‘Chasing the Boogeyman’ draws on fiction and real-life in a way I’ve never read before due to the authors biopic account of the most harrowing of stories。The murders of five young girls and reign of terror that has beseeched his quiet little town。Richard Chizmar tells the most intriguing and heart wrenching tale that will keep readers up all night。 This a book of the highest standards。 The writing is highly emotive and the ending is off the charts。I can truly say this book blew me away。 Just sen ‘Chasing the Boogeyman’ draws on fiction and real-life in a way I’ve never read before due to the authors biopic account of the most harrowing of stories。The murders of five young girls and reign of terror that has beseeched his quiet little town。Richard Chizmar tells the most intriguing and heart wrenching tale that will keep readers up all night。 This a book of the highest standards。 The writing is highly emotive and the ending is off the charts。I can truly say this book blew me away。 Just sensational。 。。。more
Charles Dennis
，
Haven't read it yet Haven't read it yet 。。。more
Kaylie Sudlow
，
I loved this novel。 It made me question whether it was a true story at times as it gave me definite Michelle McMamara vibes。 I loved how you could feel the fear of the 'characters' and how you were right there with Rich and Carly wanting to solve the crime。 It is set in Maryland in 1988， Rich is home from college whilst waiting to get married and then everything changes， with the death of his school friends sister。 More deaths occur whilst the police are trying to find out who is the Boogeyman。 I loved this novel。 It made me question whether it was a true story at times as it gave me definite Michelle McMamara vibes。 I loved how you could feel the fear of the 'characters' and how you were right there with Rich and Carly wanting to solve the crime。 It is set in Maryland in 1988， Rich is home from college whilst waiting to get married and then everything changes， with the death of his school friends sister。 More deaths occur whilst the police are trying to find out who is the Boogeyman。 And when you find out who the killer actually is welllll。。。。jaw drop！ I really cannot wait to read further items by Chizmar as this just read really well。 。。。more
Debra
，
READ THIS BOOK！ 'nuff said。。。…。But if you want more， here it goes。。。Summertime， 1988The mutilated bodies of several missing girls how up in a small Maryland town。 The Police believe that a serial killer is targeting those young women in their suburb utopia。 But there are rumors that the killer may not be human。 *gasp* If the killer is not human， that what is it？ The police and FBI will tell you to not believe the rumor that the killer is in fact a human who is playing games with them。Richard Chi READ THIS BOOK！ 'nuff said。。。…。But if you want more， here it goes。。。Summertime， 1988The mutilated bodies of several missing girls how up in a small Maryland town。 The Police believe that a serial killer is targeting those young women in their suburb utopia。 But there are rumors that the killer may not be human。 *gasp* If the killer is not human， that what is it？ The police and FBI will tell you to not believe the rumor that the killer is in fact a human who is playing games with them。Richard Chizmar is a recent graduate and has returned to his hometown armed with his curiosity， his journalist friend， Carly， and writing utensils。 He is planning his wedding， but he is also planning on doing some detective work on his own。 He feels as if he is being watched， strange calls are coming in， and well， he may have put himself in a little danger。This reads as a true crime book with photos which make this book feel even more real。 But it is a work of fiction。 I had to remind myself of this several times while reading。 Parts are taken from the Author's real life which also give this book a very authentic feel。 Don't stop reading when you reach the end， the Author's note is a must-read section of this book as well。I saw the glowing reviews and had high hopes for this book， and it did not disappoint。 I found myself to be fully invested in this book and didn't want to put it down when real life called。 It's intriguing， so well thought out and executed。 Believe the hype and I'll say it one last time - READ THIS BOOK！Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Renee
，
Well， this was a very intriguing book！ It read like a very detailed and engaging true crime story with the author writing about a killer who came to his small hometown。 It is a fictional tale though。Richard Chizmar returned to his childhood home after graduating from college。 Until his upcoming marriage， he is back in his childhood bedroom， eating dinner with his parents， and trying to get his first magazine endeavor started。 When a young girl is found dead， it seems like a nightmare or a story Well， this was a very intriguing book！ It read like a very detailed and engaging true crime story with the author writing about a killer who came to his small hometown。 It is a fictional tale though。Richard Chizmar returned to his childhood home after graduating from college。 Until his upcoming marriage， he is back in his childhood bedroom， eating dinner with his parents， and trying to get his first magazine endeavor started。 When a young girl is found dead， it seems like a nightmare or a story from one of the horror books he treasures。She was taken from her own bed with no clues left behind， leaving her family heartbroken and neighbors with no idea whom to trust。 As if this isn't enough， the body count continues to rise and soon the police are sure that a serial killer has found a new hunting ground。 There are no witnesses and no clues left behind， earning the killer the nickname， the Boogeyman。Soon Richard is working with a local reporter to try and solve these baffling crimes。 It reads so much like a true crime that I forgot I was reading fiction more than once。 The author perhaps uses his own personal stories about Edgewood and then adds compelling fictional details like pictures and articles that pertain to the crimes。 One person stood out as a potential suspect， but there were so many red herrings， that I doubted my own spidey senses。 There were times when it seemed as though a supernatural entity was hovering over this town， and I wasn't at all convinced that the killer was indeed human。I really enjoyed Chasing The Boogeyman and the way it highlighted a much simpler time and place。 Of course， evil seems to exist everywhere and no town， no matter how small or quaint seems immune when a madman comes knocking。 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Melissa ~ Recreational Hobbyist
，
Review to come！
Pam
，
Interesting true crime。 Felt like something was missing。
April Forsythe
，
Chasing the Boogeyman is a fictional account of a small town serial killer that is written like a true crime book。 What makes it even more meta is the fact that it is written from the real life author’s point of view。 Richard Chizmar has used his small roots to create a story that should scare anyone who grew up in the suburbs。 The Boogeyman is a serial killer that has beaten， bitten， and killed four girls in the small town of Edgewood。 Richard Chizmar is a struggling writer who has moved back i Chasing the Boogeyman is a fictional account of a small town serial killer that is written like a true crime book。 What makes it even more meta is the fact that it is written from the real life author’s point of view。 Richard Chizmar has used his small roots to create a story that should scare anyone who grew up in the suburbs。 The Boogeyman is a serial killer that has beaten， bitten， and killed four girls in the small town of Edgewood。 Richard Chizmar is a struggling writer who has moved back into his childhood home for a few months before getting married。 While there， he is witness to his town falling into chaos because of the blanket of fear the Boogeyman has instilled。 Chizmar finds himself compelled to write about these murders。 In doing so， he becomes part of the killer’s focus。Chizmar has managed to write a tale that truly scares you， especially with the realization that the Boogeyman is not a stranger， but is one of the town’s residents。 Chasing the Boogeyman is a fast paced， spine-chilling bit of storytelling。 The fact that it is written like true crime novel （photographs and all） is a fantastic change of pace。 。。。more
Wendy Remez
，
4。5 stars-a novel that felt like a true crime story complete with pictures of victims and crime scenes。 Well written first hand account of the author as he lived through and investigated a serial killer called the Boogeyman。
Kelly Hager
，
This book is fantastic。 It's incredibly clever and evocative。 You can immediately see the town and neighborhoods; you KNOW this setting。 It feels incredibly realistic （and that was even before I saw the pictures that are at the ends of each chapter）。 The murders are fiction， but it feels all too real， like I would be able to Google and find a bunch of memorial pages。 It's also a true crime story for people who don't really like true crime。 There are murders and vicious ones， but the descriptions This book is fantastic。 It's incredibly clever and evocative。 You can immediately see the town and neighborhoods; you KNOW this setting。 It feels incredibly realistic （and that was even before I saw the pictures that are at the ends of each chapter）。 The murders are fiction， but it feels all too real， like I would be able to Google and find a bunch of memorial pages。 It's also a true crime story for people who don't really like true crime。 There are murders and vicious ones， but the descriptions aren't overly graphic or gratuitous and all violence is off-page。I definitely need to read more of his writing。 HIghly recommended。 。。。more
karen
，
NOW AVAILABLE！！！when i first heard about this genre-blendy true crime/crime fiction mash-up， my first thought was "i wonder if james renner knows about this book？" since that's his whole wheelhouse。 i forgot to email him to put it on his radar， which oversight worked out just fine， because once i finally got my hands on a copy， i opened it up to discover that james renner wrote the dang introduction！ begging the question， why didn't he tell ME about this book， hmmmm？ review to come。。。 NOW AVAILABLE！！！when i first heard about this genre-blendy true crime/crime fiction mash-up， my first thought was "i wonder if james renner knows about this book？" since that's his whole wheelhouse。 i forgot to email him to put it on his radar， which oversight worked out just fine， because once i finally got my hands on a copy， i opened it up to discover that james renner wrote the dang introduction！ begging the question， why didn't he tell ME about this book， hmmmm？ review to come。。。 。。。more
Elaine's Reviews
，
Chasing the Boogeyman is a very clever book - written as a work of fiction but in the style of a true crime book of which the author's younger self is the star - it is hard to consciously read it is as fiction。 Richard Chizmar， in 1988 is 23 and an up and coming writer。 He moves back to his parents house in Edgewood， a small town in middle America in the run up to his wedding to Kara。 He is happy to have the time with his parents， even though it feels strange to be back in his childhood bed。 How Chasing the Boogeyman is a very clever book - written as a work of fiction but in the style of a true crime book of which the author's younger self is the star - it is hard to consciously read it is as fiction。 Richard Chizmar， in 1988 is 23 and an up and coming writer。 He moves back to his parents house in Edgewood， a small town in middle America in the run up to his wedding to Kara。 He is happy to have the time with his parents， even though it feels strange to be back in his childhood bed。 However， a murderer is on the loose in his town， 4 young girls have so far been murdered。 Richard and his friend， local journalist， Carly Albright， are following the case intensely collating their own notes as they go。 Richard eventually writes a true crime book about the murders which is updated 30 years later when the Boogeyman is eventually identified （and what a shock that was！）This book is fascinating， riveting and compulsive reading。 I absolutely loved it。 It is now in my top 5 of the year so far。 it is authentic and at times too believable， it reads like an altogether too tense and atmospheric true crime book。 If you like a really good whodunnit， and you're into true crime books - this is the book for you - it is unputdownable。 5 stars。 。。。more
Lou
，
Chasing the Boogeyman is a compulsive work of metafiction with both horror and true crime elements set in the 1980s。 Casting himself as the main character and narrator， the author introduces his younger self， 22-year-old Richard Chizmar。 The story revolves around his recollection of his return to Chizmar’s real hometown of Edgewood， Maryland， and his family home in the searing summer of 1988。 He intends on spending time with his loved ones in this time between his college graduation and his upco Chasing the Boogeyman is a compulsive work of metafiction with both horror and true crime elements set in the 1980s。 Casting himself as the main character and narrator， the author introduces his younger self， 22-year-old Richard Chizmar。 The story revolves around his recollection of his return to Chizmar’s real hometown of Edgewood， Maryland， and his family home in the searing summer of 1988。 He intends on spending time with his loved ones in this time between his college graduation and his upcoming wedding in January。 Chizmar mostly plans to hole up in his childhood bedroom to write horror stories and turn out the first issue of horror-themed magazine Cemetery Dance， but fate has something else in mind for him。 When teenage girls begin disappearing from their bedrooms and driveways， only to turn up dead and mutilated hours later， Chizmar is drawn into the investigation that quickly consumes his small hometown。 Each victim has been found missing their left ear and posed after death。 Dubbed the “boogeyman” the possible serial killer seems impossible to catch as he lurks in the shadows。 Richard finds himself caught up in the intensive search for this sneaky perpetrator， his path intertwining with a journalist friend and the lead detective on the case。 It isn't long before rumours begin to spread that the killer may not be entirely human， although the police believe the killer to be every bit the human psychopath。 This is a riveting and enthralling read in which Chizmar inserts a gruesome—and entirely fictional—serial-killer narrative and places it into a largely autobiographical coming-of-age story。 You can clearly see that the plot was shaped by true crime classics and found-footage horror films， and the supernatural thread that runs throughout is absolutely chilling。 Suspenseful， haunting and oppressively atmospheric， it reminds you that even somewhere as innocuous and safe as a typical blue-collar small town can and usually does have a dark side。 It's immersive， nostalgic and， surprisingly， emotionally resonant and the black-and-white photographs at the end of most chapters lent the book an authenticity that words alone couldn’t provide。 A nightmare-inducing must-read for horror and true crime fans。 。。。more
Victoria
，
With a catchy title， haunting cover and a tons of pre-publication buzz （including a promo quote from Stephen King！）， this one immediately caught my attention and hit the top of my wishlist of books I wanted to read。 Needless to say， I was genuinely thrilled when the publisher reached directly out to me and invited me to read this book！ It definitely lived up to its hype！ I loved it！Set in the late 1980s and formatted like a true crime book （complete with a forward by a true crime writer， and pho With a catchy title， haunting cover and a tons of pre-publication buzz （including a promo quote from Stephen King！）， this one immediately caught my attention and hit the top of my wishlist of books I wanted to read。 Needless to say， I was genuinely thrilled when the publisher reached directly out to me and invited me to read this book！ It definitely lived up to its hype！ I loved it！Set in the late 1980s and formatted like a true crime book （complete with a forward by a true crime writer， and photos throughout）， this book immediately hooks the reader right in。 With obvious love and nostalgia for his own hometown of Edgewood， Maryland， Chizmar tells the story of the Boogeyman from his own perspective which only adds to the overall authenticity that the format lends this book。 After graduating college， Chizmar returns to his hometown and lives with his parents until his upcoming winter wedding。 But that summer， terror strikes the town （even a Jaws quote gets pulled in here！） when a young teenager's body is found。 Chizmar builds the tension so well here and the details along with the book's structure makes this a completely convincing read that feels so genuine！ It definitely gave me some legitimate chills and actual goosebumps while reading it。 And it had me up quite late into the night because I just couldn't put it down！ It's pre-publication buzz is well-deserved！ This novel is very well done！ It's my first experience with Chizmar's writing， but I am quite sure that it won't be my last！ I really enjoyed reading this - though I do wish that there had been a bit more to the ending。 I suppose that's more of a sign that I just didn't want the book to end， though！ That's my only complaint - otherwise， I totally loved this and it's definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021 so far！ The attention to detail is consistent throughout and it really builds into a creepy， creepy read！ I am definitely looking forward to more from him now！ 。。。more
Brandi Guarino
，
TW/CW: Kidnapping， Rape， Murder， Mutilation of Humans， Killing/Mutilation of Animals， and SuicideIn the summer of 1988， four teenage girls are kidnapped and murdered in Edgewood， Maryland。 Recent college graduate Richard Chizmar is moving back to his hometown in preparation for his upcoming wedding and into the middle of the chaos that is unfolding。 Focusing on writing and starting his magazine， Richard can’t help but get drawn into the investigation surrounding the murders of the girls。 Along w TW/CW: Kidnapping， Rape， Murder， Mutilation of Humans， Killing/Mutilation of Animals， and SuicideIn the summer of 1988， four teenage girls are kidnapped and murdered in Edgewood， Maryland。 Recent college graduate Richard Chizmar is moving back to his hometown in preparation for his upcoming wedding and into the middle of the chaos that is unfolding。 Focusing on writing and starting his magazine， Richard can’t help but get drawn into the investigation surrounding the murders of the girls。 Along with his friend newspaper reporter Carly Armstrong， Chizmar sets out to assist police by piecing together clues left by the killer in hopes of finding the identity of “The Boogeyman” before he kills again。 “Chasing the Boogeyman” has been high on my Must-Read list of 2021， and it lived up to the hype and then some。 A combination of memoir/love letter to his hometown and metafiction that reads like a true-crime novel。 More than once while reading， I had to stop myself from googling the names of the victims in the story or to look for updates on the killer because I forgot that the story isn’t true。 To be able to create such an expansive world where your reader gets deeply immersed to the point where they forget that the circumstances aren’t real， to me， that is a sign of a great storyteller。 Chizmar is a great storyteller。5/5 StarsThanks to #NetGalley and to Gallery Books for providing me with an eArc of this novel to read and review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Melissa S
，
Richard Chizmar was a recent college graduate in the summer of 1988， when girls began to be abducted and murdered in his hometown， tiny Edgewood， Maryland。 It appears that a serial killer is at work in this sleepy rural suburb。 Richard had recently moved back home and was starting his writing career while planning a wedding to his high school sweetheart。 He can't help but be intereted in this puzzling case， and finds himself pulled deeply into this real-life horror story。 This book is his person Richard Chizmar was a recent college graduate in the summer of 1988， when girls began to be abducted and murdered in his hometown， tiny Edgewood， Maryland。 It appears that a serial killer is at work in this sleepy rural suburb。 Richard had recently moved back home and was starting his writing career while planning a wedding to his high school sweetheart。 He can't help but be intereted in this puzzling case， and finds himself pulled deeply into this real-life horror story。 This book is his personal account of the serial killer's reign of terror over his town。The author tells us upfront that this book is based on a few pieces of factual information， but is fictional。 But it sure doesn't read like fiction。 It reads like true crime， through and through， and was so very believable that I found myself second guessing the author's opening note multiple times。 It is very cleverly written， with a fictional plot being woven into Chizmar's real life， blurring the lines of reality。 I especially enjoyed the author filling in his personal background and upbrining - his friends and their hijinks felt very authentic and relatable。 This could be any small town and every small town。 I also really liked the photographs of crime scenes， victims and key players interspersed in the book。 They added a lot to the true crime feel and made it seem even more real。 There were plenty of chills to be had， creepy moments that had me scared and gory revelations about the victims。 This was a really clever and scary novel。 Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Stella
，
This book is insanely and PAINFULLY good。 It taps into the vein of true crime and memoir and small towns and mystery and murder and horror and just excellent and wonderful， wonderful writing。 The ENTIRE time I was reading this book， I had the hardest time believing that this was fiction。 While Richard Chizmar did take many things directly from his life， the "Boogeyman" is based on an amalgamation of many serial killers。 The story--the story is amazing - but what stands out - is the romantic was This book is insanely and PAINFULLY good。 It taps into the vein of true crime and memoir and small towns and mystery and murder and horror and just excellent and wonderful， wonderful writing。 The ENTIRE time I was reading this book， I had the hardest time believing that this was fiction。 While Richard Chizmar did take many things directly from his life， the "Boogeyman" is based on an amalgamation of many serial killers。 The story--the story is amazing - but what stands out - is the romantic was that Chizmar writes about his childhood and youth。 There's a part - very early in the book， right after he returns home after graduation - where he's sitting at his desk and he writes about seeing the ghosts of his youth in the yard and it just。。。。broke me。 Because I think that all the time。 I see it in my hometown， in my college town， in my post-college town， in the East Village， in random NYC streets。 Chasing the Boogeyman is just flat-out an amazing piece of story-telling and blows every piece of 'thriller' fiction out of the water。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Ann
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In Chasing the Boogeyman Richard Chizmar recalls episodes of his hometown as he grew up and mixes facts and fiction。 Mr Chizmar is a very vivid storyteller and I felt like I was visiting Edgewood， Maryland。 I want to thank NetGalley and Galley Books for an early copy to review。
Karen Barber
，
Chasing the Boogeyman is， essentially， a work of fiction but it is presented to us in such a way as to plausibly seem like a horrific true story。 As a story it is cleverly constructed， and as a concept it was fascinating。The book is set in the small Maryland town of Edgewood， and is told from the viewpoint of our narrator， the author。 He is in his early twenties， about to get married and has returned to his childhood home to save money as he attempts to start his career as a writer。 When the bod Chasing the Boogeyman is， essentially， a work of fiction but it is presented to us in such a way as to plausibly seem like a horrific true story。 As a story it is cleverly constructed， and as a concept it was fascinating。The book is set in the small Maryland town of Edgewood， and is told from the viewpoint of our narrator， the author。 He is in his early twenties， about to get married and has returned to his childhood home to save money as he attempts to start his career as a writer。 When the body of one of his neighbours， Natasha Gallagher， is found in woodland behind her home people are shocked。 However， when further bodies turn up it seems that the town has a serial killer。People are jumpy。 Curfews are brought in， neighbourhood watch groups are set up - sometimes with unexpected results - and the FBI are also on hand。In such a small town the creeping sense of unease is easy to imagine。 Chizmar captures the tension well， showing through the eyes of his somewhat naive self the mechanics （such as he could witness them） of the investigation and the effects of such brutality on a small community。 His fascination with the crimes is， perhaps， understandable and I found myself completely absorbed in the way he reports these。 The photos were a nice touch to lend authenticity， and it was definitely a plus that Chizmar was aided in his somewhat interfering sleuthing by his friend， aspiring journalist Carly Albright。From start to finish this was a story that I found hard to put down。 I wouldn't say it was terrifying， but a bit like Bradbury （who is referenced） Chizmar is skilled at creating a mood。 Huge thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts。 。。。more
Meigan
，
CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN is a masterful work of metafiction that has all the feels of the best of true crime mixed with the best of 1980s small town horror。 Remember when The Blair Witch Project first came out and everyone and their mother thought it was truly real？ That was this book。 Also remember how The Strangers was based on “true life events”， but it turns out those events were simple neighborhood break-ins？ Yep， that was also this book。Author Richard Chizmar takes readers on a journey throug CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN is a masterful work of metafiction that has all the feels of the best of true crime mixed with the best of 1980s small town horror。 Remember when The Blair Witch Project first came out and everyone and their mother thought it was truly real？ That was this book。 Also remember how The Strangers was based on “true life events”， but it turns out those events were simple neighborhood break-ins？ Yep， that was also this book。Author Richard Chizmar takes readers on a journey through Edgewood， MD in the 1980s when terror strikes the town as a murderer stalks the streets， snatching， mutilating， and killing teenage girls。 Daughters， neighbors， sisters， friends。 The town is understandably shaken as the authorities search for the monster behind the murders。 Many townspeople are convinced the murderer is inhuman， a terrifying legend known to the area。 Chizmar himself is pulled right into into the investigation when he and a friend set out to discover who or what is killing these girls。 But soon the nightmare becomes his own as he’s chasing the Boogeyman。 I can’t say enough how much I loved this book。 Chizmar incorporates so much reality and so much of his own personal history with Edgewood and the surrounding areas that it feels like a memoir， and readers can’t help but want to learn everything there is to know about these murders in this town （𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩！ 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙！ 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙’𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥！ 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙨， 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮， 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨😉） A clever piece of work this was， and if I weren’t already a fan of Richard Chizmar， this book would’ve certainly made sure that I was。 5 glorious， sanity-questioning stars。 *Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital arc。 。。。more
BookNerdsBrainDump
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Short Take: I genuinely don’t know what to think， and I like it。Hello my beloved nerdlings！ We’re coming up on the tail end of a long， strange summer here。 Kids are getting ready to go back to school （and can we all send a wish to whatever force we believe in that they are able to be safely in class this year？）， Halloween decorations are popping up in stores， and pumpkin spice is starting to sneak into all my favorite desserts。 It’s the time of year when those of us who are Of A Certain Age star Short Take: I genuinely don’t know what to think， and I like it。Hello my beloved nerdlings！ We’re coming up on the tail end of a long， strange summer here。 Kids are getting ready to go back to school （and can we all send a wish to whatever force we believe in that they are able to be safely in class this year？）， Halloween decorations are popping up in stores， and pumpkin spice is starting to sneak into all my favorite desserts。 It’s the time of year when those of us who are Of A Certain Age start to feel our nostalgia nerve twitching， when we all feel a little closer to the people we used to be before life and the world hit us a few too many times with the old Reality Stick。And speaking of nostalgia and realities， let me tell you about Richard Chizmar’s new book， Chasing The Boogeyman。In a nutshell: the year is 1988， a young Richard Chizmar moves back to his hometown （Edgewood， Maryland） for a few months after graduating college。 He’s getting ready for marriage and trying to launch his own horror magazine， and it’s a kind of suspended animation， an in-between time， after school but before real life。 However， during his visit， several beautiful young women are murdered。 Of course to a budding horror author and publisher， the idea of a REAL LIVE SERIAL KILLER nearby is pure catnip， an his fascination borders on obsession。 Despite the fairly simple plot， Chasing The Boogeyman is one of those books that defies easy description。 Part memoir， part thriller， part maybe-true crime， a kaleidoscopic mix of fiction and nonfiction where the lines between the two are so fine as to be invisible。 I’m not going to give away which parts are which， but let me just say that my jaw hit my chest （fortunately， I had already swallowed the brownie I was eating） when all was revealed。For a book ostensibly about a serial killer， Chasing The Boogeyman is really a love letter to a very specific time and place。 Much of the book is devoted to Mr。 Chizmar’s all-American boyhood， his wonderful supportive parents， and his tight-knit circle of friends。 To be honest， it was those meandering reminiscences that I had the biggest issue with。 I’m not opposed to flashbacks， or town history， or great parents， or BFF’s or any of that。 But it was all just so shiny-picture-perfect， Leave It To Beaver-y， that I was waiting for him to casually drop that his mom was running the vacuum in pearls and heels。 I mean， I’m sure that the author DID have a great childhood， and that’s wonderful for him。 But as I frequently tell the Junior Nerdlings， happy childhoods are boring。 I guess my gripe is that although quite interesting， and with some marvelous narrative sleight-of-hand， Chasing The Boogeyman just isn’t the kind of exciting that I would expect from the description。Which isn’t to say it’s bad。 The central mystery is compelling， and a lot of the prose is absolutely lovely。 I just wish there had been more conflict and tension。The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS （and maybe just one more brownie。 Y’know， for science。） 。。。more
Chris
，
It's the summer of 1988 in Edgewood， Maryland。 Young Richard Chizmar is returning home from graduating college， preparing for his impending nuptials to his high school sweetheart， who's still in college。 He's focusing on his writing and hanging out with his folks。 Then， a series of kidnappings and murders start occurring。 The town is overcome with fear。 Richard， with his fascination with true crime delves into the case with his friend Carly。 The premise for this book is one I've never read befor It's the summer of 1988 in Edgewood， Maryland。 Young Richard Chizmar is returning home from graduating college， preparing for his impending nuptials to his high school sweetheart， who's still in college。 He's focusing on his writing and hanging out with his folks。 Then， a series of kidnappings and murders start occurring。 The town is overcome with fear。 Richard， with his fascination with true crime delves into the case with his friend Carly。 The premise for this book is one I've never read before and I found it very intriguing。 While a work of fiction， its written in the style of a true crime/memoir。 The book gripped me in a way I did not expect。 The pacing is excellent and it felt like the fictional people in the town were very real。 I truly enjoyed reading this and can't recommend it enough！ Thank you to Gallery Books， Richard Chizmar， and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Mallory Lozoya
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I really enjoyed this book！ I love that the author incorporated his own hometown and true events into this fictional story。 The structure was well thought out and used genre characteristics to the story’s advantage。 I felt like I had also grown up in his hometown and was experiencing this along with them。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Chasing the Boogeyman
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Chasing the Boogeyman&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Chasing the Boogeyman&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0