Chasing the Boogeyman
- Downloads：5746
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-16 02:21:17
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Richard Chizmar
- ISBN：1982175168
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Stella
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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
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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
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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
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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。
Lani
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Chasing the Boogeyman captivated me from the very first page。 The story is so well-written and impossible to put down。 Brief description: Rich Chizmar returns home to his small town in Maryland after graduating from college。 He's preparing for his upcoming wedding and working on writing stories for his newly created horror story magazine。 But his quiet town becomes the center of national news when several young women are found murdered in the span of a few months。 Rich and his journalist friend， Chasing the Boogeyman captivated me from the very first page。 The story is so well-written and impossible to put down。 Brief description: Rich Chizmar returns home to his small town in Maryland after graduating from college。 He's preparing for his upcoming wedding and working on writing stories for his newly created horror story magazine。 But his quiet town becomes the center of national news when several young women are found murdered in the span of a few months。 Rich and his journalist friend， Carly， become obsessed with trying to find the so-called "Boogeyman" and help the police with their investigation， though that help is not always welcomed。 This true crime inspired story was so captivating。 With its Halloween-esque boogeyman in a mask， small town setting， and descriptive details （including photos！）， this one is incredibly unique and not to be missed。4。5 Stars 。。。more
Kim
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I had requested Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar well over a month ago from Netgalley。 I didn’t reread the synopsis before I began reading it so I was surprised when I started reading a true crime memoir， since I know Chizmar as a horror writer。 I kept getting surprised and a bit confused towards the end until I realized Chizmar has started a new genre of a non-fiction memoir combined with a fictitious true crime story。 It is a very enjoyable concept and I can see more writers getting in I had requested Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar well over a month ago from Netgalley。 I didn’t reread the synopsis before I began reading it so I was surprised when I started reading a true crime memoir， since I know Chizmar as a horror writer。 I kept getting surprised and a bit confused towards the end until I realized Chizmar has started a new genre of a non-fiction memoir combined with a fictitious true crime story。 It is a very enjoyable concept and I can see more writers getting in on the action。While it was interesting getting to know Chizmar a bit with glimpses back to his childhood and young adulthood， there were times when I felt the history of the town really bogged it down and I found myself skimming those parts。 And while the suspense was there， I did miss the horror aspect。 What the reader receives instead is a creepy feeling every now and then。There were some great touches throughout the book including the obligatory true crime photos and I was amused how they came about。 And after the killer is caught the interview that follows adds an interesting layer to the story， but still leaves the reader with questions。 So maybe Chizmar really did give us the horror aspect when it comes to killers hiding in plain sight and often there is no explanation as to the horrors that take place in everyday life。 。。。more
Stephanie G。
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Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in return for an honest review。This was my first metafiction book and I LOVED it。It's a fiction book told in the format of a true crime novel。 There are even pictures！！ The story is told by young adult Richard Chizmar who is also the author。 After a brief history of his town and life as a child growing up there the story takes off when a girl named Natasha is murdered。 She is the first but not the lastRichard，an aspiring horror author， began to d Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in return for an honest review。This was my first metafiction book and I LOVED it。It's a fiction book told in the format of a true crime novel。 There are even pictures！！ The story is told by young adult Richard Chizmar who is also the author。 After a brief history of his town and life as a child growing up there the story takes off when a girl named Natasha is murdered。 She is the first but not the lastRichard，an aspiring horror author， began to do his own investigations。 This book is fascinating！ I loved that although it's a work of fiction， it felt so real。 。。。more
Andrea Dinan
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What an unusual and engrossing book！ Such a ride。 This book is a great example of metafiction！Richard Chizmar is the author and the main character of a book that reads like a true crime novel，A great complicated plot in which missing girls are discovered in a small town in Maryland。 Police and the FBI rush to find a killer and the rumor that the person of interest is a potentially a supernatural being。 Richard returns to his hometown after college。 Through his personal account you learn the full What an unusual and engrossing book！ Such a ride。 This book is a great example of metafiction！Richard Chizmar is the author and the main character of a book that reads like a true crime novel，A great complicated plot in which missing girls are discovered in a small town in Maryland。 Police and the FBI rush to find a killer and the rumor that the person of interest is a potentially a supernatural being。 Richard returns to his hometown after college。 Through his personal account you learn the full story of what is happening in this townThe post notes are also very engaging if you are interested in how the book came about。A thriller， a mystery and a horror story。 Not too grizzly and graphic。 I highly recommend this read for fans of crime/psychological thrillers/true crime。 。。。more
Karien Kloppers
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I love a good murder mystery， the proverbial whodunnit， and that is why you will always find me watching （or reading） true or fictional crime stories。This novel by Chizmar did not disappoint at all， and， bonus， it was also meta-fiction。 Yup… a complete amalgamation of fact and fiction。 I didn't even know novels like these existed！ And here I will give the author high praise。 So well did he merge the two genres， that I actually went online to see if a string of murders didn’t really happen in thi I love a good murder mystery， the proverbial whodunnit， and that is why you will always find me watching （or reading） true or fictional crime stories。This novel by Chizmar did not disappoint at all， and， bonus， it was also meta-fiction。 Yup… a complete amalgamation of fact and fiction。 I didn't even know novels like these existed！ And here I will give the author high praise。 So well did he merge the two genres， that I actually went online to see if a string of murders didn’t really happen in this small town。 That’s right， I was completely bowled over。This was my first encounter with meta-fiction， and I have to say， I absolutely loved it。 It was thoroughly enjoyable and immersive as well as greatly rewarding。Only thing I didn’t like about this story was the ending。 It felt a bit anticlimactic。 But here’s the good news， it only makes it feel more real。 Rarely does true crime end in action and a hail of bullets。 So， it doesn’t really matter if I wanted action and bullets… author knows best。 The beginning might also feel a bit slow， but that is only because Chizmar is giving us more of a personal insight into his life， his town and his friends。If you are a lover of the crime and mystery genre， be it either fact or fiction， this one will be right up your alley… Chasing the Boogeyman comes highly recommended by me and after this novel， the author has definitely become a fan-favourite of mine。 。。。more
Syeda Sumayya Tariq
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Omg！ This was brilliant！ I honestly have not read anything like this before。 Part fiction， part real， and all of this shaped into a true crime story including photos of crime scenes， victims， and police investigation。 Yes， you read it right！ THIS BOOK INCLUDES PHOTOS！ （can you hear me screaming？！） Omg！ When was the last time you read a fiction book that was so well done it was complete with photos？！ This was epic， all y'all fiction writers， please take notes！ Also， the story was super interestin Omg！ This was brilliant！ I honestly have not read anything like this before。 Part fiction， part real， and all of this shaped into a true crime story including photos of crime scenes， victims， and police investigation。 Yes， you read it right！ THIS BOOK INCLUDES PHOTOS！ （can you hear me screaming？！） Omg！ When was the last time you read a fiction book that was so well done it was complete with photos？！ This was epic， all y'all fiction writers， please take notes！ Also， the story was super interesting and gripping too， and sure read like a true-crime book！ Halfway through I wanted to get on google trying to find out what was real and what wasn't。 Thanks to the endnotes where the author has mentioned which parts were real and which were fiction and where all the photos came from， a brilliant job at that too btw， I could never tell they were staged， I would have googled god knows what trying to find it out！ xD 。。。more
Cindy • leavemetomybooks•
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I'm having a really hard time rating this book。 I loved the metafiction/true crime memoir format， especially the inclusion of photos - that was a nice touch！ I get what the author was going for with the descriptions of bucolic small town life and magical Christmas lights and sledding hills and whatnot to set the scene for the town's loss of innocence after multiple murders， but it got a bit boring， especially the town history parts - I couldn't care less about the status of the railroad station。 I'm having a really hard time rating this book。 I loved the metafiction/true crime memoir format， especially the inclusion of photos - that was a nice touch！ I get what the author was going for with the descriptions of bucolic small town life and magical Christmas lights and sledding hills and whatnot to set the scene for the town's loss of innocence after multiple murders， but it got a bit boring， especially the town history parts - I couldn't care less about the status of the railroad station。 The murders were creepy， especially since the girls were usually nabbed right outside their houses - yikes。 And the mask was horrible in the best way。 I think my issue is that the main character was just a little too "good" - he loves his mom and dad and appreciates the charm of his town and is marrying his high school sweetheart and has a respectful friendship with a young woman reporter。 Yep。 Good guy。 But kind of boring？ Where's the conflict？ I don't know。 Lots of people have loved this book， and I definitely enjoyed reading it， but something felt a bit off。 3。5 rounded up。* thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the review copy。 Available 8/17/21 。。。more
Nancy
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Four teenage girls are killed during the summer of 1988 in Edgewood， Maryland。 These events shake this small town to its core and put everyone on edge。 The serial killer is given the name the Boogeyman。 Richard Chizmar has just returned home after graduating from college while he awaits his upcoming wedding when the killings begin。 Richard and his friend， Carly Albright， a journalist at the local newspaper， try tracking down their own leads to figure out the identity of the Boogeyman which puts Four teenage girls are killed during the summer of 1988 in Edgewood， Maryland。 These events shake this small town to its core and put everyone on edge。 The serial killer is given the name the Boogeyman。 Richard Chizmar has just returned home after graduating from college while he awaits his upcoming wedding when the killings begin。 Richard and his friend， Carly Albright， a journalist at the local newspaper， try tracking down their own leads to figure out the identity of the Boogeyman which puts them in the Boogeyman's line of sight。 Chasing the Boogeyman messed with my head a little， but definitely in a good way， I knew this was a work of metafiction， but it really reads more like true crime。 There are also pictures of the victims， locations throughout the town， and the police investigation added throughout the book which give it an even more realistic feel。 I actually got confused a few times and thought I was actually reading about a real event to the point that I actually tried finding some of the characters and murders online。 The author cleverly adds himself as the protagonist and tells the story from his perspective。 This along with the fact that he also includes actually memories from his childhood since he grew up in Edgewood blurs the line between fact and fiction even more which I thought was a brilliant way to write the story。 My only issue was that I felt the hopscotch grid， things left by the boogeyman at the scene and the numerology were an important part of the story， yet their significance was never explained。 The synopsis states that it is "a marriage between horror fiction and true crime"， but it didn't feel like horror fiction to me at all。 It was definitely creepy in parts， but not scary or overly graphic。 This is a book where I feel the Author's Note is a must since it helps clear up what is real in the story vs what is not。 Overall， I really enjoyed this book and and the storytelling。 4 stars。 Trigger warning: There is mention of the killer's harming of animals at the end of the book。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 Publication date: August 17， 2021。 。。。more
Dawn Robinson
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This book is like no other， it is written as part memoir and part fiction which Richard does an absolutely stellar job in creating an authentic and thrilling true crime story。 This book felt so real that I had to keep looking back to the beginning of the book where it states that the murders were completely and utterly fictional。 It's based in 1988 where Richard has moved back to his parent's house to cut down on expenses to save for his upcoming wedding and to launch his horror magazine 'Cemete This book is like no other， it is written as part memoir and part fiction which Richard does an absolutely stellar job in creating an authentic and thrilling true crime story。 This book felt so real that I had to keep looking back to the beginning of the book where it states that the murders were completely and utterly fictional。 It's based in 1988 where Richard has moved back to his parent's house to cut down on expenses to save for his upcoming wedding and to launch his horror magazine 'Cemetery Dance'。 Richard often reflects on his childhood growing up in Edgewood and all the mischievous stunts that he pulled with his friends as children。 I was so invested in this story from the beginning， it really felt like you are not only getting to know about the author Richard but have also entered into a dark and spine-tingling world of horror where there may be a supernatural killer lurking at every corner。 Richard manages to get inside intel from his friend Carly， who conveniently is a journalist for the local newspaper。 Carly's character is written so well， that you can perfectly picture who she was and you had a real grip on her personality。 I was eager to learn more about Carly and what would happen to her in the aftermath of the killings。 As if I wasn't already in the throws of this story， it also includes very realistic photographs of the crimes， victims and of various different parts of Edgewood。 This was an excellent touch and made it feel all the more authentic， I was honestly convinced throughout most of the story that I was indeed reading a true crime story。 After 30 years， the crimes are still unsolved until DNA shines a light on who 'The Boogeyman' really is， the ending was deliciously satisfying and the story that had begun as a marvellous concept was then executed perfectly。 This is the best book that I have read in a long time and is certainly the only book of its kind that I have ever read。 Do not hesitate in purchasing this book， it's a haunting and riveting book that is next to impossible to put down。https://ramblingswithabookworm。blogsp。。。 。。。more
Bridgit
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This blend of true crime and fiction was endlessly fascinating and very difficult to put down。 I hope this style of storytelling is used more often！ I will definitely be picking up more of Chizmar's writing。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy。 This blend of true crime and fiction was endlessly fascinating and very difficult to put down。 I hope this style of storytelling is used more often！ I will definitely be picking up more of Chizmar's writing。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy。 。。。more
ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook
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Is it real or is it Memorex？ I really liked what the author did with this book。 It reads like a true crime novel and is based on a real story but Mr。 Chizmar has a real ability to add his own take on what happened during the summer of '88。 This was really different from your usual find the killer story and there were even added photographs。 I just loved this， it was brilliantly written and sucked me right in from beginning to end。Disclosure:Thank you NetGalley， Richard Chizmar and Is it real or is it Memorex？ I really liked what the author did with this book。 It reads like a true crime novel and is based on a real story but Mr。 Chizmar has a real ability to add his own take on what happened during the summer of '88。 This was really different from your usual find the killer story and there were even added photographs。 I just loved this， it was brilliantly written and sucked me right in from beginning to end。Disclosure:Thank you NetGalley， Richard Chizmar and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own。#NetGalley 。。。more
Amanda
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Creative and clever！ A fiction novel but told as a true crime and with the author written in as the main character。 I just 。。。 yes， so much yes！The concept here was truly brilliant and in my opinion the execution nailed it！ A very suspenseful and enthralling thriller about a series of murders that happen in a small town in Maryland。 The mounting terror and the way you and the main character slowly realize it has to be a local keeps you on the edge of your seat while you read。 The ending wasn't w Creative and clever！ A fiction novel but told as a true crime and with the author written in as the main character。 I just 。。。 yes， so much yes！The concept here was truly brilliant and in my opinion the execution nailed it！ A very suspenseful and enthralling thriller about a series of murders that happen in a small town in Maryland。 The mounting terror and the way you and the main character slowly realize it has to be a local keeps you on the edge of your seat while you read。 The ending wasn't what I expected。 Pleasantly surprised to see photos included with most chapters。 Such a unique thing to add and makes the true crime vibe really shine through。 This book has made me a Chizmar fan， I enjoyed his writing style。 Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for allowing me to read an advanced copy。 。。。more
Dana
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{4。5 stars}Richard Chizmar is a writer not a detective。 When a creepy serial killer strikes in his small home town， his interest gets the best of him as he falls down the rabbit hole trying to crack the case。 In the process he ingratiates himself with the detectives on the case， inadvertently becomes a suspect and finds his way as a true crime and horror writer。What you'll love about this story is the way it is written。 It balances the facts of the crimes with Richard's own life。 He gets to live {4。5 stars}Richard Chizmar is a writer not a detective。 When a creepy serial killer strikes in his small home town， his interest gets the best of him as he falls down the rabbit hole trying to crack the case。 In the process he ingratiates himself with the detectives on the case， inadvertently becomes a suspect and finds his way as a true crime and horror writer。What you'll love about this story is the way it is written。 It balances the facts of the crimes with Richard's own life。 He gets to live with the paranoia of having this particular ghoul stalking his own town。 The fear isn't theoretical。 He isn't empathetic towards these victims' families without having a real connection to what they are going through。 He describes the incidents from several angles as the town sees them， as he and his family see them and as the police see them。 As he gains his own literary notoriety he even has an opportunity to interview the victims' families and later the Boogeyman himself。The story gives you all the elements you want in a true crime story with the flare of fiction and a splash of slasher horror。 I can totally see the parallels drawn to McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark， but here we see the writer and amateur detective get the payoff in the end。。。 and it's a good one！I wished for slightly more in the end， there were a few things the Boogeyman alluded to and I really wanted finalized so I'm taking off half a star but it's still a fabulous read。Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel。 All opinions above are my own。 。。。more
Janelle Janson
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I finished reading Chizmar’s CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN the other night and really enjoyed it。 What stood out to me the most is how personal the story is。 Chizmar broke out his meta fiction skills and used details from his life as a younger man。After Chizmar graduated college he went back to his hometown in Edgewood， Maryland where a curfew is enacted by law enforcement。 A series of gruesome murders took place which terrorize the neighborhood。 A serial killer who claimed the lives of several young gi I finished reading Chizmar’s CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN the other night and really enjoyed it。 What stood out to me the most is how personal the story is。 Chizmar broke out his meta fiction skills and used details from his life as a younger man。After Chizmar graduated college he went back to his hometown in Edgewood， Maryland where a curfew is enacted by law enforcement。 A series of gruesome murders took place which terrorize the neighborhood。 A serial killer who claimed the lives of several young girls is on the loose。The cool thing about this novel is it reads like a true crime， suspense， and memoir all wrapped into one。 I pretty much read this in one sitting—it’s that compelling。 And the last bit in the Author’s Note explains the actual crimes that took place。CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN is a unique take on a suspenseful mystery that feels like true crime。 What could be better than that？What do you think？ Is this one on your radar？ 。。。more
Jennifer D。
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I went into this thinking it was true crime and having no idea it was actually fiction。 I felt kind of ripped off at the end， but that was my own fault。 I liked the story a lot， and it was well written。 I could have done without the full town background in the beginning and some of the nostalgic parts， but overall enjoyed my first book by this author。
Karen Bullock
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Spectacular writing！The culmination of combined genres: horror and true crime in one story， was wholly unique。The start of the book is a fabulously written history of the town， Edgewood， and how the military helped form the neighborhoods。 As you continue on this nostalgic journey you become enveloped in warm memories of bicycling， tree forts， family times， daredevil sports。 None of which would be approved of today。What draws the reader in is the excerpt on the back of the book， everyone wants to Spectacular writing！The culmination of combined genres: horror and true crime in one story， was wholly unique。The start of the book is a fabulously written history of the town， Edgewood， and how the military helped form the neighborhoods。 As you continue on this nostalgic journey you become enveloped in warm memories of bicycling， tree forts， family times， daredevil sports。 None of which would be approved of today。What draws the reader in is the excerpt on the back of the book， everyone wants to know about the crimes。 People are always curious， it is in our nature。The narrator fills us in on his childhood journey through his college years and the disturbing abductions that amp up the pace of the story。Who is the bogeyman？ Is he real？ Why has he appeared suddenly in this quiet town？ Will the townsfolk discover his identity？ The true mystery is reading this for yourself and deciding what parts are true crime and what parts are fiction？Blown away by the theme， the plot and the overall development of this story。And the shocking conclusion？ OUTSTANDING！A special thanks to the publisher for this arc， absolutely loved it！ 。。。more
Marie Aitchison
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This book took me wayyy longer to read than it should have。 It’s only 336 pages and usually I can knock one of these out in 2 or 3 days， no question。 But this one？ I took almost two weeks to read it。 Not because the writing was bad or that it was really boring， per say…but it did feel like something was missing。 Basically， the author writes himself into the story as the main character and takes the reader back in his memory to an “experience” he had trying to solve a string of serial murders in This book took me wayyy longer to read than it should have。 It’s only 336 pages and usually I can knock one of these out in 2 or 3 days， no question。 But this one？ I took almost two weeks to read it。 Not because the writing was bad or that it was really boring， per say…but it did feel like something was missing。 Basically， the author writes himself into the story as the main character and takes the reader back in his memory to an “experience” he had trying to solve a string of serial murders in his hometown。 Maybe in Chizmar’s quest to set his fictional story up like a true crime novel format， it lost some luster that is important to fiction and didn’t feel fully genuine either？ Instead it was a partial memoir that straddled the lines of both genres and came off as a faux true story， which is actually what I think he was going for？ 😵💫Confused yet？？There’s even photographs of the victims peppered into the novel to try and give it that authentic true crime flair even though as a reader you know it’s not real。…Idk I’m just puzzled。 I’m not sure what didn’t work for me。 It wasn’t bad， but it wasn’t as entertaining as I like my fiction to be， nor educational like nonfiction reads are。 Richard Chizmar is clearly a talented writer， but I can’t say it’s a favorite that I’ll read again。 Maybe if you’re a big fan of his， you’ll enjoy the memoir portions more and this book will have a bigger impact for you。 。。。more
Brandon Martin
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Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy！ This was a fantastic read and despite its fictional nature， Chizmar captures the essence of the true crime tone。 There are many points where the that atmospheric tone sets up some seriously good chills and the conclusion is very satisfying。
Silver
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I'll start by saying this book is fantastic！ The first 30-40 pages i struggled to keep interest i won't lie BUT after that i couldn't put the book down。 He did such a good intertwining fact and fiction that up until the final pages i was questioning whether the book was fact or fiction。 This is definitely a must read for serial killer fanatics and true crime readers alike！ I'll start by saying this book is fantastic！ The first 30-40 pages i struggled to keep interest i won't lie BUT after that i couldn't put the book down。 He did such a good intertwining fact and fiction that up until the final pages i was questioning whether the book was fact or fiction。 This is definitely a must read for serial killer fanatics and true crime readers alike！ 。。。more
Brandi
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First off let me say， I LOVE true crime， mystery， thrillers and suspense- Books， TV， and Movies， those are my go to。 When I saw this on Netgalley， I clicked request with a quickness！ Mr。 Chizmar has done a fantastic job of pulling the reader right into Edgewood， Maryland， 1988， in the midst of a serial killer。 I felt like I was right there and couldn't put my e-reader down！ A huge thank you to Netgalley and Mr。 Chizmar for the complimentary e-book， I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chasing the Boogey First off let me say， I LOVE true crime， mystery， thrillers and suspense- Books， TV， and Movies， those are my go to。 When I saw this on Netgalley， I clicked request with a quickness！ Mr。 Chizmar has done a fantastic job of pulling the reader right into Edgewood， Maryland， 1988， in the midst of a serial killer。 I felt like I was right there and couldn't put my e-reader down！ A huge thank you to Netgalley and Mr。 Chizmar for the complimentary e-book， I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chasing the Boogeyman。 。。。more
Missy （myweereads）
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And if it wasn’t the Boogeyman at your window then who was it？”Richard Chizmar’s new novel is a play on the true crime genre and brings an addictive reading experience。 Told through his own perspective， Richard talks about his past during the time in which he established his career and the progression that brought this chilling true crime story to be。This takes place in Edgewood， Maryland。 We come to learn about a “boogeyman” which has been responsible for several killings in this town however t And if it wasn’t the Boogeyman at your window then who was it？”Richard Chizmar’s new novel is a play on the true crime genre and brings an addictive reading experience。 Told through his own perspective， Richard talks about his past during the time in which he established his career and the progression that brought this chilling true crime story to be。This takes place in Edgewood， Maryland。 We come to learn about a “boogeyman” which has been responsible for several killings in this town however the evidence points towards many theories as to who it is。 What kind of monster could do such a thing？ This is where Chizmar tells the story of the harrowing events that took place in his hometown。I knew straight away I wanted to read this book because of the way it had been written as a fictional biography。 The pace is fast and foreboding， it definitely grabbed my interest to the point I almost read it in one go。The investigative style with photos depicting crime scenes and areas of Edgewood only elevated the novel giving it that feel of a true crime book。 What I liked was that I was so engrossed in this novel that I forgot it was fictional。Richard Chizmar has created a chilling and creative story which I would recommend to fans of true crime and horror。 。。。more
Fiction Majorette
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