Book Review | Chasing The Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

Summer, 1988. Several teenage girls are found dead in a small town in Maryland. Richard Chizmar starts writing his personal account of these terrifying events, unaware that it will haunt him for years to come.

I was there.

I was witness.

And, somehow, the monster’s story became my own.

Chasing The Boogeyman has a unique premise – blending fictional serial killer true crime with a real-life memoir. We don’t know what’s real and what’s not until the author’s note at the end. I found the writing to be engaging and felt compelled to read on until the end. The fictional true crime aspect is convincing. There are tons of details about the gruesome murders, crime scenes, witnesses, and police investigations. I liked the photographs included which made the people seem real. The small town setting at night provided some chilling scenes, and the worries and paranoia that followed felt authentic. Some of these moments will make you double-check your door locks!

Similar to the nonfiction true crime I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by the late Michelle McNamara, the author views these crimes in the context of his life at the time. He is an objective narrator so we get an unbiased account. But since he’s not connected to the victims, there’s a lack of emotional depth to the retelling. We don’t learn much about the victims and their families beyond a few paragraphs. At times it’s jarring to read about a murder then the next page is him doing something mundane, like going fishing. The author shares his upbringing and the launch of his magazine, Cemetery Dance, which are interesting but does not feel relevant to the main story.

While I was surprised at the killer’s identity, the motive is unfortunately all too obvious. In many true crime books, the victims tend to be women whose deaths are graphically described. Yet there’s underlying misogyny to their killers that isn’t talked about enough. This book falls into the same trap, by making the reveal of the killer about the author instead of the victims. It also left the creepiest part of the mystery unexplained. I wish the book closes out on a stronger note.

Overall, Chasing The Boogeyman is not an absolute hit for me but I think it’ll be perfect for fans of true crime.

CW: sexual assault, physical violence, animal death

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Richard Chizmar

Photo by Peter Mason