Chasing the Boogeyman

Richard Chizmar

The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Gwendy’s Button Box brings his signature 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 writing is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion 

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Ok, with a title like that, how do you pass it up?

This was scary! It is told in first person as if it is a true crime novel. A man tells of grisly murders of teen girls from his younger years. They were killed and raped and posed. One of the most terrifying aspects was how quickly they went missing. One mom heard her daughter get out of the car in the driveway but she never made it to the front door. Another was missing when her friend left for only a few minutes. The small details were horrifying. But I liked that it was like true crime without being true crime. Sometimes, as fascinating as they are, the details hit too close to home. So it felt easier to listen to, knowing it was fiction.

Content Summary: F 7 (this number might be slightly less), grisly details of murders and rape, Vietnam stories, animal cruelty, adoption (not in positive light) , suicide.

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

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