Chasing the Boogeyman

Title: Chasing the Boogeyman

Author: Richard Chizmar

Published in: 2021

Date read: 11th March 2024

Score: 5/5

Genre: Thriller, Horror, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Chasing the Boogeyman" by Richard Chizmar is a unique blend of true crime and horror fiction, presented as a memoir of a terrifying period in the author's hometown.

The novel is set in the seemingly idyllic, quiet suburban town of Edgewood, Maryland, in the summer of 1988. Richard Chizmar, then a young aspiring writer fresh out of college, is preparing to marry and embark on his career. However, the peace of Edgewood is shattered by a series of horrific and inexplicable murders.

A serial killer, dubbed "the Boogeyman" by the media, begins to abduct and brutally kill teenage girls, leaving their bodies in ritualistic ways. The murders are unsettlingly random yet eerily precise, spreading panic and fear throughout the close-knit community. The police are baffled, and suspicion falls on various individuals, including a local outcast.

As the body count rises, Chizmar, using his journalistic instincts and connections within the town, finds himself drawn into the investigation. He collects stories, conducts interviews, and observes the escalating terror and paranoia that grip Edgewood. The narrative unfolds through Chizmar's perspective, incorporating "found" materials like newspaper clippings, police reports, and interviews, blurring the lines between fact and fiction to create a highly immersive and unsettling experience.

The story delves into the profound impact of the murders on the community, on the victims' families, and on Chizmar himself, who is forced to confront the dark underbelly of his hometown. He observes how fear transforms people, how rumours spread, and how even innocent actions can be misinterpreted. The "chase" refers not only to the police's hunt for the killer but also Chizmar's own pursuit of understanding the darkness that has descended upon Edgewood. The novel explores themes of small-town innocence lost, the banality of evil, and the lasting scars left by unspeakable acts, culminating in the chilling revelation of the Boogeyman's true identity and the unresolved trauma left behind.

Comments:
Brilliant book - I had to get a copy of the follow up immediately. Really well written and it constantly had me asking...is this crime? is this horror? is it a mad-man or a monster?

Books that we've read by Richard Chizmar (5):
Gwendy's Button Box (The Button Box, #1) (2017), Gwendy's Magic Feather (The Button Box, #2) (2019), Chasing the Boogeyman (2021), Gwendy's Final Task (The Button Box, #3) (2022), Becoming the Boogeyman (2023)