Chasing the Boogeyman

Author: Richard Chizmar
Genre: Horror, Crime Thriller
322 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books, 2021

Synopsis
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.

My review
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar is is labeled as a horror crime thriller, but to me, it feels more like a memoir blended with a fictional serial killer narrative. The novel’s structure is intriguing, resembling a true crime book, yet framed as a horror novel, I felt like I was missing something. Although the blurb draws comparisons to Stephen King and Michelle McNamara, I struggled to find any real connection. It’s a quick and engaging read, but ultimately, it lands in the “middle-of-the-road” category for me.

The novel starts off a bit slow – you get the entire history of the fictional town, Edgewood. I now know all about how Chizmar spent his summers running through his neighborhood as a teenager, as well as how deeply he cares for his family and fiancée (now wife). While these details were interesting, the story lacked excitement or suspense. Once again, it felt more like a memoir, and although Chizmar was clearly fascinated by the murders, they often felt secondary to his nostalgic reflections on his youth.

The concept of structuring the book like a true crime story was promising; however, I found it hard to believe that the lead detective would share so much confidential information with a curious 22-year-old writer simply because he was interested. There were several moments of “If I tell you this, you can’t say anything, okay?”—which feels unrealistic compared to other true crime books I’ve read. Additionally, Chizmar is not involved in catching the killer in any way. Nothing happens to him that is scary or tense, and the tone is fairly light. The final revelation of the murderer was surprising, but only because there were no clues that would have led to that conclusion.

Chasing the Boogeyman was an interesting premise and if you’re looking for a blend of memoir and serial killer mystery, then this may be a good fit. Unfortunately, it’s presented as a horror story that reads like true crime, and that just didn’t work for me.

My recommendation: the writing is solid, but the spookiness is minimal. If you’re in the mood for an intriguing memoir with a small-town atmosphere, this one might be worth a read.