Becoming the Boogeyman Review

I loved Chasing the Boogeyman, so I jumped right into Becoming the Boogeyman. Let’s talk about it.

Synopsis

Summer of 1988, a young Richard Chizmar was catapulted into the center of a living nightmare as the serial killer Joshua Gallagher stalked his town. A lot has changed in the intervening years. These days, Chizmar enjoys a certain level of celebrity and notoriety himself, being the only person that an incarcerated Josh Gallagher will speak to.

Chizmar likes to believe that he’s doing the world a public service by visiting Gallagher in prison, as there are plenty of other nameless victims out there who Gallagher might finally admit to killing and bring closure to grieving loved ones, and a dark rhythm and routine begin to take hold.

But Chizmar eventually finds there’s a price to be paid for dancing with the devil, when a masked figure with all the hallmarks of Gallagher’s reign of terror from thirty years ago now leaves a horrifying calling card in front of Chizmar’s home, and it’s clear there’s a new player on the board in the ongoing game that the Boogeyman controls…

A riveting, haunting sequel to Chasing the Boogeyman, this is a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true crime infatuation with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers.

My Thoughts on Becoming the Boogeyman

I liked Becoming the Boogeyman. I didn’t love it quite as much as Chasing the Boogeyman, but it was still a solid read. The nostalgic feeling that I loved so much was swapped out to explore the nations obsession with true crime. Let me tell you that was an interesting discussion. Because at what point does it go from natural interest to profiting off of trauma? And does it influence copy-cat killers that want their five seconds of fame?

Outside of the philosophical study on true crime, it was a great thriller. The pacing was perfect and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed the subtle paranormal nods, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in book three.

My Rating: 4/5

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