Right out of the gate, Chizmar really establishes a unique tone to this book that honestly had me questioning what it was I was reading. This is fiction, right? It’s what I was expecting but the tone and structure and even the simple preface to the book so casually and effectively establishes the tones of reality that I was fully ready to embrace this book as being a hundred percent real. One of the more vivid cinematic memories I still hold on to from my younger years was seeing the Blair Witch Project when it came out. The Internet was a pale shadow of what it is now, really only accessible to those who knew what they were doing and as a result the film took on a special kind of aura to it. The history channel even aired a fake documentary all about the town and the “legend” of the Blair Witch. The movie wasn’t real. We all knew that. It was just a gimmicky film designed to give a false air of reality. Still. Were you sure it wasn’t real? I mean, really sure? I know when I pedaled my bike past the cemetery that night after seeing it, I don’t think I was sure it wasn’t real. Chasing the Boogeyman isn’t a story about witches or the supernatural but I feel like the comparison on this point holds solid. Is it true or isn’t it? It got to the point while reading when I honestly wanted to ask someone but I didn’t want to look like an idiot. Chizmar seamlessly creates a book that feels like a hard-hitting expose on a series of local tragedies. And I feel like I know enough about Richard Chizmar that I realize the events of this book didn’t happen, right? I mean...right? Obviously the goal of any writer is to find people who are willing to read your work. But the extension of that dream is to be able to craft a book that sticks to the inside of their brain like a mental adhesive. In this case? Saying “mission accomplished” doesn’t even cover it. Chasing The Boogeyman is a book that achieves exactly what you would get from a great Netflix docu-series that you binge and walk away from feeling an uncertain dread at every dark corner you look into. It evokes such a spectacular atmosphere of creepy tension that you can’t turn away. In this story, Richard Chizmar plays himself, a young writer who has returned to his home town of Edgewood, Maryland and arrived in the midst of a series of killings. As a lifelong fan of the macabre, it stands to reason that Chizmar would be fascinated by these events and would find himself close to the heart of the investigation. This works for me on several different levels. First, without going overboard with a bunch of graphic violence or detail, Chizmar none-the-less is able to craft a story that is disturbing and unsettling. And the feelings are only highlighted by the expertly done supplemental materials throughout the text in the form of black and white photographs of the victims and locales. The frantic fears of this community comes through clearly and the despair of the families is a resounding chorus as you weave through the text of a violent Maryland summer. But on a more basic level, and beyond just this book, Chizmar’s style in general is one that I find incredibly easy to engage with. He and I aren’t quite the same age but I feel pretty comfortable with his generational perspective and I find myself reading over his work and discovering experiences similar to my own past. The nostalgia of his prose makes the book incredibly accessible and gives the entire thing the vibe of spending an afternoon with an old friend. It might seem out of place in the context of such tragedy to say that the story still manages to find some warm fuzzies but that’s kind of what I’m saying. Lots of authors go into their projects determined to be the ground breaking first steps out onto a narrative landscape that no one has ever seen before. We all want to be the first moon landing. We want to be fresh and original but some writers try so hard to achieve this that their work just ends up feeling contrived and gimmicky. A true magician is able to pull off their gaff without you even being aware that you’re being put on. Chizmar is such a talent at this that he makes the book feel like the work of a veteran of the genre, without even making it feel like he’s manufacturing a point of view. The greatest praise I can pile onto the book is this, I have never really read much of what would be considered the true crime genre. Sadly, most of my personal experience would probably be contained within various marathon sessions of Unsolved Mysteries and the legendary Robert Stack. Still, this book makes me want to read more True Crime. And if a book presenting an illusion of a genre makes me want to actually delve more into that genre, I would say you can safely categorize this project as a success. One last aspect I wanted to touch on is a little more tricky because it’s pretty much impossible to do so without ruining the experience for the reader. Chizmar has already been intertwined somewhat with Stephen King, either from the imprint he started, Cemetery Dance, or from the book he has co-written with King, Gwendy’s Button Box. Chizmar has even had the rare privilege of being granted the keys to the King universe with his followup to Gwendy in which he was able to take full authorial control. With Chasing the Boogeyman, Chizmar drops in quite a few King related Easter eggs and references that I found pretty entertaining and perfectly placed within the context of the story. It buffs out the corners of the plot and gives the story just the right tones of supernatural possibility. This is not the first book of Richard Chizmar that I have read but I feel like this has easily surpassed all that came before. I was really impressed with the level of craft that was brought to this book. If you’re looking for a great distraction while in the backseat of a long road trip or stuck in an airport or if you just want something to steal the weekend away, stop looking. You found it. This is the beat up, dog-eared paperback that you’re going to want constantly tucked into your back pocket so you can quickly find your place again. It’s the book with faded grease stains from the slices of pizza you’ve been clutching while you read because you can’t be suffered to put the thing down long enough to eat. This is the musty book you find in a cardboard box of old sports trophies in the garage and immediately make you want to put your chores on hold in favor of another read. I just finished the book this morning and I’m still thinking about it and yeah I really am pondering reading it again. Shall we return to Edgewood? Do yourself a favor. Go and read. CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN By Richard Chizmar The New York Times bestselling coauthor of Gwendy's Button Box brings his signature 'thrilling, page-turning' (Michael Koryta, author of How It Happened) 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 does what true crime so often cannot: it offers both chills and a satisfying conclusion' (Stephen King). Chizmar's 'brilliant . . . absolutely fascinating, totally compelling, and immediately poignant' (C.J. Tudor, New York Times bestselling author) writing is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page. chad a clark Chad A. Clark is an author of dark-leaning fiction, born and raised in the middle of the United States. His road began in Illinois, along the banks of the Mississippi and from there he moved to Iowa, where he lives with his wife and two sons. From an early age, he was brined in the glory that is science fiction and horror, from the fantastical of George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry and Steven Spielberg to the dark and gritty tales of Stephen King, Wes Craven and George Romero. The way from there to here has been littered with no shortage of books and movies, all of which have and continue to inform his narrative style to this day. Chad's work can be found on Amazon or at www.cclarkfiction.net TODAY ON THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR WEBSITE [BOOK REVIEW] |
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