Chasing the Boogeyman

By: Richard Chizmar

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

The acclaimed New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel of small-town evil that “is genuinely chilling and something brand-new and exciting” (Stephen King) and “unforgettable” (Harlan Coben).

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. Amid preparing for his wedding and embarking on a writing career, he soon finds himself thrust into a 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 “dazzling work of fresh imagination and psychological insight” (Caroline Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of You) is on full display in this truly unique novel that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.

Unexpected

This book is definitely not what I expected; I was expecting a more faced paced story, and this is definitely not that. There was enough stuff to keep my interest once they started getting into the actual crimes, but the beginning was a slog,
I know it’s necessary to ground the story, but I don’t care about what his life was like as a kid, the pranks he used to do. Way too many irrelevant details, in my opinion. Also, this narrator is not my favorite, I feel bad but I wish someone else would’ve narrated this book. All this being said, I’ve enjoyed Chizmar’s short story collections, so I hope I like his next book better.

Great read!

I am falling in love with Richard Chizmar’s storytelling. Reminds me of my favorite author Stephen King. Fantastic read.

Thoughts

in the beginning, I was bored to tears. I think the initial chapter about the town could've easily been condensed but it's clear it holds a dear place in the authors heart, which I can understand. He certainly liked to point out farts, burps and boogers in the story, which was... interesting. The last quarter of the book was enough to change my rating from a 2 to a 3. I guess the style of the book just wasn't for me but the ending was good.

Lived on Hanson Road also.

So many good memories. I could see in my mind all the places, and things he did. We lived on the corner of Hanson Road and Cherry Rd. Great story!!

Absolutely awesome ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I saw an advertisement for this book somewhere other than Audible and thought it sounded good. It was so much better than good. This is one of those books that will stick with me for a very long time. The narration was amazing, and is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much. I cannot more highly recommend this listen.