Chasing the Boogeyman (The Boogeyman Series)

Product Information

My thanks to the author and Gallery Books for providing me with a gifted copy to review via NetGalley. JJ: You also write screenplays – are there any you are working on now? Is there a movie you’re most proud of? 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). Geisinger, Gabriella (October 8, 2019). "Fox movies scrapped forever after Disney's big takeover". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021 . Retrieved March 13, 2022.

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar | Waterstones Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar | Waterstones

Chasing the Boogeyman gives us a wonderful snapshot of a specific time and place, but it also tells of the loss of innocence of a small town. At one point, Richard even quotes Milton’s Paradise Lost. More than this, the book is Richard’s memoir – his own coming-of-age story about growing up in a working-class town in America. He pays homage to a simpler, more innocent time when children were still playing in the streets, adventurous and curious to explore. Richard is undeniably nostalgic about his childhood in Edgewood and this makes the town’s people, history and stories all the more engaging. RC: Believe it or not, yes to all of the above. The timeline and locations and incidents described from my personal life in Chasing the Boogeyman are roughly 95% true. I experienced all of it. This brilliant work of metafiction crafts a not-so-true crime story that feels ripe for a Netflix series….Chizmar’s novel isn’t just a clever riff on genre; it’s a meditation on the dangers and darkness of home, on what happens when the place where we grew up finally grows up itself—or at least when it discovers the violence it’s capable of….A meticulously remembered, beautifully crafted hometown nightmare that reminds readers that nostalgia cuts both ways; sure, it can keep our past alive, but it can also be the shadow man standing at the foot of your bed….For true crime and horror fans, this one’s essential.” RC: Accept that it’s a long and bumpy road to becoming a successful writer – and there are many different definitions of “successful” in the writing world. Learn to accept the rejection and self-doubt as a sort of badge of honor that all writers must earn along the way. Be stubborn and get the words down on paper (I’m talking about that most difficult of all first draft) and worry about revising and polishing later.

JJ: Is it true you grew up in an idyllic suburban neighborhood? Is the character of Rich Chizmar completely autobiographical? Did you actually return home after college and experience the things in the book? I imagine readers will have different thoughts about how everything wraps up. I may have wanted a bigger revelation, but all of my outstanding questions were answered.

Book Review: Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar Book Review: Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

The murderer left hopscotch grids in front of the houses where the victims were living. He left missing dog sign, pennies, pumpkins as he took lives of Kacey Robinson, Madeline Wilcox, Cassidy Burch. He never left any DNA residue. He was smart. He was like ghost as if he’d been never there!My breath caught in my throat, and suddenly my eyes misted and my legs wavered. All at once, I was five years old again, only this time my father wasn’t standing next to me, reaching over to take hold of my hand. I remember telling myself in that moment that everything was going to be okay, that I was going to grow up and be happy and one day become a writer, and the words I put down on paper were going to help people make sense of this world. RC: He actually was caught in the early or mid 90s, but not for the crimes he committed in Edgewood. He was arrested for a completely unrelated crime in Baltimore City and eventually admitted that he was the mysterious Phantom Fondler. Evidence from the various crime scenes matched up, so the authorities knew he was telling the truth.