I thought I had heard it all about the Zodiac Killer! Boy, was I wrong! Wow, just wow! I had to put this book down a couple of times. A must read for true crime fans!

As someone who has been really interested in the Zodiac case, this was the perfect read for me to pick up. It covered the case thoroughly and the pictures make it a good read for anyone who has prior knowledge on the topic or someone new to the case.

Any book that takes on the likes of the Zodiac Killer is awesome in my book, and this was no exception. It had all the gory details, including pictures, dealing with one of the most notorious serial killers in America--who was never caught!

Others love this book, I however, was not a fan. I love learning about the Zodiak and other true crimes, but this book fell short for me. I had a very hard time with it.

I thought I had heard it all about the Zodiac Killer! Boy, was I wrong! Wow, just wow! I had to put this book down a couple of times. A must read for true crime fans!

I have been interested in the zodiac killer for many years...it surprises me still..that with all of the suspects and new DNA advances that the killer still hasnt been caught...

This book...when I saw it ...got me really excited ...but didnt realize that it was a transcript of a series of podcasts ...now...not saying that's bad...and the actual transcript has to be ...an actual transcript...but reading..uhhh...gee... and things like that ...didnt lead to an enjoyable read ...also...since I had been interested in the zodiac...I didnt find much that I didnt know ...so..overall...not the best read I have ever had...I would recommend it as interesting...but if you have a good zodiac background your time might be better spent elsewhere ...however...a huge plus for me...this book did lead me to the authors podcast which I found to be very good ....thanks to netgalley for the advance copy

Alot of cases like this one have recently been the subject of podcasts, and this one is no exception. It isn't as famous in the UK as in the US, but is intriguing nonetheless.

I found it to be a bit dry, honestly. There was nothing really new in it, and I struggled to finish the book.

Having previously reviewed The Case of the Golden State Killer by the same authors, I enjoyed that enough to pick this one up for review as well. The Zodiac Killer is one of the most famous unsolved serial murder mysteries of all time, despite the low confirmed body count (only five victims are known for certain to be Zodiac victims, although he claimed many more in his infamous letters to police and the press).

I read the two books out of order, since this is a transcript of Season One of the Criminology podcast and Golden State was the subject of Season Two, but I didn’t find this book nearly as satisfying. It’s just a straight transcript of the podcast, whereas the Golden State book included a lot of extra interesting commentary and material, and much more victim impact.

Possibly that last is due to a combination of factors, not least of which is that it’s almost 50 years since the Zodiac killings occurred, and 45 since the last confirmed communication by the killer. So many of the police and journalists involved in the original case have passed on. In addition, only one victim survived to tell of what happened to him and his girlfriend. Perhaps because of these factors, this reads so much more like a dry recitation of facts and speculations than the Golden State book did, despite the obvious passion the authors have for the subject.

With old DNA samples currently being worked on and compared to many databases including ancestral genealogy ones, it’s possible this case could be solved soon once and for all. To be honest, I’d probably wait until after that happens and all the dots are finally connected to pick up any Zodiac Killer book to read, including this one. Three stars for an okay read that just didn’t really grab my attention, but does a decent job of laying out everything known about the case so far.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

I went into this before book knowing absolutely nothing about this case.
I enjoyed the format and found this to be an easy book to follow. The contributors were very knowledgeable.
I find it fascinating that with all of the information the police have collected the Zodiac continues to baffle them to this day.
I love true crime books and enjoyed this book.

I have an odd range of interests. I like to read and write, but I also like to knit and watch horror game play-throughs on YouTube. But I also like to dig my claws into infamous serial killer cases, and watch documentaries and books on the killings. Or I just sit back and rewatch Forensic Files. Either way, you can tell that my tastes are a bit eclectic. Reading and murderers. Knitting and horror games. 

The Zodiac Killer is one of those killers that I keep coming back to, and I don't know why. I guess the fact that he was never found, despite so many eye-witnesses, really boggles my mind. And with everything else that Morford and Ferguson put forward in this book, I just can't believe that they never caught the guy. What's weirdest is that I don't think any of the suspects they brought forward really fit the persona of Zodiac. 

Onto the actual book: I kind of struggled with this one. I loved all of the information that Morford and Ferguson brought to the table, but I really wasn't a fan of how it was handed out. I understand that this book was a podcast transcription, but no one even tried to mask what it previously was. And let me tell you--reading an entire book of podcast transcriptions is boring as hell. There was absolutely no personality to it either--I just felt like I was reading about two deadpan guys talking to each other. The pictures made the story interesting, but they were few and far between. After the beginning, I really didn't see that many, and so I was stuck with reading just transcripts.

While minor, I wasn't a fan of the casual homophobia thrown into this. There were jokes about the Zodiac being a "latent homosexual" and how being called that had angered him and how one of the suspects might be the Zodiac because he had a large dildo. How does having a dildo relate at all to being the Zodiac? Why would it matter? Are all queers the Zodiac now?

There's really not much else to say. Morford and Ferguson brought up information that I had honestly never heard of before, but at the same time, brought up information that I have heard every single time I look into the Zodiac case. 

Final Rating: ★★★☆☆
Overall?
I guess my only problems with it was the casual homophobia and the choice to leave the entire book a transcript. Other than that, they gave solid information, with sources, and even had pictures of some of the original documents and from the original crime scenes. It was definitely interesting.

Would I Recommend?
Sure! I would say that this would be a good book to have if you already know some information on Zodiac but wanted more. I will also mention that it doesn't follow the podcast *exactly* so if you wanted to listen to the podcast and read the book at the same time, you might find yourself pausing and putting down the book every once and a while.

Great transcript of the podcast. Full of commentary, photos and facts. I’ve watched documentaries on the Zodiac Killer, but never read about him. Great first choice !
Thank you NetGalley.

I got really interested in the Zodiac killer case after watching the 2007 film Zodiac. It was about one reporter’s relentless pursuit of the Zodiac killer for over 2 decades (With Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr & Mark Ruffalo & David Fincher as the director, it was one best movies I watched.)

Zodiac was a serial killer who operated in the late 1960’s, and early 1970’s (roughly from 1969-1974) and terrorised the San Francisco’s bay area of Northern California with at least 5 confirmed killings (unofficial number is as high as 37). Even after nearly 50 years, Zodiac still remains at large.

The most intriguing things about the whole case was that Zodiac repeatedly mailed letters and cryptic ciphers to local newspapers & the police as ‘clues’, in a way mocking the police to catch him if they can, by solving the puzzles.

The book is a complete transcript of the Criminology podcast with all the 12 episodes of the podcast but it also has additional commentary, crime scene photographs, original handwritten Zodiac letters, and rare police investigation files. I was skeptical about the quality of photographs & letters but their quality was excellent, even on a Kindle copy.

Each of the 12 episodes covers a different topic. The first few topics covers each of the identified Zodiac murders in depth (from the day of the murder to the movement of the victim and possible suspects). Other chapters include murders suspected to be committed by Zodiac (but not claimed by him), the various codes & ciphers used by him and the police investigation so far. It also has a chapter on some of the best books, movies and websites on Zodiac. But the highlight of the book was the chapter in which they discuss all the possible suspects in depth, including ‘pros & cons’ of each suspect.

The amount of research that has gone into this book is outstanding. From the finer details of the investigation & unknown facts to linking of previously unsolved crimes and suspects, this book has set the bar as far as books on true crime investigation goes. Another thing I liked is that the book does not attempt to solve the crime. It has put out all the facts out there and left the readers to decide for themselves. Before reading the book, I was sure who the killer could be but now I believe there are at least 2-3 highly probable suspects. In a way, it does not drive the entire narrative towards one particular suspect, like the book and the movie did.

Some may feel the format of the book is a bit dry (Every chapter is the 2 hosts discussing facts, some special guests included). But that is indeed not the case. The hosts have kept the narrative free flowing and have not allowed the conversation to drift at any point and have keep it confined strictly to the topic in hand. The conversations and the narration make the book immensely readable.

If you're interested in true crime, serial killers & the Zodiac, then this book is definitely for you. 4.5/5

Many thanks to WildBlue Press, NetGalley & the authors for the ARC

This is a quick review while I'm waiting in my dentist's office so forgive me for the brevity. I really liked this book. The format is a podcast transcript which was jarring at first and then I started to read. I was surprised at how quickly I got through this medium sized book. It seemed like a documentary movie. Many illustrations and asides from the authors to add depth to an otherwise familiar topic. There were many facts left out of the Zodiac movies which also added to how "complete" this book seemed. I don't know why this is but the format actually helped make the book tantalizing. There were few "cliffhangers" and for that I was thankful. I have seen and read quite a bit on the Zodiac Killer yet this book gave quick deep dives that were left out of the movies and a couple of the other books. All in all, I loved this book! It surprised me how much I enjoyed this book. I kept returning to it to get more information so I finished it rather quickly. So, don't think this is a watered down approach to a psychologically messy subject because it isn't. It's really addicting!

This book is composed of the transcripts from the podcast Criminology by two true crime journalists. They extensively cover the decades old case of the California serial killer The Zodiac. It is a fascinating account of a killer who has evaded capture since 1967 - and explores the journalists, investigators, victims and suspects.

I really enjoyed listening to the Criminology Podcast S1 about The Zodiac Killer. I did not realize that this book was a transcript of the show when I requested it. The book has more details than what you listened to in the podcast. The book is easy to read and easy follow. As a true crime addict this book hit all the points that I look for. There are pictures, news articles, transcripts, police reports, etc through out the book that makes reading the transcript more enjoyable than listening to the podcast.

I lived the Bay Area during the time the Zodiac killer was active (absolutely convinced at one point that I knew who it was -- more on that later). The events that took place during the time the Zodiac killer terrorized the area have been covered in depth previously. I had read Robert Graysmith’s book Zodiac and was still curious . So I was happy to review a copy of The Case of the Zodiac Killer by Michael Morford and Michael Ferguson, thanks to Wild Blue Press and NetGalley, in exchange for my review.

TBH, I jumped in with an open mind, hoping for some new information or at least a well-written narrative. I had listened to a few podcasts about this issue…but somehow I didn’t catch that this book is actually a written presentation of the Criminology podcast’s 12-part Season 1, which was focused on the Zodiac case. So, if you are looking for a well-written book about the Zodiac, this isn’t it. If you are interested in this case and have not listened to Criminology Season 1, this will provide you a VERY complete look at this case.

It reads like a transcript, which it is. If you like audio, just listen to the podcast. If you want LOTS of detail, and prefer written format to audio, get this “book.” My personal disappointment in this is SOLELY based on my erroneous expectation…actually, more like surprise than disappointment, because it is a solid exploration of this case. Oh, and in the 1970s I was a college student in the area where the killings occurred. I knew a very strange man who had always creeped me out with his attitude of barely repressed simmering rage. One night I was in the college parking lot, got into my car to drive home (around 10:30 PM) when a car drove up behind me, and suddenly a very bright red light was shining in my rear view window. I thought it was the campus cops or local sheriff…but no, Mr. Creepy walked up to my window with his huge and overly bright flashlight, WITH RED PLASTIC COVERING IT so it looked like a police spotlight. I was sure he was the Zodiac…but, years later, after exploring the actual case, I no longer think he was really the Zodiac, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if I read that he was a serial killer. Four stars.

This is a great true crime book. Unlike a lot of books like this one, this particular book is well researched by experts.

Superb overview and analysis of the Zodiac killings. The authors have done a superb job at compiling the information in an easy to comprehend manner.

Five stars for The Case of the Zodiac Killer by Michael Morford and Michael Ferguson. This story was a great read that was interesting and kept me guessing until the view end. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I am not going to lie I am one of those people who want to understand why someone becomes a killer and this case has always been one I have find fascinating. I couldn't help but want to request and read this book.

This is a book for readers of true crime because it has everything you can imagine in this book. As the title states this is Michael(s) Commentary with photographs and documents that will keep your mind wanting answers to the crime's as well as answers for the families who lost those who they loved.

From first to last page True Crime readers will not be able to get enough and they will be making their own notes wanting to solve a crime that has haunted everyone in Law Enforcement.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Michael Mordord and Michael Ferguson The Case of the Zodiac Killer.