Riveting and vulnerable are two descriptors I would put on this truly masterful memoir/true crime nonfiction book. I've followed Billy Jensen's career since the release of I'll Be Gone in the Dark (and the subsequent whirlwind after the arrest of the Golden State Killer) but this book really opened my eyes to the whole evolution of the citizen detective and the use of social media for justice.

Woven between the various cases, the ones that get solved and the ones that continue to sit waiting for answers, are stories of Billy's life: his incredible father, his childhood interest in true crime, and his first big solve. He doesn't pull any punches, with himself or anyone else, and you can feel his *need* give the victims' back their names and to find the faces behind the anonymous masks of the killers.

Any true crime fan will love this book. Beyond true crime though, it's just a *good* read. Jensen's prose is concise and evocative, managing to somehow give incredible amounts of detail without losing the reader. The rotation between various cases along with Jensen's personal history that led him to this life keeps the content fresh as you read. It's journalistic but more intimate in tone. You can feel the author's passion for working on these cases, the sorrow and rage he feels in them. The writing is masterful too. I must've highlighted a line on every page; there was always another line that I didn't want to forget.

"Everyone has someone who thinks of them as their star shine."

Full disclosure: I am a true crime fanatic. I've been a Murderino from episode one, a long-time watcher of all true crime shows/documentaries, reader of every murder mystery I could get my hands on as a kid, and a follower of the Jensen and Holes' Murder Squad. As far as cases go, I recognized quite a few of the ones mentioned here but, there was so much I didn't know. What I enjoy so much about this book is the humanity of it: of the victims themselves, of their families desperate for answers, of cops willing to try anything, and of Billy himself, hunched in his 'murder room' driving through yet another social media campaign with the hopes that *this* one will be *the* one.

In the end, that's what true crime is: people stories. Billy tells them with extensive detailing, riveting pacing, and heartbreaking vulnerability. I loved the final chapter as a call to action for all of us out here passionate about true crime and want to do something about it. We know the possibilities and the pitfalls but Billy gives such great detail that anyone could read this book and know what to do next. In this age of technology, where everyone has the world at their fingertips, we can all scream into the void together. We can give them back their names. A squad, an army.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Sourcebooks, and the author Billy Jensen for the opportunity to do so.

I read ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ by Michelle McNamara, and knew I needed to get my hands on this one. Billy Jensen helped finish Michelle’s book after she passed. In this book, he gives some behind the scenes and things from his POV. This book also has how they eventually caught the Golden State Killer, and that is fascinating in itself. The rest of the book contains Jensen’s background and the cases that have captivated him. Jensen is an incredible writer, giving facts in a very informative but compelling way. His edge of your seat narrative had me nervous and anxiously googling all these cases that I didn’t know. He even gives you a how to solve your own murders in the end. All True Crime addicts will absolutely LOVE this book!

* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Chase Darkness With Me" is Billy Jensen's story of his life in true crime and the lives of others who have given their energy to bring peace to families. Jensen, most famous as one of the team to finish Michelle McNamara's "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," shows us the working of his social media ad campaigns and how they have helped to resolve some mysteries. In addition, he makes an appeal for the energy of civilian sleuths (so long as they abide by reasonable expectations of privacy, safety, and acknowledgement of the role of the police, he notes).

What's good: "Chase Darkness" is most interesting in discussing Jensen's social media strategy.

What's iffier: I felt a bit like the writer was taking a bit too much credit for Michelle McNamara's role in the capture of the "Golden State Killer." It isn't an offense to her, and the endless amount of hours she put into the work, to acknowledge the police had resources she didn't and they chose to use those resources on their own. I also felt like Jensen fairly rapidly moves from writing himself as a hobbyist to a responsible sleuth working hand-in-hand with the police force. I have no doubt his local cops appreciate his efforts, and I have no doubt as well he has contributed to closing cases. He remains, however, ultimately a hobbyist.

Last but not least, there's an issue mentioned repeatedly but without explanation: Money. How much exactly does a lifestyle of running Facebook ads to solve crimes cost? Jensen makes it clear this isn't cheap, but he doesn't give a sense of how much of his income was dedicated to this and how his family might feel about that.

Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jensen is a must read for any true crime fan or armchair detective. This book was fascinating! The descriptions of how the author has solved several crimes are so exciting and interesting to read. Some crimes he covers in the book I had heard of on podcasts and some were completely unknown to me. I hope to read more of Jensen's books in the future. Side note: he has a true crime podcast now that is outstanding! Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Crime writer and citizen digital detective Billy Jensen is known for his collaborative efforts to finish Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark posthumously, but he has an impressive resume of his own in true crime journalism.

In this account of his progression from crime news reporter with the show Crime Watch Daily and the Long Island newspaper True Crime Report, which he founded, to social media geotargeting expert, Jensen also tells stories about his father and what drew him to crime reporting. Memoir interspersed with true crime can be hit or miss, but as he's a thoughtful and careful writer and ties the memoir elements well to his interest and experiences, it ends up fairly well done and meaningful here.

Jensen's shift from traditional investigative reporting to digital detective happened with the opportunities social media provided. He recognized that more news consumption is now via social media, noting that even if a person follows their local TV news station's Facebook page, "Most stories that are posted by a media publisher reach only 7-10 percent of their fans or followers. Of those that are reached, it's only another small fraction that actually clicks on the link and reads the story or watches the video. If you are a TV station airing a video showing a man getting murdered and asking people to identify his killer, most people are not going to see it. How is the public ever going to help with solving the crimes if they never even see the news?" 

I was so interested in his explanations of the changes in media and how news consumption is affected -- which we know about already -- but I hadn't considered how that had affected crime-solving, and he analyzes it brilliantly. Jensen felt uniquely positioned at this intersection of the death of print media and changing public awareness of crimes, having worked in print journalism for the Long Island Press and for websites driving traffic with clickbaity headlines and stories intended to grab viewers' attention long enough to read and share.

He was spurred into action by the bystander video of "the man in the green hoodie," as he calls him. In Chicago, this man had punched another man, Marques Gaines, knocking him out. Gaines was robbed and run over before the video was over. It's such a viscerally upsetting incident that it's easy to see why Jensen felt he had to do something to force the perpetrator to justice (and he does.)

The homicide of Marques Gaines isn't the type of true crime story most people gravitate toward. It's a street crime. There was a think piece to be written about the bystander effect on the crowd as they rubbernecked from the sidelines, a Kitty Genovese redux unfolding in 2016 America. But most true crime addicts don't want to hear that. They want twists and turns. They want love gone bad. And most of all, they want solves.

People read and watch and listen to true crime because it restores order from chaos. That's the answer to give when someone asks you why you like hearing about real-life murders. It's the comfort of watching everything be put in its place after an episode of outright, sickening bedlam.

I'm not sure I agree with that entirely, but maybe it helps explain things for some. Jensen's point is that in his time writing and reporting crime stories, it was the unsolved kind that nagged at him, furthered by letters and pleas from victims' loved ones to help. He focused on the unsolved ones: "People don't like stories without endings, but I wrote them anyway."

He also began using his own money to buy Facebook ads in regions connected to unsolved crimes, including the El Monte Jack in the Box murder and the longest story told here, of the Bear Brook murders -- four long-unidentified female bodies found in barrels in Allenstown, New Hampshire. He used videos and photos, knowing that someone nearby would recognize either perpetrator or victim, and strove to make the ads intriguing (like writing them in the killer's voice) to get people to pause and pay attention while scrolling their feeds. Any credible tips were immediately handed over to police.

In terms of being impossible to put down, it's a 10/10. Jensen has a warm storytelling voice, and he clearly cares so, so much. In all of the stories he recounts from his two-plus decades of working in crime reporting and sleuthing, that concern plus a strong sensitivity are overwhelmingly evident.

But after explaining his methodology, including meticulous rules for how to be a cold case citizen sleuth/digital detective, I felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea of encouraging others to do the same. Not to be overly cynical -- Jensen has obviously done good in getting justice and answers for families, and learned from experience and mistakes. But this seems like it has the potential to go awry, mainly because, well, just people. An infamous example of internet detective work gone wrong is when police sought help identifying the Boston marathon bombers and it didn't end well.

So despite Jensen's specific guidance in how to do this and what not to do, I'm not sure it's a great idea for most. His method of geotargeting social media, mainly Facebook, could be harmless enough. These are just ads with photos or video asking anyone who recognizes to reach out. But a problematic element is that the victim's family must be notified and give permission before ads appear. Which makes sense, but I could imagine that being a potential area for concern with other "citizen detectives" involved with grieving families. It makes me uneasy.

Yet he also writes about the families of victims who contacted him in droves, asking for help when they felt police weren't answering or doing enough. So maybe the good of more eyeballs on these cases outweighs any bad? I really don't know, but his career is fascinating, his stories engrossing, and his heart's in the right place.

Really enjoyed this memoir by true crime writer Billy Jensen; fascinating look at how he's made a career of chasing solutions to criminal mysteries.

In this book, Jensen is writing about how a true crime author can help to solve cold cases. In fact, he makes the case that if we had more citizen detectives, we might have better odds of solving cases that have lingered for years. As someone with a strong interest in true crime, this idea intrigues me. I really like Jensen's writing style and the way in which he encourages the reader to consider how he or she could get involved. I think that all of the true crime podcasts (which I also greatly enjoy) have the same idea. This book would be a good read for someone like me with an avid interest in true crime along with anyone interested in trying to help solve these mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a true crime fan since I was a teen, staying up late in the night pawing my way through stacks of true crime books I'd checked out from the library. It used to be a hobby that people thought was kind of creepy, though lately, there's been an onslaught of true crime podcasts that has led to a massive influx of true crime fans and online sleuths. Now, it's "cool," and people don't tend to ask me why I read such "sick" things anymore.

But I digress.

Billy Jensen is a fellow true crime junkie, someone who took an interest from an early age, inspired by his dad's interest in crime. Now as an adult, Billy is a journalist with a quench for solving crimes. His memoir chronicles his crime-solving journey and his techniques of using social media and crowdsourcing to solve cold cases. This book showcases several of the cases he's covered, and shares his successes, failures, frustrations, and heartbreaks in trying to solve them.

All in all, this was a fascinating account of how Billy got involved as a "citizen detective," and how his obsession and passion for solving crimes has taken over a huge portion of his life. I loved seeing the techniques he uses and following along as he tries to crack cases that captured his attention. The book has some definite similarities to Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark (partly because he was friends with her and helped finish the book!), but I actually preferred HIS book over hers. I thought it was much more cohesive and more strongly detailed his background and how his upbringing led to his crime obsession (passion?).

This one is definitely recommended for my fellow true crime junkies!

Great book. I’m an avid true crime fan and even though I am familiar with some of Billy Jensen’s work I wasn’t quite expecting something like this. So many elements of his life and the different cases he has worked on and how they tired in together was so incredibly satisfying. There is a feel-good kind of beauty in the way he describes people in his life like his father and Michelle McNamara along with so many of the victims. I was kept at the edge of my seat from story to story and now at the end I have this urge to join him solving unsolved crimes.

Disclaimer: I was given an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my review.
My obsession with true crime got me hooked onto several podcasts with Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered being the one I listened to every week. From Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark I heard of Michelle McNamara and from her Billy Jensen.

I have been waiting for Jensen's own story of how he got into writing and becoming a citizen sleuth. I currently listen to his podcast with Paul Holes where they cover cold cases and ask for listeners to help with the cases.

I had not known much about Jensen previous to his involvement with the Golden State Killer. I was fascinated to hear in his own words how he came to be obsessed with solving unsolved crimes. Jensen's writing is detailed. fast paced and frank. I enjoyed the framework of the book, as it felt episodic.Maybe because I listen to the podcast but I could basically hear him tell the stories of the cases. I am always floored by the fact that all Jensen wants is to bring closure and justice to victims and that he doesn't stop.

“People read and watch and listen to true crime because it restores order from chaos. That’s the answer to give when someone asks you why you like hearing about real-life murders. It’s the comfort of watching everything be put in its place after an episode of outright, sickening bedlam.”

The one thing completely evident in this book is that Billy Jensen is committed to helping law enforcement solve crimes. He puts his blood, sweat, tears and money into the process. A bit slow at times, but the stories themselves were great. The tips for citizen crime solving at the end were also great. The only thing I didn’t like was the interview at the end. I found it a bit redundant and had to skim parts of it.

“Have you ever wanted to solve a murder? Gather the clues the police overlooked? Put together the pieces? Identify the suspect?”

Where have we heard of this writer? For this reviewer, it is due to the riveting new true crime podcast, THE MURDER SQUAD, which Jensen co-hosts with former police detective, Paul Holes. The two hosts pair up extremely well and with the current plethora of true crime podcasts out there, it seems like the grownups have finally entered the room. (If you don’t already subscribe, you should definitely have a listen).

Otherwise you may know Billy Jensen as the writer who helped finish the true crime work, I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK, written by crime author Michelle McNamara about the monster she coined as the Golden State Killer - also known as the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker. (McNamara sadly passed away before she was able to complete her book, and also before the 2018 arrest that made worldwide headlines).

Billy Jensen is a fifteen year crime journalist who took his reporting a step further, becoming actively involved in murder investigations that had run out of forward momentum. Frustrated with the process and the lack of resources and time afforded to the tasked police officers, Jensen began to continue on when the police were no longer willing or able to do so. Over time this has resulted in Jensen being contacted directly by families seeking assistance in numerous cases involving their missing and murdered loves ones.

Jensen writes as he speaks; intelligently and with great respect for the victims, their loved ones, and the investigating police officers. The networks Jensen has built up over the years are impressive and without grandstanding, you are made aware that none of that came about without the serious investment of time and effort, placed around all the other things Jensen had going on in his life such as making a living and raising a family.

CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME is an incredibly informative read for anyone who feels that there must be something more that they can do. This is the age of web sleuths (or armchair detectives, if you prefer) and the community of people willing and able to assist the professionals is vast with all now only a click away from being in contact with each other. The crowd sourcing tools (social media, online forums, podcasts etc) to help solve crimes are out there, and they are evolving all the time.
CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME is a homage to all those who were taken too early, those who remain, and to those who never give up.

Thank you to Billy Jensen, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the copy of “Chase Darkness with Me” This was my first entry into the true crime novel. I have caught a few forensic files and have always been interested in the genre. The news coverage of the tragic events of “I’ll Be Gone In the Dark” by the late Michele McNamara also caught my attention, but not in a salacious way, more of a empathetic sense. This leads me to Mr. Jensen’s approach to investigate journalism and storytelling. He approaches every case with compassion, integrity, and most importantly empathy. He writes in a very insightful way, that is in no way exploitative, a common misconception of the true crime genre. Being my first true crime, it took me a while to change my approach from a fiction novel. These are not characters, these are real humans, with real families. Again the story is told with much compassion with excellent story telling skills. I have also read that the Audible version is fantastic, so please seek that out if that is how you consume stories. Thank you.

The writing is very straight forward and interesting. This novel explores more about the Golden State Killer and also explores Jensen's work solving cold cases with the public's help through social media.

If you’re a fan of true crime, you probably already want to read this book. And if you don’t? You need to.

This was absolutely fascinating. Jensen walks you through his own life, the cases he’s helped solve, and the cases he’s still working on. There’s also a call-to-action for others to step in and help as well. It’s so interesting and such a promising revolution in crime.

5/5 Stars. Review on Goodreads due to prepublication status

Absolutely hands down one of my FAVORITE true crime books. Mr. Jensen masterfully weaved his story within several other stories, including his takeover of [book:I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer|35068432] following the death of Michelle McNamara. Furthermore, he educated readers into the concept of utilizing social media and DNA databases into a new realm of crime solving.

I love when I have to force myself to put a book down and that is exactly what I had to do with this book.

Reviewed for publisher via Netgalley.

PLEASE NOTE THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY BEING ASSESSED BY A LIBRARIAN REVIEWER FOR A FEATURE ON INDIEPICKS MAGAZINE WEBSITE AS WE HEAD INTO RELAUNCH. I will be in contact for further links and information as we move forward. Thank you.

This is exactly the kind of true crime book that I love reading. Within each chapter, the author outlines a variety of interesting cases and shares how he uses social media tools to attempt to find justice for the victims. Some of the cases in this book have answers, while others still remain unsolved. It was fascinating to learn how he uses simple methods like posting information to Twitter and Facebook in order to try to solve major crimes. This book also partially reads like a memoir as we learn how the author came into his passion for true crime. I found Jensen to be a very likeable person with strong moral values, which made his personal story compelling to read.

Jensen is also one of the authors who helped to finish Michelle McNamara’s popular true crime book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, so a lot of this book deals with his relationship with her and the Golden State Killer investigation. I would personally recommend reading I’ll be Gone in the Dark first in order to get the most out of this book.

Finally, the book ends with a call to action where the author outlines the steps to become an amtuer true crime investigator and ally with law enforcement agencies. Honestly, I found that section to be incredibly motivating and I am now considering ways that I utilize my own passion for true crime in a tangible way within my local community.

This was such an addicting read with just the right amount of information to keep me engaged, without bogging me down with too many details. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime non fiction books like I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and True Crime Addict.

Oh Billy, this book is just wonderful. As an MFM fan, who has read "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" and listens to the Murder Squad this book was a great insight into how Billy Jensen got to where he is today. The stories are captivating, and the balance of drawn out stories and shorter pieces blend nicely. It was a great book to read, and I look forward to seeing how many more crimes Jensen and Holes will be able to help solve.

Keeping a true crime novel from talking excessively about banal facts and figures is often difficult, but Jensen puts such emotion and personality in his stories that they all jump right off the page. The memories of his father are moving and the personal touches of the story make it so human - if anything I could have used more stories about his family. I would also be remiss to mention the entire story is so well written. Jensen gives respect to all the victims families and focuses on unsolved cases, throughout it all showing immense passion and drive for getting “the solve”. The work he has done with social media and for the future of familial DNA is inspiring, and he gives a call to action for anyone who wants to help the cause. He also highlights his relationship with Michelle McNamara, Paul Holes, and My Favorite Murder which I personally found insightful and interesting. I highly recommend this book to any fan of true crime!

Very interesting read, perfect for today’s true crime fans! Billy touches on lots of popular cases, and connects to well known podcasts and television shows as well. This book will resonate with a lot of readers.