After reading I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (in which Billy Jensen and Paul Haynes contributed to writing after Michelle McNamara's death), I became really obsessed with the true crime genre. I already was obsessed with listening to true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder, but this was the first written true crime that I completely devoured. This brings me to my new obsession of Billy Jensen. I cannot stop listening to The Murder Squad, his podcast with Paul Holes, and I was so very excited to start reading this book. It did not disappoint. I was completely engrossed in his life, and I didn't want to put the book down. Anyone who is a fan of true crime, please read this book.

Love, love, love Chase Darkness With Me! Jensen’s writing style is smart, yet conversational. He covers true crime with a sense of gravitas and respect for the victims and their families. He seamlessly weaves personal anecdotes in without ever making the book completely about himself. This is unlike any other memoir that I have ever read (and it is one of my favorite genres, so that is saying something). This is a must-Read for anyone who follows true crime.

True crime at its best, Billy Jensen takes us for the wild ride that investigating these cases can be.Full of twists turns shocks his involvement finishing Michelle McNamara’s research after her untimely death..A book that kept me turning the pages highly recommend,#netgalley #sourcebooksnonfiction.

I reviewed a digital version of this book. The author was a friend and colleague of Michelle McNamera’s until she passed away while working on her true crime book, ‘I’ll Be Gone In The Dark.’ He is one of several who helped her husband to finish the book and get it published. This is his story, telling how he went from just reporting on stories to getting so frustrated that he jumped in and started solving them. He and Michelle had plans to work together at it as soon as she sent off her book manuscript to the publishers, which sadly never happened as she passed away.

It tells how Jensen began in murder solving. How he fumbled and got advice, and learned and kept on. Like most anything, the more you do it and learn about it, the better you get at it. Then, at long last, he solved his first case and that made a huge difference in his confidence. After his regular job, he’d been working on Michelle’s book at night.

Jensen eventually developed his own system for getting tips online by targeting certain areas and then focusing on them with information and requests. He solved his 2nd case which came with police recognition and hugs from the victim’s mother and sister, which really really meant the most. After that, he was really on his way.

This would be of interest to true crime fans as you can follow along and see how a writer becomes a crime solver. It has multiple cases that are interesting all through the book, some solved and some being worked on yet. Fascinating stuff as law enforcement and others tweak their skills to come up with new ways to solve crime in this new age. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Billy Jensen, and the publisher.

I can't even begin to list the things I loved about this book ... there are so many! Billy's writing makes me feel as though I'm right there with him and I loved every minute of it. I loved the mix of personal stories, true crime reporting, and little Paul Holes bromance. I don't blame him, I'm #HotForHoles too!

I already know that I will be buying a physical copy once it hits the shelves because it's one that I want in my collection. I'll nestle it right next to I'll Be Gone In The Dark and Stay Sexy Don't Get Murdered!

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy and the opportunity to indulge in my true crime obsession!

I was really happy to see that Billy Jensen’s book was going to get a physical print release (and not just an Audible one). True crime - while fabulous for the podcast format - has always resonated with me more in print. It was great to learn how Billy got his start in true crime journalism and finding out what drives his quest for the truth. I’m really glad that I got the chance to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for providing me with an Arc of Billy Jensen’s true crime memoir. Below is my unbiased review.

This was an absolute delight to read despite the heavy, somber content. Billy Jensen is an affable guy and a natural storyteller. Disheartened from reporting on murders, rapes, assaults and other horrific crimes, Billy decided to solve the crimes instead. Using social media as a platform to crowdsource for information and tips, Billy has helped change the way detectives and law enforcement approach crime solving. While he describes several cases he’s worked on, his most famous case is the work he did with Michelle McNamara in capturing the Golden State Killer. This was a truly engrossing read and one that feels genuine. Billy even offers suggestions how readers can help become citizen detectives.
I highly recommend this read for true crime fans as well as readers who enjoy current events and technology.

Lively and interesting look at reporting true crime, moving from old media approaches to the new possibilities of social media for solving cold cases.

When Billy Jensen was a kid, his dad used to tell a story about how he had punched a cop and the police circulated a flyer asking who the man was. His father had failed to give his real name, and only provided the fake one from his ID. Fast forward to journalist Billy Jensen finding out how much he loved mysteries. This transformed into a career solving cold case murders with the help of Facebook. 

Chase Darkness With me is part memoir and part exploration of true crimes solved with the help of social media. Jensen covers the Allenstown Four, the Halloween Mask Murder, a fugitive in Mexico, and his work with Michelle McNamara on the Golden State Killer. Jensen would go on to help finish Michelle's book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, when she passed away suddenly in her sleep. Fans of the podcast My Favorite Murder will love the foreword written by Karen Kilgariff as well.  Chase Darkness With Me is the type of book that you can finish on an afternoon if you're a fast reader as it is extremely captivating. 

Chase Darkness With Me is available on August 17th in print, or in audiobook format now.

I really enjoyed this book. If you like true crime and are familiar with podcasts such as the Murder Squad, My Favorite Murder and Michelle McNamara's Ill Be Gone in the Dark, you will definitely want to check it out. It goes into several cold cases that are being solved using crowd sourcing and genetic genealogy.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

This book exceeded all my expectations. The writing was phenomenal as you could feel Jensens passion for solving these crimes. I highly recommend this book to all fellow true crime/memoir readers. Throw it on your TBR list right now and don't look back!

I read every day of the year. Out of every year I seem to rate no more than two books with a straight five stars. This one, CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME, by Billy Jensen, is one of those. Mostly, I give them for the outstanding writing ability. This is a true case of excellent, gifted writing, where you will be so enthralled with the content and presentation that you will forgo that late dinner you were thinking about, stay up just a little longer and get up early to squeeze in another 20 pages before dressing for work.
The content is riveting. It's about his passionate desire to solve cold cases, which he tried for years to do, working even with Michelle MacNamara, author of I'll BE GONE IN THE DARK, about the notorious Golden State Serial Killer. I will avoid a recap on this book, advising whoever is interested in crime, to just get yourself a copy, quick, and read it. There is no other book that compares to it.
I can't vouch for accuracy. The author puts himself elbow to elbow, and chat to chat with some of the most famous people in the field of criminology, including Paul Holes, the DNA Darling who was ultra instrumental in identifying EAR ONS, Joseph deAngelo. I don't know, and you won't know either, whether Jensaen was really working all that closely with LE, but if there is exaggeration here, it detracts nothing from the book. It's a fabulous read.

Heartfelt and eloquent, this is the story of how one crime reporter went from writing about crimes to helping solve them.

The book is beautifully written and I liked the fact that after having read Chase Darkness, I feel like I recognize Jensen's touch in I'll Be Gone In The Dark. From recounting the origin story, to the call to action, to those rare moments when a resolution is found, this book is a deep, heartfelt blueprint of how ordinary people can sometimes, <em>sometimes</em> make a difference.

Recommended for true crime readers, memoir readers, and those interested in using technology to get involved in their community.

Chase Darkness with Me is a interesting book about the true crime author Billy Jensen. He takes you along with his crime solving and puzzles. Well written and interesting.

Billy Jensen brings a rare sensitivity to a truly difficult subject. After so many books focussing on "rock star" serial killers and cult leaders, his viewpoint is refreshing, human, and hopefully something that will inspire other writers into some soul-searching.

As well as some memoir, the cases found between these pages focus on the often forgotten - those not white enough, rich enough, or just not attention-grabbing enough for the attention that some cases find. That's Billy Jensen's modus operandi - and from his writing here you get a real sense of a writer almost overburdened by empathy, because there's hardly a more difficult group than the non-sexy cold cases for a writer - who depends on attention to his work - to focus on. His attitude towards untimely death is almost one of indignation, and he's taken that drive and put it to very good use.

And though he downplays the interest of the crimes he follows, clearly his writing more than makes up for any lack of "hook". He's an excellent writer - conversational, victim-focused, empathic and direct. This book was an absolute joy to read, giving me hope that as long as people like Billy Jensen (and those he has managed to find and pull into his orbit) exist, then no-one can ever be counted truly forgotten. It might take years, but there are people out there still willing to fight - and long may that last.

A worthwhile and groundbreaking addition to the true crime canon, one that most - if not all - true crime aficionados will find fascinating. Billy Jensen is a relatable, likable storyteller who knows when to take a left turn into digression, and his friendship with Michelle McNamara (of GSK/EAR/ONS fame, author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark) is a bittersweet thread throughout.