This was a very interesting read but not so much my personal style. It was intriguing and did capture my attention, but I'm not sure I'll be going out of my way to look for anything similar.

Rambling and self-obsessed. I found the handwriting hard to read at times. Unsatisfying, in that much as the author might think otherwise, her experience isn't all that enlightening to the reader who is actually curious about the subject. Why do people like true crime? Wish I knew.

Was the promise of giving me a taste of true crime futile? It's just a mess of everything and nothing. A graphic memoir of lifelong obsession with true crime becoming a disastrous mess. Just not my cup of tea.

Not a fan of.the art style either. 2 star rounded up.

This graphic really made me consider my own appreciation and love of True Crime. It also made me feel like I wasn't alone in my weird hobby of watching shows about murder during my dinner. Hilary F. Campbell really delves into the psychology of WHY, specifically she but also people in general, have such an interest in true crime. Hilary fully believes she has her mother blame because of her mother's own obsession with "all that murder Sh*t."
The illustrations, while all in a black and white pallet, made me feel like I was reading something made by a friend after a conversation we had. Hilary made me feel understood and brought up her own thoughts and evidence that just blew my mind. She discusses the cases she finds/found the most interesting and how she feels connected to them. The humor and understanding she presents pulls the reader in and makes us say, "Yeah! Me too!"
I found it particularly poignant when she discusses that women have made the true crime genre better because our interest fuels the fire. She also mentions that perhaps women's interest in true crime stems from a need to know how to NOT become a victim by recognizing the signs and situations related to various murders. I loved the artwork and the story and I hope to see more awesome work from the author.

Full review and links to social will be posted as soon as possible.

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the worst true crime or graphic novels I have ever read. Campbell rambles so much she presents herself as untrustworthy. Her storytelling was like listening to a babbling kindergartner. And to be an "avid" true crime fan she spent most of the book talking about the biggest true crimes like Ted Bundy. Don't waste your time with her go read someone else.

2 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Murder Book by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell is a graphic memoir about the writer/artists obsession with true crime. It touches on some of the cases that have captivated her attention and summarizes them, and also other facts about true crime history.
***
Overall it was an interesting read, I learned some things I hadn’t known before and laughed a little bit. My only problem was the storytelling felt a little bit erratic at times and it would throw me out of my reading groove.

📚 book review 📚

Murder Book by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell

I'm very interested in Graphic Novels & true crime so I was excited to read this one. I could relate with the author, my mother and grandmother also got me into true crime. This graphic novel covers a bunch of cases and topics. And it is a bit all over the place but if you're interested in true crime I recommend you check it out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
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I knew of Campbell from her New Yorker cartoons, which are among my favourites. What I didn't know about her, though, was that she is a huge true crime fan.

Campbell, like many other people, is addicted to everything true crime, from simply reading about cases to obsessively watching specialized TV shows, podcasts, reading books, etc. She explains her personal story with the genre, including how the women in her family have always been interested in it, and she explores why so many women seem attracted to stories that are mostly about them being savagely victimized.

Although I have gone through phases where I binge on true crime media, and I certainly enjoy an Ann Rule book, I'm not as into it as Campbell and others. However, I find it a fascinating phenomenon and the author does it justice.

What a brilliant graphic novel, perfect for any murderino!

I really enjoyed the graphics as-well as the story line

A creative and insightful view on the author's obsession with true crime and where it stems from. I loved the way the information was laid out as if it were being taught in a class. The deep dives into Ted Bundy's spree gave a good overview on what happened and how people were reacting at the time. There was quite a bit of research done into how the true crime phenomena has evolved and taken hold of the population but it was presented in a fresh, easy to understand way without being bogged down with too many statistics. All in all, a quick, entertaining, and humorous read.

I understand this was supposed to be humorous but for the most part I didn’t really find it funny. At times it was also difficult to follow the flow of the story as at time placement of the conversation bubbles seemed to be organized oddly and sometimes it was hard to tell what the next part to read should be. Overall, I just don’t think I was the target audience for this. I generally like fictional mystery stories but I don’t really follow true crime so some of these stories were outside my knowledge.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell has created a humour graphic novel based on her and her family's obsession with true crime. She has added humour to the book about her family, her life, and her obsession with true crime which is juxtaposed with the dark subject matter. She manages to artfully and respectfully do so, without disrespecting the victims of the crimes she discusses. I enjoyed how she went into detail about the victims and their stories, to bring voice to their experiences and lives.

The images are masterfully drawn, and the book drew me into it and I read it in two sittings. I would have finished it in one setting had I had more time that particular day.

It was particularly interesting to me how she delved into the topic to answer the question of why we are fascinated with true crime. This was a very interesting question to me personally, as a fellow true crime junkie. Her examinations of the topic really helped me nail down the reasons for my own interest in the topic.

The author and I are of similar age and all of her references were extremely timely for me, and I connected greatly with her writing. I plan to purchase a copy for myself and my classroom.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this title. It surpassed my expectations!

The book was really humorous and the illustrations comical. Unfortunately, I was not ably to fully enjoy it because I had to frequently zoom in and out and it became quite tedious for me. A physical copy is a must for this one.

This is my first time reading a memoir in the form of a graphic comic/novel about a woman who is obsessed with true crimes, so this is a new experience for me. It was okay i guess. I had some fun and some laughs reading this.

A really relatable book about a woman obsessed with true crime accompanied with excellent drawings!

It could be a sensitive topic for some but if you are in watching True crime docs on Netflix this one is for you. Hillary summarises some of the infamous serial killers, from Ted Bundy to the Zodiac killer in a very lighthearted manner. A self confessed muderino, you can tell she is a fan of true crime!

Murder Book was hilarious and connective. I felt akin to the strangeness of Hilary and her obsession with true crime since I too watch way too much of it and enjoy shows like Criminal Minds and Forensic Files.

I enjoyed the exploration of where the love of true crime comes from. Is it genetic, as Hilary and her mother and grandmother believe it to be?

The art style worked very well to tell this story. It was an easy way to showcase the murderers and victims themselves while giving expression to the characters that were talking and moving about. I highly recommend reading this if you have any interest in true crime.

Delighted to include this title in Crimes & Misdemeanours, the true crime and mystery lovers list in my thematic seasonal holiday gift books guides for Zoomer magazine. It appeared in the Books section in December. (The listicle is online at related link.)

Most of the murders I have already knew about, but for someone who is only learning about these cases, it could be really fun. I loved the drawing style and the humour though!

I quite liked Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell's introspective memoir of close calls to true crime stories as well as true crime history but felt the focus was a little loose in spots.