a very humorous non-fiction graphic novel that tries to shed light on obsessive behaviour towards true crime content, as well as the authors takeaway from true crime cases such as The Zodiac Killer or Ted Bundy.

4.5 Stars
When I was 12 years old my absolute favourite thing to watch was unsolved cases on Youtube and Netflix. There was nothing quite so captivating or addicting. It had all the extravagance and unbelievability of fiction and yet it had actually happened. I was hooked for nearly a year. Then, I began to notice some changes in myself. I had a harder time trying to sleep, I was warier of strangers and generally more anxious and paranoid. It got to the point where I'd never feel truly safe because I had heard at least one story where a girl was kidnapped or killed in every situation. One day, I decided my love for these cases wasn't worth the emotional toll they were having on me and I cut them out. Years later, I received an ARC of an upcoming graphic novel memoir about a woman's obsession with true crime and I saw it as a chance to explore what might've been and reminisce on my past. Low and behold, I got much more than I was expecting.
This book is funny, witty, insightful, dark and serious when it needs to be. It opens with the question of what draws people to true crime and spends the book trying to answer it. Rather than following a linear path like I was expecting, this book ping pongs between different memories, favourite cases and the author's ever-evolving monologue as she tries to provide insight. Some ideas and jokes are regularly revisited and consistent throughout the story while others only make brief appearances, but rest assured, all are given the page time they deserve. There's a sense of chaos to this book because of how it's formatted and plotted and yet the author somehow manages to make it cohesive with a good flow that makes putting it down difficult.
Another thing I didn't expect to find were the hidden depths to the subject. From the role of empathy, to the pressure of society, to the reactions and publicity of different crimes, I feel I walked away from this book knowing significantly more about the world of true crime than I'd originally hoped to.
If you haven't already figured out what I'm trying to say here, I'll simplify things for you: buy it. If not for you, then for your crime-obsessed friend or family member. Just find someone in your life who you can buy this for and I promise you won't regret it.

The tone of this true crime memoir is light and humorous, and the author chronicles her passion for true crime as well as the history of the women in her family and their shared interest. As someone who is not a true crime fan, I was curious to see the draw to this genre. I think the book would hold more interest for those who are true crime fans.

It was interesting at first because we get to see the author on how she became to be interested in crime in the first place but I felt I lost track mid way so I didn’t get a chance to understand the whole story side of the well known cases she was talking about….

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for giving me this graphic novel to read!

[1.5 Stars]

This was a unique approach to a memoir but I don't think it worked for me

1. While I appreciated the simplicity of the illustrations, I think it was sometimes hard to follow the flow of the panels. The organization definitely could have been better
2. The regurgitation of true-crime stories got a bit boring because I had heard about it all before. I wanted more reflection on what true crime meant to her over straight facts
3. the bits of memoir that we did get also felt repetitive. It was the same questions and same answers over and over.
4. Also, her take on true crime was slightly bothersome. It took her almost the whole book to point out the racial disparities in what's popularized within the true crime genre. Also, Hilary claimed to have a feminist, victim-focused view of true crime, but she really didn't. I felt that the victims and their stories were largely neglected. Or even completely left out. When discussing the Serial podcast Hilary doesn't even name Hae Min Lee. Instead opts to just say "a girl was murdered" and then focus on her suspected killer instead.

My rating is reflective of my enjoyment of the presentation and organization of the information, not of Hilary's experiences or views.

I really enjoyed this one! It gets a well deserved five stars. I think more people should tell their memoirs in graphic novel format. This is the fourth I’ve read that way and I just find them so fascinating. Along with the format being fascinating, the content also keeps you hooked start to finish. If you’re also an enthusiast of Murder Shit, this is the book for you. Much like Hilary, I got into true crime through my mom who wrote and read murder mysteries, devoured everything Agatha Christie made, stayed up late with me to watch CSI, Criminal Minds, and every iteration of a true crime show that TLC, A&E, and the like had on, AND saw their horse drawn carriage in Niagara on the Lake the day that Karla Holmolka and Paul Bernardo got married... That very long sentence to say that I identified with this book and I think a lot of people will. You should read this.

I am a huge true crime fan and adored the idea of an autobiographical graphic memoir about true crime!

The drawings and set up of the pages were easy to follow and aesthetically pleasing. I loved the way the author jumped back and forth between her experiences growing up with a true crime obsessed family, and learning about serial killers at a young age, to how it has affected her life and interests now, as well as how she connects with people.

As a fellow true crime lover, I appreciated her references to famous movies and books (In Cold Blood, Mindhunter, etc.) as well as to well known crime stories such as Ted Bundy and the Zodiac killer. She also did justice to the victims, rather than glorifying the killers themselves.

Overall and enjoyable read for me :)

I love graphic memoirs so much and this one did not disappoint. As a fellow murder obsessed reader this was amusing and rang true in so many ways. I will definitely be purchasing the physical copy of this book when it is released.

For years I have been trying to explain my love of true crime to my boyfriend but its always so hard to come up with an exact answer. Next time he asks, I'm just going to hand him this book. Hilary's autobiographical graphic novel is a must read for true crime fans to understand their own fascination with murder. The dialogue and illustrations were so fantastic that I felt like I was actually having a conversation with Hilary through the whole book. I had so much fun on this journey through Hilary's life and own love of true crime!

That was a really fun ride. I can't say that I personally was familiar with Campbell's cartoon work, but I definitely intend on going to follow her now. It turns out that I really like her style. It's very conversational and approachable - it felt like you were truly sitting and having a conversation with a friend.

This book is sort of a deep dive into why people enjoy true crime, and even more specifically, why women enjoy true crime. It touches on so many aspects of it: identifying with the victim, anxiety, trying to protect ourselves, higher levels of empathy, plus inherent sexism and racism in news media. But it also showed just how much the things you love can be shaped by the people around you. A lot of the focus in this book was on Campbell's relationship with her mother (and sister), how they grew up listening to and watching true crime shows, so it felt so normal to them - whereas other people in their family or neighborhoods might think watching so much stuff about murders is weird.

I totally relate. My grandmother and my mother have always been interested in crime shows, books, etc., so it's an engrained part of who I am, I swear.

All in all, a really fun, and totally relatable, read. I definitely want to pick up a finished copy when it's published!

Reading about serial killers and all their quirks and info is one of my favorite kinds of books. This one was no different. I loved the change of being able to read it as a graphic novel. Some pages was hard to read when it had a ton of info but other than that I really enjoyed it!

I am not a fan of True Crime, but I love a good graphic novel, and I love a good storyteller. "Murder Book" by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell is a good story that keeps the readers interested and invested, and HFC is a fantastic storyteller. Even if it isn't their genre, this graphic novel is sure to keep readers coming back. It is an intriguingly suspenseful, hilariously fun read that captivates its audience and might just convert the borderline fan of the genre.

Before this I'm not realise that statistically women are the biggest audience of the true crime genre. I can relate so much on this graphic memoir since I'm being true crime fan myself.



Hilary is so lucky because she and her family( the ladies especially) are sharing the same hobbies. I'm wondering if I can talk to my mother about murder randomly without she's being hysterious.



Through this reading I've learn a lot of books that I must put on my tbr. Can't wait.





She shares her point of view about Zodiac killer and Bundy obsession. It's quite funny in a way of graphic can represents.



I love to share What Makes A Great True Crime Writer?
1. Beautiful, extensive detail.
2. Great empathy and curiousity.
3. The perfect amount of personality.

Great, isn't it? Thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for this ARC . So check it out the publication date on this November 9th.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this. I’m a crime junkie. I spent a good chunk of my career writing about crime. But it just didn’t do it for. I’m not a graphic novel person, but I wanted to try. This didn’t grab me.

I DNF’d it 25% in. Can’t give it a star rating, but I’m required to. So 1 star it is.

DO YOU LIKE TRUE CRIME😱🥶?? DO YOU ENJOY GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMICS??

Here is a wonderful memoir that talks about the author's curiosity and love towards true crime!!

-I enjoyed how the author portrays the serial killers and their stories in a less scary way....
-The illustrations are nice and fun....
-You get to learn some fancy terms related to crime and crime scenes....

Although I enjoyed reading this book, for most of the time it felt a little repetitive and dragging.
(But again, it is the author's memoir so it's entirely her views and ways😉)

Overall it was a good & informative read!!😊

I can’t wait to have this book in my hands!
As a murderino I love, love, love it. Hilary is so funny and I love her drawing style. I enjoyed how she presents her ideas and I can relate to her train of thought.
This is my kind of book and definitely part of my favorites of this year and all times. I hope to see this in Spanish soon. I know a couple of people who will love it too!


Special thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for this ARC.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. I'd seen Hilary's cartoons before, but that was about the extent of my familiarity with her work. A memoir about a true crime obsession can go a few different ways, so I wasn't sure exactly how she'd map it all out but I was intrigued enough by the concept to give it a go and I'm so glad I did.

She covers some well known cases, but also some that I wasn't familiar with at all and in a really nice, conversational style. The whole book is an exploration on not only why she is obsessed with true crime but why women in general tend to find it more intriguing than men. It's a fascinating read, and it honestly felt like I was just sitting down with a good friend and chatting about true crime while having a glass of wine. I may love it so much because I myself am kind of obsessed with true crime, but even if that's the case it doesn't change the fact that Hilary did a great job and I'm definitely going to go back and read this one again.

As someone who countless hours down the rabbit hole of all things true crime, this non-fiction graphic novel spoke to my soul. It's such a unique and special format. and I adored it.. Adored all stories on the different killers, how enjoyable and entertaining they were whilst still being respectful and educational, how fantastic the art style was, how personal it felt.

At some points, it started getting a little repetitive and I found myself skimming through those parts in anticipation of the more exciting bits. But beyond those mild complaints, I thought it was executed brilliantly.

I would definitely recommend this books, both to true crime aficionados and those who are looking for a starting point to dip their toes in.

I loved this. I don’t have the same deep or ancestral interest in true crime as the author, but as someone who can get caught up in an occasional case, I relate to the obsession one can have with it. As the author touches on, it’s less about the murder itself and more about wanting to puzzle out what might have happened or find something to learn from it.

The book bounces around a bit as the author recalls moments that true crime fandom arose her life, as well as a handful of true crime cases themselves. Some of this “bouncing” was a little bit jarring at times in the first half; it’s very much like when a friend goes on an excited tangent and keeps losing track of what their initial point was. This didn’t really bother me, though; it mostly made the book feel conversational.

This was really fun to read, even more so if you’re already at least a little bit familiar with some of the more famous true crime cases. If you like true crime, definitely give this a read. If you like graphic memoirs and you’re open to the subject of true crime, I also highly recommend this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

Really enjoyable. Dark, funny, quick read. People that love true crime shows and podcasts will absolutely love this.