This book brings forth the toll crime takes on those that are investigating the killers. Riveting true crime reporting and emotional reading that takes place in investigations. Author and investigator Paul Holes reports on the Golden State Killer in this captivating read. Fans of true crime should have this on their reading list.

Are you a fan of true crime? Interested in the Golden State Killer case? Just a fan of Paul Holes? This is the book for you. Paul takes us through his career as a criminologist and how he has contributed to solving cold cases. We also get a bit of a look into Paul as a person (not a great father & husband but because he solves crimes) with flaws, panic attacks, and humor - outside of the crime fighter persona we may know from podcasts and tv. We also learn a bit of the science that Paul used in his profession, which I would love personally loved to have seen more of. Overall a fun read and peek into the true crime world from a non-cop that worked on solving cases.

I'm catching up on reviews so... Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Paul Holes is a retired cold case investigator most famously known for working on the Golden State Killer case. Many people were introduced to Paul Holes through Michelle McNamara's book, I'll Be Gone in The Dark, the many documentaries about the case, or through the My Favorite Murder podcast which resulted in Paul Holes' own spin-off podcast. This is a great read if you want to learn more about Paul Holes' life, how being a cold case investigator has impacted himself and his family, as well as some details of a few solved cases he worked on along the way.

The book is very fast-paced which makes for a fast read but may leave some people wanting more information about the cases he mentions. I was okay with this as I have been a podcast listener and can recall many details of the more infamous cases but if you aren't you may be wanting more. Paul also dives into how DNA has played a greater role in solving cold cases as the technology has improved over the years.

I highly recommend this read for anyone interested and well-versed in true crime as well as anyone who wants to learn more about the life of a cold case investigator. Paul is very respectful in his writing of the cases and the victims he has served over the years.

Thank you to @celedonbooks for the #gifted copy.

If you are a true crime fan like me, then you already know who Paul Holes is.and what he is famous for like catching the GSK (Golden State Killer) and working with Michelle McNamara (I'll Be Gone in the Dark). Another awesome book.

Paul has had one amazing career, but what this book showed us the toll his career had on his personal life. I don't think any of us ever realize how that comes at a cost to people that spend so much time hunting killers.

Paul Holes gives great insight into his role in major homicide cases, as well as the toll it takes on one's personal life to be so involved in deep, disturbing cases. Holes explores the complicated dynamics of these two things, as well as his communications with killers such as GSK. Incredible writing and very interesting.

3 "cut and paste, narrative pushing, mostly surface" stars !!

Thank you to Netalley, the authors and Celadon books for an e-copy. This was released April 2022. I am providing an honest review.

First of all 5 stars to Mr. Holes for working extraordinarily hard to put extremely dangerous criminals to prison where they belong especially those who are sadistic and have multiple victims. I am saddened that this work prevented you from being an emotionally available father and husband and caused you your own difficulties with severe secondary PTSD. I hope you give yourself permission to live your retired years in other pursuits that bring you and your loved ones joy.

Onto this memoir:

I feel that the title Unmasked is a misnomer. As I was reading this book I had the feeling that Mr. Holes has created a narrative to help alleviate his own guilt and suffering and wants the reader to believe his sacrifices were of the noble and heroic kind. I am not convinced and feel that the gentleman protesteth too much....

Mr. Holes appears to have both high functioning anxiety issues as well as an obsessive personality with some vulnerable narcissism. I do see him as a hero but of a very flawed and compromised status whereby he makes excuses for his own neglect of family/self as well as boundary and ethical violations.

The memoir never delves deeply but is a vehicle to show off with plenty of humblebragging. The cases he explored were very interesting but I wished for more insight and detail into his own relational and personal history. A good book for the casual true crime enthusiast !

This is a fantastic book!
Paul Holes's latest book, Unmasked, is part true-crime and part memoir. Written by one of the country's best cold case investigator, Paul weaves stories about his work together with his personal life (mainly, how his work affected his personal life). Cases that had long been stored away but seem to beckon to Paul.

So fascinating to read from the perspective of someone who had a major impact on notorious cases such as Jaycee Duggard, Laci Peterson, and the Golden State Killer. He assisted Michelle McNamara in her investigative journalism so if you read I'II Be Gone In The Dark I would recommend Unmasked for more insight into the capture of the GSK.
Holes discusses countless cases that he worked on, while also opening up about the emotional toll his work has had on his mental health and relationships. It was interesting to see behind the scenes how investigators worked cases and found/processed evidence. Paul Holes talks about his obsession with the Golden State Killer case and how this played out over the years, including various other suspects and snags they ran into while investigating. I admire his dedication to cold cases and although I've read a lot regarding the GSK case, it never ceases to amaze me how incredibly far the advances in DNA technology have come.

This book is not easy to read. Paul holds nothing back as he describes the crime scenes, the gore and the horror that lies within.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid reader of true crime I was very excited to read this arc and it did not disappoint. The narrative of Paul’s storied career was not only compelling, intriguing and page turning but also heartbreaking and gut wrenching.

When reading about the heinous crimes committed by killers you think of the killer and their motivations and most importantly you think of the victims and the impact on their families but you don’t often stop to consider how the crime scene technicians, investigators, forensic scientists, coroners, or detectives feel after seeing such horrible crimes. Paul’s willingness to share his story and his candidness about the trauma he personally was suffering from was much appreciated and eye opening.

I highly recommend this for fans of non fiction and especially those that are interested in true crime. I feel lucky to have learned about the behind the scenes investigations into some of the most notorious crimes.

Paul Holes is someone I learned about after reading Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer". Since then, I've learned more and more about the cases he's helped solve and that list is extensive! This man is dedicated to his work and it's easy to idolize someone like him. I found that this book humanizes him.

Holes gives an inside view of his mind. As expected, dark thoughts reside there from years of getting into the minds of killers in order to catch them and the horrible things he saw every day, but we also see his brilliance in making connections that his years of experience facilitate and just plain old gut/intuition bring. We also learn about his obsessive nature with getting caught up in a crime, his anxiety, and how these put a strain on his family relationships.

Unlike other "celebrity" memoirs (and by that, I mean memoirs written by non-writers or journalists) this was well-organized and well-written. This probably was aided by editing from Robin Gaby Fisher. I found this really paid off! Celebrity memoirs can be very hard to read despite an interesting premise because the writing is so bad. This book is not that.

I truly appreciated Holes' candor and wow--what an incredible career to read about!

Unmasked by Paul Holes is an account of cases solved by Paul, sprinkled with details of his personal life throughout the years. While I was interested in the story throughout, there were moments that made me cringe a little bit as Paul came across as more cocky than confident and quite unemotional/selfish. Overall I do recommend this story for true crime lovers and appreciate Paul sharing his life and how much research and work he did to solve cases.
Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book provides a gripping and personal account of the career of Paul Holes, a criminologist working to solve cold crimes around the Bay Area. I found myself turning pages with fascination late into the night. Well written, it strikes a perfect balance between the science of solving crimes with the toll it takes on Mr. Holes' personal life, The book also gives an example of the politics of certain jurisdictions' crime solving units, and I found that intriguing as well as frustrating. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy.

Paul Holes was a cold case detective that dug into the Golden State Killer, when he was still known as the Original Night Stalker and East Area Rapist (ONS/EAR). This memoir about his life starts when he was younger and trying to figure out what he wanted to do when he grew up, saw a demonstration from a crime scene investigator and realized that was what he wanted to do. It was while he was working in his first job that he came across the file of EAR in a file drawer. He read the file and was wondering if he could help catch this guy, and try to figure out why he stopped. His obsession and inability to discuss his work causes his first divorce. His second marriage to a woman in the same field is still at risk of failing because he brings his work home and still obsesses. But in the end, he is part of the larger team that brings the Golden State Killer to justice, right as he is retiring. And with being blocked by at least one city throughout this investigation. But retirement hasn’t stopped him. Paul Holes is still doing investigations around the country for TV and also doing a couple of podcasts.

A fascinating journey through the life of a man who has worked on countless murder cases. He breaks down some of the major ones he's worked on, most notably the Golden State Killer. It's interesting reading this book after Michelle McNamara's because of his different perspective on the case.

I have loved listening to Paul Holes on the various podcasts he has been on as well as tv shows. This book was a wonderful insight to the man behind the cases as well as documenting his role in the Golden State Killee case. He is very open and candid on his struggles as a human.

I always find myself fascinated by the police side of true crime. We have such a podcast, documentary, and social media based way of life that it is very stuck in its ways. This book was a very intriguing new way to explore and understand the world of true crime and how those in these roles get their results. A must read for anyone interested in how cases get solved

Paul Holes' takes us through some of his darkest cases during his 27 year career as a criminalist in California. Though not even 300 pages, this book is delightfully packed with his personal insights, struggles and triumphs, as he navigated fresh and cold cases, and how it affected his personal life and relationships. He is honest and direct in his writing while evoking the inner passion and pain that he felt while his work and family pulled him in opposite directions. I highly recommend this for fans of true crime and would love to read more by Holes especially as it relates to his work, then and now, helping solve cold cases in California and across the country.

I'm a big Paul Holes fan and familiar with his television and podcast work, so was very excited when I heard he was finally releasing a memoir. It didn't disappoint! I appreciated the balance of professional details and personal narrative, and especially admired Paul's candor and reflective stance when examining his role as a father and husband. My only complaint is that listening to this text as an audiobook was an absolute nightmare -- Paul has a great voice and I've listened to him on many a podcast, but whatever vocal coaching he received prior to recording the book resulted in a stilted and unlistenable delivery, which is truly a shame.

I am a true crime show addict and this book did not disappoint. It’s fascinating and brutal. This is a fast paced book that was hard to put down.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I really enjoy listening to Paul Hole talk about his career and the incredible cases he was part of through his career. This book definitely leans a little more on his personal life, which while still interesting, slowed down the pace a little. Great pick for true crime lovers, regardless.

This book was creepy and hard to read at times. I enjoyed learning about how Paul Holes became interested in a career chasing killers but some of his cases were hard to read about due to the violence and graphic nature of the details. I thought his story and career were very interesting- you;d've preferred less of his childhood/growing up details