Let me start by saying that I have been a fan of Richard Chizmar since I read his collection of shorts, A Long December, a few years ago. So, when I got the chance to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of Becoming the Boogeyman, I jumped at it. I hadn’t read the previous book in the series, Chasing the Boogeyman, so, at first, I had to play catch-up. But author Chizmar generously gave enough background so that I didn’t find myself hopelessly lost.
The book is written as a “true crime” novel, complete with crime scene and victim photos and I was endlessly wondering if the story, characters, etc, were real or not. I actually Googled some of the victims’ names, coming up empty. Chismar himself is a pivotal character in the novel, having grown up in the same small town as the original boogeyman, Joshua Gallagher. Over the years since Gallagher’s capture, he has only given interview access to one person. You guessed it – our intrepid author, Richard Chismar. But now, a couple of decades since the original murders, Chismar finds he cannot completely disentangle himself from Gallagher who is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison. And, when the writer and his dog, JJ, find a noxious smelling black plastic bag on the street outside their house, the reader knows all hell is about to break loose. The bag is full of body parts which are determined to belong to Annie Riggs – the final intended victim of the original boogeyman who luckily escaped. Is this new killer a copycat? Or is Boogeyman Joshua Gallagher somehow orchestrating a killing spree from prison? Is Chismar to be the next victim? Or is he somehow involved? Could it be the UPS driver? The mailman? One of Chismar’s neighbors? Or, possibly (as I thought) one of Chismar’s sons?
This was an intriguing read with the action related to the killings tempered by Chismar’s nostalgic memories of growing up in a small town. These reminiscences reminded me quite a bit of the writings of Stephen King and I enjoyed them greatly.
In summary, fast-paced and enthralling, Becoming the Boogeyman is a riveting roller coaster ride and is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good read!
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, for providing me with a free ARC copy of Becoming the Boogeyman which is available for preorder now (publication date, 10/10/2023).