I don’t mind admitting to being a devoted fan of Richard Chizmar. Don’t mind at all. Fact is, I’ve been enjoying the fruits of his labors since…oh, let me check (pause for a quick perusal of back issues of “Cemetery Dance”, never far away) the summer of 1991.
Gee whiz. THIRTY TWO YEARS! That sounds like an awfully long time. And it is, by any measure, but especially in the horror world, which has been through several major booms and busts in the interim. Why, the very bookstore that used to be my source for CD—Bookstar, in Nashville, TN—has been gone for a very long time. A shame, because I bought a lot of fine literature there, horror and otherwise. And with Christmas drawing nigh, I miss it a lot more. Fortunately, we do have a couple of fine indies within a reasonable drive, both of which I visited during the run up to the publication of Chizmar’s latest work, “Becoming The Boogeyman”. I was dropping off promotional material for said volume, stuff I was more than happy to distribute, having read the first installment of this series…
…yes, I did say series. Because that’s just what it has become. And gang, that’s a good thing. Because Richard Chizmar has done something special with these books: he has created a whole new genre, which, as far as I know, is populated by hisownself alone. That would be the Fictional True Crime Genre.
If you read “Chasing The Boogeyman”—and if you haven’t, what the hell are you waiting for? GO GET IT!—Chizmar is himself the central character in a remarkable tale of what reads much like any true crime book you’ve ever read, the story of an investigation of a serial killer, replete with pictures, transcripts of interviews, personal reminiscences, the lot. There’s even a history of Cemetery Dance magazine, which to any horror fan is worth the price of admission in itself. The neatest thing about Chasing though was how perfectly it drew you in, to the point where you actually believe that this is a true story, even when you know perfectly well that it is not. "Suspension of Disbelief" to an almost startling degree...an amazing feat, y’all.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Sit yourself down and dig into the second go-round with Richard Chizmar and Joshua Gallagher, aka The Boogeyman. And to borrow a tagline from a particularly execrable film: "This Time, It’s Personal." See, now Our Hero Chiz is justly famous following the big to-do that results from the publication of the original book, and the resulting film. But it’s not all wine and roses of course; the neighbors in Edgewood, MD are not at all happy with the notoriety the book and film have brought their community, and they certainly don't approve of the increased traffic around the Chizmar home... which increases exponentially when someone leaves a ‘gift bag’ next to a fire hydrant outside of the house.
What’s in the bag? I hear you asking. Well, I’ll give you a hint that isn't exactly a spoiler: the bag is heavy, lumpy, and it reeks of death. Even JJ, the family dog, doesn’t want anything to do with it.
You get it now, right? What’s in the bag? Yep, it’s a dismembered body, and just like that, things get a WHOLE lot more complicated around the neighborhood and the general vicinity of Edgewood. Who was the victim? Who was the murderer? It couldn’t possibly be Josh Gallagher, could it? He’s safely locked away in Cumberland Penitentiary, right? Right?
Right?
And therein lies the tale, with more twists and turns than North Carolina's “Tail of the Dragon”…the western US equivalent would be Lombard Street in San Francisco. We learn more of the background of the story, we see what it’s like to obtain sudden celebrity, and we see that nasty tipping point at which ‘famous’ becomes ‘infamous’. It will keep you guessing all the way to Page 405, which is the end...
...of this volume, anyway. Because as we all know, the Boogeyman can’t die. The Boogeyman can NEVER die. As long as he resides in someone’s imagination, he (or she, for the matter) will always walk among us. And by me, that’s a very good thing indeed.
This is superb work, folks. Superb. I’ve summarized it thus initially when I finished it back in October, but it’s still a fact: this is the best book I’ve read in 2023. And I’ve read 42 books this year, works by a lot of authors you probably know pretty intimately. I’ve spent so much time reading that I’ve had precious little time for my own writing. But never mind that…already I’m salivating over the next—final?—installment of this story, and if I wasn’t thoroughly convinced now that this is a work of fiction, I’d be pestering Chizmar for daily updates on the well-being of his family. But this IS fiction, and I'm pretty satisfied that Rich and Kara and family are just fine and not being stalked by anything or anyone…
…waitaminute, waitaminute, his website is down.
Is he REALLY okay?
SOMEBODY CALL CHIZMAR AND MAKE SURE HE’S OKAY!
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From the Publisher
About the author
Amazing sequel, must read series.
This story picks up sometime after the conclusion of Chasing the Boogeyman. The serial killer, Joshua Gallagher is behind bars.....all is over and life moves on, but was it truly over? Richard Chizmer has been continuing to conduct interviews with Josh, anxious for answers. Through their bizarre conversations, Josh keeps hinting that he is becoming something special, a bit more than human perhaps? Then Richard is walking his dog one morning and finds a garbage bag on the sidewalk by his house, nervous as to what is in it, he calls the police. It is as bad as Richard feared. There is a new string of killings, is it Josh somehow, though he is locked up? Is it a copy cat killer, one of Josh's many fans? The media storm begins and Richard's family and home are under seige. Many blame Richard because of the book he wrote on Josh's killings. The end of the final chapter has me so excited (I won't spoil it though). This sequel is told the same as the first story, as a true crime with the author himself and his family and many of his friends as characters. Very unique concept which I thoroughly enjoy....and I did check Google several times to see if places and people showed up as real. These stories a amazing and I pre-ordered Becoming the Boogeyman before I was approved to read the e-ARC. After reading it, I would have wanted to own it anyway. Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this next in a now favorite series.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
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Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on March 13, 2025
Un format d'histoire inattendu
- Carlos The JackalReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2023
Perfect story for spooky season
- CelineReviewed in Australia on November 20, 2023
Will The Boogeyman Return?
Just like that I’m knee deep in another tale of the Boogeyman. I’m torn between it being real life or a fragment of Chizmar’s imagination. Im obsessed. Another fantastic read. What will it be next? The Boogeyman returns?CelineWill The Boogeyman Return?
Reviewed in Australia on November 20, 2023
Images in this review
- LagoonReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2024
Fiction portrayed as truth. Or is it the opposite?
