I’m a huge fan of John Darnielle, and had read his prior two books as a fan, but this is the first one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, even if they’ve never heard of the Mountain Goats. A complex and empathetic commentary on our cultural obsession with the true crime genre, with a story that unspools in different directions and never went where I was expecting. His naturalistic dialogue is a pleasure to read, and the characters are fascinating and empathetic. I loved everything about this book.