This was just the memoir I needed! I felt like this was so relevant to things currently going on in the world [i.e., the whole Gabby Petito case & the conversations about true crime that have gone along with it], but told in such a unique manner. This book made me laugh, but it also made me consider how & why I consume true crime in the way that I do. Hillary is SO RELATABLE and her writing and cartoons really hit home. I loved that I could feel the connection to the author while also learning a thing or two.

4 Stars
This was a cute, very accurate, portrayel of a true crime obsessed girl. I can relate so much to the author on this subject. I love shows, podcasts, books, etc. . such an enjoyable read. I really loved the unique choice of a graphic novel. It made the memoir more enjoyable to read.

I'm a true crime fanatic. I stream hours' worth of documentaries every day while I'm at work. My obsession began in the 1980s with Unsolved Mysteries, which my mother turned me on to. So at the onset of this graphic novel I was enjoying it, because the author stated she loves true crime and can trace the interest through her family line back several generations. I hadn't considered that before, and has made me wonder if my grandmother was a true crime lover. It's given me something to talk to my mom about.

However...this graphic novel is very disorganized. The speech bubbles are scattered all over the pages, which are very pixelated and blurry, and the text goes off on long, rambling tangents that really really bored me. I did not find anything humorous about the book and I did not need the Zodiac's entire life story dictated to me because, obviously, as someone interested in a "murder book," I have also seen the documentaries.

I am the target audience here, but I did not find this book enjoyable at all.

As a true crime lover, I saw this book and decided to give it a try. However, it is not at all what I was expecting. I could not get interested in the book and ended up mainly skimming it. This book was just a huge miss for me.

Absolutely loved this graphic novel. This will be a funny and very relatable read for any true crime lover. The author’s connection with her mother is lovely, and so is the one between her and other murderinos. It’s an insightful look into what makes us weirdly obsessed with murder. I created a Goodreads list with some of the books mentioned in Murder Book, a few more books to add to the TBR!

Disclosure: I received no compensation other than the chance to read this work.

Murder Book is about the author's exploration of what attracts her, and other women, to the true-crime genre. Told from her viewpoint and interspersed with facts from infamous true-crime cases, this graphic novel covers what she tries to see as possible motivations for her true-crime fascination and if it really could be harmful to wallow in the details of other women's deaths.

This book was a good read, but the narrative style (as the author herself admits) is very meandering and circular. This may frustrate some readers to where they're willing to walk away from finishing the book, but it wasn't so much confusing as it was a feeling of wanting to say 'get to the point!'.

Recommended for fans of true-crime novels and podcasts.

I really liked it, mainly because I could definitely relate to this. Being a true crime fanatic is an incredible feeling, but also a bit confusing to explain. The author has a very personal way of explaining a global phenomenon, in a very unique: a subjective point of view, in addition to many facts. The illustrations were great too. I highly recommend checking this one if you’re into true crime, it’s hilarious and interesting at the same time.

I love this book! As someone who is a bit obsessed with true crime this was a relatable and hilarious take,. It was full of interesting information about actual murders as well as musings on why it's such a popular genre. The illustrations make the content even better. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in true crime!

BOOK REVIEW
Murder Book - Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Why are we oddly fascinated with Murder? True crime docos, podcasts, books; we as a species are just here for it but this is the first graphic novel I’ve ever read on the subject and I need to report two things in my findings:
1. I am also hopelessly obsessed with true crime.
2. I definitely need to read more graphic novels.
@cartoonsbyhilary ‘s comedic take on our passion for true crime is both funny and sensitive to the subject matter. I loved her coverage of the Zodiac but the humanistic way she discusses her almost hereditary obsession. A fantastic read that’s inspired me in more ways than one!!

This was such a fun and unique concept. True Crime is a serious hobby for many people, especially women as the book does point out. I love the idea of taking the True Crime to a graphic novel style. Images make everything so much better. This was like a big picture book for women to read and fall more in love with true crime all over again.

This was beyond relatable, even for those that may not be true crime obsessed. I would not say I'm obsessed but in the bookstagram community many women are and surround their lives with podcasts, videos, shows, books, and articles about True Crime. I love how this book feels so real and there are many points when you can easily go "yeah, that's happened to me too" or "yes, I was thinking the same thing" or "I have the same theory about Lizzie Borden."

Such great illustrations, a light and funny undertone throughout the whole book and a sense of belonging that the reader can feel as they read through the book.

I'll start by saying I'm not a murderino...I think that was the word? But I was interested in knowing more about people who were super into true crime, since I know it is a thing, and I also enjoy graphic novels. Unfortunately, after reading this book, I'm still not into true crime. I'm just one of those people who don't get it and would rather be reading/watching about a thousand other things. I've never even made it through a full episode of Law & Order and the "dun-dun" noise actually makes me cringe and I need to immediately change the channel.

All that being said, I guess that makes me *not* the target audience of this book. I did really like Hilary's drawing style and narrative style and would definitely check out more books by her, this just wasn't the topic for me. I got really bored when she re-countered murders (some felt like they just went on and on and on) and I found myself skimming through the last couple. The whole book ended up feeling too long...

The bottom line is: this is a quality book and I can see a lot of people being super into it, but the subject matter just wasn't for me and I have not been converted into a true crime aficionado.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for letting me read an ARC of this graphic novel.

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell loves murder. She's the first person to admit that her obsession sounds weird, but Campbell has been into true-crime since she was a child. In the new graphic novel Murder Book, Fitzgerald explores her family obsession with true crime, explains why true crime is so popular, and explores high profile cases that have fascinated us for decades. Fitzgerald Campbell is a New Yorker cartoonist and her work is hilarious. 

Some of the best parts of the book include conversations with Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell's mother, including a fake Murder 101 class. Her sections on famous serial killers are detailed, well-researched,  and doesn't act like Ted Bundy was hot. With jokes about wine, percentages on true crime's expansion, and her personal history, Murder Book is a comedic break in a sea of true crime.

I feel like the author was super insensitive. I don’t know if she thinks she was being funny but I found her rather rude. I kept rolling my eyes and could not stand another page. I read 39% of this awful graphic novel and I will not be recommending it. Yuck.

As a fan of murder mysteries, I was curious what this graphic novel would be about. I found myself connecting to several things she wrote about, such as having a mom obsessed with true crime, always curious when sirens sound, and watching crime documentaries. I actually felt better about myself after reading this because my interest is not nearly as obsessive about murder as the author herself:) There are a lot of different elements to this graphic novel: why people are curious about crimes, what True Crime is, and famous cases that have shocked the nation. It is also a mix of an autobiography, with the way her fascination of crime has developed into an obsession throughout her life.

Two aspects that I struggled with were the art style, it just wasn't my preference, and the transitions between sections/topics were not always smooth. I did find my mind drifting a bit while reading, it didn't hold my attention throughout, but True Crime fans may find more to relate to.

I am a fan of this genre and it’s amazing how many of us there are. I really liked this book! I liked the narration and the illustrations, and all the little asides were fun facts.

You ever thought that you were weird because you liked the idea of catching a murderer or are obsessed with local murder stories. Well go ahead. Pick this book. This book is hilarious to the dot where you look in the mirror and say "What have I become?!". To be honest I had to research a little about Ted Bundy and Zodiac killer but I finished this book in two days with the research.
This book was "drawn" beautifully with a very unique design. It was like reading an episode of Keeping up with Kardashian where they are obsessed with murder stories and are basically speaking to the camera as a monologue.
It took me a little longer to understand the design of it but overall this book really made me realise how much I love true crime stories and how badly I have to see Law and Order

Received an e-copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a graphic memoir, where the author goes back and traces when/ how her obsession to true crime began. I loved that there were actually real true crimes cases and I loved it.

There were some true crime books mentioned in this graphic novel and was talked a bit about. Now I want to read about those criminals and learn more.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a big true crime fan since I was a teenager. When I saw the description of this book it sounded right up my alley. I also was excited that it was a graphic novel. Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed. First of all, I wanted this book to be mostly about true crime and not so much about the writer. No one would care why I like true crime and I can't really say I care why she does. I did enjoy the parts about crimes but I found myself just skimming the rest and it felt like there was a lot more about the author than about true crime. I did enjoy the graphic novel aspect but some of the lettering was hard to read.

My name is Jen...and I'm a murderino, In this book, I happily found my people. I am a fan of graphic novels, and although this is not the glossy, moody super hero graphic novels I am used to, I enjoyed the drawings and text. So much of what Hilary wrote resonated with me...I listen to true crime podcasts, read true crime books and thrillers. As a kid raised in the 60s, I read A LOT of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, in junior high I was introduced to true crime through the movie Helter Skelter and the book of the same name. From that point on, true crime has been my jam. Hilary's lighthearted take on a serious subject, gave me insight into WHY I am drawn to the genre. Anyone who is a fan of true crime will find a kindred spirit here and will catch themselves thinking..."Hey, I read/watched/listened to that!". For those who have close friends, family, or partner who is a murderino, this quick read will help you understand that obsession a little better. Murder Book is a big thumbs up for me! #murderbook #netgalley

I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who is also possibly a little too interested in murder, I really enjoyed this book. Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell's writing style is so entertaining as she is able to seamlessly weave her personal thoughts and stories with true crime cases. The cartoons held my interest throughout and were only occasionally confusingly formatted, however, I think this fitted well with her more off-the-cuff and dynamic explanations. Each part of the book was entertaining and enjoyable and I would have given the book 5 stars if I could relate better to consuming American true crime media, as I knew most of the cases but was largely raised on English murder mysteries.