I didn’t realise that there are people obsessed with murder. People who love true crime will find much to relate to (and laugh about) in this book. The author did a great job telling about her (and her mother’s) lifelong passion in this field in the form of a graphic novel. Her drawings, while simple and basic, and accompanied by everyday sometimes untidy handwriting, is expressive and tells her story well. She also highlights several prominent murder cases which were compelling and led me to find out more.

I did find it disturbing though that her obsession has even resulted in her sharing about a case in detail with a 9 year old child! And did she ever actually hope for a murder?

Content alert: often rough language - and why the need to show herself sitting or almost sitting on the toilet so many times?

Pros: As someone who enjoys a great true crime podcast, I was very curious to read a graphic memoir about true crime obsession. With true crime being such a popular topic, I think many readers will relate to this book. What makes this book special is its format--a graphic memoir. The combination of text and illustrations adds so much to the story and made for a fun and funny read, which made more sense when I learned the author/cartoonist is also a comedian. I never expected to see the stories about the Zodiac Killer and Ted Bundy in comic form, but it was unique! I enjoyed the author's commentary on why so many people (i.e., anxious women) are obsessed with true crime. While reading this book, I had to set it aside at times to do a bit of research on crimes I had not heard of and to research the author's familial connection to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Also, a class about "the history of murder stuff" sounds fascinating and like something most/all of my friends would want to attend.

Cons: Some readers might find the tellings of the true crimes as cartoons to be insensitive to the victims of the crimes. Also, this book was difficult to read on my phone; I think it would be great to read a print copy where the text is a bit bigger.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I've shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Murder Book by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell is a nonfiction graphic novel about the author's love of true crime. It will appeal to fans of Georgia and Karen's comedy podcast My Favorite Murder as well as fans of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home. The book revolves around how the author became obsessed with true crime, explains what true crime is to the reader, and then attempts to find an explanation for her relatable obsession. Along the way, the author regales us with a few of the murders she thinks of the most, including the "personal connections" she had with the Zodiac killer. In addition, the book refreshingly focuses on the victims instead of the murderers, such as during the insightful scene with commentary on victim-blaming.

Overall, Murder Book is a funny explanation of a cultural phenomenon. As the author explains in the opening pages, almost every podcast post-2014 is about true crime. As I was reading this book, it made me really think about why we as a society are so obsessed with true crime. Is it weird? And if it's not, why are some people ashamed to admit that they like it? One highlight of this book is the humor. I found myself laughing out loud as I read this book, which I definitely wasn't expecting based on the subject area. If you're a fan of true crime or a fan of podcasts like Serial or My Favorite Murder, then you will enjoy this graphic novel. If you know anyone in your life like this, this book would also make the perfect Christmas or holiday gift. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in November!