I love fiction that goes the extra mile to make it feel like real life, and with its (non-grisly) crime scene photos and pictures of the characters, this book goes there.

Another entertaining and well written novel by Chizmar. He has the feel and prose of Bradbury and King. This one is not to be missed if you enjoyed the first installment!

I'm definitely an outlier on this but I think this could have been edited more to make it shorter. There were a lot of tangents and side stories that didn't add much to the main story. After that long journey of getting through this book, the ending was underwhelming, I didn't really buy it either and I also didn't get what it had to do with "becoming the boogeyman" and then also left with an opening ending...UGH

I enjoyed this very much. Just as creepy as the first book! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read ARC.

Enjoyed this. Maybe not as much as the first one but it is a fascinating concept with the books including part of a true crime book along with the author’s story. It’s a continuation of his first book (so read that first). And I found the ending pretty unpredictable.
I was given a copy from Netgalley
Opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one a lot. If you liked Chasing the Boogeyman, then you will definitely like this one, too. Like in Chasing the Boogeyman, Chizmar blends true crime with fiction in a fun way, as he is the main character in the novel and many events he describes actually happened. There are a few unsettling moments in this. As someone who hates that feeling that I’m being watched, some of the scares got to me. I wouldn’t quite call this horror but there are definitely some horror elements here along with the true crime format (true crime is horrific as it is!). Thanks to Gallery Books, Richard Chizmar, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Surprised that it was scarier then the original, had many points when I was completely on edge. Just as great as the first and was not able b to put it down at all once I started it. Very excited for what's around the corner now.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Becoming The Boogeyman.
I did not read the first book. And I did not see the movie. I started this book with a blank page. Richard Chizmar is a recognized author and one who has worked with Stephen King.
So is this book a true crime or a novel. Not sure but it’s good. Chizmar makes this a personal story about his relationships with serial killers.
Written in first person with real pictures of those he is writing about makes the story realistic
Good book and the door is open for another one
4 stars

This is such a fabulous series! I did not think the first book would lead to a second, let alone a third (which is clearly coming given the ending here) and I'm absolutely delighted about it. Chismar has done an extremely cool job writing himself into the story so thoroughly that even though I know it is not a true tale, I keep wanting to Google things to get more information!

He is a fantastic teller of creepy tales, and faux true crime is such a perfect vehicle for him to deliver the goods. I was afraid I would have to reread the first book to catch up, but that was absolutely not necessary. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be a mistake to read this one without the first book, but if you, like me, read the first book when it came out/as an ARC, rest assured that you can dive straight into this one. There will be enough references and backstory information provided to remind you of all the things that are essential to truly follow along with the new story. Without that context I think you would miss a lot of what's so cool about this one. I am absolutely captivated by the way he works photos and reports and details into the mix here, and really enjoyed his afterward in which he talked about the experience of crafting a fictional nonfiction story.

Suffice to say the next installment cannot come out soon enough for me!

You will never find me NOT reading a novel by Richard Chizmar. Just like his last novel, chasing the boogeyman, this one left me on the edge of my sit the entire read.

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley. How many sequels can you name that (a) grab you from the very first page, (b) maintain the level of intensity and freshness from the first book, and (c) keep you immersed and guessing until the very last sentence (literally)? I was a little skeptical going in, but Richard Chizmar has truly done it again. He can never recreate that initial jaw-dropping reveal of the meta-fictional format that caught us all off guard in Chasing The Boogieman, because now we know, but he can take the true crime/fiction format in an enthralling new direction and keep us wanting more. Easily 4.5 stars. I took away .5 star simply because I feel he tried to squeeze so much into one short novel (no spoilers, but so many extreme things happen that it can be a little much at times). Bring on the trilogy!

This sequel is so good. A page turner for sure. Uncomfortable and creepy I will deff now buy both books because I like the first book more because of this book.

Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar is a superb read and well worth the time spent! Great plot and characters.

Wow!!! This book!!!! Chasing the Boogeyman, the first book in the series, was one of the best books I’ve ever read. When i found out I had been given an advanced copy of, Becoming the Boogeyman, I stopped what I was currently reading and started reading this book right away.
It did not disappoint! It is written in the same style as the first book - it’s part memoir, novel, and true crime book. Mix all of those genres up and you have this book. I googled multiple times to find out what was true and what was fiction.
This book continues where the first left off. The original Boogeymen is in prison but a copy cat appears to be on the lose and is also tormenting the main character. Can the police/main character figure out who is committing these new crimes before it’s too late?
I have never read anything that comes close to the creativity of these books. They draw you in and scare you in the best way. And by the end, you feel like you really know and are invested in the characters. I cannot wait to read whatever else may follow in this series!!!!
A HUGE thanks to NetGalley and the author, Richard Chizmar, for the advanced copy of this book!!!!!!!

Becoming the Boogeyman is the second installment in this series. While it's still good it just doesn't have the same punch as Chasing the Boogeyman. That doesn't meant it isn't good because it is but one can't recapture the excitement and uniqueness of the first novel. It is a nice addition and it seem as though it is set up for another installment.

Chizman continues to write the book as though it is non-fiction giving it the true crime appeal many of us crime junkies seek. It's decades later and Richard and his family are living a seemingly normal life. The Boogeyman is behind bars, Rich's book has been a hit and then copycat kills start again. Richard finds himself being stalked and with this the creep factor goes up quite a few notches giving you a few thrills and chills.

Expect some fun Steven King Easter eggs and a slightly unexpected plot twist.

I got approved to read this and immediately put everything else away. I absolutely LOVED Chasing the Boogeyman so when I saw the sequel was available I wanted it.

This book did not disappoint. We follow Richard Chizmar and his family years after the Boogeyman has been caught and the author has hit it big with his true crime novel. Now there seems to be a possible copycat killer on the loose.

I don't want to say too much or give anything away. All I can say is that this was a fantastic sequel that had me checking the locks twice every night before bed (to the point that my husband even asked if I was okay). I was creeped out in the best way and on guard constantly. This is the perfect summerween or fall read, especially if you enjoy true crime.

Overall, 4.5 stars for me and I will be recommending this one to everyone just like I did with Chasing the Boogeyman. A huge thanks to Gallery Books and Richard Chizmar for the chance to read this in exchange of an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and Richard Chizmar for an ARC of this book.

Are you even serious, Richard Chizmar? Where are these books coming from? Look, I'm not one to give gratuitous praise. It's not easy to get a 5-star from me--a 5-star needs to blow my socks off. Well, not only did his last Boogeyman book earn a 5-star from me but . . . this one is, I think, even better than the last.

As I noted in my last review and others are duly noting as well, this is a genre-bending book (now series!). Yes, others have written (or are currently writing) fictional true crime and some writers are even inserting themselves into their stories (Truman Capote is the real originator here, though his genre-defining book was something much different--true crime, including his presence, written to read as a novel). However, I don't think anyone is doing exactly what Chizmar is doing and, from what I've read thus far, no one is doing it nearly as well. These are some of the most original books I've read in years.

In this, Chizmar's follow up to Chasing the Boogeyman, he's managed to do something I didn't see coming. He found a way to continue the tale that seemed well over at the end of his earlier novel. And frankly, this is creepier, scarier, and spookier than the original. I had to keep reminding myself that this didn't REALLY happen and that the scary parts are really made up. In this entry, the Boogeyman is back--somehow, since the culprit from book 1 is in jail--and this time, the crimes are getting closer and closer to Rich and his family today (well, 2022). I discovered something early on that I wish I hadn't seen until later but that didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the novel one bit.

Like last time, there are regular photo sections throughout the book that look like real documentary evidence (that shot of the Boogeyman peeking out from around the back shed? Nightmare stuff!!) and Chizmar does an amazing job merging his real life with his fictional story. And yes, I often found myself googling for things to see what is real and what is not--reality bends so subtly between these pages, the reader starts to lose grasp on where one stops and the other begins.

A little different to last time is the greater sense of the narrative dancing right up to the line of the unnatural (maybe supernatural, even). It doesn't really cross the line but journeys right into that liminal space--both in the main story line but even more so in the "excerpts" from the (fictional but based in real fact) memoir Chizmar sprinkles throughout the book. (The old lady glimpsed through the Meyers House window where a young Rich was peeking as a dare is superb!) While the excerpts have a real place in the story, I also felt like if I squinted just a bit I was reading an homage to Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, a wonderful story that also retells the past and merges an American version of magical realism into the tale.

If you haven't read the first Boogeyman book, I do think you could jump in here with no problems. But why do that? If you haven't read the first, go and do that today. Then roll right into this one. It sounds like we can even look forward to a third entry in the series; I'm already anxious to get my hands on that one.

Bottom line: innovative, exciting, super damn creepy, excellent character building, wonderful narrative voice, and moments of laugh-out-loud humor throughout. 5 big old stars! Thank you, Richard Chizmar, for your Boogeyman series!


PS: to the editor--I'm sure this will be caught in final proofs, but the picture of "Mallory Tucker's
stepfather, Jeremy Hollister" around the 77% point of the book probably is meant to read "Peyton Bair's stepfather".

5 stars!!!! Richard Chizmar is on the top of my must read authors. His writing style is like no one else, think true crime with photos, but he is at the center of the story as a writer. His backstories from childhood are entertaining and even funny at times (and so is the bonfire event.) And the killer wearing all black with a burlap mask, is probably the scariest killer I have ever read about. I do recommend reading Chasing the Boogeyman first, there is a lot of backstory about both Richard and the Boogeyman that will make this book even more enjoyable. To Mr. Chizmar’s agent, please start shopping this as a tv series, it would make even the most hardcore fans shiver in fear. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. It was a true pleasure to be able to read and early review this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this book in advance. This book is the sequel to "Chasing the Boogeyman", which was fantastic. I will have to go back and re-read the first one but dare I say it, I think this book is better. I love how the writer incorporates himself into this book as the main character. He has a knack for weaving the storyline so that it keeps you guessing, and it pulls you in. There were a couple of chapter beginnings where I had to flip back because I thought I'd missed something, but I learned quickly to just keep reading because he will explain and you will soon understand. Overall a very creative and fantastic story!

Becoming the Boogyman by Richard Chizmar
Release Date October 10, 2023
Publisher Gallery Bboks


HOLY MOLY! What a freaking book. I read Chasing the Boogeyman and honestly did not think this one could have been better but it is… It truly is. I now have a new favorite author. Chizmar is amazing. And boy can he tell a story that is gripping and very unforgettable. He has done it yet again and I am jumping up and down. If you had no idea this was a work of fiction, you would never be the wiser and would check the internet to see if it was real. Just as I did with the first book.

This one picks up after the first book with the murderer arrested a few years after the killings that took place in Edgewood. And now the author is married with children. There is another murder, every pranks and even more neighbors with questions. Out walking his dog, Chizmar finds a garbage bad with duct tape around it. What begins is another murder that could be a copy cat. Years of living in the killers shadow have brought more questions than answers. Could this murder have something to do with Gallagher? Or is it a copy cat killer. Can Chizmar finally uncover the whole truth?


Ok, we all know that this is really a work of fiction, but the newspaper articles, police photos, and other pictures thrown in help to make it seem so real. Chizmar is a genius. If you have not read theses books you need to. It would help to read the first one, but the author puts enough of the backstory in so you really would not have to. He seamlessly is able to blend fact with fiction so that the reader believes the whole story. This is a great novel posing as a true crime novel that kept me engrossed and entertained the entire time. You DO NOT want to pass this book by.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.