✨Arc Review-✨
Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‼️‼️Tw‼️‼️
- Describes in great detail how bodies were decaying.
- Describes the unalivings and how they were done
- Describes trauma responses/ptsd of family members effected
- Describes in detail the execution of JWG and his autopsy especially of his brain



This book is not for the faint of heart let me start off by saying that. Also if you plan to read this book, do not eat while reading it. I was sent this book by NetGalley for my honest review.
This book is not your average recapping of John Wayne Gacy and the horrifying crimes he committed, this is a story about the families and friends of his victims and how their lives were altered permanently by his actions. This book specifically following Kim Byers, the authors mother, who helped stop JWG after her friend and coworker (his very last victim) was unalived by him. This book also talks about how trauma can be inherited and how the author also gained her mother’s trauma and how it affects her in her day to day life especially after becoming a parent.
This book was hauntingly beautiful and I enjoyed reading it. I love how when the author reflects on her mother’s life before and after JWG it reads more like an 80s mystery novel and less like a non fiction book. If you are curious about serial unalivers similarly to me but want a different perspective and want a different way to think about the people close to this type of situation i definitely recommend this book!

Courtney Lund O’Neil’s Postmortem is a haunting and profoundly personal exploration of the far-reaching aftermath of John Wayne Gacy’s crimes, told through the lens of her mother’s pivotal role in his arrest. This gripping true crime memoir takes readers beyond the headlines of Gacy’s heinous acts and delves deeply into the emotional and psychological impact on those connected to the case, making it an unforgettable addition to the genre.

Much like Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, O’Neil’s work intertwines meticulous research with deeply personal narrative. At the heart of the story is her mother, Kim Byers, who, as a teenager, unwittingly provided a crucial piece of evidence—a receipt left at Gacy’s home—that helped secure his conviction. Through Kim’s eyes, readers are transported to that fateful December night in 1978 when her coworker, 15-year-old Rob Piest, vanished, becoming Gacy’s final victim.

What sets Postmortem apart is its focus on the ripple effects of violence. O’Neil skillfully examines not just the physical and emotional toll on her family, but also the broader societal and cultural implications. She takes readers on a journey from Des Plaines, Illinois—where the community is still scarred by Gacy’s atrocities—to the unexpected corners of American culture where true crime fandom and the dark allure of serial killers persist.

The writing is evocative and deeply moving. O’Neil balances the horror of the crimes with thoughtful reflection on grief, guilt, and resilience. Her quest to understand her mother’s trauma and its intergenerational impact transforms this book from a straightforward true crime account into a poignant meditation on how violence reverberates through time.

Postmortem is more than just a retelling of a well-known case—it’s an unflinching exploration of how the legacy of murder can shape families, communities, and even national consciousness. For readers of true crime and memoir alike, it’s a powerful, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

Rating: ★★★★★

e-ARC & audio-ARC from NetGalley.

I've read some of the negative reviews of this book, and I don't disagree with them. Like those reviewers, I also found certain elements of this book strangely detailed and did not particularly care about the author's personal experiences outside of this case. However, I did not find them overtly offensive and appreciated this rare insight into the primary witness against the brutal serial killer.

In this book, Author Courtney Lund O'Neil is drawn to explore the John Wayne Gacy murders due to her own personal connection to them: Her mom was the witness who finally uncovered his trail of terror.

In December 1978, Kim Byers worked in a pharmacy with a boy named Rob Piest. When the owners of the pharmacy hired a local contractor named John Wayne Gacy to renovate the pharmacy, she thought nothing of it. When Rob let her wear his coat, she shoved a piece of her trash into his pocket. When Rob later put on that same coat to go outside and speak to Gacy about a summer job, she agreed to man the register. When he never came back, the nightmare began.

I'd never known this part of the history - the importance of a 17-year-old girl and a piece of trash. All I knew was that John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer who part-timed as a clown at birthday parties, routinely raped and murdered young gay men, and buried his victims' bodies under his house.

Only, what I "knew" about his victims was false: Very few, if any, of his victims was gay. Most were lured in, like Rob, by job offers. Others were trapped by their addiction to drugs. Some just needed some money or a place to stay. In total, of the thirty-three victims whose bodies were located, only Rob's reasoning can be verified. The rest comes from the brutal maw of Gacy himself.

I found this story equally devastating and enthralling. Piest was abducted and murdered on his mother's birthday, while she waited inside the store to pick him up after his shift. There's reason to suspect the store's owners of duplicity. What solved the case was the piece of trash Kim recalled shoving into Rob's pocket. The Breakfast Club was filmed at Piest's high school a few years later.

And, to this day, five of his victims remain unidentified.

1.5 stars, rounded down. I’m just going to dive into my thoughts and hope it makes sense. Apologies if it’s disjointed, but I’m feeling disjointed.

Firstly, the whole premise of the book, which is exploring generational grief, isn’t really explored because all we hear about is the author’s own life and how SHE has been affected by her mother’s trauma. It seems like she romanticizes the murderer and the survivors so much that she just assumes her experiences and theirs are one and the same.

The author superimposes her beliefs of how people felt back then over actual impartial, verifiable facts & first-person accounts, which I found to be beyond disrespectful to the victims, their families, and anyone affected by Gacy’s crimes. Not only this, it feels like for the past 6 years she’s been trying to insert herself into the narrative. She goes so far as to send a Mother’s Day card to the mother of a victim! When I read this my mouth just dropped open, because how dare she? How does she know that would be remotely welcome? What if that mother was still healing, or has moved past this, or any of a ton of reasons? What if that card just opened up old wounds? That card was alllll about the author, not that poor mother who lost her son.

Lastly, this book is filled with dramatizations and embellishments to things that need no more drama or elaboration to be utterly shocking or profound. The author also unnecessarily writes things out in painstaking detail, down to what her mother’s hair smelled like and when someone checked their phone.

I have a lot more to say, but I hit the main things that really stuck out to me. I acknowledge that this book is entirely the author’s experience and she has every right to that. However, I just couldn’t get behind it.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the gifted eARC

I couldn't finish this book. While the book does attempt to explore the large-reaching effects of crime and trauma, it feels like the author is making a bit of a stretch. I was hoping for new insights into generational trauma or the effects of crime on a community. But this book falls flat. I feel for the author and her mother, but I just couldn't continue to read this book.

I have recently attended a event regarding serial killers and I felt very chilled reading about John Wayne Gacy. I also listened to the audio book which captured the more raw emotions but this book definitely showed the reach of trauma and pain that can ripple for generations after a tragic and terrifying experience.

This was an interesting look at an infamous serial killer case. The connection may be a bit tangential, but it's a reminder that the effects of crime ripple out and affect so many.

I DNF’d (did not finish) this book after because it didn’t meet my expectations. I had hoped for a thoughtful exploration of generational trauma, but instead, the author seemed overly focused on inserting herself into the John Wayne Gacy case, despite her connection being through her mother’s involvement. The narrative felt self-serving and overly dramatic, with repetitive content and unnecessary details that added little value. Overall, it lacked substance, and I cannot recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing/Citadel for the advanced reader’s copy.

Huh.
This book was not what I was expecting to read. As someone who works in law and has been around the families impacted by murders, I was anxious to read this one. The Gacy case has long been a case that has fascinated me and to me this feels a bit performative. Very focused on her "role" in the case.

I completely disagree with her takes on the lawyer in the case. She assumed he would be deeply traumatized and almost tried to gaslight the reader into thinking that the lawyer had to be deeply troubled but just didn’t want to admit it. Again, I went to law school and have been involved in several murder trials. Lawyers are good at their jobs because we can turn off that part of our brain and are able to disassociate from the horrible things we are forced to see. It doesn’t mean we aren’t disturbed; we just are taught how to process these things. There are cases that will still pop into my head, but you can’t let it have power over you, or you aren’t able to do your job well.
The author seemed to think that everyone needed to react in a very specific way to the things that happened in this horrible event. This was an odd read…

I received my copy from NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.

Oh, where to start with this book… I tried hard, and I have never done this before, but I DNF this book. I think that I gave it a fair chance by reading over 80% of it. I truly went into this book thinking I am going to love hearing a different POV and discuss generational trauma. NOPE, that wasn’t even what this book was about.

I really felt as if the author was trying very hard to give herself a “roll” in the John Wayne Gacy murders. Wanting us to say, “yes, we see your trauma and you are part of it.” Ugh. I am not saying that her mother, Kim Byes, did not play a pivotal role in identifying the receipt that was with Rober Piest belongings. Some parts of the book, I felt like she was almost torturing her mother with making her go back to the places that she last saw Rob Piest. It only continued to get more cringy when the author explained how she wanted to put her hands in the cold river that they found Robs body in until they were wrinkled. But, oh well, she had to catch a flight. WHAT?!?! It was felt very dramatic acting from a girl whose mother knew someone who was murdered.

It was a very self-serving book for the author, and even when people (the lawyer) explained to her that he did not have any trauma from being close to the John Wayne Gacy case, she decided that he did, and he was hiding from it. The content seemed redundant and almost felt like she was just adding descriptive details to fill pages.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book. I requested this book, not only to see a different POV from this author, but I am going to see her speak at our local library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Publishing/Citadel for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.

In summary, a woman finds a way to make a crime spree against boys and young men in the 1970s (before she was even born) about herself. The sensitivity to trauma and privacy is about on par with CrimeCon. (Is that still happening?) Wild.

This book is so self-involved. O'Neil's link to the Gacy case is through her mother, a high schooler at the time and a key witness to one of the victim's disappearance. Her mom's insights and wonder are beautiful, thoughtful, and often nostalgic. But O'Neil's interest seems only to be in immersing herself in the past, adding herself into the narrative somehow. And it's a shame, because there are a few surface level windows into how the generational trauma affected the families differently, how it shaped a community. (It also bothered me that she seemed insistent on how this crime spree directly affected the perceived safety of young women. While young women are a demographic very much at risk of violent crime, this specific case wasn't about us. Leave that space for the actual victims and don't insert yourself.)

This wasn't investigative journalism and didn't add much to what we already know or can imagine. It was mostly a rehashing and dredging up of past trauma, for what? O'Neil took pictures of a stranger's house, criticized a lack of memorial (at the serial killers once-home, who would want that?), and solicited neighbors who probably spent much time and energy already trying to move on. She dropped a Mother's Day card on the doorstep of the Piest home, despite her own mom's well-intentioned hesitation. (It sounds like Kim hadn't kept up with the Piests in years, otherwise it would have been a beautiful and less potentially jarring gesture.)

And a side note: In chapter six, O'Neil references Jonestown and poisoned Kool-aid. It wasn't Kool-aid, but Flavor Aid. This is a common misconception and not a huge deal, but it does reflect the level of research (or lack of) that it feels went into this book. Ironically, the next chapter - "...perhaps this research I'm doing will limit the sort of reduction that happens with narrative over time. As decades pass, stories are watered down."

This read wasn’t really my cup of tea, but that’s not to say that it would be other’s. I am a huge fan of serial killers and would actually say I know quite a bit about them, including John Gacy. That said, I didn’t really receive any more insightful information that what I already knew, which was kind of a let down overall. I didn’t go into it expecting it to be informative, but I did go into it looking for a unique perspective and insight. The author does deliver on that point, but she was really more about her own insight rather than delivering to appeal to the reader.

On December 11, 1978, a young man named Rob Piest never arrived home for his mother's birthday party. He had been at work and seen by many people, disappearing shortly after seen speaking with a man about a job in construction. His coworker, Kim Byers, told police the man Rob was seen with was named John Wayne Gacy. At the time, young men weren't labeled missing, they were mostly labeled runaways, so everyone thought Rob would appear home soon. Sadly, Rob was never seen alive again. The search for Rob led police to investigate John Wayne Gacy, in whose home the decomposing bodies of 29 young males were found. Also found were some of the victims' belongings, including a jacket worn by Rob Piest the day he disappeared and a receipt for photo printing. Rob's coworker, Kim, was able to identify the jacket as Rob's, John Wayne Gacy as the man seen speaking to Rob, and identified a receipt for photo printing Kim had placed in Rob's jacket. "Postmortem" tells the story of The Killer Clown's victims, as told by the daughter of Rob Piest's coworker, Kim.

This book was an interesting perspective on a well-known case. Usually, the focus is on Gacy and his ability to hide in plain sight in his community. With the focus shifted to the victims, it made me realize how rarely we remember the victims; more often, we remember the brutality of the crimes and the perpetrator of them. With the book's author being a daughter of one of the case's main witnesses, it was an interesting look at how the victim's of crimes and those affected can be pretty widespread to others who seem to barely touch the main crime. The focus on generational trauma was very enlightening. I also liked the author's use of storytelling from both the past and present and use of primary sources including diaries, court transcripts, and interviews.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

Honestly, I was a little bit disappointed with this book. I'm a big true crime fan, but the John Wayne Gacy case isn't one I'm that knowledgeable on, so I was hoping to learn a little bit more about it from a source who was close to the case. I found the book to be a little bit boring, and kind of self indulgent. It was interesting to read about the case from a different perspective but I didn't really learn much more than I already knew.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. In my opinion, the author put her own interests and needs ahead of anything else while writing the story, and it was uncomfortable to read. Her comments about there being no memorial at Gacy’s house as an “erasure” seemed especially insensitive, as the families have long stated they didn’t want a memorial at his home. There were several moments like that that made me decide this book wasn’t for me.

This is a new angle for an often over done genre. Unexpectedly deep, it addresses inter generational trauma in a simple and meaningful way. This author brings clear eyes and much needed emotion that other books about the case lack. I’m so tired of work that promotes the human monsters as the center of the story, without exploring the consequences of their crimes. There’s a lot here to think about, the memories that inhabit places, what it means to be a mother, the under appreciated role of teenagers in solving crimes…I would love to use this book in my American History Crime course. Truly excellent work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a e-arc review copy. This book was so compelling and a really important victim focused look at true crime. Courtney is the daughter of Kim Byers who was a friend and work colleague (they both worked at Nissan Pharmacy) of John Wayne Gacy’s final victim Robert Piest. She was one of the last people to see him alive on shift and she put her recent photo receipt stub in Robert’s jacket that night which was eventually found in Gacy’s house and helped unravel the whole truth of Gacy’s murders. It also helped fuel the police’s mass digging operation at the property and the discovery of the boys buried in his property and the hunt for some suspected victims which were found in the local river also. Courtney doesn’t dwell much on the crimes themselves or Gacy but on who Robert was through his families eyes (Kim was close to the Piests) and the community of Des Plaines and through Kim’s eyes. We learn through Courtney and Kim’s diary how Kim dealt with Roberts disappearance and then the discovery of his body and then becoming a star witness to a huge trial all at a very young age. How this shaped her future relationships and her mothering style (protective and cautious). Courtney says this has also been a parenting style she has adopted through her inherited trauma from her mother of Robert’s death. The focus on Robert and the emphasis on the importance of Kim’s story told with the added emotional impact of the author being her daughter, made this book so special. Women are usually depicted as victims in the true crime genre so for the focus to be a woman’s narrative with a focus on the lives of the victims of Gacy was so compelling and powerful and unique. Also Courtney’s writing was just stunning and poignant so bravo! A 4.5/5 stars.

First off a big ranks to the publisher as well as to the author and NetGalley for the invite to read and re read Postmortem as well as other thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of it . As soon as I saw that it was nonfiction and true crime I knew I had to read it , and I']m glad I did because it was on a topic I already knew somethings about but not a hole lot. It was also shocking to realize that the last victim had been killed in 1978 and that at that time I would have been 1 year old since I was born in 1977. Plus it brought up some questions , that will never be answered. Over all it was an excellent reading experience.

Courtney Lund O'Neil offers a richly written, haunting exploration of the aftermath and ripple effects of Gacy's crimes. Kim Byers' memory of seeing Rob Piest alive for the last time reflects the deep emotional and psychological scars left on the community, along with the lasting trauma and disenfranchised grief experienced by the many friends and family members left behind.

Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders is a rare blend of meticulous research and heartfelt reflection, revealing not only the horror of Gacy’s actions but the lingering impact and lasting wounds inflicted on countless lives. It's a difficult but thoughtfully written and richly layered true crime narrative. Postmortem stands out as a well-crafted tribute to those taken and those left behind. It is a powerful reminder that justice, while served, rarely brings complete healing, and that the pain left behind demands compassion and understanding across generations.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Postmortem: What Survives the John Wayne Gacy Murders prior to publication.

Short Version: My actual rating -5 stars. I am insulted by this author and am horrified for the Piest family. This is not a book on generational trauma, it's one woman's attempt to appropriate trauma.

Long Version: This was advertised as a thoughtful perspective on generational trauma. It isn't, the people who were actually traumatized are completely ignored and further victimized.

Everything is about the author. We do get some of Kims diary entries from that time and we read a bit about Mrs. Piest, the mother of Rob Piest. But we only get (mostly fictional) glimpses of these people, nestled between chapter after chapter of how Courtney feels. There are 40+ years between the arrest of Gacy and when the book is written. Thats the timespan that would cover the generational trauma, the supposed topic of the book. Those years are entirely ignored. There are flashbacks to a few weeks prior to Gacys arrest, and the trips Courtney makes to the varied locations during the Six years the book takes place.

The author is almost seperated from reality in her effort to force a connection to Rob. At one point, she visits the river where Robs body was found and wants to soak her hands in the water till they turned white... unfortunately, she's got a plane to catch. She revisits Gacys House multiple times, complains about the lack of memorial, multiple times. Judging people at large for not... Doing more I guess. (I, personally, wouldn't want to memorialize the place my child was brutally murdered.) Fun fact: It's none of her business how people grieve or if/when/where/how they do it.

The author is constantly assuming details she can't possibly know, ignoring what people say to force her own conclusions. When she interviews the lawyer, she asks repeatedly if he suffered nightmares or whatever. Despite him stating several times he didn't, she decided he does anyway. She does this throughout the entire book. She writes how Kims coworkers fantasized about her shoulders, how Corey felt when Kim hugged him, the investigators thougts etc. She even insinuated, repeatedly, that the owner of the drugstore was a probable accomplice to Gacy. Based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever. She even does this from Mrs. Piests perspective, I suppose to lend credence to her theory.

She has no boundaries or respect. Kim doesn't seem to be a willing participate. It comes across as the author coercing her mom into revisiting Gacys House, the drugstore, and a dozen other mundane locations that held no significance. There's one point where Kim seems to genuinely want to share something with her daughter, the static electricity at the power lines, Courtney is completely uninterested. She cares nothing about the suffering of others, only her own percieved (i.e. non-existant) connection. She even goes so far as to write a Mothers Day card to Mrs. Piest, claiming a connection to Rob. Says that she loves him so much through her mother and then leaves that card on the doorstep. I do not have words for how exploitative that is, how intrusive, how cruel. Mrs. Piest, apparently, chose not to be interviewed for this book. To do something like that, when she had to know Mrs. Piest wanted to be left alone, is criminal.

The amount of mundane details and locations in this book is staggering. She walks the street where Rob worked and visits the different stores. We get to hear about what they were and how they looked versus how they are today. Zillow ads, how much a particular house sold for. She writes about one of the investigators using the bathroom for goodness sake. I could not have cared less about any of it.

Lastly, the mysticism... The author, and her mom, believe they are psychic. They believe the mother placing a receipt in Robs jacket pocket was a bout of clairvoyant inspiration. It's mentioned multiple times, as well as other psychic premonitions. It was unnecessary and completely destroyed the authors credibility.