Review of Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jensen
Gone are the days when Dateline and Forensic Files were the mainstays for murderinos (the affectionate name given to fans of the podcast My Favorite Murder) seeking details on infamous or puzzling cases. True crime podcasts now routinely place in the top ten of Apple’s podcast chart and whether you’re flipping through channels on basic cable, tuning into HBO, or searching Netflix, true crime is sure to be one, if not more, of the offerings. Now, the problem is not seeking out true crime stories but discerning which ones to spend time consuming when faced with a plethora of choices.
Enter Billy Jensen. He spent much of his journalism career writing about true crime, specifically unsolved cases. In recent years, he’s gained attention for helping to finish Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State Killer who was famously identified and arrested just months after the book’s release in 2018. McNamara died unexpectedly while writing the book and Jensen worked with a collaborator to piece together drafts and write new material as well, focusing on techniques like familial DNA searches and geoprofiling that McNamara was using to help solve the case. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is already a true crime classic not only because of McNamara’s stellar writing but also because the techniques she advocated for were actually used to identify the suspect after decades of searching. I highly recommend I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (although it is disturbing and, full disclosure, it did give me nightmares).
So, back to Billy Jensen. If his involvement with I’ll Be Gone in the Dark fails to convince you of his pedigree, let me explain what distinguishes his new book from other true crime releases. While Jensen’s work on both the Golden State Killer case and McNamara’s book about it are woven throughout his true crime memoir, Chase Darkness with Me, he focuses on a number of cases he worked (and sometimes solved) using targeted ads on social media platforms to solicit witnesses and tips leading to suspects. The majority of these are cases are likely unknown to readers since most of them rarely received media attention outside of the area where they occurred. Yet, Jensen clearly outlines the stakes for the families and communities impacted by each crime, making each compelling. Although he covers a large number of cases, his explanations of the details make them unique enough to remain distinct rather than blurring together. In addition, Jensen explains how his techniques have actually solved crimes and includes an addendum explaining best practices for those who want to be become citizen sleuths, as he refers to them.
Jensen’s years as an investigative journalist have honed his prose into concise yet informative sentences. Yet because this book is at least partially a memoir, the crimes and investigations are always filtered through Jensen’s perspective and that prevents the book from feeling too clinical or like a mere list of facts. Rather, he weaves stories about his own life into the book in ways that feel organic instead of forced, providing brief respites from the crimes themselves. Much of his interest in true crime came from his father, and those anecdotes are particularly evocative in placing the reader within Jensen’s point of view.
I knew Jensen from I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and the podcast he currently co-hosts with retired investigator Paul Holes, The Murder Squad, but this new book and his work on citizen sleuthing is sure to establish his important role in the future of true crime. Jensen’s strong writing skills and compassion for everyone affected by these crimes are striking. Chase Darkness with Me is a page turner that asks how citizens can harness technology to help chip away at the ever-growing backlog of unsolved cases in America. True crime fanatics and people interested in the future of criminal investigation should seek out Chase Darkness with Me.
Wired Wordsmith 