Zodiac by Robert Graysmith Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Zodiac
Book Review: A very chilling account of terror
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book almost 11 years ago and I can still remember almost all of the events that happened. The Zodiac has to be one of the most cunning and elusive serial killers since Jack the Ripper. They both (Zodiac and Jack) have the destinction of never being caught. The author of the book does a fantastic job of telling the tale with chilling clarity that is not often found in true crime tales anymore. The background of the events from 1966 (when the Zodiac first started killing) up to the late 1960's/early 1970's puts the reader almost into the investigators shoes of trying to catch this elusive and very intelligent killer. This is a definite MUST read to any fan of true crime or mystery readers. Kudo's to the author.Book Review: Absolute BEST in true crime, 5 stars!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My professor assigned this book in my class. I had read it many times in the past but it was great to read again. This book, ZODIAC, is memorable, frightening, well written and intensely researched. Robert Graysmith certainly put in the time to write and research this book. You will be scared by the descriptions of the crimes and the taunting letters the killer leaves behind. This book is hard to put down and is a MUST READ for true crime lovers. This was the first of it's kind when it came out. It includes all the photos and text of the letters. Graysmith does a wonderful job telling the story with his writing, making you feel like you're there watching this mystery unfold. You feel that the events are taking place right then as you read because of the formatting of this book. It's like you're reading a police file with the date stamps and exact location and times of each scene and event. If you're a fan of true crime books, this will be one of your favorites because of the amazing detail the author provides and the mystery surrounding the case. You won't regret taking the time to read this book. It's very chilling and it's very hard to put down, the best of it's kind that I've read.. It's a must read if you are new to the Zodiac case.
The book details the case of the "Zodiac" killer that was active in San Francisco in the 1960's. This is an account of one man's personal involvement in this case. The author worked at the San Francisco Chronicle at the time and took 10 years to write this book. He was there. This book describes the author's own investigations. It's a frustrating case for many reasons. I can't imagine a more detailed account of these crimes and since Graysmith was right there during the action, his opinions are absolutely valid. The author provides a tremendous amount of details about the police investigation and the letters.
I have to laugh at some of the reviews posted here regarding this book and the author. There are obviously a few people who believe the killer is someone different then the one stated in this book. There also are a lot of fanatics that have their own theories or competing books or websites (or whatever!) that obsess on every little detail as you will notice when you read these reviews. Most believe this book is dead on, myself included. Regardless of whom you believe Zodiac to be there is no need to attack the author. I mean, what is wrong with some of these people? A few reviewers go on and on about a little detail that they say he got wrong, then call him a liar or a self promoter. HUH???? Calm down crazy Zodiac fanatics. What have those people created I wonder? What have they offered to the world and what do they do besides critique others work? Also who is to say that they are right and he is wrong. Just because they say that doesn't mean it's true. I guess this is a genre that unfortunately occasionally attracts some rather odd/obsessed people. Most people just enjoy a good mystery or are intrigued but some take it too far. Mostly everyone loves this book but beware of the fanatics who want to be responsible for solving this crime and will spread lies about anyone else who makes a valid attempt. Such as this author and others who have written books about this case. If you don't like the book or agree with the main suspect, fine, but have real reasons.
I don't understand people who say this book is full or lies or fictionalized. Any book has to have the tiniest bit of story telling to recreate scenes unless you were personally there for each murder which isn't the case for all historic books. Aside from the small amount of necessary writing to piece the events together, I believe this to be the best account available of these crimes. I bet if I fully researched a book to the best of my ability and knew that it was as accurate as humanly possible there would still be people claiming it to be horrible or full of lies or complete garbage. You can't please everyone all of the time. This book is a classic and wouldn't be in its 37th printing and being made into a movie this year if wasn't thought of highly by many. So the best advice is that you read it and see for yourself, form your own opinions instead of letting someone else make them for you.
Book Review: Admirable sleuthing effort with questionable conclusions
Summary: 4 Stars
This was one of the rare books that I could not read close to bedtime. I'm fairly inured to horror and to the stories of other infamous murderers, but Zodiac really gives me the spooks. The story of Zodiac's attack on a young couple at Lake Berryessa is one of the most chilling things I have ever read--the stranger approaches, disappears, reappears wearing a black hood, converses with the youngsters, ties them up, then calmly and coolly says "I'm going to have to stab you people," and then goes about doing just that. I would rather meet up with Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper than I would Zodiac. I was initially worried about the author's presentation because he included a lot of unimportant details about events occurring before the time of the murders and made comments like the air was "exhilarating" on a particular day--things he couldn't have known and which don't matter at all anyway. However, he quickly settled in to a gripping narrative of events, and his own work on the case was presented fairly well and reveals to us the shifting thoughts and theories he had about the case and the perpetrator who was never caught.Graysmith tells a good story, but his opinions on the case can be questioned. Also, I have to mention the fact that he was the editorial cartoonist of the San Francisco chronicle at the time and not an investigative journalist. I know this fact should not lead me to discount his conclusions, but it does make me wonder how he came to get as much access to this case as he did. The enigmatic ciphers the killer sent to the newspapers represent unique additions to an already mystifying series of murders, and this book published much of this material for the first time. The longest cipher was eventually cracked by the author; although it was verified by experts as correct, I myself did not feel 100% confident about every detail of the solution. In this and some other matters, the author seemed to make jumps that I could not fully justify; with countless suggestions and theories surrounding this case, it was sometimes difficult to see why Graysmith subscribed to one but not another. When he lists details about other possible Zodiac victims, he leaves the waters pretty murky. His remarks about astrological aspects and the moon perhaps determining the dates of Zodiac's actions are interesting but too vague in description for me to fully consider valid.
I first read this book several years ago, and I have recently seen allusions to the fact that Graysmith named the killer in this book. I did not remember him doing that, so I finally decided to re-read the book now. He does identify a suspect (pseudonymously) whom he believes to most likely be the Zodiac killer, but he has nothing beyond circumstantial evidence with which to "convict" the man. In the years since this book was published, facts have arisen which essentially exonerate this individual of the crimes. Thus, you will not find out who Zodiac was in these pages, but you will find a riveting story about one of the most infamous mass murderers in history. Graysmith's efforts are sincere and to be respected, but they cannot be accepted without a critical eye toward the evidence that has accumulated in the years since this book's publication.
Book Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
Great book. If you like anything to do with serial killers then this is the book. Explores ever murder by zodiac and some other which are only suspected to be done by him. The only thing it missed was the radian factor in the murders, but still great. Read this one and remember he is still out there.Book Review: Among the Best in True Crime
Summary: 5 Stars
The only True Crime books I read are books written by authors who write about notible crimes, are well written and researched, books by authors such as Harold Schechter, Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' and I should throw in Erik Larson's 'Devil in the White City' I don't read the tabloid pulp true crime stories by writers who rush their books to the printing press only for profit.
Zodiac is the first true crime book I ever read and that was quite sometime ago yet still memerable. This is a very well writen book about the Zodiac murders. Robert Graysmith certainly did his research to bring you all the accounts of this killer. Included in the book are the letters, puzzles and games the Zodiac sent to the media and police taunting them with hints to discover his identity and with all the information he gave he still continued to get away with his murdering spree. This book scared me. This book is a good book and not outdated. Anyone who wants to read a real true crime book should consider Zodiac