Zodiac by Robert Graysmith Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Zodiac
Book Review: Disturbing truth
Summary: 4 Stars
Well-written book, excellent research. Disturbing that several police departments were unable to solve the case and unwilling to share information to help bring down the killer. Disturbing that Californians apparently didn't demand better police work. Sad that Mr. Graysmith worked night and day looking for a killer while tax-paid police feigned interest but didn't join in. Sad that the SF's lead investigator blames others when he loses his job even though it was nine years and counting at that point with no one behind bars. How is it investigators get only one search warrant for a suspect with several homes? A sad and disturbing story all around.Book Review: Don't buy this!
Summary: 1 Stars
This book Zodiac is the earlier book written by Robert Graysmith, a newspaper cartoonist who became fascinated by the case of the Bay Area killer, Zodiac. In this book, the read identity of the main suspect is disguised. Instead, I would recommend Graysmith's Zodiac Unmasked, written many years later and revealing all the details. Neither book is well edited: I found myself often going back over previous pages because there would be a reference to a person or aspect of the case that had not yet been revealed in the book. A fascinating story, though, of Zodiac and the lives he destroyed.Zodiac UnmaskedBook Review: Early Impressions
Summary: 3 Stars
After watching the movie twice & reading the first couple of chapters of the book, I offer the following observations. First, there is a lot of detail. One gets the sense that Graysmith put in every scrap of information he had (whether or not it was truly relevant). As an example, I offer below the list of characters introduced in Chapter Two alone. Second, his writing style is neither here nor there. It doesn't read like a fictional account of the same subject yet it is more than a summary of known facts in the case. If it were not a real case, I would not continue reading as the storyline is overcrowded with seemingly unimportant data. However, it's this same jumble of information that gives the reader a sense of what it must have been like for the detectives working the case.
1. Darlene Ferrin: shooting victim
2. Bobbie Ramos: Darlene's co-worker at Terry's Restaurant
3. Dean Ferrin: Darlene's current (second) husband
4. Dena Ferrin: Darlene & Dean's baby daughter
5. Bill & Carmela Leigh: Ferrins' landlords; Dean's bosses at Caesar's Palace Italian Restaurant
6. Karen: Darlene's 17 year old babysitter
7. Pam Suennen: Darlene's younger sister
8. Jim "Phillips" (assumed last name): Darlene's ex-husband
9. Bobbie Oxnam: previous co-worker of Darlene at San Francisco phone company
10. Leo Suennen: Darlene's younger brother
11. Mike Mageau: shooting victim; close friend of Darlene's
12. David Mageau: Mike's twin brother; also a close friend of Darlene's
13. Jay Eisen, Ron Allen, Rick Crabtree & Sydne: friends who attended Darlene's painting party
14. Richard Hoffman, Steve Baldino & Howard "Buzz" Gordon: police officers who attended Darlene's painting party
15. "Paul" the bartender (not real name): "creepy" attendee of the painting party; later a prime suspect in the murders
16. Linda Del Buono: Darlene's other sister
17. Leo: Linda (& presumably Darlene's ) father
18. Christina: Darlene's 15 year old sister
19. John Lynch: Detective Sergeant with Vallejo police
20. Harley Scalley: manager at Terry's Restaurant
21: Jane Rhodes: Darlene's acquaintance at Terry's Restaurant
22. Janet Lynne: Darlene's second babysitter
23. Pamela: Janet Lynne's friend
24. George Bryant: Blue Rock Springs Golf Course caretaker
25. Debra, Roger & Jerry: teens who came across the victims following the shooting
26. Nancy Slover: Vallejo P.D. switchboard operator
27. Ed Rust: Sergeant with Vallejo P.D.; John Lynch's partner
28. Richard Hoffman & Sergeant Conway: Vallejo P.D. at the crime scene
29. Arthur Ferrin: Dean's father
30. Officer Shrum & his partner: Vallejo P.D. sent to notify Mageau family of shooting
31. Evelyn Olson: Darlene's co-worker at Terry's Restaurant
32. Lois Mckee: cook at Terry's Restaurant
33. Carmen: Mike Mageau's mother
34. Detective Sergeant Bidou: Benicia P.D.
35. Jack Mulanax: Vallejo P.D. who inherited Ferrin case from Lynch
Book Review: Embarrassing to be seen on my shelf!
Summary: 1 Stars
I am in Doctorate school for Forensic Psychology and decided I would like to read up on the Zodiac killer over the winter break for something fun to do with my free time. Robert Graysmith got this ALL wrong. The Zodiac is not (from the crimes I read about in the book) a sexual sadist, as was depicted through the whole book. I also felt the extreme need to note that the majority of the book consist of assumptions, with one consultation from an "expert" on the field related to serial killers. This "expert" who happened to work at Stanford Law (and for his poor sake I will leave his name out of this) suggested to Robert (the author) that there are two types of serial killers: A sexual sadist and a paranoid schizophrenic. I am not going to ramble on about how ridiculously wrong that statement is; for those of you reading my comment.....you can do the research on your own if interested in learning more (I suggest peer reviewed articles and profiles of criminals created by someone in our field, not a cartoonist with a curiosity). I don't usually comment on here about the books that I have read, but because this was of personal and professional interest to me, I felt the need to let the public know that this is NOT an accurate account of the Zodiac. The evidence and information about the crimes committed and investigated are the only worthy parts in this book, giving the reader a look at the letters Zodiac wrote and a somewhat thorough job in describing the crime scenes.
I'm giving advice, for those of you who are interested in learning about the truth and not something fabricated to make a crime look good on paper. Be careful what you choose to learn and gain your information from. Pay attention to who wrote it, and NEVER assume that just because it is published that it is accurate.
Book Review: Enlightening of the facts
Summary: 3 Stars
Graysmith recounts the timeline of the unsolved serial murders of the "Zodiac" killer. I knew that Zodiac is still free, but it never really hit me that he's among us until after I read this book. This person (or possibly more than one person) is working with somebody, sleeping with somebody, cared for by somebody. Could be you. Could be me. Nobody is working on the case anymore. He's intelligent. He's possibly still killing. He's good at what he does (however horrible and gruesome it is). He's free.