Green River Killer: A True Detective Story - Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case

I've always had a morbid fascination with true crime.  In my pre-blogging days, I read everything ever written by Ann Rule, who dominates the genre.  Many of her books kept me awake at night, but two that stood out were "The Stranger Beside Me" (about Ted Bundy, and insanely enough, Rule actually KNEW Bundy and worked with him, so that gave the story an eerie twist) and "Green River, Running Red" about Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer.

It is hard not to wonder how on earth a dumpy little man could have killed an estimated 71 women over two decades before he was caught.  He probably slipped by the authorities for longer than expected because he targeted prostitutes.  For the scariest up-close look at the face of evil, you should read Rule's book.  She leaves no fact undisturbed, and additionally explores the efforts of the homicide detectives that ultimately brought him down.

It was no wonder, then, that my antennae twitched when I read Swapna and Candace's reviews of a graphic novel that explores the hunt and capture of Gary Ridgway.

Synopsis:   If you read Entertainment Weekly, you may recognize the name Jeff Jensen as one of their senior writers.  What you may not know is that his father spent most of his career as a police officer chasing down the Green River Killer.  Jeff teams up with illustrator Jonathan Case to bring this tragic story to life from the perspective of Jeff's father Tom and his fellow King County homicide detectives.

With the smooth and perfectly-paced transition back and forth in time over 19 years, almost like a movie, the authors place the readers in the shoes of Tom Jensen.  We experience the frustration, the endless hours, the countless bodies, the desperate faces of the victims' families.  We see the capture and interrogation of Ridgway, and then go back in time to see all of the steps and broken hearts and dreams it took to get there.

My thoughts:  Despite the fact that I thought I knew everything there was to know about this case, I could not put this book down.  It brought this sensationalized story down to a personal level.  For example, I found it touching that a picture of Jeff Jensen, in a school production of "The Impossible Dream", was what inspired his father to never give up.  When you integrate that with the stark and chilling black and white illustrations, you have an undeniable combination.

Normally, in a review of a graphic novel, I include pictures.  I had to resist in this case.  Some of them were disturbing, and probably not suited for everyone.  Even though I was well aware of the crimes committed upon these women, it is jarring to see it on the page.

I also appreciated that Jensen, per his father's strict request, did not exploit the victims of their families in the telling of this story.  It was handled with respect for their grief.

For anyone that enjoys graphic novels as well as true crime, this is one you won't want to miss.

4 out of 5 stars