The Good News? He May Be Dead.....

What scares you? Snakes maybe? A fear of flying or of heights? Perhaps you are scared of the dark? What gives you nightmares at night? Horror movies or a scary story that you might have read prior to going to bed? Do they make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and goose bumps raise on your arms?

I'll tell you what scares me. The fact that someone who has killed at least 6 people, with as many as fifty claimed, still walks free. As a matter of fact, we have no idea who he or she is, and perhaps we never will.

Zodiac by Robert Graysmith is a true crime novel describing the rein of terror one killer held over much of Northern California in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Some of you may remember the man who sent taunting letters to the police, sneering at them as he attached bits of a victim's shirt to his clever cryptic words. Some may have never heard of the Zodiac, the man (supposedly) who killed year after year-mostly couples-and to this day has never been identified. Graysmith's book may either bring back a flood of haunted memories, or may open up a new set of nightmarish visions for you.

Robert Graysmith was a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle when the Zodiac sent his first letter. Part of the letter in carefully crafted English, the other half a cryptic code which took hours upon hours to solve. It talked about the murders he had already committed, and hinted of those yet to come.

There would be more murders, and more letters to come in the terrifying months that followed. Each murder is carefully reconstructed, each letter printed for the first time in it's entirety. Graysmith has done his research like a pro, working with police, FBI, and handwriting experts.

Graysmith takes us into the lives of the victims, showing us how they lived moments before they met their untimely end. He speculates how each murder happened, using witness accounts, and the Zodiac's letters to recreate each horrible event.

We meet a number of the suspect, and learn why they may or may not fit the profile. Graysmith has done a quite a bit of research on his own, and has talked to a number of the people thought to be the Zodiac. Learn his reasons why some are left out, and who is still a suspect. These men will make your skin crawl. No Ted Bundy's here....just creepy men that you try not to run into walking down the street late at night.

The thing I liked most about Zodiac by Robert Graysmith is that he lays everything out for the reader. Every letter is here in it's entirety. There are several Appendix in the back which give each description of the Zodiac, a list of his cars, weapons used, and each known and suspected victim. This is the most thorough true crime novel I have ever read...and perhaps the scariest.

Anyone who is a crime buff should not miss this book. Graysmith has truly written something wonderful. His sequel The Zodiac Unmasked is due out next year, and I for one can't wait. He is truly a master of this genre.

So, what scares me? The fact that the Zodiac may still be out there. The good news? According to ZociacKiller.com, the lead suspect recently passed away. I guess I'll have to wait for Graysmith's sequel to find out if I can truly rest in peace....