• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Connect With Me
    • Request An Honest Review
    • Beta Reading Requests
    • Testimonials
  • Review Archive
    • Review Archive
    • Audiobook Review Archive
    • Spooky Children’s Book Review Archive
  • Referral Links
  • Podcast Recs
  • Policies
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

[Book Review] Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

September 3, 2019      Erica Robyn      6 Comments

Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen book photo, Erica Robyn Reads

Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen is a fascinating tale about the path of a true-crime writer and how he began to help authorities and the family members of victims solve cases using social media.

I’m a huge fan of the Jensen and Holes podcast. When Billy announced that he had a book coming out, I preordered a copy immediately!

This book was exactly what I was hoping for.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

Chase Darkness With Me is a must read for not only true crime fans, but people that are interested in learning more about how others become involved in solving cases.

The book focuses mainly on Billy and his path that lead him to where he is today. I had so much fun reading about his past and all of the situations he found himself in, even the difficult ones, as they packed in the most life-lessons.

I also enjoyed the tidbits that he threw in about his family as well as all of the nerdy elements that popped up, like talking about superheroes and Star Wars. It will never not be enjoyable to me to learn about things like this that my heroes are interested in!

This book doesn’t shy away from the darkness of various crimes. There were a few cases Billy wrote about that I had been aware of from my various murder-focused podcasts, but there were many more that I hadn’t heard about.

I was reading the book one day out on the deck of the house we just bought. It was a case that I was familiar with. Even so, just when it got to a reveal, an acorn fell off the tree above me and hit the deck. My bum left my chair… I was so captivated by the story and how Billy wrote it!

Each case was portrayed wonderfully. Billy treated each with respect. In fact, that was one of my biggest takeaways from this read- just how much respect Billy always showed in whatever situation he was in. Toward the end of the book, he outlined his rules for others that want to start helping to solve crimes. But all of that can be summed up with this awesome quote:

“… the rules you should be living by every day: Be kind. Be true. Don’t be an ass. Use your head.”

– Billy Jensen

While reading this book, I learned that Billy helped to finish Michelle McNamara’s book, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, when she passed away. Amazing! And as I’m sure many readers have said, thank you, Billy, for bringing her book into the world! And readers, if you haven’t yet read her book, I highly recommend snagging a copy ASAP!

My Favorite Passages from Chase Darkness With Me

In the newspaper, people read the story to the end. But in Siwiak’s story, there was no end. It was my first of a thousand dances with the guy who got away with it.

No matter what is thrown in your way, you keep moving forward.

There were also a few of the racist and just-want-to-watch-the-world-burn comments that seem to come with most every story about a crime posted on Facebook. I won’t repeat them, but let’s just say proper spelling and grammar are kryptonite to racists.

Everyone has someone who thinks of them as their starshine.

It’s hard not to see the world in good and evil colors when all your heroes wear capes or carry lightsabers. Baked within us is the ability to identify the villain within five minutes of watching a Disney movie. But the grainy, fleeting image you chase is every shade of gray.

I’m not chasing people. I’m chasing shadows, phantoms that flit in and out of a surveillance video. That’s on a good night. On the other nights, I’m chasing darkness.

That evidence sitting in evidence lockers and old files is a bonfire of hope, burning ridiculously bring now that familial DNA matches are in play. The needles in the haystack are now buzzing, glowing, bouncing up and down, screaming to be found. We just have to look for them using these new tools.

…the rules you should be living by every day: Be kind. Be true. Don’t be an ass. Use your head.

My Final Thoughts on Chase Darkness With Me

Wonderfully written, perfectly organized, and very interesting; this is a book I cannot recommend enough to true crime fans.

Go snag a copy today!


Snag a copy through Bookshop to help support local indie bookshops:


Thanks for reading!
If you read true crime, I would love some recommendations! Let me know the titles of some you enjoyed in the comments below!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela says

    September 3, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    Sounds like a fascinating book!

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      September 3, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      It sure was!! I will definitely be revisiting this one again soon!

      Reply
  2. Deanna says

    September 3, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    I didn’t know he had a book coming out, I’ll have to check it out.

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      September 3, 2019 at 9:31 pm

      <3

      Reply
  3. ShootingStarsMag says

    September 5, 2019 at 10:29 am

    I REALLY want to read this one. I tried to order it via the B&N Book Haul, but my order got canceled for some reason…booo. I’ll have to try again some other time.

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      September 8, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Oh no!! I hope you snag a copy soon!! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello there!

Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
I run on hot tea, good books, and loud music. She/Her.
 

Search This Blog

Sign Up For Post Notifications


Loading

Recent Popular Posts

  • [Book Review] The Easton Falls Massacre: Bigfoot’s Revenge
  • [Book Review] Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror
  • [Book Review] To the Devil, a Cryptid by Hunter Shea
  • [Feature] Little Free Library Visit – #2
  • [Book Review] Horrors Untold: Volume 5 by Matt Wildasin

An Easy Guide to Locating Horror Reviews Without Losing Your Mind created by Lori of Barks At The Ghouls
Shirley's Book Blogger List

Categories

ericarobynreads

Sickness Is In Season by Aiden Merchant has everyt Sickness Is In Season by Aiden Merchant has everything a horror fan craves! From light and spooky, to full-blown spine-chilling terror, this collection of short stories is a killer mix.

No matter what your personal favorite sub-genre of horror is, you’ll be sure to find something that sinks its teeth into you within this collection!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #sicknessisinseason #aidenmerchant #crossroadspresss #horrorbookrecs #horrorshortstories #horrorbookstagram
My April book haul 😍🖤🙌 My April book haul 😍🖤🙌
NH friends! Don’t miss the book event with @greg NH friends! Don’t miss the book event with @gregorybastianelli.author tonight in Exeter at @waterstreetbooks! 

I’m SO peeved my back pain flared up and I can’t drive out… but I am so excited that Waterstreet Books sent a signed copy my way! 😍

I can’t wait to see photos from the event!!
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a totally The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a totally captivating but nerve-wracking tale that is certainly not for those that fear tight spaces… While reading this tale, I felt so horribly claustrophobic. But I couldn’t stop. I had to find out what happened next!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #ladiesofhorrorfiction #horrorbookstagram #horrorbookrecs #theluminousdead #caitlinstarling
The Workshop of Filthy Creation by Richard Gadz is The Workshop of Filthy Creation by Richard Gadz is a chilling gothic horror story about what it means to be human. In these pages, you will see plenty of the darkness that humanity can create, but you will also see the light!

Ready to dive into a dark and dreary tale about gruesome medical practices set in Victorian London? Go pick up The Workshop of Filthy Creation today! I can’t wait for you all to meet Maria!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #gothichorrorreads #horrorbookrecs #theworkshopoffilthycreation #richardgadz #horrorbookstagram
Max is one of the most hilarious people that I fol Max is one of the most hilarious people that I follow on Twitter! I originally learned who he was after seeing him participate in the KillerCon 2020 Virtual Event. I went to follow him and his publishing house, Perpetual Motion Machine (that he runs with Lori Michelle), immediately after his reading.

Within the PMM publishing house, they also have the imprint, Ghoulish Books, which launched in January of 2022. Max’s latest book, Maggots Screaming!, launched today April 12th, 2022 from that imprint. In celebration, I’m so excited to be sharing this interview with Max!

Check out the full interview on my blog today! 

#horrorauthor #horrorauthorinterview #maxboothiii #supporthorror #promotehorror
Diaries of the Damned by Ivan Radev is a collectio Diaries of the Damned by Ivan Radev is a collection of tales that span numerous dark fears. But as always, even in the darkness, there’s a bit of light.

In the foreword, the author warns that this is a book of fears, and boy does he play on fears wonderfully! Each tale is presented to readers in the first person to really get readers in the characters shoes. Please use caution here when you dive in. The author does not shy away from the darkness.

Phew, this read will take readers on quite the journey! It was the perfect read for a dark and rainy spring weekend.

#bookreview #horrorbookreview #horrorbookstagram #diariesofthedamned #IvanRadev #horrorbooks
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 Erica Robyn Reads