Unmasked

I devoured this book.

I consider myself something of a true crime aficionado.

I read a lot of true crime. I watch a lot of true crime documentaries. I keep up with cold cases. Hell, I even got a degree in Criminal Justice. But none of that prepared me for the book Paul Holes wrote.

His very last mission brought in a serial rapist/killer who evaded police for over 40 years. Using a new method of DNA tracking, Paul and his dedicated EAR/ONS task force finally found him. Joseph James DeAngelo. If you've read anything about the Golden State Killer, you know who Paul Holes is. Michelle McNamara began sleuthing around the internet about the Golden State Killer, which ultimately landed her a book deal where she wove together the story of her life, the hunt for the killer, and her descent into the underworld of crime. She didn't live to see DeAngelo brought to justice. But Paul Holes did. 

 

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases is written quite similarly to McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark. While the book focuses on the cold cases Paul was infatuated with, it's also interspersed with details about his life. We learn about his family, his friends, and the struggles he's dealt with since starting his lifelong hunt to solve cold cases.

I didn't realize how many crimes he was truly a part of. I mean the man got to see where Jaycee Dugard was kept hidden away for 18 years. He was working in the lab when Laci Peterson and her child were brought in. He truly changed how investigators look at crimes. While his approach was analytical, he wasn't lacking in the emotional department. A career like this hardens you. But we need people like Paul.

Huge thanks to Celadon Books for sending me an advanced reader's copy of Unmasked.

 

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases hits shelves April 2022!

 

Looking for more books on cases Paul Holes was a part of?

A Stolen Life (Jaycee Dugard)

Freedom (Jaycee Dugard)

I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Golden State Killer)