Richard Chizmar introduced us to a stellar, fresh, and gripping story in Chasing the Boogeyman, was able to recreate the excitement in the sequel Becoming the Boogeyman, but somehow managed to continue this feeling throughout the final chapter, Killing the Boogeyman. Each new addition had me thinking, how could possibly continue to tell this story in the manner he has and keep it fresh and entertaining, but each time he blows us away. Killing the Boogeyman is the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy the series deserved.
Notorious serial killer Joshua Gallagher—dubbed “the Boogeyman” by the media—has vanished from prison. One moment, he was locked inside a maximum-security cell; the next, he was gone, leaving behind on the wall a crude hangman puzzle and two chilling words: IT’S TIME.
Now, days later, the world is coming apart again. Bodies are turning up near writer and Gallagher confidante Richard Chizmar’s home, echoing the Boogeyman’s signature horrors. The news frenzy reignites while the police chase shadows…even as Gallagher’s twisted true crime fanbase celebrates online, acknowledging that he’s something more than human now.
To everyone else, it’s a desperate hunt for answers. To Chizmar, it’s more like destiny closing in. The evidence, the sightings, the voices in the dark all point to one unthinkable conclusion: the Boogeyman never left. And very soon, Chizmar must come face-to-face with the thing wearing Gallagher’s skin, and learns all too quickly that some nightmares don’t return—they evolve.
Killing the Boogeyman continues the format of a meta-fiction story told by Chizmar, as a somewhat fictional version of himself. Elements of the story are true, while the main storyline is a work of fiction. As with the first two novels, I found myself so engrossed along the way that had me blurring the line between fact and fiction, a true testament to Chizmar’s writing and how this way for storytelling works. Richard also tosses in a few other pieces that make the lines blur a bit as well, news articles, interviews, social media, and more. Again, this just adds to the overall experience you don’t get from traditional storytelling.
Outside of the unique way writing this Killing the Boogeyman, Chizmar has created a truly terrifying and thrilling mystery that is as much thriller as it is a horror story. I am not sure if knowing Chizmar himself made for the fear to be ratcheted up, but was honestly afraid for what would happen next way more than I have in most mystery thrillers I have read over the years. Richard is a talented enough writer, that I would think it would be as frightening either way. But there was definitely an emotional attachment with this one.
Killing the Boogeyman takes place directly after Becoming the Boogeyman, so reading the entire series is really a must. But what Chizmar dives into in this latest novel is not only the fear of who is in your backyard, but the overall fandom of true-crime and the fallout of what the obsession and unhealthy attachment could ultimately lead to in the worst possible situation.
You can tell Chizmar has a true attachment to his town of Edgewood, along with fond memories of growing up in the town as well as raising children in the community. The town is almost a character in its own right and we learn enough about it to have a caring connection to it and the ramifications they deal with after Chizmar’s book and subsequent relationship with Joshua Gallagher.
While I am glad to see this series wrapped up and with a fitting concussion, it also makes me a bit sad that we are done (for now) with fictional Chizmar and his connection to Gallagher. After reading all three books, it feels like we are apart of this family and town and would love to continue to be a part of it. However, all good things must come to an end and Chizmar does so in amazing fashion.
Killing the Boogeyman was honestly exactly what I had hoped for in the final chapter of the trilogy. Richard Chizmar delivers a thrilling and wonderfully satisfying conclusion to the Boogeyman series, one it deserved. While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to Edgewood and the characters we have followed, Chizmar ends the story in unforgettable fashion. A frightening meta-fictional horror tale that had me blurring the lines between fact and fiction.
Killing the Boogeyman hits bookstores everywhere on October 6, 2026 from Gallery Books. The audiobook, narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla, is available via Libro.fm!
