Green River Killer

Jan 21, 2012 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel, arc, mystery-thriller, december-2011-read-list

Throughout the 1980s, the highest priority of Seattle-area police was the apprehension of the Green River Killer, the man responsible for the murders of dozens of women. In 1990, with the body count numbering at least forty-eight, the case was put in the hands of a single detective, Tom Jensen. After twenty years, when the killer was finally captured with the help of DNA technology, Jensen spent 180 days interviewing Gary Leon Ridgway in an effort to learn his most closely held secrets--an epic...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Moira Russell added it

Shelves: 2012-50-new-books-challenge

[ETA: No star rating, because I fucking hate those and wish I'd never started with them. SORRY.]

Obligatory GoodReads X-Files quote: "You've seen the things I do in the past as well as in the future....terrible things....So tell me, please, why have I done them?" "Don't you understand yet? ....You do the things you do because you're a homicidal maniac." - Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose

Not quite sure what to say about this one. "Much less tasteless and exploitive than other histories of the Green R...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jacobi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trades-read-in-2012

This graphic novel was great. It's the story of the Green River Killer, and the Detective that worked almost a quarter century to bring him to justice. I wasn't really aware of the GRK, which is surprising considering the extent of his crimes, so even though this is a true-crime book, it still played out like fiction for me.

This graphic novel is also interesting because it is written by the son of the lead Detective on the Green River Killer case. That adds a little something extra to the story...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Fizzgig76 rated it 4 of 5 stars

A serial killer has been killing prostitutes and women in the Green River area of Washington since the 1980s. In 2001, Gary Ridgway is brought in after years of hard work by the detectives. A decision to offer a plea deal to the killer in exchange for the locations of more victims has the lead detective Tom Jensen reliving the events of the past twenty years in an attempt to bring peace to the families of the missing victims.

Written by Tom Jensen’s son Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Det...more A serial killer has been killing prostitutes and women in the Green River area of Washington since the 1980s. In 2001, Gary Ridgway is brought in after years of hard work by the detectives. A decision to offer a plea deal to the killer in exchange for the locations of more victims has the lead detective Tom Jensen reliving the events of the past twenty years in an attempt to bring peace to the families of the missing victims.

Written by Tom Jensen’s son Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story is a black-and-white graphic novel telling his father’s side of the investigation into the Green River killings. The graphic novel was the winner of the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work in 2012.

As Jeff Jensen explains it, this is his attempt to understand the quest that consumed his father’s life almost his entire life. Jensen is a writer for Entertainment Weekly and this venture isn’t really in his normal realm of writing. Despite this, Jensen does bring together a compelling story.

Much like other “true crime” graphic novels like My Friend Dahmer and something which blends truth and fiction like Torso, the series has a strange flow that isn’t like a standard comic and does read more like a novel. The story does jump around a lot and has some overlap later in the telling. The disjointed nature can be a bit challenging, but it still has a good flow.

Both Tom Jensen and Gary Ridgway end up being rather compelling “characters”. I have to assume due to the strange speaking patterns of Ridgway’s character that it is almost verbatim conversations…he is usually strangely polite and in that politeness is rather unnerving. Jensen is a guy that tries to fight becoming obsessed with a possibly unsolvable case. He must keep sight of the goal, but also has to distance himself to stop himself from letting the case drag him down.

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story is a rather quick read with a strong story. Case’s art is basic but does a great job telling the story. If you are a fan of true crime reads, this is a pretty good one with extra insight into one of history’s prolific serial killers from the man who helped catch him.(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 christa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like so many TV crime dramas, “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” by Jeff Jensen and starts with a gruesome scene. In this case it’s a young kid playing alone when a stranger approaches, asks some lay-of-the-land where-are-your-parents questions, then warns the kid about talking to strangers. Then, of course, the man stabs the kid in the back. The kid, dressed in a cowboy costume, has enough left in him to gasp “Why did you do that?”

“Because,” the stranger responds, collapsing his pock...more Like so many TV crime dramas, “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” by Jeff Jensen and starts with a gruesome scene. In this case it’s a young kid playing alone when a stranger approaches, asks some lay-of-the-land where-are-your-parents questions, then warns the kid about talking to strangers. Then, of course, the man stabs the kid in the back. The kid, dressed in a cowboy costume, has enough left in him to gasp “Why did you do that?”

“Because,” the stranger responds, collapsing his pocket knife. “I wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone.”

Fans of “Criminal Minds” or the “CSI” franchise know that this leads to a commercial, followed by the crime fighters weaving their way toward solving the mystery. In Jensen’s graphic novel -- part true crime, part old-school cop show, part tribute to his father -- the story doubles back even further to show how Thomas Jensen became a detective involved with one of the most high-profile homicide cases in history: The case of the Green River Killer.

Gary Ridgway killed at least 48 women, likely more, in Washington in the 1980s. He picked them up, did sex, then he would choke them to death and leave bodies strewn in the woods -- sometimes returning for more sex before they turned cold and were overtaken by decay and wildlife. A special task force -- which included the author’s father -- was created to hunt the killer. Ridgway wasn’t arrested until 2001. As part of a plea bargain, he would disclose the location of more bodies in exchange for not receiving a death sentence. For more than 100 days, Ridgway was housed in an office at the police station to keep the investigation confidential. A crew would take Ridgway into the field so he could point out where he had buried bodies. Ridgway proved to be a frustration, though, since his memory was shot and developers had changed so much of the area’s layout.

The original scene of the book turns out to be Ridgway’s first foray into killing, though the boy lived.

As much as this story, with art by Jonathan Case, is about The Green River Killer, it’s about Thomas Jensen. He’s a detective obsessed with the unsolved case to the point where it becomes his life’s work. That it goes unsolved draws plenty of criticism from citizens. The detective, eventually, is the only man left on the case as it grows cold. The detective has a delicate touch when faced with family members of missing girls. He’s got a way with computers before computers are the way. And he’s internalized much of the case to keep his family protected from the gritty deets. His release is construction, and the Jensen family home gets plenty of updates and remodels.

Jeff Jensen, the author, gets a few scenes in the book, too. He’s a child, oblivious, watching TV while his father decompresses. As an adult, his father confides to him that they are about to make an arrest.

This story has a real cop-show quality to it. Not just the present-day, color-saturated 48-minute capers that play in marathon form, but also the cop shows that the author must have been watching as a kid. “Hill Street Blues,” “Barney Miller” and a touch of “Cagney and Lacey.” There is an on-going banter between the elder Jensen and his partner, who constantly ribs him about his incessant smoking.

For as gruesome as the details are, “Green River Killer” is a little bit adorable in the way the author took this big thing his father was a part of and turned it into a sort of superhero tale. (less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Seth Hahne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Green River Killer by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case

In my Baby's in Black review , I discussed the difficulties that confront non-fictional accounts of historical events. The primary hurdle is reader foreknowledge. If you're already aware (spoilers!) that Amelia Earhart doesn't complete her round-the-world flight, that Lee surrenders at the Appomattox Courthouse, that Jesus comes back to life in the end—then all the drama surrounding those events is sucked out of the telling. Reader investment, then, must be engaged in other ways.

Titanic, for in...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5 stars

Favorite Quote: "We should never give up hope. There may still be a happy ending."

This has one of the most disturbing introductions I have ever read. It grabs you immediately. I was just deciding whether I wanted to read it at all and after reading the first couple pages I couldn't put it down. The next thing I knew I had read 100 pages and didn't plan on stopping. It is an overall great crime novel based on true events that happened to the author's father, a detective for the K...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Scarlett Sims rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, history, historical-fiction, horror, leisure, mystery, net-galley, nook, real

I'm not sure how many people my age (mid-20s) are familiar with the Green River Killer, since we obviously weren't alive to remember when he was "active." Jensen, the son of detective Tom Jensen who spent much of his career working on the case, informs the possibly-ignorant reader of what went on in the investigation while really telling the story of his father's experiences. The illustrations are in a high-contrast black-and-white, which I think works well for a detective story. The text and pi...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Kevin Bessey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up "Green River Killer" after the author Jeff Jensen appeared on an episode of RadioLab (podcast) dealing with evil and people who do bad things.

My recommendation for this book/graphic novel comes from the ability of Jeff to tell the story in a way that illustrates the common denominator between altruists and psychopaths: empathy. Aside from "The Walking Dead" series, I have never read a story where the hero shows no greater empathy and the villain shows complete lack of empathy.

In "Gre...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I love true crime depicted in the graphic format.

An outstanding insider's look into the Green River Killer case which took twenty years to solve and while detectives and officers came and went that participated on the case, one man was there from the beginning to the end, Detective Tom Jensen. This book is written by that detective's son who gives a unique perspective on the case. The book concentrates mainly on how once Gary Ridgway was apprehended, how the current detective...more

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Jan 17, 2012 David Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bio-graphic

I'd never even heard of the Green River Killer until I listened to a Radiolab podcast last week that talked about why people do bad things. Coincidentally, I had ordered this book for our library just a few days prior, so when it came in, my interest, already kindled by the podcast, perked up and I snatched it out of the cataloger's hands. I expected something dark and possibly even difficult to read, but instead I found an emotional story about a detective who found a happy ending in near impos...more I'd never even heard of the Green River Killer until I listened to a Radiolab podcast last week that talked about why people do bad things. Coincidentally, I had ordered this book for our library just a few days prior, so when it came in, my interest, already kindled by the podcast, perked up and I snatched it out of the cataloger's hands. I expected something dark and possibly even difficult to read, but instead I found an emotional story about a detective who found a happy ending in near impossible circumstances.

The Green River Killer is a man named Gary Ridgway who murdered almost sixty prostitutes in the early 80s and beyond. I should say murderer and necropheliac I guess, though that apparently did not apply to all his victims. The graphic novel, The Green River Killer, tells the story of a man named Tom Jensen, who was not a killer but in fact a detective and the father of the book's author, Jeff Jensen. Tom Jensen, early in his career, was assigned to the Green River Task Force. For almost twenty years he worked the case, even after the task force was disbanded and even after he retired. In 2003, due to advances in DNA, they finally caught Gary Ridgway and later that year gave him life in prison.

It might seem strange and somewhat pandering for a man to tell his father's career story in this way, and when dealing with actual people and events, keeping an un-biased opinion is probably impossible. At least, this is what I thought before reading the book. Fortunately, it's told in such a way that bias really makes no difference. There were a few names changed, and few identities altered, but the facts are mostly there, and the story isn't so much a true crime account of the Green River Killings as it is about the man who dedicated his life to finding out the truth about them. It's told with a humor that would be out of place in a story about a man killing prostitutes if it weren't so human in its origin. The style is simple, clean lines and black and white colors, but the artist still manages to capture the emotion in peoples' faces as they are confronted with the awful things this man did.

I picked up the book and read it in one sitting, which isn't usually something I do. But Green River Killer was pretty hard to put down, both for the morbidly fascinating events depicted within it and because it's the story of a man on a difficult quest who finds closure. It all happened, and it's a good story, with even a bit of hope in there despite the tragedy behind it. (less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, historical, nonfiction, truecrime

A fantastic and gripping non-fiction graphic novel. Writer Jeff Jenson tells the story of his father, one of the lead detectives over the twenty years it took to catch the Green River serial killer in Seattle. This is a true crime story, but it isn't really about the criminal (a man named Gary Ridgeway). It's about Tom Jenson, and the years he spent on the case. It's about the toll that kind of thinking takes on a man and his family, but also its about the dark reality that even once they 'catch...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Tommy Bat-Blog Brookshire rated it 4 of 5 stars

This Graphic Novel has been getting pretty decent reviews so I thought I'd check it out. This is the true-life story of the "Green River Killer" who haunted Seattle for many years and was responsible for over 48 murders, mostly Women. The book is mainly from the point of view of Detective Tom Jensen and it covers about a 20 year period, that's how long it took to catch this guy. The book likes to go into a lot of flashbacks and one gimmick to do so is to show the Detective as a younger guy and t...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Sam Quixote rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the true crime story of Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer, who murdered a number of women in Seattle starting in the 80s and remains one of the most notorious serial killers in history.

The detective tasked with bringing the killer to justice is the author's father, Tom Jensen (who looks like Commissioner Gordon), who sees the case through to its remarkable conclusion in 2003 when Ridgway was finally apprehended thanks to DNA evidence taken in 1987, and in order to bargain his fat...more This is the true crime story of Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer, who murdered a number of women in Seattle starting in the 80s and remains one of the most notorious serial killers in history.

The detective tasked with bringing the killer to justice is the author's father, Tom Jensen (who looks like Commissioner Gordon), who sees the case through to its remarkable conclusion in 2003 when Ridgway was finally apprehended thanks to DNA evidence taken in 1987, and in order to bargain his fate from death to life imprisonment, he was moved into a bunker to live separate from other prisoners, with police around him at all times, to provide information on more women who were missing and whether he killed them and where he buried them.

The book is a fascinating and grim look at this sad, disturbed psychopath and the terror he wrought upon scores of victims. Despite Ridgway's confessions, many of the missing women he claimed to have killed were never found and remain unknown to day. Ridgway himself is still alive serving 48 life sentences for his crimes.

Jeff Jensen does a fine job of telling this complicated case through the life of his father, for whom this book is written for. The story shifts from the present to the past effortlessly weaving in moments from decades ago and showing their relevance in the case as it was being built. The book is well written and the details morbidly fascinating, as is the case with all true crime. Ridgway himself remains something of an enigma, as his motivations are either unclear to himself or he is hiding them from others. The best he can offer is "I just had to kill".

Jonathan Case's black and white inks compliment the story well and the book is easier and enjoyable to read through his treatment of Jensen's script.

This is a true horror story that's captivating from start to finish and all fans of comics and true crime will find plenty to enjoy here, especially fans of Rick Geary's work. For the more casual reader, this is a dark yet compelling story of a horrifying individual and the stark brutality of his world, and is definitely worth reading for that. "Green River Killer" is an excellent book that I couldn't put down and felt smarter for having read it - a true highlight in comics this year. (less)

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Nov 30, 2011 Laurie Carlson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abduction, serial-killer, dozens-of-women-murdered, seattle-washington, graphic-novel, daughters, wives, prostitutes, working-women, murderer, mystery-suspense-thriller, detective, serial-killer-had-a-son, serial-killer-divorced, never-would-have-guessed, killings, buried-near-the-river, buried-in-the-river, serial-killer-raped-the-dead-bodies, rape, raped, eluded-police-for-over-a-decade, families-distraught, serial-worked-a-real-job-painting-c, dedicated-detective, detective-stayed-on-this-case-long

“Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” by Jeff Jensen and Jonathon Case

This book is actually a Graphic Novel. This was my first Graphic Novel I have read, and I enjoyed it IMMENSELY!
The author of this story happens to be the “original” police detective who spent decades of his career looking for this serial killer. This story is a ‘true story’ that took place over approximately two decades, if I recall correctly, from seeing it on television. This ‘story’, not this Graphic Novel, has even...more “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” by Jeff Jensen and Jonathon Case

This book is actually a Graphic Novel. This was my first Graphic Novel I have read, and I enjoyed it IMMENSELY!
The author of this story happens to be the “original” police detective who spent decades of his career looking for this serial killer. This story is a ‘true story’ that took place over approximately two decades, if I recall correctly, from seeing it on television. This ‘story’, not this Graphic Novel, has even been made into a ‘Made for TV movie’, which I enjoyed very much. Since I had heard of this serial killer and then saw the movie based upon this case, that was the deciding factor for me to read this story.
What this detective, Jeff Jensen, went through to find the Green River Killer is amazing. This case was in his blood. HE was going to solve it no matter what he had to do. When the case died down and went cold, this man continued to look for this serial killer. I would go so far as to say this detective became obsessed with this case. This case is the type that does get into your blood and you could easily become obsessed with finding the killer because this detective was such a caring man. He cared so much that even though the women this serial killer killed were Prostitutes, he didn’t care. These women were ‘people’. They were “real people”, despite their careers. That, is a dedicated Detective as many officers, so it might seem, may toss these cases aside. Not Jeff Jensen. It may take a decade or just a little longer, but he does figure this case out and gets the Green River Killer.
This was a neat Graphic Novel to read, again, as I said my first. Very different than what I am used to, but it was a fun read, as I knew how this story would turn out. I highly suggest anyone who has not tried out a Graphic Novel, to try at least one!
I received this book for “FREE” from Dark Horse Publishers, through NetGalley, through their Book Reviewer’s Program in exchange to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for my review I write to be either positive or negative, but, “of my own opinion.” I was NOT provided with “ANY” monies to accept this book, “NOR” to read it, NOR were “ANY” monies given to me to write the review for this book. All that was ‘expected’ of me was to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. Again, the opinions expressed for and about this book are ‘of my own opinion’. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa... Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
I received this book for “FREE” from Dark Horse Comics, through NetGalley, through their Book Reviewer’s Program in exchange to read and write a review about this book. It is NOT required for my review I write to be either positive or negative, but, “of my own opinion.” I was NOT provided with “ANY” monies to accept this book, “NOR” to read it, NOR were “ANY” monies given to me to write the review for this book. All that was ‘expected’ of me was to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. Again, the opinions expressed for and about this book are ‘of my own opinion’. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa... Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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Sep 30, 2011 Sara Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I grew up with tales of the Green River Killer. My family lived in Western Washington until the mid-80s when we moved to Eastern Washington. We still remember the women who lost their lives to this man, especially since my brother bought a place off the Green River (further south than where the bodies were found). Green River stills gives me chills. Growing up with this tale, it's hard not to be affected by it. When I had the opportunity to select this graphic novel for review, I took it. I knew...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a really interesting book. I had no idea that it was based on true events but told from the perspective of the detective’s son. The cased lasted 20 years and you get to see what happened to this detective and his family during those 20 years. It has some great emotional moments and is so different from most detective stories.

The art is wonderful illustrated, well told and able to deliver on the emotional demands of the story. However it is completely in black and white, which I usually...more

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Sep 22, 2011 rameau rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, non-fiction, serial-killers, whodunit, graphic-novel, read-in-2011

This is the first graphic novel I've reviewed, so please, bear with me.

I picked this book up because for some reason or another I like to read about murders, real and fictional. I prefer when the culprit is caught and justice served in the end, but I also accept that life is more complicated than that; it can take decades and leaps in the science for the murderer to be caught.

Although I prefer words, the old saying is true, a picture is worth a thousand words. Where Jeff Jensen's words punctua...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Andrew Shuping rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

ARC provided by netGalley

The Green River Killer, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, confessed to 48 murders and has claimed as many as 61. He started killing in the 1980’s and went uncaught until 2003. What caused one man to kill? And how was he finally captured? This book answers some of those questions and provides a first hand look at how detectives worked to capture this killer. Told in narrative style from the perspectives of one of the detectives on the squad that captur...more ARC provided by netGalley

The Green River Killer, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, confessed to 48 murders and has claimed as many as 61. He started killing in the 1980’s and went uncaught until 2003. What caused one man to kill? And how was he finally captured? This book answers some of those questions and provides a first hand look at how detectives worked to capture this killer. Told in narrative style from the perspectives of one of the detectives on the squad that captured the killer, we see the work that detectives put into the case for over 20 years, the relationships made, the families hurt, and finally the capture of one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.

Written by the son of one of the lead detectives on the case, this story provides first hand insight into the hunt for the Green River Killer and what the detectives experienced. It’s also part memoir of his father, especially the first chapter which gives us one character to focus on while reading the book. The struggles he endured throughout the 20 long years on this case. The story lets the reader know what the detectives had to go through to catch the killer, how the press accused them of dragging their heels or worse, and the relationships they built with the victims. Being the son of the detective the author has first hand insight into what it was really like and while he gives us a glimpse into some family dynamics of the detectives, he mostly avoids it. Which is both good and bad and I can understand why he left it out. It loses it’s path a bit when the author switches from past to present, it gets a bit hard to follow what’s going on. But for the most part it’s a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Upon first glance you might think that these are just simple line drawings illustrating the book, but as you go deeper you see that they are much more. The art fits the story well and adds to the sense of creepiness that you get, especially the scenes with close up of the eyes of the murderer. It captures his absolute lack of remorse well, at least the scenes shown right after he’s killed. It reminds me in some ways of Charles Burns work, the details added to the characters to make them just right, the expressions particularly fear and confusion are ones that we can all relate too.

This is one of those books that you don’t want to read at night because you’ll see shadows around every corner. It lays bare the evils that one man can commit and the forces that can stop them.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels-based-on-true-storie, graphic-novels, misc-horror

"Green River Killer" is written by the son of one of the lead detectives on the notorious Green River Killer case. The Green River Killer wound up taking the lives of more than forty women before being caught.
What's interesting about this graphic novel is that it delves more into the detectives working the case and how it affected their private lives. Jensen's father rarely brought his work home with him and almost never discussed the case with his family; he would routinely remodel the house a...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Hayden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story opts out of the standard biography formula, instead hopping back and forth between the mid to late 80's when the Green River Killer was the biggest case in the country, to the summer of 2003, when Detective Tom Jensen finally got his chance to get inside the head of Gary Leon Ridgeway, the worst serial killer in American history.

I loved that, because this was written by Tom Jensen's son, we got a very in-depth and personal look at the case, and how it a...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Tea Time with Marce rated it 4 of 5 stars

From my blog 4 1/2 stars

This is my first experience reading a Graphic Novel, I was intrigued the whole time. The minimum text and art work gave all that was needed to make this a successful project. I quite liked that it was all in black and white and not coloured pictures, it gave the feel of newspaper articles, the old meeting the new and colour may have been to much detail for some, this was very classy for such a topic.

What an amazing honour this novel is to Tom from his son Jeff Jensen. Yo...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Michelle Morrell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, x-read-2012

I was 17 and in Seattle to check out what would be my eventual college, Seattle Pacific University. We had a hotel near the airport, next to a river near the woods. I was swimming in the pool when I overheard someone, pointing off into the distance, say, "One of the Green River victims was found right down there." It was the first I'd heard of the Green River Killer, and I had nightmares that whole night, my mind creating worse and worse deeds. Ever since then, I've (rightly) held his legacy and...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Quinn Robles rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking to peer into the mind of the serial killer, Gary Ridgway with this one, then put this graphic novel down. This graphic novel, written by Jeff Jensen, one of Green River Task Force Tom Jensen's sons, is a look at a man who is trying to peer into the abyss. The abyss, at first, being who in the universe would kill all of those women in the SeaTac area of Seattle, Washington. Later, when Gary Ridgway's DNA is identified with updated technology, the abyss becomes WHY he would do it...more

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Nov 01, 2011 fleegan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: true-crime, thrillers

I was intrigued by the idea of a true crime comic book. The author’s dad was one of the detectives who worked the Green River Killer’s case. So the book is really an homage to his father more than a detailed account of the GRK case. I think that’s really sweet. It makes it more of a story than a true crime book though. Which, is fine, there’s several nonfiction books on the GRK already out there. So I like that this one comes from a different angle. It was refreshing.

However, if you’re not famil...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Natella rated it 4 of 5 stars

The plot is based around trying to find the Green River Killer, and finding sufficient proof. The story is told from the detective’s point of view, and written by the detective’s son.

This graphic novel had quite the opening, rather dramatic and suspenseful, and it drew me in quickly. The rest of the novel was more psychological rather than action-based which heightened my interest without desensitizing me. The stark black and white artwork grew on me throughout the novel, and a lot of expression...more

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May 12, 2013 Mike Libros rated it 4 of 5 stars

[...] una novela gráfica estupenda, de esas que quitan el hipo y trascienden el propio género en el que se inscribe (en este caso la true crime fiction, que llaman en el mundo anglosajón) gracias al talento de su autor (por cierto, éste el hijo del detective protagonista de la historia, quien vio a su padre malvivir mentalmente durante veinte años tras la infructuosa caza de un tipo que asesinó a cuarenta y ocho mujeres entre las décadas de los 80 y 90), quien es muy consciente de la larga heren...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Jeff Jensen, the author of this graphic novel, is the son of the detective. He wrote the story as a means of honoring and understanding his father's quest to catch this murderer. The story is, in some ways, like reading an episode of CSI, or perhaps Cold Case. However, those shows generally add really dramatic scenes for, well, dramatic effect. Except for the prologue, however, the scenes in this graphic novel are really understated, more thought provoking and mental than filled with action. The...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Chibineko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-horse, murder, male-lead-character, nonfiction, netgalley, disappointing, true-crime

Before I start this review I want you to know that I love true crime books. Nothing is as frightening or as chilling as the tales of real people being murdered by monsters more heinous than anything Stephen King or Hollywood could dream up. Why? Because these monsters are very human & very real. That's why I was so eager to read this graphic novel, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to even my most modest expectations.

Where did this book go wrong? I'd say it went wrong when the authors...more Before I start this review I want you to know that I love true crime books. Nothing is as frightening or as chilling as the tales of real people being murdered by monsters more heinous than anything Stephen King or Hollywood could dream up. Why? Because these monsters are very human & very real. That's why I was so eager to read this graphic novel, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to even my most modest expectations.

Where did this book go wrong? I'd say it went wrong when the authors decided to jump from time period to time period rather than telling the story in a more linear fashion. The book's format assumes that the reader is at least passingly familiar with the details of the story, which sometimes works against itself. Someone who has never really heard of the GRK will probably feel a little lost at times reading this, while others who have some familiarity will be able to keep up with it fine. I'm familiar with the GRK, so I was able to keep up but I couldn't help but feel that the jumps in the timeline just drew away from the story.

As a result of the jarring jumps I wasn't really able to feel the tension that the book tried to impart, nor was I really able to get a good clear feeling for Tom Jensen's personality. Forgive me, but this really seemed to be a shallow telling & I couldn't help but feel that the creepy story of the GRK wasn't really given the treatment it deserves. I wasn't looking for some overly sensationalized & gory treatment of the GRK & his victims, but I was hoping for something more than this book put out.

There are, however, a few parts in the book where our authors did manage to capture my attention, such as the epilogue (which was very good), the emotional scenes where Jensen has to pass along bad news to family members, as well as Ridgway's chilling admission of "I just needed to kill".

One thing I do have to give praise for is the artwork. It manages to look good without going the "flashy, slick, attention grabbing" route that you see in many comics. The artwork here is understated, which helps keep the work from appearing too unreal & story-like. Others have compared it to the works of Charles Burns, which I agree is a good comparison. It's just that even the excellent artwork in this book was unable to keep this book from being an overall dull & forgettable read.

I'd really only recommend this if you can read it at your local library or glance through it on the shelves of a bookstore. True crime completists will probably want to pick this up since it's one of the few graphic novel versions of any murder's grisly accomplishments, but if you're looking to learn about the GRK then there's better resources out there.

2 out of 5 stars

(ARC provided by Netgalley)(less)

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Sep 25, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is actually a graphic novel written by the son of the detective who kept the Green River Task Force going until Gary Ridgway was arrested. It is not a direct story about the hunt or the actual killings but rather more of a psychological study of what his father went through for the decade the task force existed. It does give us a couple of incidents in Ridgway's life that I, an avid follower of the case, did not know. (I won't give them away.) The illustrations are great and the story moves...more

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title link	preview: Green River Killer: A True Detective Story
avg rating	preview: Green River Killer: A True Detective Story Goodreads rating: 3.84 (784 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11489682-green-river-killer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348373295l/11489682.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11489682-green-river-killer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen[/url]

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

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