{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "I have an on and off again relationship with true crime. I found I'll Be Gone in the Dark to be both riveting and terrifying. Adnan's Story was another gripping read. [Killer Clown](Killer Clown) isn't a bad read, really, but it feels a bit flat and fairly clinical when considered as a whole. John Wayne Gacy was, without question, a monster. His deeds were calculated, cruel and vile. In this account and in others, the man was made out to be garrulous, personable and odd . He evaded detection and capture for long as he did due to a lack of skepticism, the total absence of the now pervasive surveillance under which we now find ourselves and the oversight of the law enforcement officers and departments that encountered him. The wheels fell off when Gacy captured and killed Rob Piest. What followed was close, almost friendly, surveillance by detectives and a horrifying excavation of Gacy's crimes. Terry Sullivan was one of the prosecutors when Gacy stood trial and his retelling is perfectly accurate, sympathetic and a bit dry. It's procedural in a way that's consistent with the author's profession. Work with those uncovering the facts, present them, convince the jury and justice is served. Interesting for its history and empathy, but not the easiest read given the subject matter and the manner in which it was written.",
  "path": "/reading/books/9780786014224/killer-clown",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-03T00:00:00Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:sttgf52vkk46f6yuknvqxvgh/site.standard.publication/self",
  "tags": [
    "history",
    "crime",
    "nonfiction",
    "true crime"
  ],
  "title": "Killer Clown"
}