Becoming the Boogeyman

'A worthy and frightening sequel to Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman. Terrific storytelling' - Stephen King

Back in the summer of 1988, a young Richard Chizmar was catapulted into the centre of a living nightmare as the serial killer Joshua Gallagher - dubbed by the media as 'the Boogeyman' - stalked his tranquil Maryland town.

A lot has changed in the intervening years.

These days, Chizmar enjoys a certain level of celebrity and notoriety himself, being the only person who an incarcerated Josh Gallagher will speak to, on or off the record. Chizmar likes to believe he's doing the world a public service by visiting Gallagher in prison, as there are plenty of other nameless victims out there who Gallagher might finally admit to killing and bring closure to grieving loved ones, and a dark rhythm and routine begin to take hold. But Chizmar eventually finds there's a price to be paid for dancing with the devil when a masked figure with the hallmarks of Gallagher's reign of terror from thirty years ago now leaves a horrifying calling card in front of Chizmar's home, and it's clear there's been a new player on the board in the ongoing game that the Boogeyman controls . . .

A riveting, haunting sequel to Chasing the Boogeyman, this is a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society's true-crime infatuation with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer's web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers - and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all.

Becoming the Boogeyman is a compulsive, utterly immersive twist of fact and fiction. Richard Chizmar masterfully blends reality and imagination to deliver something wholly original and totally gripping from start to finish. I couldn't stop turning the pages, even when I wanted to turn away. Don't miss this edge-of-your-seat chiller that will keep you guessing - and guessing again Lisa Unger
Richard Chizmar has pulled off one hell of a sequel, delivering the rare thriller that is truly original and unlike anything else you'll read this year. While the tension is high and the chills plentiful, it is the human heart of the book that lingers once the tale is told Michael Koryta
A worthy and frightening sequel to Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman. Terrific storytelling Stephen King
Chizmar is a master of capturing the horrors beneath the surface of suburbia. King would certainly approve here - this is stunning. Daily Mail

RICHARD CHIZMAR is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the New York Times bestsellers Gwendy's Button Box and Gwendy's Final Task, and the author of the solo work Gwendy's Magic Feather.

His novels Chasing the Boogeyman and Becoming the Boogeyman received excellent reviews - as Stephen King says: 'Genuinely chilling and something brand new and exciting.'

Chizmar's short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications including Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. He has won two World Fantasy Awards, four international Horror Guild Awards, and the HWA's Board of Trustee's Award.

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