Zodiac

The Shocking True Story of the Nation's Most Bizarre Mass Murderer

By: Robert Graysmith

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

After Jack the Ripper and before Son of Sam there was only one name their equal in terror: the deadly, elusive, and mysterious Zodiac. Beginning in 1968 the hooded mass murderer terrified the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area with a string of brutal killings. A sexual sadist, his pleasure was torture and murder. His first victims were a teenage couple, stalked and shot dead in a lover's lane. After another slaying, he sent his first mocking note to authorities, promising he would kill again. The official tally of his victims was six. The real toll may have reached 50. He was never caught. Graysmith, who was on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of the murders, gives this gripping account of Zodiac's reign of terror.©1976 Robert Graysmith (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Provocative....Bizarre....Graysmith's taut narrative brings the horror back with jolt upon jolt." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Will fascinate true-crime readers." (Library Journal)

Interesting

I hadn't really heard of Zodiac, perhaps it's not living in the US, or perhaps being younger than 30, but when I think of well-known serial killers this isn't a name I think of. So in that sense, the details in this book were all new to me.

I thought this book was well written and well-read. I liked how the chapters alternated between chapters about victims, chapters about zodiac, and chapters about law enforcement. It made it very easy to follow the progression of the story.

The book is well narrated and easy to listen to. Although this audio version is new, I think the actual book is relatively old, however this doesn't really matter, since I don't think there would have been any new developments since it was published.

I can't speak for the accuracy of facts in this book, since I wouldn't know, but it seems plausible enough.

Overall enjoyable if you have an interest in true-crime stories. I didn't find it particularly graphic (it's certainly not for kids) so you probably won't have nightmares for weeks after listening. The murder scenarios were described in some detail, but it wasn't gratuitous. But your mileage may vary.

Spine Chilling

The story of the Zodiac makes your skin prickle and you thank the Heavens that you are living in 2007. The narrator is the perfect voice for this story, he sounds like what someone like the Zodiac would be imagined to sound like. You will easily get sucked into the narration and almost belive the Zodiac himself is reading this story to you (and snickering all the way, enjoying how much he confounded the best minds in America for decades). Very worth your time and money to have this book in your audio library.

True Crime Classic

The Zodiac Killer is the spiritual successor to Jack the Ripper. Graysmith's history of Zodiac acknowledges the comparison, as he dives deep into the history of one of America's most notorious, uncaught, serial killers. Graysmith badly needed an editor as some parts of this a bit too detail heavy. However, considering that Greysmith himself starts to mentally unravel during his research, that potential flaw actually makes the book feel even more tense and paranoid. This is trip down a dark rabbit hole, unlike anything I have ever read.

As for the narration, Stefan Rudnicki is one of my favorites. His voice just drips with menace and foreboding, making him ideal for this sort of book. Highly recommended!

Captivating storytelling, sluggish pace

The subject matter should have evoked a more visceral response, but the story, weighed down by a myriad facts and anecdotes, sometimes plodded slowly. My impression is one of compelling potential that is unfulfilled. At least the narrator's voice is pleasant.

Haunting. Don't hesitate, get it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, absolutely, in fact I have recommended it to several friends. It almost wants to make you start researching the story try to locate this guy. You might think that you know the story, but you dont.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Zodiac?

Well, the most memorable part was the ending because it leaves you hanging. And there is no ending. I hope this isn't a spoiler for anyone, but this killer is either still out there or has died and we may never know who he is. That is memorable in a bad way for me.

What does Stefan Rudnicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They couldnt have picked a better performer for the book. His voice brings the right amount of edge to this book. His voice makes parts of the book a little scary.

If you could give Zodiac a new subtitle, what would it be?

maybe: "Why it still matters"

Any additional comments?

It is easy to listed to this book and make statements about it as if it was recently written, which is not a correct analysis of this book. In this book, Mr. Graysmith published his recollections of what was happening and how the whole story panned out the way it did. You can take out all the evidence that no longer matters because of recent findings, but it is important to learn why the detectives did what they did. Get the book, if you are a fan of the genre you will enjoy it.

good story but take with grain of salt

good story telling but not 100 percent factual and makes some bold claims on who commuted the crimes and cipher solution

Gripping... and scary

I downloaded this after seeing the new Zodiac film with Jake Gyllenhaal. Unbelievably dense in detail and very well narrated, this is a chilling tale. 5 stars.

Recommended

I listened to this whilst on a 15 hour drive across the country. I found it interesting and very well read. I did find myself getting names mixed up and found some parts, mostly in the middle, to be a little hard to follow. That said, and whilst knowing the 'ending', I do recommend this title.

Great story -- but it's not factually accurate

This is a great true crime story about the famous Zodiac killer written by SF Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith who was there when it happened, and became obsessed with the case. Graysmith walks you through a compelling telling of the Zodiac murders, his famous letters to the SF Chronicle and his cryptogram messages. The only problem is... well, the story Graysmith tells is not true. Not only is he speculating about various things (the killer might be killing people based on the Zodiac calendar, or maybe it's related to phases of the moon, or holidays, or....) he's completely fabricating evidence.

Here's a simple example: Graysmith claims that he has proof that his major suspect "Bob Hall Starr" (a made up name, but is meant to stand-in for real-life suspect Arthur Leigh Allen) attended Riverside Community College in southern California, when RCC student Cheri Jo Bates is killed in 1966. The only problem is: IT'S NOT TRUE! Leigh Allen did not attend RCC. There is no proof that this happened and plenty of proof that it did not happen! (Leigh Allen attended Vallejo college in 1957, He attended Cal Poly State College in San Luis Obispo 1960.)

Graysmith's story is filled with innuendo, speculation and lies to paint him as the genius who solves the identity of the Zodiac Killer. But wait... it gets better. Graysmith shows that he alone is able to decrypt the infamous uncrackable Z340 cipher. His solution is complete nonsense. (The code was actually broken in late 2020 and bears no relation to Graysmith's nonsensical solution.)

Unfortunately, Graysmith's story just doesn't hold water. The book is filled with selective evidence, omitting just about anything that contradicts his theory. Yes Leigh Allen was a leading suspect, a convicted child molester and a pretty dispicable guy. But Graysmith greatly overstate the case that he is the Zodiac killer.

It's an enjoyable story, but don't believe for a minute this is an accurate story. Even though Graysmith's book is the basis of the 2007 film Zodiac that film also builds on many of the lies and false premises here.

Immersive Account, Excellent Narration

I've always been fascinated by the story of the Zodiac and Graysmith's book lives up to its reputation as the definitive account of the notorious killer. His attention to detail is impressive and disturbing. You understand as the book moves along that solving this case was an obsession that consumed Graysmith.

The narration should be given some credit as well. The speaker has a dark tone of voice throughout that gives the story the disturbing yet clinical delivery it deserves. He gives specific voices very subtle changes in rhythm, so it never gets too melodramatic. Whenever he reads the actual letters from the Zodiac, he gives it the slow and detached delivery you would expect someone to give if they were reading it aloud. It makes it appropriate, but creepy.