About the Book
The inspirational true crime story describing in dramatic detail the efforts of tenacious Texas lawmen to solve the cold case murders of three little girls and hold their killer accountable for his horrific crimes. An incredible police procedural that begins in January 1985 and in a very real sense continues to this day as police detectives push to bring other cases against serial child killer David Elliott Penton.
From the book: "For years he'd stalked elementary schools, neighborhoods and playgrounds looking for young girls to abduct, rape and murder. With some exceptions, he concentrated on black, Asian or Hispanic girls living in low-income areas. He thought of them as "throwaway kids"-hardly missed, and soon forgotten, except by those who loved them; just sad cold case files gathering dust in police records rooms. As though invisible, he brazenly struck in broad daylight, pulling children into his van or cars, or he crept into homes in the dead of night to carry away little girls while their families slept. He was every parent's worst nightmare. The bogeyman they warned their children about disguised as the friendly stranger who offered candy, cookies and ice cream to entice his victims close enough to grab. The fiend who lurked in the shadows outside of bedroom windows."
From the Author: "I think what made BOGEYMAN unique for me as a writer wasn't the killer's story, or even the exceptional detective work that went into bringing David Penton to justice. The book gives us a poignant and powerful inside look at the emotional, psychological and physical toll a case like this has on the men and women of law enforcement, as well as on their families; those usually unseen, and rarely revealed, stories of courage, faith and sacrifice on behalf of the victims, the victims' families, and their communities."
About the Author :
Best-selling and award-winning author and journalist Steve Jackson has written nine non-fiction books in true crime, history and biography genres; he has also written a dozen crime fiction thrillers for the Butch Karp Series in collaboration with former New York assistant district attorney Robert K. Tanenbaum. His latest true crime book, SMOOTH TALKER, was published in May 2016 by a company he started with a partner, Michael Cordova, in August 2014. As of summer 2016, WildBlue Press had published more than two dozen books in true crime, crime fiction, romance, memoir and business genres. The company is rapidly expanding both the number of authors and number of titles, and will be moving into other genres in the Summer 2015. In April 2015, WildBlue Press released an updated version of Jackson's true crime classic NO STONE UNTURNED for the first time in eBook and audiobook. His first book for WildBlue Press was the bestselling BOGEYMAN, which was published in August 2014. His first non-fiction book, MONSTER, a true crime, was published in October 1998 and within two weeks became a NYTimes bestseller. In 2003, his World War II dramatic narrative, LUCKY LADY, received The Colorado Book Award, best biography/history, from the Colorado Center for the Book; Lucky Lady was also the runner-up that year for the Admiral Samuel Morrison Naval History Award. In June 2013, Jackson joined forensic investigative team NecroSearch International, the group featured in NO STONE UNTURNED, searching for the remains of the Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov in Perm, Russia as part of his research for an upcoming dramatic history FINDING ANASTASIA. He and the team returned to Russia to continue the search in June 2015 and will again in July 2016. Born in Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1955, Jackson grew up in Hawaii and Colorado. He graduated in 1979 from Colorado State University with a BA in Journalism. A newspaper journalist for 25 years, he worked in locales as varied as Montana, Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia, Indonesia, Indiana, Washington D.C., Florida, Oregon and Colorado. During his career with newspapers, he received numerous national and regional awards for feature writing and investigative reporting. He lives and works on the coast in Manzanita, Oregon. Outside of writing, his interests include backpacking, fly fishing, skiing, guitar, reading, softball, music, wine, beer and spending time with his family and friends.
Review :
"Jackson gives a master class on true crime reporting in Bogeyman. He writes with both muscle and heart ..." - Gregg Olsen, NY Times bestselling author of The Girl In The Woods "Jackson writes deeply... It's all in BOGEYMAN, a fascinating, well-paced read about the lows and highs of cold case investigations." - bestselling author and professor of forensic psychology Katherine Ramsland in Psychology Today. "Jackson gives a master class on true crime reporting in Bogeyman. He writes with both muscle and heart as he chronicles every parent's worst nightmare. Taut and smart, his prose defies any reader to set it aside." - Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU "Absorbing and haunting! BOGEYMAN spills creepily across the page with Steve Jackson's hellacious verve and insight, reminding us there are few better explorers of the American berserk." - Ron Franscell, bestselling author of THE DARKEST NIGHT "Bogeyman is a very scary but very real true-crime story that tracks the actions of a terrible demon all over the country. Great writing and a compelling story line. You should read it!" - John Ferak, author of BLOODY LIES. "I highly recommend Bogeyman byAuthor Steve Jackson to my true crime friends. It's actually quite touching and written with a great deal of respect." - R.J. Parker, author (with JJ Slate) of SOCIAL MEDIA MONSTERS. "After having read his riveting MONSTER non-stop, I didn't see how Steve Jackson could top Steve Jackson with BOGEYMAN. I can't say he has, as they are both equally riveting. In BOGEYMAN, he doesn't so much focus on the monster he calls "the darkness," but on the fine detectives who made it their life mission to put an end to his reign of terror. I highly recommend both fine works!" - Diana Montane, bestselling co-author of MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD. "Steve Jackson's latest, BOGEYMAN, reveals a living, breathing nightmare that haunted parents as well as detectives. Be sure to add it to your reading list if you're a fan of true crime books." - Aaron Habel, host of Generation Why Podcast READER REVIEWS "Steve once again delivers an excellent read. ...Steve has told this horrific story with dignity and grace for those involved and really made their emotions come alive." - Lisa Burleson Bennie "What a great story about great police work and also a sad story for the families of the girls that were taken. Monsters exist. But so do monster hunters." - R Gregg "I have read many true crime stories and this is one of the best. ... I am thankful that we have professionals out there with determination and willing to work hard so that all our children are a little safer!" - Terri Johnson "Jackson constructs the narrative in a way that makes the reader feel as though he or she is working alongside the detectives, experiencing the frustrations and hardships of trying to bring this perpetrator to justice." - tree0789 "I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads True Crime. This is a horrific and heartbreaking story and you won't be able to stop reading once you start." - Kindle Surfer "I have had two brothers murdered and know how it feels to be a victim's family member! This book is about justice and truth!" - Wayne Johnson "Bogeyman by Steve Jackson is a page turner! Lock your doors and windows and keep your children close! If you only read one book this year - make it this one!" - Mary Mccutcheon Dobbins "This book will certainly open your eyes to how hard our police officers work, and how much they suffer emotionally and sometimes it takes its toll on them and their private lives. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did." - Jerry O Fickling "A fascinating read. Having personally interacted with the men and women who keep us safe, this a worthy tribute to all that they do! ... My hat is off to you Mr. Jackson!" - Jon Keehner
