Normally I start my reviews with a brief synopsis about the book I have read but since this is a new book there wasn't much of a synopsis to go off of. This book is a true crime novel following James Buddy Day on his journey of making a documentary about Charles Manson. You get to learn about one-on-one interviews that he was able to have with Manson via phone calls during Manson's last few months alive. You get to learn about a new theory surrounding the case that started the true crime craze that is still very prominent today. What if "Helter Skelter" wasn't the reason behind the Tate-LaBianca murders like everyone thinks it is? What if none of the family members even know what that theory was until the trial?
I am obsessed with Charles Manson and his family. I have read many books on this subject and still find the information fascinating. So, when I saw that this book was coming out I HAD to try to receive an ARC through NetGalley. The cover caught my eye on the website and I was extremely excited when I saw the e-mail that I was chosen to get a copy. I started this book while on my flight to Tampa and made it close to 50% of the way done before having to get off of the plane (I was reading on my Kindle). I was hooked from the very beginning and once I started getting to the in depth parts of the alternate theory that this book surrounds I was hooked even more. I brought my Kindle with me everywhere so I had the ability to read in any down time that presented itself to me. Although, there were times where I was worried that Manson was starting to get into the mind of the author with his weird "psycho-babble" (for lack of better terminology) James Buddy Day made sure to go back to do his research before believing anything that came out of Charlie's mouth.
On Goodreads I rated this book a 4/5 because of how magnetic it is. I just wanted to keep reading so I could find more and more information about the theory (which makes complete sense). You could tell that this author did a lot of research while conducting the interviews that he talks about in the book. You can feel the passion he has for this subject radiating through the words while reading. There is a lot of information about the cases that I had not heard before even after reading several books on the subject (including "Helter Skelter"). I also liked that, although, Day is going against the "Helter Skelter" theory that caused Charlie to end up behind bats he makes sure that his readers know that he in no way believes that the verdict at the end of Manson's trial was wrong. He, instead, is just posing another theory that makes more sense and fits better with the evidence that was found at the crime scenes. If you love true crime this is definitely a book to keep a look out for; Publishing date is August 8, 2019! You don't want to miss it!
