Maria DiLorenzo with Dave Wedge: Confessions of the Green River Killer

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A startling profile of one of the most prolific serial killers and the disturbing experience of the journalist who earned his trust for the sake of justice.
When crime journalist Maria DiLorenzo mailed a letter to Gary Ridgway, she never expected him to reply. He refused to speak to reporters and would send only religious materials back to anyone who contacted him in Pr*son—if he replied at all. But instead of silence or a boilerplate letter, Maria’s phone rang–and it was the Green River Killer calling.
Over the next several years, Ridgway would call Maria hundreds of times, using all of his free time in Pr*son to speak with her. Her goal: to pry the details of his dozens of unidentified and unsolved murders from him. His motivation in speaking to her: unknowable. Through these hundreds of hours of phone calls, Ridgway revealed new details about his life, his crimes, and his motives – and manipulated Maria much like he tormented his victims.
An insightful and deeply personal profile of a dangerous mind, Confessions of the Green River Killer is the closest depiction of Gary Ridgway ever seen and a disturbing glimpse into what it’s like to truly know a killer. Readers of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and The Stranger Beside Me will be enraptured to experience Gary Ridgway through the eyes and ears of a woman he came to deeply trust—and deeply covet.

Maria DiLorenzo received an MFA in English / creative writing from Hunter College in 2011. For several years she worked as a contributing writer for The Crime Report, and in 2020, she founded the website Beyond the Crime, which shares firsthand interviews with those incarcerated for M**der to gain a deeper understanding of the criminal mind. She is one of the only journalists to extensively interview Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Her work in true crime has been chronicled in podcasts and documentaries, including an appearance on ABC’s 20/20. She currently resides in Staten Island, NY.

Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author based in Boston. His books include: Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy, a non-fiction drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings adapted for the 2017 movie Patriots Day; Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss, which is soon to be a three-part Hulu docuseries with Ben Affleck narrating and co-producing; Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS; 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption; The Last Days of John Lennon, written with Casey Sherman and James Patterson; Riding With Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagans Motorcycle Gang, and Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory, which is in development as a feature film with Academy Award-winner Sam Rockwell.

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!