True Crime Addict

By: James Renner

Narrated by: James Renner

Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

When 11-year-old James Renner fell in love with Amy Mihaljevic, the missing girl seen on posters all over his neighborhood, it was the beginning of a lifelong obsession with true crime. That obsession led James to a successful career as an investigative journalist. It also gave him PTSD.

In 2011 James began researching the strange disappearance of Maura Murray, a UMass student who went missing after wrecking her car in rural New Hampshire in 2004. Over the course of his investigation, he uncovered numerous important and shocking new clues about what may have happened to Maura but also found himself in increasingly dangerous situations with little regard for his own well-being.

As his quest to find Maura deepened, the case started taking a toll on his personal life, which began to spiral out of control. The result is an absorbing dual investigation of the complicated story of the all-American girl who went missing and James' own equally complicated true crime addiction.

James Renner's True Crime Addict is the story of his spellbinding investigation of the missing person case of Maura Murray, which has taken on a life of its own for armchair sleuths across the web. In the spirit of David Fincher's Zodiac, it is a fascinating look at a case that has eluded authorities and one man's obsessive quest for the answers.

©2016 James Renner (P)2016 Random House Audio

Honest. Surprising. Fascinating.

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

This book is the audio equivalent of a page-turner. I was pleasantly surprised by the author's honesty and personal insight.

What other book might you compare True Crime Addict to and why?

Strangely, I was reminded of the "Dexter" series. This was a compelling, clear-eyed account from an unexpected source (given the author's psychology).

What about James Renner’s performance did you like?

As any faithful audio listener knows, there is a special place in Hell for authors who read (and thoroughly screw up) their own work. I approach works read by their author with extreme caution, as what are the chances that an author will be a good writer AND a decent performer? But in this case, James Renner does his own book justice and was the perfect choice here.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was surprised at the author's willingness to expose several less than flattering aspects of his own life/personality. I respect this choice a great deal, as it would have been all too easy for him to hide his true motives for writing this book behind a veil of compassionate concern for the victim. Instead, he chose to be real with his readers, and that elevated this book from true crime/journalistic gumshoe to something closer to literary non-fiction.

Any additional comments?

Spend a credit on this one. I've listened to hundreds of titles on Audible and this ranks right up there with some of the best.

44 of 44 people found this review helpful

Stunning and courageous

One of the best I have read in years. Part memoir and part true crime mystery I love both genres and was riveted throughout

18 of 18 people found this review helpful

Highly Dissapointing

Any additional comments?

I don’t quite understand all the positive reviews. I’ve listened to a quite a few true crime books and I would put this one on the bottom of the list. I understand the dedication of the author, but he teases the reader with too many storylines that go nowhere. He makes a lot of implications about the characters he’s investigating that are seldom backed up with fact and are never resolved. He also includes a lot of personal information about his family and his personal demons that I found totally uninteresting and undeveloped. For example, he implies his son has some psychic ability, which you think will be pertinent to his investigations, but it’s just another storyline that goes nowhere.
If you’re looking for truly outstanding true crime writing, stick with Jack Olsen.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Brilliant. Personal. Well researched & written.

Would you consider the audio edition of True Crime Addict to be better than the print version?

Yes, I especially loved listening to the author tell the story himself.

What was one of the most memorable moments of True Crime Addict?

Renner did an amazing job of telling Maura's story and the circumstances surrounding her story while intertwining his own story and experiences. That is such a departure from your typical true crime story, which I really appreciated. And his story is almost as fascinating as the Maura Murray case is,

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

It helped that Renner was the voice of the story. I have listened to him on several podcasts and he certainly has a way with words, a little sarcasm and humor along with a real knack for truth telling.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I certainly walked away from the book with a new outlook on the case. Having listened to several podcasts on the case, I went into the book thinking I would probably not learn a lot of new information, I was surprised to not only learn more details about the family and circumstances surrounding the case but also intrigued by Renner's own story.

Any additional comments?

Bravo James Renner. I know people give you a hard time, but you really deserve kudos for this one. Fascinating.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

WOW...!!! RENNER!

I loved it. I had passed this up this last week and decided to cave since I was familiar with the case, boy I'm pleasantly surprised.
I thought the author was honest and poignant , delivering the story in a very comfortable pace. I was never and I repeat NEVER bored. Most authors who try and pull off their own narration , I find I rarely get passed a chapter or two, however, Renner seemed to pull it off just perfect. I really enjoyed this book. I have over 240 audiobooks and I think this made top ten in non-fiction. With having said that, I would like to just point out again that I had prior interest in this case for years and I can't say if that impacted my overall feel or not but this case finally had some light shined on it. Great book !

19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Mystery and memoir

It's a revealing look into the mind and experiences of a writer who is compelled to find the answers and how it affects him. Loved.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Wow

The book was two stories. One about Maura Murray and one about the author. That surprised me. Both were well written and well researched.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Really good

Took a chance on this one. I listen to a lot of true crime books but this one was different. I personally loved all of the added insight about the author and his motives to investigate this case. A fascinating mystery to say the least.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

More about the author than Maura Murray

Listened through the first 7 or 8 chapters, the author spends more time talking about whether his son has autism than the Maura Murray case: and much more time on himself than anything else. The book is probably 20% about Murray and 80% about himself, actually maybe more than that. Waste of time.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

one of the best I've listened to!!

So good! Some graphic detail but a very well told story and very relatable. i can't wait to listen again!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful