What do you think?
Rate this book
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice
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 prison—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 prison 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.
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 prison—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 prison 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.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 6, 2026
I requested an ARC of this because it’s going to be a featured title in my library system this summer, and because I grew up in South King County in the 1980s, when the Green River Killer and Ted Bundy were the bogeymen in the background for years (see: Neko Case’s incredible song “Deep Red Bells”). I also grew up with Ann Rule as my grandmother’s close friend, so I always knew about true crime in the Seattle area, and as I got older, I devoured dozens of true crime books, but always came back to the creepiest ones: Bundy and Ridgeway, whose victims’ final resting places line the roads I use to commute every day. I was intrigued by DiLorenzo’s background of speaking with serial killers human-to-human, and was interested in how her interactions with Ridgeway went. I came out of this book disappointed, needing a disinfectant shower, and disgusted that she swallowed his bait so clearly even as she knew he was using her for sexual gratification.
DiLorenzo’s knowledge of his story was about as much as anyone’s who’s read Green River Running Red, but she somehow thought maybe she could be the special one to tease out the murders and resting places he hadn’t pled guilty to, even after 20+ years of investigation after his arrest and convictions. Instead, she allowed him to be deeply creepy, misogynistic, and frankly, unintelligent at her for years. His conversations with her started out creepy and soon were ending with his confessions of love to her after long daydreams of how she could be raped and murdered anywhere in the world, and why sex workers deserved to die. She never got any new evidence or resting places out of him, she never got any usable information, she repeatedly flew to Washington state from New York to attempt to see him and build bonds, but all she ended up doing was giving him spank material. When he became ill enough that he had to have a catheter full time, he stopped calling her, because he couldn’t pursue sexual gratification from their conversations.
One of the small petty things I noticed was his commentary about how he’d never read Ann Rule’s book about him. He may not have read it, but he would show up to her bookstore appearances before his arrest, hoping to hear her talk about his case. He was in love with his legend before his capture, but now that we’ve all seen his loser face, he can’t be the frightening figure of the unknown that we remember. Unfortunately, he still somehow managed to con another woman into believing him, but at least this time she survived.
DiLorenzo’s knowledge of his story was about as much as anyone’s who’s read Green River Running Red, but she somehow thought maybe she could be the special one to tease out the murders and resting places he hadn’t pled guilty to, even after 20+ years of investigation after his arrest and convictions. Instead, she allowed him to be deeply creepy, misogynistic, and frankly, unintelligent at her for years. His conversations with her started out creepy and soon were ending with his confessions of love to her after long daydreams of how she could be raped and murdered anywhere in the world, and why sex workers deserved to die. She never got any new evidence or resting places out of him, she never got any usable information, she repeatedly flew to Washington state from New York to attempt to see him and build bonds, but all she ended up doing was giving him spank material. When he became ill enough that he had to have a catheter full time, he stopped calling her, because he couldn’t pursue sexual gratification from their conversations.
One of the small petty things I noticed was his commentary about how he’d never read Ann Rule’s book about him. He may not have read it, but he would show up to her bookstore appearances before his arrest, hoping to hear her talk about his case. He was in love with his legend before his capture, but now that we’ve all seen his loser face, he can’t be the frightening figure of the unknown that we remember. Unfortunately, he still somehow managed to con another woman into believing him, but at least this time she survived.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
July 30, 2026I feel like I know enough about Gary Ridgeway from the podcasts and shows I’ve watched that I don’t need to struggle through this. I did not enjoy the writing and I did not enjoy the author’s tone within the book at all. It felt rambling, naive, and even though she says he’s evil and all that it came across as a weird sort of awe that I found icky to be honest.
July 2, 2026
If you know me, you know I'm 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕕 with all things true crime. So when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it 𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐏.
📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞
Gary Ridgway is notorious for being a private person who refuses interviews. So when journalist Maria DiLorenzo reaches out to him by letter, she is shocked to receive a response. She is even more surprised when he calls her collect and tells her to create an account so they can continue communicating.
Over the course of several years, they exchange letters and have countless phone conversations. Maria gains insight into Gary's personality as he tries to manipulate her and shares the disturbing fantasies that occupy his mind.
📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞
Okay, this book was good until the repetition really started to set in. While it was interesting to gain insight into Gary Ridgway's personality, I wanted more—more about Gary Ridgway himself, more about his lifestyle, more about his victims, and more about the investigation—not just his obsession with the author.
His thoughts were deeply unsettling. Maria's patience, dedication, and persistence were incredible, and it clearly took years of effort to get the information she did out of him.
Overall, I found this book interesting, but I don't think it's the best choice for someone who doesn't already have prior knowledge of Gary Ridgway.
📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞
Gary Ridgway is notorious for being a private person who refuses interviews. So when journalist Maria DiLorenzo reaches out to him by letter, she is shocked to receive a response. She is even more surprised when he calls her collect and tells her to create an account so they can continue communicating.
Over the course of several years, they exchange letters and have countless phone conversations. Maria gains insight into Gary's personality as he tries to manipulate her and shares the disturbing fantasies that occupy his mind.
📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞✉️📞
Okay, this book was good until the repetition really started to set in. While it was interesting to gain insight into Gary Ridgway's personality, I wanted more—more about Gary Ridgway himself, more about his lifestyle, more about his victims, and more about the investigation—not just his obsession with the author.
His thoughts were deeply unsettling. Maria's patience, dedication, and persistence were incredible, and it clearly took years of effort to get the information she did out of him.
Overall, I found this book interesting, but I don't think it's the best choice for someone who doesn't already have prior knowledge of Gary Ridgway.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 21, 2026
Maria DiLorenzo is a crime journalist, who turned her obsession with the Green River Killer Gary Ridgway into her first full-length non-fiction book, “Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice”. In the book, DiLorenzo documents more than two years of correspondence (through letters and phone calls) that she shared with the serial killer, charged with killing at least forty-nine women, although many say he was responsible for more than eighty.
The premise behind “Confessions” was DiLorenzo would build a rapport with Gary and, being unable to do what any other police investigator had been able to do up to this point, have him reveal where the literal bodies are buried. In reality, what DiLorenzo got was a possible hint as to where his box of “souvenirs” was (although they were never recovered) and lengthy, sexually explicit conversations with a sociopath.
Ridgway’s conversations are scattered and disjointed and they don’t really provide any information that readers who followed his case actively don’t already know. Let’s not forget he’s a sociopath, so anything he says is very likely a lie whose sole intention is to mislead and manipulate.
DiLorenzo talks about her “professional” relationship with Ridgway which takes a very disturbing turn, in my opinion. She insists she is aware of his manipulation tactics and understands that he is a murdering sociopath, yet she waits by the phone for him to call her like a teenage girl. By the end of the novel, she’s advocating for better treatment of Ridgway in prison, stating that she is just looking out for him because he is a human being. DiLorenzo’s attitudes toward him were uncomfortable to read and to think she never made any more progress than the investigators did.
Ridgway is psychologically sick, obsessed with control (especially sexual control) and the complete destruction of women and his conversations with DiLorenzo highlight that. “Confessions” is a true crime read, on all levels, and Ridgway’s crimes are the deranged actions of a man with no conscience. DiLorenzo tries very hard to find the humanity in him and to try and connect with him but, as a woman, Ridgway plays her throughout, getting off on keeping her waiting and guessing, which cements even more how very unstable he is.
Gross, twisted and downright sociopathic, “Confessions” doesn’t provide any new information on the Green River Killer or his victims, but it does give a lot of details (invented or actual) on sexual perversions and murder fantasies, straight from the murderer’s mouth.
Expected publication date: July 21, 2026
Maria DiLorenzo is a crime journalist, who turned her obsession with the Green River Killer Gary Ridgway into her first full-length non-fiction book, “Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice”. In the book, DiLorenzo documents more than two years of correspondence (through letters and phone calls) that she shared with the serial killer, charged with killing at least forty-nine women, although many say he was responsible for more than eighty.
The premise behind “Confessions” was DiLorenzo would build a rapport with Gary and, being unable to do what any other police investigator had been able to do up to this point, have him reveal where the literal bodies are buried. In reality, what DiLorenzo got was a possible hint as to where his box of “souvenirs” was (although they were never recovered) and lengthy, sexually explicit conversations with a sociopath.
Ridgway’s conversations are scattered and disjointed and they don’t really provide any information that readers who followed his case actively don’t already know. Let’s not forget he’s a sociopath, so anything he says is very likely a lie whose sole intention is to mislead and manipulate.
DiLorenzo talks about her “professional” relationship with Ridgway which takes a very disturbing turn, in my opinion. She insists she is aware of his manipulation tactics and understands that he is a murdering sociopath, yet she waits by the phone for him to call her like a teenage girl. By the end of the novel, she’s advocating for better treatment of Ridgway in prison, stating that she is just looking out for him because he is a human being. DiLorenzo’s attitudes toward him were uncomfortable to read and to think she never made any more progress than the investigators did.
Ridgway is psychologically sick, obsessed with control (especially sexual control) and the complete destruction of women and his conversations with DiLorenzo highlight that. “Confessions” is a true crime read, on all levels, and Ridgway’s crimes are the deranged actions of a man with no conscience. DiLorenzo tries very hard to find the humanity in him and to try and connect with him but, as a woman, Ridgway plays her throughout, getting off on keeping her waiting and guessing, which cements even more how very unstable he is.
Gross, twisted and downright sociopathic, “Confessions” doesn’t provide any new information on the Green River Killer or his victims, but it does give a lot of details (invented or actual) on sexual perversions and murder fantasies, straight from the murderer’s mouth.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Crooked Lane for a complimentary arc of Confessions of the Green River Killer. All opinions expressed are my own.*
As an avid true crime reader, I go through a lot of books that take you into the minds of monsters, and I don’t think I’ve come across anything like this one before. I would’ve survived if I skipped it.
Normally, when you have a book focused on one person and the crimes they’ve committed, you would expect some backstory or summary of the crimes. In this book, however, it felt like the victims became a complete back thought. There were frequent mentions of how he would kill - his MO, his dumping spots, his routines and events happening in his life in times of activity changes - but the victims were more mentioned as a number; how many he got convicted for, and how many he’s suspected of. There’s more focus on his exes and old flames, than on the lives he actually took. When discussing the ages of his victims, the author mentions the youngest victim, who got identified in 2021, but then doesn’t even state her age.
Since I already know a lot about his case, I could still follow references made, but for someone that isn’t well aware of the details of his crimes, I feel like they’d struggle to follow along with this.
Since the whole premise for this book was Ridgway’s “confessions”, I was intrigued enough to push through to the end of this book, but I was quite disappointed that the whole book could’ve essentially been retitled “Rape Fantasies of the Green River Killer” because I felt like that’s all I read for the whole duration of the book.
At first I was surprised that Ridgway had actually talked with a journalist, since he’s an infamous recluse, but it didn’t take long before I found myself realising it’s not that outlandish that he would communicate with someone of a naivety like this. It occasionally felt like reading about a bizarre long distance relationship with a narcissist and an empath - just a lot darker.
The author is entertaining Ridgway’s morbid fantasies of assaulting and killing her simply by giving him attention and then letting him steer and control all their conversations. While she’s clearly doing so in the hope of gaining information he’ll never give her exactly because he’s steering the conversations, she’s instead giving him a fantasy of doing what he can no longer do from behind bars.
Confessions of the Green River Killer was both disturbing and incredibly repetitive, and while I don’t feel like I actually learned anything new about him or his cases, this could be a potentially good read for anyone interested in criminal profiling, I don’t think it’s a very notable addition to the non-fiction already written about the Green River Killer.
As an avid true crime reader, I go through a lot of books that take you into the minds of monsters, and I don’t think I’ve come across anything like this one before. I would’ve survived if I skipped it.
Normally, when you have a book focused on one person and the crimes they’ve committed, you would expect some backstory or summary of the crimes. In this book, however, it felt like the victims became a complete back thought. There were frequent mentions of how he would kill - his MO, his dumping spots, his routines and events happening in his life in times of activity changes - but the victims were more mentioned as a number; how many he got convicted for, and how many he’s suspected of. There’s more focus on his exes and old flames, than on the lives he actually took. When discussing the ages of his victims, the author mentions the youngest victim, who got identified in 2021, but then doesn’t even state her age.
Since I already know a lot about his case, I could still follow references made, but for someone that isn’t well aware of the details of his crimes, I feel like they’d struggle to follow along with this.
Since the whole premise for this book was Ridgway’s “confessions”, I was intrigued enough to push through to the end of this book, but I was quite disappointed that the whole book could’ve essentially been retitled “Rape Fantasies of the Green River Killer” because I felt like that’s all I read for the whole duration of the book.
At first I was surprised that Ridgway had actually talked with a journalist, since he’s an infamous recluse, but it didn’t take long before I found myself realising it’s not that outlandish that he would communicate with someone of a naivety like this. It occasionally felt like reading about a bizarre long distance relationship with a narcissist and an empath - just a lot darker.
The author is entertaining Ridgway’s morbid fantasies of assaulting and killing her simply by giving him attention and then letting him steer and control all their conversations. While she’s clearly doing so in the hope of gaining information he’ll never give her exactly because he’s steering the conversations, she’s instead giving him a fantasy of doing what he can no longer do from behind bars.
Confessions of the Green River Killer was both disturbing and incredibly repetitive, and while I don’t feel like I actually learned anything new about him or his cases, this could be a potentially good read for anyone interested in criminal profiling, I don’t think it’s a very notable addition to the non-fiction already written about the Green River Killer.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Needs Some Work . . .
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. I did forge through the book quite quickly, which is always a good sign. However, if I am being honest, giving the book a four-star rating is being quite generous. I think the fourth star is for all the time, energy, and grief the author went through to produce this book. In addition, her writing skills are sophisticated, and some of her narrative reads like literary fiction. There were just three areas that could have been improved . . .
The story is about a well-known serial killer; hence, the title. However, if you don’t know the specific details of his crimes, you'll wish you had read some background information before you begin reading. I kept wondering if I had overlooked something at the beginning that had given me this information. When I realized I hadn’t, I went to Google for it. This was the first problem I had with the book. There was not a good introduction that provided enough basic information about the Green River Serial Killer.
Secondly, there were very few actual “confessions” from Gary Ridgway. The author spent so much time and energy trying to get him to confess to several unsolved crimes that he alluded to being responsible for. However, in the end, all he ever confessed to were the countless rape fantasies and scenarios in which the author could fall victim to. Some of this was fairly graphic and definitely repetitive, which leads to the final pitfall of this book.
Around halfway through I started wondering if I was accidentally rereading chapters I had already read. Sometimes on my Kindle app I accidentally move the progress bar backwards. So, I would double-check, but I hadn’t. The chapters just seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over and over again. I just felt like it was going nowhere. However, I trudged through and finished the book.
The epilogue did provide information that brought some semblance of closure to the story. Then, after the epilogue, there was a full list of confirmed and alleged victims and a detailed and chronological list of all of Gary Ridgway’s crimes. This would have been great information to have had at the beginning of the book. But by this time, I was ready to be finished with it.
In summary, I feel I learned more about the author than the serial killer in this book. I think she does have a raw talent for writing; however, the organization and delivery were just a little off. I think the content of this book could be rearranged and tweaked to make a five-star book. Hopefully, a good editor will assist with that. (A new title might be needed as well.)
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. I did forge through the book quite quickly, which is always a good sign. However, if I am being honest, giving the book a four-star rating is being quite generous. I think the fourth star is for all the time, energy, and grief the author went through to produce this book. In addition, her writing skills are sophisticated, and some of her narrative reads like literary fiction. There were just three areas that could have been improved . . .
The story is about a well-known serial killer; hence, the title. However, if you don’t know the specific details of his crimes, you'll wish you had read some background information before you begin reading. I kept wondering if I had overlooked something at the beginning that had given me this information. When I realized I hadn’t, I went to Google for it. This was the first problem I had with the book. There was not a good introduction that provided enough basic information about the Green River Serial Killer.
Secondly, there were very few actual “confessions” from Gary Ridgway. The author spent so much time and energy trying to get him to confess to several unsolved crimes that he alluded to being responsible for. However, in the end, all he ever confessed to were the countless rape fantasies and scenarios in which the author could fall victim to. Some of this was fairly graphic and definitely repetitive, which leads to the final pitfall of this book.
Around halfway through I started wondering if I was accidentally rereading chapters I had already read. Sometimes on my Kindle app I accidentally move the progress bar backwards. So, I would double-check, but I hadn’t. The chapters just seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over and over again. I just felt like it was going nowhere. However, I trudged through and finished the book.
The epilogue did provide information that brought some semblance of closure to the story. Then, after the epilogue, there was a full list of confirmed and alleged victims and a detailed and chronological list of all of Gary Ridgway’s crimes. This would have been great information to have had at the beginning of the book. But by this time, I was ready to be finished with it.
In summary, I feel I learned more about the author than the serial killer in this book. I think she does have a raw talent for writing; however, the organization and delivery were just a little off. I think the content of this book could be rearranged and tweaked to make a five-star book. Hopefully, a good editor will assist with that. (A new title might be needed as well.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC for review. To be published July 21, 2026.
2 stars
What did I just read? Ick.
I’m willing to believe, that at the beginning, DiLorenzo’s heart was in the right place. She is an NUC based teacher who also writes a true crime newsletter. She attempts to start a correspondence/conversation with Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer from Washington state who was convicted of forty nine murders of women, primarily prosititutes from the 1980s to the early 2000s (I think.). Ridgway normally did not cooperate with journalists so it was surprising that he agreed to correspond/speak on the phone with DiLorenzo over several years. She hoped to get information from him about other murders he is suspected of committing.
Spoiler alert: she really doesn’t. However she was, I guess, absolutely committed to the idea of writing a book about whatever she got from him, she she went ahead and published this, which is, in large part, Ridgway’s masturbatory fantasies about DiLorenzo where he told her, in great detail and over and over again, the ways in which he imagined her raped and murdered (she had even sent him photos of herself, ostensibly so he knew to whom he was speaking.) And she listened to this. For YEARS. Because, she says, she kept thinking there was a chance he would reveal more to her. And the book relates all this, again, in detail.
So, yeah, this is exactly what I imagine would be in a rapist/murderer/psychopath’s mind, and while I guess it might be of interest to an FBI profiler, I didn’t see the value to society in making this a book. The only reason I finished it was to see if he did cough up any info, and now you know so you won’t have to.
The only worthwhile part of the book is toward the end. It appears that after Ridgway was arrested and tied to four of the murders, eventually confessing to a lot more, the King County Sheriff’s Office (Seattle,) for whatever reason let the case go and stopped investigating, despite the fact that there are likely more victims out there. This must be incredibly frustrating to the families of potential victims and, sadly, it’s unlikely that a short mention in this book will do anything to rectify the situation.
To add to the gross factor Ridgway stopped contact with DiLorenzo once he was medically incapable of sexual gratification. As of this writing (12/27/25) he is still alive and lingering in prison. Skip this one.
2 stars
What did I just read? Ick.
I’m willing to believe, that at the beginning, DiLorenzo’s heart was in the right place. She is an NUC based teacher who also writes a true crime newsletter. She attempts to start a correspondence/conversation with Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer from Washington state who was convicted of forty nine murders of women, primarily prosititutes from the 1980s to the early 2000s (I think.). Ridgway normally did not cooperate with journalists so it was surprising that he agreed to correspond/speak on the phone with DiLorenzo over several years. She hoped to get information from him about other murders he is suspected of committing.
Spoiler alert: she really doesn’t. However she was, I guess, absolutely committed to the idea of writing a book about whatever she got from him, she she went ahead and published this, which is, in large part, Ridgway’s masturbatory fantasies about DiLorenzo where he told her, in great detail and over and over again, the ways in which he imagined her raped and murdered (she had even sent him photos of herself, ostensibly so he knew to whom he was speaking.) And she listened to this. For YEARS. Because, she says, she kept thinking there was a chance he would reveal more to her. And the book relates all this, again, in detail.
So, yeah, this is exactly what I imagine would be in a rapist/murderer/psychopath’s mind, and while I guess it might be of interest to an FBI profiler, I didn’t see the value to society in making this a book. The only reason I finished it was to see if he did cough up any info, and now you know so you won’t have to.
The only worthwhile part of the book is toward the end. It appears that after Ridgway was arrested and tied to four of the murders, eventually confessing to a lot more, the King County Sheriff’s Office (Seattle,) for whatever reason let the case go and stopped investigating, despite the fact that there are likely more victims out there. This must be incredibly frustrating to the families of potential victims and, sadly, it’s unlikely that a short mention in this book will do anything to rectify the situation.
To add to the gross factor Ridgway stopped contact with DiLorenzo once he was medically incapable of sexual gratification. As of this writing (12/27/25) he is still alive and lingering in prison. Skip this one.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
(Received advanced reader copy)
Confessions of the Green River Killer is much more than a standard true crime book. Rather than simply recounting the crimes of Gary Ridgway, Maria DiLorenzo takes readers into the deeply unsettling psychological dynamic that developed through her correspondence with him.
As someone who reads a lot of true crime and has a strong interest in the psychology of serial killers, I found this book uniquely impactful. What stood out most was Ridgway's constant attempts at manipulation. He often seemed determined to reshape the narrative, presenting himself as a "good guy" who somehow believed his actions were justified. His efforts to control how he was perceived were both fascinating and disturbing.
At times, the way he spoke to Maria felt almost like a psychological game. Even from behind bars, there was a sense that he viewed her as someone he could toy with, testing boundaries and attempting to influence her perceptions. Reading his own words in a personal context was far more unsettling than watching a composed police interview. What disturbed me most was his tendency to recount events as though he were the victim, minimizing the suffering he caused while seeking sympathy for himself.
I also appreciated Maria's honesty throughout the book. Her internal reflections and her struggle to understand the situation added an important layer of authenticity. Watching her navigate conversations with Ridgway while trying to draw out his darker, more truthful side made for a compelling and often uncomfortable reading experience.
This book is not only a fascinating true crime account but also a chilling study of manipulation, narcissism, and the lasting psychological impact of evil. It stayed with me long after I finished it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in criminal psychology and true crime.
Confessions of the Green River Killer is much more than a standard true crime book. Rather than simply recounting the crimes of Gary Ridgway, Maria DiLorenzo takes readers into the deeply unsettling psychological dynamic that developed through her correspondence with him.
As someone who reads a lot of true crime and has a strong interest in the psychology of serial killers, I found this book uniquely impactful. What stood out most was Ridgway's constant attempts at manipulation. He often seemed determined to reshape the narrative, presenting himself as a "good guy" who somehow believed his actions were justified. His efforts to control how he was perceived were both fascinating and disturbing.
At times, the way he spoke to Maria felt almost like a psychological game. Even from behind bars, there was a sense that he viewed her as someone he could toy with, testing boundaries and attempting to influence her perceptions. Reading his own words in a personal context was far more unsettling than watching a composed police interview. What disturbed me most was his tendency to recount events as though he were the victim, minimizing the suffering he caused while seeking sympathy for himself.
I also appreciated Maria's honesty throughout the book. Her internal reflections and her struggle to understand the situation added an important layer of authenticity. Watching her navigate conversations with Ridgway while trying to draw out his darker, more truthful side made for a compelling and often uncomfortable reading experience.
This book is not only a fascinating true crime account but also a chilling study of manipulation, narcissism, and the lasting psychological impact of evil. It stayed with me long after I finished it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in criminal psychology and true crime.
July 22, 2026
I came away from reading this book with a lukewarm feeling. Did it hold my interest? Yes, but by the end I was underwhelmed.
I think best way to view the book is as a memoir. If you go into it thinking it is going to offer new information or insight into the GRK cases or expecting analysis from a psychological or criminological viewpoint, you'll likely be disappointed. The focus here is almost entirely on the author's phone calls and correspondence with Ridgway, which she began in the hopes that she could elicit information or confessions about unsolved murders for which Ridgway had not already been sentenced or taken responsibility. This is fascinating at the start and seems to offer an opportunity for unique insight into a killer's mind. It does offer that, revealing just how manipulative and depraved Ridgway is as he toys with her, mimicking normal conversation and friendship in order to keep the author hopeful that he may eventually confide in her with useful information. It becomes clear that he has no intention of confessing anything and rather wants to keep conversation going in order to indulge his disturbed fantasies. Reading about this "in action" is horrifyingly interesting from an academic standpoint; those investigating and dealing with individuals like Ridgway can't have enough reminders of how manipulative they are. I admired the author's honesty in discussing her feelings throughout her interactions, including how easy it was to believe, even if only for a minute, that he was sincere.
That being said, the book won't offer much new to anyone who is well familiar with Ridgway's crimes and the recounting of the conversations becomes repetitive and disjointed. Those who don't know much about the GRK case may find that they enjoy it more.
I think best way to view the book is as a memoir. If you go into it thinking it is going to offer new information or insight into the GRK cases or expecting analysis from a psychological or criminological viewpoint, you'll likely be disappointed. The focus here is almost entirely on the author's phone calls and correspondence with Ridgway, which she began in the hopes that she could elicit information or confessions about unsolved murders for which Ridgway had not already been sentenced or taken responsibility. This is fascinating at the start and seems to offer an opportunity for unique insight into a killer's mind. It does offer that, revealing just how manipulative and depraved Ridgway is as he toys with her, mimicking normal conversation and friendship in order to keep the author hopeful that he may eventually confide in her with useful information. It becomes clear that he has no intention of confessing anything and rather wants to keep conversation going in order to indulge his disturbed fantasies. Reading about this "in action" is horrifyingly interesting from an academic standpoint; those investigating and dealing with individuals like Ridgway can't have enough reminders of how manipulative they are. I admired the author's honesty in discussing her feelings throughout her interactions, including how easy it was to believe, even if only for a minute, that he was sincere.
That being said, the book won't offer much new to anyone who is well familiar with Ridgway's crimes and the recounting of the conversations becomes repetitive and disjointed. Those who don't know much about the GRK case may find that they enjoy it more.
August 1, 2026
The title of this book is extremely misleading, as the subject never gives a straightforward answer when questioned repeatedly by the author. She started with letters and eventually received phone calls from Walla Walla Prison. After two years of convoluted conversations, we are never given a answer as to how many women Gary Ridgway murdered.
In order to avoid the death penalty, Gary pled guilty to forty–nine murders, and hinted at the possibility of another thirty or forty. Ms. DiLorenzo quotes her conversations with the man and much of the material is sexually explicit. "I can’t sin anymore because I’m locked up," might be the funniest line in the book. Gary was baptized via a water dunking ceremony into the Seventh Day Adventist church. The two compare notes on their shared Catholic upbringing and debate the true meaning of redemption and sin.
Gary also complains of his fellow serial killer, Ted Bundy, and of all the attention he received for assisting the police on the Green River Task Force. Sorry dude, but Theodore Robert Bundy captured worldwide media attention due to his charismatic personality. Ted even mocked Gary for only killing prostitutes in other books.
I appreciate the long term commitment by the author to solve open cases but this is only an average read.
In order to avoid the death penalty, Gary pled guilty to forty–nine murders, and hinted at the possibility of another thirty or forty. Ms. DiLorenzo quotes her conversations with the man and much of the material is sexually explicit. "I can’t sin anymore because I’m locked up," might be the funniest line in the book. Gary was baptized via a water dunking ceremony into the Seventh Day Adventist church. The two compare notes on their shared Catholic upbringing and debate the true meaning of redemption and sin.
Gary also complains of his fellow serial killer, Ted Bundy, and of all the attention he received for assisting the police on the Green River Task Force. Sorry dude, but Theodore Robert Bundy captured worldwide media attention due to his charismatic personality. Ted even mocked Gary for only killing prostitutes in other books.
I appreciate the long term commitment by the author to solve open cases but this is only an average read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review and thoughts. I’m not really sure how to rate this book. I am a fan of reading true crime, and living in the PNW I know a lot about the Green River Killer. I’ve read many books by others, and was curious what else he had to say”confess”. This is a book that yes has many graphic details about his thoughts and reasons for what he did to the women he murdered or claimed to have murdered. Some parts were hard to read and I felt some didn’t need to be said with what I thought was the direction she was wanting to go with this book. It was a little odd that you didn’t get any back story about his crimes, but I assumed the author figured if you read this book you already know those details. I didn’t really learn anything “new” from this book, besides what he shared with her about where he felt he fell when it came to religion and heaven and hell. If I need to rate this based on what I was expecting for this book I guess I’ll give it 2⭐️. If you have little to no knowledge of the Green River Killer I wouldn’t start here you will be lost. I’m not sure I will be recommending this book to other true crime readers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Confessions of the Green River Killer by Maria DiLorenzo was one of those true crime books that had me equal parts fascinated and deeply uncomfortable. The fact that she actually got Gary Ridgway talking at all is wild, and some of the conversations are genuinely creepy in a can’t-look-away kind of way.
But honestly, parts of the book started to drag for me after a while. There’s a lot of back-and-forth with Ridgway, and listening to him ramble and manipulate people gets exhausting fast. At some point I felt like I needed a shower and maybe a snack break just to recover from the vibes. I was also really annoyed by the author not even trying to understand the setting they set their horror in as I write this from Lake Arrowhead.
I did like the psychological side of it though, especially seeing how someone like Ridgway tries to present himself versus who he actually is. It’s definitely interesting if you’re really into true crime and criminal psychology, but it’s not exactly a fun read. Overall, I’m glad I picked it up, even if it left me feeling mildly haunted.
But honestly, parts of the book started to drag for me after a while. There’s a lot of back-and-forth with Ridgway, and listening to him ramble and manipulate people gets exhausting fast. At some point I felt like I needed a shower and maybe a snack break just to recover from the vibes. I was also really annoyed by the author not even trying to understand the setting they set their horror in as I write this from Lake Arrowhead.
I did like the psychological side of it though, especially seeing how someone like Ridgway tries to present himself versus who he actually is. It’s definitely interesting if you’re really into true crime and criminal psychology, but it’s not exactly a fun read. Overall, I’m glad I picked it up, even if it left me feeling mildly haunted.
January 30, 2026
The premise of this book really intrigued me. Gary Ridgeway is notorious for not giving interviews, so when I saw a book that was about a journalist that he would speak with, I knew that I had to read it.
While there is a lot of insight to the man and his actions, it is a very difficult read. The content definitely needs to come with some trigger warnings. You learn just how depraved the serial killer is and what goes through his mind is very disconcerting. I thought that some of the information or thoughts that are shared did not necessarily need to be in the book, and were a bit off putting. Additionally, while you do get insight into the strange relationship that was built over the phone between Maria and Gary, this is not the typical true crime book, you learn more about their relationship then anything else.
While there is a lot of insight to the man and his actions, it is a very difficult read. The content definitely needs to come with some trigger warnings. You learn just how depraved the serial killer is and what goes through his mind is very disconcerting. I thought that some of the information or thoughts that are shared did not necessarily need to be in the book, and were a bit off putting. Additionally, while you do get insight into the strange relationship that was built over the phone between Maria and Gary, this is not the typical true crime book, you learn more about their relationship then anything else.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
While I found this interesting for the insights into how Gary Ridgway’s mind works, it was also quite frustrating. The premise is that the author being the only known media person that the killer actually agreed to have contact with, her objective to try to get information on additional kills falls flat. In fact, it mostly seems that Ridgway is really just toying with her, shutting down her endless questions until she feels like she only gets information when she’s letting him control their talks. He’s more interested in her as a fantasy, and tries to advise her how to avoid becoming a rape victim. True crime is my main reading genre, so I was surprised that at the very end of this story, it says that it is a work of fiction. What the heck. How is this a true story then?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A true story of Manipulation, madness, and a search for justice by Maria DiLorenzo
Maria, a teacher and writer of a true crime newsletter corresponds with Gary Ridgway aka The Green River Killer.
As a reader it was fascinating to see both sides of the story. Maria was hopeful that Gary would give up clues that could further the investigation. Gary on the other hand, thought of the conversation as a game of sorts, relaying what came to mind at the time. He seems to toy with her, often roping her into sick fantasies that he's playing out in his head.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Coming to stores July 21 2026
Maria, a teacher and writer of a true crime newsletter corresponds with Gary Ridgway aka The Green River Killer.
As a reader it was fascinating to see both sides of the story. Maria was hopeful that Gary would give up clues that could further the investigation. Gary on the other hand, thought of the conversation as a game of sorts, relaying what came to mind at the time. He seems to toy with her, often roping her into sick fantasies that he's playing out in his head.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
Coming to stores July 21 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a very intriguing true crime book, different from what I’m used to. Maria actually takes us along in her shoes as she makes contact with Gary the serial killer, develops regular communication with him, and hopes that may be more information can come from him. There were times that I felt very uneasy as I read, matching how she felt. As someone who is very into true crime, this book was very satisfying for me because it felt as if I was the one looking into this and trying to get more information. There aren’t many books like this out there so it’s great Maria shared hers with the world. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 2, 2026
Please do not read this book. The author discovers nothing new, in the process disgusting me with her excitement and infatuation over a terrible human who needs no further attention. Rebuffed by detectives and family members alike, the author takes no moment of self-reflection, but rather doubles down on unearthing extremely painful memories with no goal other than sensationalization and making it about her. Shame on the author, shame on the publisher. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, who now have to relive the most painful part of their lives for no reason other than a woman’s need to be validated and pursued by a serial killer.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
I felt quite frustrated reading this book most of the time - I kept thinking Maria would have a breakthrough in her communication with Ridgeway, and it just didn't get anywhere. Granted, this all served to fully emphasise how much of a psychopath this man is. I really couldn't deal with the way this man speaks, too, it was so disjointed and rambling I found myself getting confused and just really irritated!
I feel that a certain type of true crime fan will enjoy this, but unfortunately I did not.
I felt quite frustrated reading this book most of the time - I kept thinking Maria would have a breakthrough in her communication with Ridgeway, and it just didn't get anywhere. Granted, this all served to fully emphasise how much of a psychopath this man is. I really couldn't deal with the way this man speaks, too, it was so disjointed and rambling I found myself getting confused and just really irritated!
I feel that a certain type of true crime fan will enjoy this, but unfortunately I did not.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Confessions of the Green River Killer details the author's phone calls and letters with Gary Ridgeway around the time of the COVID epidemic and afterwards. The information she obtained was disturbing, but nothing new was revealed. The book moved slowly at times. I appreciated that it was exhausting for the author to try to pick through confessions of a deeply flawed and manipulative murderer to try to find the truth, and I thank her for her efforts to do so.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 21, 2026
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was not the biggest fan of this book or the author's methods. It felt as if she was so desperate for a book that she was willing to continue talking to Gary Ridgeway long after the possibility of him giving her anything was gone. It felt like both Gary and Maria were manipulating each other with no real endpoint or goal in mind. She could not have truly believed that after years of him utilizing her to fulfill his gross fantasies, he would ever truly give her any real information. They were both deluded.
I was not the biggest fan of this book or the author's methods. It felt as if she was so desperate for a book that she was willing to continue talking to Gary Ridgeway long after the possibility of him giving her anything was gone. It felt like both Gary and Maria were manipulating each other with no real endpoint or goal in mind. She could not have truly believed that after years of him utilizing her to fulfill his gross fantasies, he would ever truly give her any real information. They were both deluded.
January 18, 2026
Fascinating and horrifying at the same time. The author’s communications with Gary Ridgeway were, at times, uncomfortable to read and grotesque in nature. His words, both spoken and written, leave no doubt that he is a true psychopath, and I don’t think anything would have stopped him becoming the monster he is.
Well written, recommend to true crime fans who are interested in the minds of serial killers.
Well written, recommend to true crime fans who are interested in the minds of serial killers.
March 5, 2026
A dark book about a prolific serial killer. The phone conversations between Gary and Maria are shocking, haunting and at times gross. The insight into Gary lets you know he is everything you expect him to be as someone who has killed so many women. You may need some lighthearted TV after you read this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was excited for this book, however it let me down. I felt that the book was disjointed and that the author struggled to form a coherent story. I know this story inside and out having lived in this area my entire life, and it was so disappointing to have it told in this way.
I do appreciate the free copies from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
I do appreciate the free copies from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
July 27, 2026
This was an interesting read, albeit grotesque at times. The difficult task in reading serial killer confessions is that a serial killer rarely tells the truth. This seemed to be an accurate window into the convoluted mind of a sociopath. While I wish more of his secrets had been exposed, there was a reason he went under police radar for so long.
Review of advance copy
Awful...while her articles are slightly not awful, this book is TERRIBLE. I received an advanced copy and only finished because I started. The writing is elementary, there is a lack of information, and the entire thing is a waste of time. There are 106,273 better books to read. SKIP THIS
April 25, 2026
Got this one as a Netgalley arc
I loved the idea of the book..but it was a bit repetitive. I was disturbed to hear how ridgeway thought and spoke but we didn’t really get any new confessions from this book.
I loved the idea of the book..but it was a bit repetitive. I was disturbed to hear how ridgeway thought and spoke but we didn’t really get any new confessions from this book.
January 30, 2026
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC for review consideration.
The following is my personal perspective on the book.
I was not familiar with this serial killer prior to reading this book and this was a very disturbing and difficult read.
The book reads almost like a transcript of the conversations the author had with Gary Ridgway. I’m not sure how Ms. DiLorenzo managed to endure listening to the disassociated ramblings of this deviant.
I have read true crime novels written by journalists before but I found the writing style in this book to be crude and unpolished compared to what I would have expected but perhaps the goal of the author was to have an unedited representation of what the killer had to say.
Later in the book, she remarked that she felt as though she was experiencing some form of Stockholm Syndrome and given the nature of the conversation she continued to have, I have no doubt there is a sliver of truth to that statement.
Stating that his voice became familiar like freshly brewed coffee or sunlight filling a room suggests an enjoyable relationship despite her claiming she couldn’t cease communication when she felt uncomfortable or nervous.
As mentioned, this was a difficult read and not for the faint of heart. If you like diving into the inner thoughts of a serial killer, this book may be for you.
The following is my personal perspective on the book.
I was not familiar with this serial killer prior to reading this book and this was a very disturbing and difficult read.
The book reads almost like a transcript of the conversations the author had with Gary Ridgway. I’m not sure how Ms. DiLorenzo managed to endure listening to the disassociated ramblings of this deviant.
I have read true crime novels written by journalists before but I found the writing style in this book to be crude and unpolished compared to what I would have expected but perhaps the goal of the author was to have an unedited representation of what the killer had to say.
Later in the book, she remarked that she felt as though she was experiencing some form of Stockholm Syndrome and given the nature of the conversation she continued to have, I have no doubt there is a sliver of truth to that statement.
Stating that his voice became familiar like freshly brewed coffee or sunlight filling a room suggests an enjoyable relationship despite her claiming she couldn’t cease communication when she felt uncomfortable or nervous.
As mentioned, this was a difficult read and not for the faint of heart. If you like diving into the inner thoughts of a serial killer, this book may be for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have to start this by saying I’m a huge true crime junkie and I’ve been fascinated by the case for years.
Thank you to my coworker who happens to know the author and brought her up to my attention.
This was so captivating and insightful, brings so much to light which I didn’t know as well as Gary’s personality. The way his mind works, the things he says and how he wanted to be seen as a good person.
The amount of time this has taken Maria to get information out of him was a lot. I don’t think I could have had the patience to do it as well as staying calm.
I also just found out about her website and now will be spending my time reading them.
Thank you so much NetGalley.
Thank you to my coworker who happens to know the author and brought her up to my attention.
This was so captivating and insightful, brings so much to light which I didn’t know as well as Gary’s personality. The way his mind works, the things he says and how he wanted to be seen as a good person.
The amount of time this has taken Maria to get information out of him was a lot. I don’t think I could have had the patience to do it as well as staying calm.
I also just found out about her website and now will be spending my time reading them.
Thank you so much NetGalley.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews