Dirty John and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders - Christopher Goffard

Christopher Goffard is an award-winning Los Angeles Times reporter. Dirty John and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders is a collection of his best work.

Wow! I was hooked from the first story until the last - and quite sad when I did reach the end. I could happily listen to everything Goffard has written.

Most of the appeal for me is the fact that the stories are true. Goffard takes an event, a happening, a crime, a piece of life, a person and wholeheartedly immerses the reader/listener in the tale.  Detail, depth and a unique take on reporting make each piece fascinating.

It's hard to say I liked one more that another. The cover title Dirty John, is the longest and the most frightening. John is a conman, but his new wife can't see it. Its a close second Framed. A school volunteer makes an innocent mistake, but the parents involved take retaliation to a whole new level. The $40 Lawyer follows a brand new lawyer as he wades into the court system. There are fifteen stories in this collection and every last one is a winner.

I chose to listen to this book. The reader was George Newbern - a favorite of mine. He has such a unique voice - very, very expressive, capturing the nuances, emotions, drama, absurdities and more of Goffard's work. There's a sardonic tone to his voice that completely suits this audiobook. His diction is clear and easy to understand. See for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Dirty John and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders. Highly recommended! I'll be following Goffard's work from here forward.

Goffard's writing will be in even more formats soon - Dirty John (also a podcast) is an upcoming Bravo series. Framed is being developed by Netflix as a film starring Julia Roberts.