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Gone at Midnight: The Tragic True Story Behind the Unsolved Internet Sensation
The case that captivated a nation and inspired the Netflix series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel!
A Fortune Magazine “Most Anticipated Books of 2020” Selection
A Goodreads Featured Release for February 2020
Oxygen’s List of “Best True Crime Books of 2020” Selection
“The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is a palpable presence in Gone at Midnight. Given the checkered history of the Cecil Hotel (which was recently named to the Los Angeles registry of historic landmarks), I wouldn’t rule out Jack the Ripper.” —The New York Times
“Outstanding…true crime buffs won’t want to miss this gripping search for the truth.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
A Los Angeles hotel with a haunting history. A missing young woman. A disturbing viral video followed by a shocking discovery. A cold-case mystery that has become an internet phenomenon—and for one determined journalist, a life-changing quest toward uncomfortable truths. Perfect for Murderinos looking for their next fix…
Twenty-one-year-old Vancouver student Elisa Lam was last heard from on January 31, 2013, after she checked into downtown L.A.’s Cecil Hotel—a 600-room building with a nine-decade history of scandal and tragedy. The next day, Elisa vanished. A search of the hotel yielded nothing. More than a week later, complaints by guests of foul-smelling tap water led to a grim discovery: Elisa’s nude body floating in a rooftop water tank, in an area extremely difficult to access without setting off alarms. The only apparent clue was a disturbing surveillance video of Elisa, uploaded to YouTube in hopes of public assistance.
As the eerie elevator video went viral, so did the questions of its tens of millions of viewers. Was Elisa’s death caused by murder, suicide, or paranormal activity? Was it connected to the Cecil’s sinister reputation? And in that video, what accounted for Elisa’s strange behavior? With the help of web sleuths and investigators from around the world, journalist Jake Anderson set out to uncover the facts behind a death that had become a macabre internet meme, as well as a magnet for conspiracy theorists.
In poring through Elisa’s revealing online journals and social-media posts, Anderson realized he shared more in common with the young woman than he imagined. His search for justice and truth became a personal journey, a dangerous descent into one of America's quiet epidemics. Along the way, he exposed a botched investigation and previously unreported disclosures from inside sources who suggest there may have been a corporate conspiracy and a police cover-up. In Gone at Midnight, Anderson chronicles eye-opening discoveries about who Elisa Lam really was and what—or whom—she was running from, and presents shocking new evidence that may re-open one of the most chilling and obsessively followed true crime cases of the century.
A Fortune Magazine “Most Anticipated Books of 2020” Selection
A Goodreads Featured Release for February 2020
Oxygen’s List of “Best True Crime Books of 2020” Selection
“The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is a palpable presence in Gone at Midnight. Given the checkered history of the Cecil Hotel (which was recently named to the Los Angeles registry of historic landmarks), I wouldn’t rule out Jack the Ripper.” —The New York Times
“Outstanding…true crime buffs won’t want to miss this gripping search for the truth.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
A Los Angeles hotel with a haunting history. A missing young woman. A disturbing viral video followed by a shocking discovery. A cold-case mystery that has become an internet phenomenon—and for one determined journalist, a life-changing quest toward uncomfortable truths. Perfect for Murderinos looking for their next fix…
Twenty-one-year-old Vancouver student Elisa Lam was last heard from on January 31, 2013, after she checked into downtown L.A.’s Cecil Hotel—a 600-room building with a nine-decade history of scandal and tragedy. The next day, Elisa vanished. A search of the hotel yielded nothing. More than a week later, complaints by guests of foul-smelling tap water led to a grim discovery: Elisa’s nude body floating in a rooftop water tank, in an area extremely difficult to access without setting off alarms. The only apparent clue was a disturbing surveillance video of Elisa, uploaded to YouTube in hopes of public assistance.
As the eerie elevator video went viral, so did the questions of its tens of millions of viewers. Was Elisa’s death caused by murder, suicide, or paranormal activity? Was it connected to the Cecil’s sinister reputation? And in that video, what accounted for Elisa’s strange behavior? With the help of web sleuths and investigators from around the world, journalist Jake Anderson set out to uncover the facts behind a death that had become a macabre internet meme, as well as a magnet for conspiracy theorists.
In poring through Elisa’s revealing online journals and social-media posts, Anderson realized he shared more in common with the young woman than he imagined. His search for justice and truth became a personal journey, a dangerous descent into one of America's quiet epidemics. Along the way, he exposed a botched investigation and previously unreported disclosures from inside sources who suggest there may have been a corporate conspiracy and a police cover-up. In Gone at Midnight, Anderson chronicles eye-opening discoveries about who Elisa Lam really was and what—or whom—she was running from, and presents shocking new evidence that may re-open one of the most chilling and obsessively followed true crime cases of the century.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2020
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March 4, 2020
Centered around the death of 21-year-old Elisa Lam, a Canadian student visiting Los Angeles who seemingly disappeared from the Cecil Hotel on January 31, 2013, Jake Anderson relives the utter fascination both he and the public at large had with the strange circumstances surrounding this missing persons investigation.
I think many people who begin this book, like me, will have at least some idea how this case ‘ends’, in a sense. We know generally what happened to Elisa Lam, so is there a point in reading in detail what befell a young woman with her whole life ahead of her? Here, Anderson is attempting to make the case that there is value in examining not only her life and death, but the way we as a true-crime-obsessed society respond to the loss of a very real person.
I would generally agree with that assertion, but I still had trouble getting on board with this book. I don’t really think it accomplishes what it set out to do. I’m not going to spoiler tag this piece of information because I feel like at this point it’s common knowledge, but there’s no real evidence of any foul play in the case of Elisa Lam. There was a TON of speculation, which Anderson pours over in detail, even the completely batshit stuff. But the question becomes: Can you write an effective True Crime book if there was in fact no crime? I’m not so sure, and Gone at Midnight didn’t do much to change that impression.
Some of the best books in this genre are ones where the author is embedded in the story. They either have a role in the investigation or are somehow connected with the people and events being investigated. The book ends up being a natural extension of their involvement, and this is a distinction I wanted to make with Anderson. He may personally feel as though he’s a part of Elisa’s case, but he is not. Countless people all over the world are drawn to particular crimes, some to the victims themselves. This doesn’t mean they have more of a claim on writing about them at length. Anderson desperately wants to be on the inside of this investigation and clearly deeply identifies with Elisa, but the narrative he’s trying to weave here falls short because, in part, he’s outside of it.
To make up for the lack of facts he has to present the audience, Anderson seems to wander off on several tangents that have little to do with his chosen subject. Other infamous crimes are recounted to spice up a chapter or two. He fixates on elements like drones and tracking dogs which the police did not use in this case. He gives credence to the idea that there was some kind of paranormal intervention...i.e. ghosts. It makes him all the more difficult to take seriously. He also has a petty disdain for the police and investigators in this case, seemingly put-off because they wouldn’t give him, a total stranger, access to sensitive information about a woman’s death.
I just didn’t care for this book. I wouldn’t say it’s malicious in its intent, just there’s an exploitative quality I can’t quite ignore. Anderson talks a lot about his own mental health, especially whilst reading Lam’s social media posts where she references her own. Perhaps he could have used a similar platform to compare his own struggles with hers instead of trying to commodify it.
*Thanks to Kensington Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!
I think many people who begin this book, like me, will have at least some idea how this case ‘ends’, in a sense. We know generally what happened to Elisa Lam, so is there a point in reading in detail what befell a young woman with her whole life ahead of her? Here, Anderson is attempting to make the case that there is value in examining not only her life and death, but the way we as a true-crime-obsessed society respond to the loss of a very real person.
I would generally agree with that assertion, but I still had trouble getting on board with this book. I don’t really think it accomplishes what it set out to do. I’m not going to spoiler tag this piece of information because I feel like at this point it’s common knowledge, but there’s no real evidence of any foul play in the case of Elisa Lam. There was a TON of speculation, which Anderson pours over in detail, even the completely batshit stuff. But the question becomes: Can you write an effective True Crime book if there was in fact no crime? I’m not so sure, and Gone at Midnight didn’t do much to change that impression.
Some of the best books in this genre are ones where the author is embedded in the story. They either have a role in the investigation or are somehow connected with the people and events being investigated. The book ends up being a natural extension of their involvement, and this is a distinction I wanted to make with Anderson. He may personally feel as though he’s a part of Elisa’s case, but he is not. Countless people all over the world are drawn to particular crimes, some to the victims themselves. This doesn’t mean they have more of a claim on writing about them at length. Anderson desperately wants to be on the inside of this investigation and clearly deeply identifies with Elisa, but the narrative he’s trying to weave here falls short because, in part, he’s outside of it.
To make up for the lack of facts he has to present the audience, Anderson seems to wander off on several tangents that have little to do with his chosen subject. Other infamous crimes are recounted to spice up a chapter or two. He fixates on elements like drones and tracking dogs which the police did not use in this case. He gives credence to the idea that there was some kind of paranormal intervention...i.e. ghosts. It makes him all the more difficult to take seriously. He also has a petty disdain for the police and investigators in this case, seemingly put-off because they wouldn’t give him, a total stranger, access to sensitive information about a woman’s death.
I just didn’t care for this book. I wouldn’t say it’s malicious in its intent, just there’s an exploitative quality I can’t quite ignore. Anderson talks a lot about his own mental health, especially whilst reading Lam’s social media posts where she references her own. Perhaps he could have used a similar platform to compare his own struggles with hers instead of trying to commodify it.
*Thanks to Kensington Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!
January 19, 2020
First off, everything involved with this case feels creepy to me, which is a feeling that persisted while I read this book.
Having said that, I can honestly say that I cannot remember the last time I read a book that held such potential, only to fall apart, almost from page 1.
The author is literally all over the place with this story. He is in the past (when the event happened), then he goes even further back in time, then he mixes the past with his current timeline, then we are in a "what if" scenario that may never have happened and then we are in one of his dreams and I found myself completely confused.
He also went off on tangents all the time. Early in the book, he explains the involvement of k-9s during the search, which quickly turns into a way too long history on the use of k-9 dogs in criminal cases. Then he wanders off topic when he starts talking, again in too much detail, about serial killer Ramirez. Yes, there is some pertinence to him talking about Ramirez because he stayed at the Cecil at some point - wayyyyy before Elisa Lam was there, but all of the detailed backstory on this murderer is not necessary. If I want to read about him and his crimes, I can pick up another book.
The other issue I had is that the author kept intermingling his own personal issues with the case and with Elisa. Yes, I know that he obviously was attracted to this case, in part because of the shared mental illness that they both suffer from. But, wow, there was way toooooo much information on the author and his personal life, that frankly, just removed from the story. He could have simply spent a paragraph explaining the shared illness and moved on. But, it was pages and pages of "I am dreaming, I am losing it, I am, I am, I am" and none of this was necessary to the story.
The one thing that the author did very well is describe the hotel while actually staying there on two occasions. He made the whole Cecil come alive with his descriptions and he managed to convey a real sense of dread and creepiness. He could have written a whole book on the Cecil and I would have read it.
In the end, while the author did bring up a few unknown facts, there isn't much he can do with them as absolutely nobody seems to want to investigate this further. Perhaps there is a conspiracy, but at this point, he only brings up more unanswered questions with very few chances of ever getting an answer. I am not even sure what he thinks happened.....as there are so many back and forth theories, involving so many different people and he is not really clear with what he thinks is the real story.
Ultimately, this is a very sad book. It never needed to happen - any of it and Elisa would be back home, living her life. But it did happen and I do hope that her family and friends have managed to find some peace.
As for this book, if you can get it at the library, go for it, otherwise.....not so much.
Having said that, I can honestly say that I cannot remember the last time I read a book that held such potential, only to fall apart, almost from page 1.
The author is literally all over the place with this story. He is in the past (when the event happened), then he goes even further back in time, then he mixes the past with his current timeline, then we are in a "what if" scenario that may never have happened and then we are in one of his dreams and I found myself completely confused.
He also went off on tangents all the time. Early in the book, he explains the involvement of k-9s during the search, which quickly turns into a way too long history on the use of k-9 dogs in criminal cases. Then he wanders off topic when he starts talking, again in too much detail, about serial killer Ramirez. Yes, there is some pertinence to him talking about Ramirez because he stayed at the Cecil at some point - wayyyyy before Elisa Lam was there, but all of the detailed backstory on this murderer is not necessary. If I want to read about him and his crimes, I can pick up another book.
The other issue I had is that the author kept intermingling his own personal issues with the case and with Elisa. Yes, I know that he obviously was attracted to this case, in part because of the shared mental illness that they both suffer from. But, wow, there was way toooooo much information on the author and his personal life, that frankly, just removed from the story. He could have simply spent a paragraph explaining the shared illness and moved on. But, it was pages and pages of "I am dreaming, I am losing it, I am, I am, I am" and none of this was necessary to the story.
The one thing that the author did very well is describe the hotel while actually staying there on two occasions. He made the whole Cecil come alive with his descriptions and he managed to convey a real sense of dread and creepiness. He could have written a whole book on the Cecil and I would have read it.
In the end, while the author did bring up a few unknown facts, there isn't much he can do with them as absolutely nobody seems to want to investigate this further. Perhaps there is a conspiracy, but at this point, he only brings up more unanswered questions with very few chances of ever getting an answer. I am not even sure what he thinks happened.....as there are so many back and forth theories, involving so many different people and he is not really clear with what he thinks is the real story.
Ultimately, this is a very sad book. It never needed to happen - any of it and Elisa would be back home, living her life. But it did happen and I do hope that her family and friends have managed to find some peace.
As for this book, if you can get it at the library, go for it, otherwise.....not so much.
January 28, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
I was so excited to get this title, and immediately started reading it. Alas, I was soon disappointed to the point I couldn't even finish it.
Let me explain. I thought I was getting a true crime book about the Elisa Lam case at the Cecil Hotel. That's the blurb that caught me. Had the book stuck with this case, I would have gladly finished it. Instead, the author started injecting his life story into the book, making it more about himself than Elisa. It felt as though he used her mysterious death to tell his own story, and frankly, that pissed me off enough that i stopped reading it.
If you are looking for a factual, true crime novel, this isn't it. Instead, it's using the hype of a popular mystery for an author to tell his own story. I don't recommend it.
I was so excited to get this title, and immediately started reading it. Alas, I was soon disappointed to the point I couldn't even finish it.
Let me explain. I thought I was getting a true crime book about the Elisa Lam case at the Cecil Hotel. That's the blurb that caught me. Had the book stuck with this case, I would have gladly finished it. Instead, the author started injecting his life story into the book, making it more about himself than Elisa. It felt as though he used her mysterious death to tell his own story, and frankly, that pissed me off enough that i stopped reading it.
If you are looking for a factual, true crime novel, this isn't it. Instead, it's using the hype of a popular mystery for an author to tell his own story. I don't recommend it.
March 13, 2020
3 Stars. It was interesting but very repetitive. I skimmed through the second half to get to the end which was not satisfying. I can't knock the author's top notch writing though!
February 25, 2020
In 2013 Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old student who checked into a seedy ominous hotel in Los Angeles, a hotel with a history of violence, suicides and death, and she never checked out. What followed was probably the most bizarre investigation, one in which Elisa Lam in her death has been elevated to cult-like status.
After Elisa went missing and police were notified there was a search of the hotel. They could not find her. It was as if she had just up and vanished. A week later when tenants and guests began to complain about the odor and color of the tap water in their sinks, and someone went onto the roof to look into the water tanks, they discovered to their horror Elisa's naked body floating with her clothes beside her. And this is truly when the mystery begins and still remains unsolved. How did she get there?
The book, Gone at Midnight chronicles Elisa Lam's movements as best as can be done both by eyewitness and social media posts, the history of the Cecil Hotel, where she stayed and was found dead, a hotel where not one, but two serial killers stayed, an odd video which was mysteriously posted of Elisa in an elevator at the hotel which may be her last movements just before her disappearance (a video which you can see on YouTube) and if you are going to read the book I suggest you view; many conspiracy theories, law enforcement suppression of evidence and lastly how mental illness may have played a role.
Up to today, although the coroner finally ruled the death accidental, only after he first ruled it as inconclusive, there are more questions than answers as to what happened to Elisa and how she ended up in a water tank on a roof even though the roof had been searched by police and dog sniffers a week prior to finding her.
Author Jake Anderson became obsessed with the case (and still is) after seeing the initial elevator video which shows Elisa's odd behavior. Was she being followed or was she having some sort of manic episode? Anderson then found out the tape seems to have time missing from it. Why? He then began looking at Lam's on-line social media presence which was abundant. And stopped abruptly two days before her death.
He seems to find evidence of police/corporate conspiracy at the Cecil Hotel as well as evidence suppression. With no official from the police department or the hotel willing to talk to him about anything, Anderson begins looking on the internet at website conspiracy sites and finds a plethora of information, some real and some outlandish. He then must sift through the reality versus the imagined.
Gone at Midnight, although a true story, reads like a psychological horror novel. Anderson meticulously takes the reader through the evidence, or lack of, the witnesses, some whom have disappeared, and the emotional mental journey Elisa Lam seemed to be on at the time of her death.
Will there ever be any type of resolution as to what really happened to Elisa Lam? If Jake Anderson has his way there most certainly will.
Thank you to #NetGalley #Citadel #JakeAnderson #GoneAtMidnight for the advanced copy.
After Elisa went missing and police were notified there was a search of the hotel. They could not find her. It was as if she had just up and vanished. A week later when tenants and guests began to complain about the odor and color of the tap water in their sinks, and someone went onto the roof to look into the water tanks, they discovered to their horror Elisa's naked body floating with her clothes beside her. And this is truly when the mystery begins and still remains unsolved. How did she get there?
The book, Gone at Midnight chronicles Elisa Lam's movements as best as can be done both by eyewitness and social media posts, the history of the Cecil Hotel, where she stayed and was found dead, a hotel where not one, but two serial killers stayed, an odd video which was mysteriously posted of Elisa in an elevator at the hotel which may be her last movements just before her disappearance (a video which you can see on YouTube) and if you are going to read the book I suggest you view; many conspiracy theories, law enforcement suppression of evidence and lastly how mental illness may have played a role.
Up to today, although the coroner finally ruled the death accidental, only after he first ruled it as inconclusive, there are more questions than answers as to what happened to Elisa and how she ended up in a water tank on a roof even though the roof had been searched by police and dog sniffers a week prior to finding her.
Author Jake Anderson became obsessed with the case (and still is) after seeing the initial elevator video which shows Elisa's odd behavior. Was she being followed or was she having some sort of manic episode? Anderson then found out the tape seems to have time missing from it. Why? He then began looking at Lam's on-line social media presence which was abundant. And stopped abruptly two days before her death.
He seems to find evidence of police/corporate conspiracy at the Cecil Hotel as well as evidence suppression. With no official from the police department or the hotel willing to talk to him about anything, Anderson begins looking on the internet at website conspiracy sites and finds a plethora of information, some real and some outlandish. He then must sift through the reality versus the imagined.
Gone at Midnight, although a true story, reads like a psychological horror novel. Anderson meticulously takes the reader through the evidence, or lack of, the witnesses, some whom have disappeared, and the emotional mental journey Elisa Lam seemed to be on at the time of her death.
Will there ever be any type of resolution as to what really happened to Elisa Lam? If Jake Anderson has his way there most certainly will.
Thank you to #NetGalley #Citadel #JakeAnderson #GoneAtMidnight for the advanced copy.
March 17, 2020
This is a challenge. Be patience. Not only with the book, but with me. Because I finished nearly 2 days ago and am still positing a reaction. Especially upon that rating above since it is closer to a 2 star than a 4 in at least 1/2 of its parts. It's just this. The good parts are superb in their explanations and core "eyes" of mental illness. That's why the 4 star overall, raised from the 3.5 "actual" totality.
Jake Anderson has mental illness. Elisa Lam had mental illness. Not exactly the same but with many intersects and "without my meds" conditions. So the eyes of the title case and the eyes of the author become embedded and entrenched in parts of this. To the point that the Cecil becomes the 3rd part of the triangle too. The result is extremely creepy, quite beyond the physical damage quotient reality of that particular entity.
It's not the best title for this book. At least 1/3rd of it is NOT just about Elisa Lam and her death case but about the history, witness, and ambiance of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Those chapters (around chapter 7 and 8) were near to 5 star in their research and record. There has been at least one death in every room of 600 rooms. Most are suicides and many are leapers. But the building is also on its 14 plus floors a crime / cartel hub, with nearly constant assaults and robberies occurring. It is also on its highest floors long term Section 8 type and deposit housing. It has since changed its name and owners. Now called the Stay on Main. DON'T. You won't believe the basement deposits for mattresses etc. UGH!
Another 1/3rd of the book centers on Elisa and her last days, including the famous video. I saw it once in that year- the week after they found her body and also just recently again on TV. My opinion is that the entire video from the 14th floor elevator has been slowed down and at least 7 seconds out of every minute is "off" in speed. I thought that from the first time I saw it before I ever read any word about Elisa Lam. So does this author guess the same thing and that's one reason why the time codes are so distorted. Who altered the video? Why?
The other 1/3rd of the book comes in and out and is the worst in volatility for reading. Sometimes it is a 4 and sometimes nearly a one star. It does a dance around symptoms and medicines of mental illness, conspiracy web sites and theories, groups of fans of the video and websleuth witnesses and all kinds of other pertinent to our tech world when it smashes into real life crime. It bridges paranormal greatly at times, as well. This was written the worst to clarity and for what extent it would pertain to the core of the death inquiry. There are at least 2 chapters near the end that are 2 stars because they are written within mental states where the author has embedded himself in redefining and theories that are more about his "own" present mental condition and perceptions than about the case. Suffice it to say, I admire Jake Anderson, but his own estimations are not at all "the same" or logical ones. Reading them also feels like circling a grind wheel and being right back where you started. He ends up living back at home again with his parents by the ending of this particular authorship. Repeatedly this happens. He was 35 and 36 years old when this book was written.
The photos are good. Especially upon the roof and tank arrangements. She did NOT do that entry or lift those covers by herself. I disagree with some of Jake's assumptions. Also the witness who said the cover was open when he found the floating corpse was almost surely lying. Getting paid off and disappearing is not new to the Cecil either.
What I truly liked was the 1, 2, 3 lines of possibles for each point in the crime. In most cases and in the summation, I am always with #3. She did NOT get herself in there- I don't believe that at all.
Regardless, you need IMMENSE patience to read this. And need to begin to understand depression and mania. And mixed states. It is NOT sadness, as most fiction work tends you to believe.
Obviously, the crime itself was despicable. And this woman was only 21 and I think, only my opinion, was crossing a bridge to schizophrenia. That's the exact age it gets most full blown.
But regardless, again, it wasn't just "herself". That she lost her phone and did so much inappropriate stuff the days prior to this? It made her an obvious target in such a place.
I feel, exactly like Jake, sick to my stomach that they would have made that building entity a historic "save" property. And I'm also absolutely sure none of this would have remained as much a "mystery" if that entire huge sale wasn't going through the very day she died and those 2 days after.
If you are a person highly interested in "eyes" of being mentally ill and not just reading, hearing about it- then I recommend this book. There is a lot, TONS of bilge to get through to grab the crux- but there are points of perception in this that NAIL it. Most of what you see on the video is a manifestation too- and that is why it went so viral perhaps?
This took at least twice as long as a book of this length to read for me. You need to reread. The ending becomes in parts a mindmeld of Jake in spiraling self analysis. He "sees" thinks and feels much you might never deduce from the same criteria. Most of it doesn't even belong in books like this. Like his treatise length definitions or feelings of "synchronicity". Or his constant self-analysis and making himself central to the place/locale itself. This is quite unlike most books in this genre. Quite unlike. Tangents are beyond weird too, so much patience is needed to begin to follow continuity.
Jake Anderson has mental illness. Elisa Lam had mental illness. Not exactly the same but with many intersects and "without my meds" conditions. So the eyes of the title case and the eyes of the author become embedded and entrenched in parts of this. To the point that the Cecil becomes the 3rd part of the triangle too. The result is extremely creepy, quite beyond the physical damage quotient reality of that particular entity.
It's not the best title for this book. At least 1/3rd of it is NOT just about Elisa Lam and her death case but about the history, witness, and ambiance of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Those chapters (around chapter 7 and 8) were near to 5 star in their research and record. There has been at least one death in every room of 600 rooms. Most are suicides and many are leapers. But the building is also on its 14 plus floors a crime / cartel hub, with nearly constant assaults and robberies occurring. It is also on its highest floors long term Section 8 type and deposit housing. It has since changed its name and owners. Now called the Stay on Main. DON'T. You won't believe the basement deposits for mattresses etc. UGH!
Another 1/3rd of the book centers on Elisa and her last days, including the famous video. I saw it once in that year- the week after they found her body and also just recently again on TV. My opinion is that the entire video from the 14th floor elevator has been slowed down and at least 7 seconds out of every minute is "off" in speed. I thought that from the first time I saw it before I ever read any word about Elisa Lam. So does this author guess the same thing and that's one reason why the time codes are so distorted. Who altered the video? Why?
The other 1/3rd of the book comes in and out and is the worst in volatility for reading. Sometimes it is a 4 and sometimes nearly a one star. It does a dance around symptoms and medicines of mental illness, conspiracy web sites and theories, groups of fans of the video and websleuth witnesses and all kinds of other pertinent to our tech world when it smashes into real life crime. It bridges paranormal greatly at times, as well. This was written the worst to clarity and for what extent it would pertain to the core of the death inquiry. There are at least 2 chapters near the end that are 2 stars because they are written within mental states where the author has embedded himself in redefining and theories that are more about his "own" present mental condition and perceptions than about the case. Suffice it to say, I admire Jake Anderson, but his own estimations are not at all "the same" or logical ones. Reading them also feels like circling a grind wheel and being right back where you started. He ends up living back at home again with his parents by the ending of this particular authorship. Repeatedly this happens. He was 35 and 36 years old when this book was written.
The photos are good. Especially upon the roof and tank arrangements. She did NOT do that entry or lift those covers by herself. I disagree with some of Jake's assumptions. Also the witness who said the cover was open when he found the floating corpse was almost surely lying. Getting paid off and disappearing is not new to the Cecil either.
What I truly liked was the 1, 2, 3 lines of possibles for each point in the crime. In most cases and in the summation, I am always with #3. She did NOT get herself in there- I don't believe that at all.
Regardless, you need IMMENSE patience to read this. And need to begin to understand depression and mania. And mixed states. It is NOT sadness, as most fiction work tends you to believe.
Obviously, the crime itself was despicable. And this woman was only 21 and I think, only my opinion, was crossing a bridge to schizophrenia. That's the exact age it gets most full blown.
But regardless, again, it wasn't just "herself". That she lost her phone and did so much inappropriate stuff the days prior to this? It made her an obvious target in such a place.
I feel, exactly like Jake, sick to my stomach that they would have made that building entity a historic "save" property. And I'm also absolutely sure none of this would have remained as much a "mystery" if that entire huge sale wasn't going through the very day she died and those 2 days after.
If you are a person highly interested in "eyes" of being mentally ill and not just reading, hearing about it- then I recommend this book. There is a lot, TONS of bilge to get through to grab the crux- but there are points of perception in this that NAIL it. Most of what you see on the video is a manifestation too- and that is why it went so viral perhaps?
This took at least twice as long as a book of this length to read for me. You need to reread. The ending becomes in parts a mindmeld of Jake in spiraling self analysis. He "sees" thinks and feels much you might never deduce from the same criteria. Most of it doesn't even belong in books like this. Like his treatise length definitions or feelings of "synchronicity". Or his constant self-analysis and making himself central to the place/locale itself. This is quite unlike most books in this genre. Quite unlike. Tangents are beyond weird too, so much patience is needed to begin to follow continuity.
March 17, 2020
"Gone at Midnight" by Jake Anderson is the book that covers everything concerning the mysterious death of Elisa Lam based on the information available in the public domain. And this is what I expect from a true crime book. Note that if you are already aware of all the developments that had happened in the case, this book has nothing new to offer.
He covers the three most discussed theories in complete detail - mental illness, homicide, and paranormal activity. Given the fact that officially there is no proof of a crime being committed in this case, speculations is the most one can do. He even goes a step ahead when discussing the theories of mental illness and paranormal activity - Jake uses his own medical history of mental illness to draw conclusions, and uses his expertise to point out various paranormal angles related to the case and the Cecil.
Many a times, especially when talking about the history of the Cecil, or the history of the police and coroner's departments, the author mentions other serial killers, or cases, or proofs of negligence. While this makes sense in order to understand the background, delving deep into all that off-topic stuff was like taking the spotlight away from the main case and the victim. A casual mention would have been enough in my opinion, it could also have acted like a hint. The curious readers will then be aware of more books or articles pertaining to those 'extra' topics.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.
Verdict: One time read.
He covers the three most discussed theories in complete detail - mental illness, homicide, and paranormal activity. Given the fact that officially there is no proof of a crime being committed in this case, speculations is the most one can do. He even goes a step ahead when discussing the theories of mental illness and paranormal activity - Jake uses his own medical history of mental illness to draw conclusions, and uses his expertise to point out various paranormal angles related to the case and the Cecil.
Many a times, especially when talking about the history of the Cecil, or the history of the police and coroner's departments, the author mentions other serial killers, or cases, or proofs of negligence. While this makes sense in order to understand the background, delving deep into all that off-topic stuff was like taking the spotlight away from the main case and the victim. A casual mention would have been enough in my opinion, it could also have acted like a hint. The curious readers will then be aware of more books or articles pertaining to those 'extra' topics.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.
Verdict: One time read.
January 17, 2020
The author of this book is a huge fan of true crime and whodunnits! However, as an author he leaves MUCH TO BE DESIRED!
The author takes a fascinating case and makes it as boring as watching paint dry. He goes off on tangents and asks more questions then answers.
This was a complete and utter waste of my time.
I learned nothing new of the case and I strongly urge anyone thinking of reading this book to just watch the Youtube video of the young lady in the elevator.
Very disappointing.
The author takes a fascinating case and makes it as boring as watching paint dry. He goes off on tangents and asks more questions then answers.
This was a complete and utter waste of my time.
I learned nothing new of the case and I strongly urge anyone thinking of reading this book to just watch the Youtube video of the young lady in the elevator.
Very disappointing.
March 5, 2020
I read everything I could find on this case years ago. It was intriguing and had quite a few unanswered questions. They were investigated and answered. This book repeats all of this over and over and nothing is new. The book is jumbled and can't stay on the timeline. I wish he had focused on her mental illness. aspect a bit more.
May 23, 2021
This book is offensive to the memory of the late Elisa Lam. Marketed as an exploration of the death of Elisa, it is really a semi-autobiographical account in which the writer projects himself onto Elisa and goes on relentless rants about random topics. When I began this book I did so because I wanted to understand the case. I wanted to understand why and how the LAPD originally mishandled the search. I wanted to understand the theories and conspiracies of those who do not accept her death to be an accident. Instead, the author attempted to unpack Elisa's life through her Tumblr posts and his own assumptions, putting forward a narrative that he wrote this book to "help" people understand and come to terms with mental illness. This was potentially the most predatory true crime I have come across.
I feel that the title chosen for this book was not appropriate and that the author was attempting to sell a book using the name of young dead woman. I was genuinely disgusted by this book and I don't recommend it to anyone. Jake Anderson owes the family of Elisa Lam an apology for exploiting her and her story.
DNF @ 70%.
I feel that the title chosen for this book was not appropriate and that the author was attempting to sell a book using the name of young dead woman. I was genuinely disgusted by this book and I don't recommend it to anyone. Jake Anderson owes the family of Elisa Lam an apology for exploiting her and her story.
DNF @ 70%.
Read
May 24, 2020
January 10, 2020
I live in Los Angeles, and have been following the Elisa Lam story from the beginning. I was so excited that someone finally wrote a book about it. Gone at Midnight really digs deep into the case and uncovers previously unknown information. This is a great read for anyone interested in this case.
February 5, 2020
The disappearance and death of Elisa Lam on February 19, 2013 from the infamous Cecil Hotel in downtown LA is one of the most scrutinized and mysterious cases of the past decade, in no small measure due to the lack of transparency by the LAPD and the hotel management up to the present time. Not to mention the hotel has been the home of serial killers, sexual predators, murderers and jumpers for decades. In investigating and researching this case Jake Anderson embarks on a foray over many years into not only the mysterious death and its surrounding circumstances and context but also into the often murky but ever evolving field of mental illness, in the process making stunning discoveries about his own life and struggles with depression and bipolar disorder.
The author does an excellent and thorough job researching this case and imparts a significant amount of interesting information about the theories behind this case consulting with a large number of web sleuths and people tangentially associated with either Elisa or the hotel and police. He studied Elisa’s online blogs and social media revealing the complex yet clearly confused and disturbed mind of a young woman searching for her identity and personal peace. He treats these discoveries with the utmost respect and caring. He dissects the theories put up by conspiracy theorists and also gives us a rather well condensed history of the LAPD at that time and their culture of corruption and history of cover-ups. As so much was done wrong when this case was investigated we still don’t know the entire truth but the author thinks the answer is out there and waiting to be found.
The only complaint I have about the book is the length as the author has a tendency to be repetitive and can jump from topic to topic very abruptly. Additional editing would be helpful to tighten up the narrative. While I felt the author’s personal asides were at times outside the scope of the book it was nonetheless a great way to show how mental illness affects our sense of ourselves and our reality and it has direct relevance to Elisa Lam and the background of this case.
Overall this was a very well researched and well written book. I was impressed me with the level of concern and sincere interest the author showed for the victim and his strong desire to continue searching for the ultimate truth.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The author does an excellent and thorough job researching this case and imparts a significant amount of interesting information about the theories behind this case consulting with a large number of web sleuths and people tangentially associated with either Elisa or the hotel and police. He studied Elisa’s online blogs and social media revealing the complex yet clearly confused and disturbed mind of a young woman searching for her identity and personal peace. He treats these discoveries with the utmost respect and caring. He dissects the theories put up by conspiracy theorists and also gives us a rather well condensed history of the LAPD at that time and their culture of corruption and history of cover-ups. As so much was done wrong when this case was investigated we still don’t know the entire truth but the author thinks the answer is out there and waiting to be found.
The only complaint I have about the book is the length as the author has a tendency to be repetitive and can jump from topic to topic very abruptly. Additional editing would be helpful to tighten up the narrative. While I felt the author’s personal asides were at times outside the scope of the book it was nonetheless a great way to show how mental illness affects our sense of ourselves and our reality and it has direct relevance to Elisa Lam and the background of this case.
Overall this was a very well researched and well written book. I was impressed me with the level of concern and sincere interest the author showed for the victim and his strong desire to continue searching for the ultimate truth.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2020
In my honest opinion, this was way too long. I feel that Anderson wanted to inject himself into the story a little too much, he establishes and admits his obsessions multiple times throughout the text. He also goes on long and small tangents about things that have very little to nothing to do at all with Elisa Lam's death: K-9 dogs, drones, previous Cecil Hotel tenants that were serial killers (Ramirez and Unterweger - who each got entire chapters devoted to their criminal history), and Anderson's own mental health struggles.
Despite being an investigation into the death of Elisa Lam, Anderson only manages (to his chagrin as well) to speak to 3 people involved in the case itself: a private consultant with the LAPD at the time of Lam's death, a previous employee of the LAPD coroner's office, and an officer who was a first responder to the discovery of Lam's body and no longer with the LAPD. Anderson also spends a keck of a long time establishing the corruption of the LAPD itself. We know police departments are corrupt. We know the LAPD is one of the most notoriously corrupt police departments.
However, Anderson does make a heck of a compelling case that Lam's death was either a cover-up or a completely botched investigation. He also makes the much-needed argument for the de-stigmatization of mental health disorders. People with mental health issues deserve justice the same as any victim, they deserve to be taken seriously and not reduced to their disorder. I just feel it could have been condensed into a massively shorter read.
Despite being an investigation into the death of Elisa Lam, Anderson only manages (to his chagrin as well) to speak to 3 people involved in the case itself: a private consultant with the LAPD at the time of Lam's death, a previous employee of the LAPD coroner's office, and an officer who was a first responder to the discovery of Lam's body and no longer with the LAPD. Anderson also spends a keck of a long time establishing the corruption of the LAPD itself. We know police departments are corrupt. We know the LAPD is one of the most notoriously corrupt police departments.
However, Anderson does make a heck of a compelling case that Lam's death was either a cover-up or a completely botched investigation. He also makes the much-needed argument for the de-stigmatization of mental health disorders. People with mental health issues deserve justice the same as any victim, they deserve to be taken seriously and not reduced to their disorder. I just feel it could have been condensed into a massively shorter read.
November 18, 2023
Once upon a time, as I poked around dark corners of the internet, I came across the case of Elisa Lam. At first, I took it for an internet hoax or maybe a creepy pasta style tale presented as truth. No such luck. Elisa Lam was a real woman and so was her bizarre demise in the Cecil Hotel.
That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying the security footage of Elisa’s mystifying behavior in the elevator the last night of her life. What could Elisa see that we couldn’t? Was it some very real thing off camera, some invisible force (?!), or a product of her mind?
This book is a deep dive into the mystery. The information is clear and well written. The author, Jake Anderson, discusses little known facts such as how graffiti on the roof possibly relates to one of Elisa’s social media posts. He also explores hotly disputed facts such as whether the water tower lid was open or closed. (That depends on who you ask - the LAPD or the maintenance worker who found her body.)
One of the strengths of this book is the way Anderson provides a contextual framework for Elisa's death. He points out how distracted the LAPD was with the Christopher Dorner case, the corruption of the department, and the violent history of the Cecil Hotel.
The author also documents his own struggle with bipolarity, a tangent readers will either love or hate. I found it an interesting though unnecessary supplement.
Some of the information Anderson uncovers is a matter of fact, such as how the doctor who performed Elisa's autopsy was later investigated for falsifying information in an unrelated case. Other revelations are unverified such as the rumor that the hotel employee who found Elisa was paid a large sum of money to leave the country. Anderson was also told Elisa's belongings were found in a garbage can in Skid Row. Again, no proof.
The LAPD won't talk and neither will Elisa's family which leaves amateur sleuths endlessly guessing and reconstructing Elisa’s life through her social media accounts.
Anderson writes with logic, but he doesn’t shy away from the strange synchronicities that make this case so memorable. Let’s recap.
~ The last place Elisa was seen alive is a shop called “The Last Bookstore.”
~ Elisa’s death parallels a movie, Dark Water, which was released prior to this incident. Had Elisa ever seen it? Did it influence her behavior?
~ The last thing Elisa posted on Twitter was an ominous video of someone falling from a building. The Cecil is nicknamed "Suicide Hotel" for its numerous jumpers. Was Elisa aware of the hotel's dark history? Is that why she chose to stay there? Did she have a plan to end her life?
~ Elisa’s social media accounts continued to be updated months after her death. No one has accounted for the location of Elisa's cell phone nor definitively proven these posts were scheduled in advance by Elisa herself (although they probably were).
~ And that brings us to the thing that’s truly mind blowing, the thing that can’t rationally be explained away. Weeks after Elisa’s death, the Cecil Hotel neighborhood (also known as Skid Row) was hit with a significant outbreak of tuberculosis. The health department got involved. The test to diagnose this particular strain of TB is (impossibly) named LAM-ELISA. Now. Let’s slow down. The test name is chemical shorthand for Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Imagine … Elisa Lam’s name was hot in the news, and Cecil hotel residents were recovering from the trauma of using water contaminated with her corpse. Then they were tested with a LAM-ELISA kit, the same exact spelling of an uncommon name. It must have felt like a cruel joke.
It gets weirder. The LAM-ELISA test was developed at the University of Vancouver, the very college attended by Elisa Lam herself. There is no causal link. Elisa did not date a Chemistry grad student who named the test after his girlfriend, tongue in cheek, as an inside joke. (Although that would still be mind bending.) The test was developed in 1971.
That kind of strangeness defies explanation. Some of us believe certain things are written into the fabric of space and time. Elisa’s death at the Cecil feels ordained.
All things considered, Elisa likely took her own life in the midst of a mental health crisis evident in her behavior in the elevator. Maybe she saw Dark Water and read about the horrors of the Cecil, and her poor struggling mind was “inspired” to stitch together a corresponding suicide plan. Maybe that’s why she traveled to Los Angeles in the first place. Maybe it wasn’t lost on her that The Last Bookstore would make a fitting final outing.
Maybe. Probably. But that test is a sign this incident was part of God’s plan - not necessarily Elisa’s. So we’re left wondering. And wondering and wondering.
Accident, suicide, homicide? Haunting? The Grim Reaper? One way or another, fate took her for its own. Rest well, Elisa. Much sympathy to her family and all who knew her.
That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying the security footage of Elisa’s mystifying behavior in the elevator the last night of her life. What could Elisa see that we couldn’t? Was it some very real thing off camera, some invisible force (?!), or a product of her mind?
This book is a deep dive into the mystery. The information is clear and well written. The author, Jake Anderson, discusses little known facts such as how graffiti on the roof possibly relates to one of Elisa’s social media posts. He also explores hotly disputed facts such as whether the water tower lid was open or closed. (That depends on who you ask - the LAPD or the maintenance worker who found her body.)
One of the strengths of this book is the way Anderson provides a contextual framework for Elisa's death. He points out how distracted the LAPD was with the Christopher Dorner case, the corruption of the department, and the violent history of the Cecil Hotel.
The author also documents his own struggle with bipolarity, a tangent readers will either love or hate. I found it an interesting though unnecessary supplement.
Some of the information Anderson uncovers is a matter of fact, such as how the doctor who performed Elisa's autopsy was later investigated for falsifying information in an unrelated case. Other revelations are unverified such as the rumor that the hotel employee who found Elisa was paid a large sum of money to leave the country. Anderson was also told Elisa's belongings were found in a garbage can in Skid Row. Again, no proof.
The LAPD won't talk and neither will Elisa's family which leaves amateur sleuths endlessly guessing and reconstructing Elisa’s life through her social media accounts.
Anderson writes with logic, but he doesn’t shy away from the strange synchronicities that make this case so memorable. Let’s recap.
~ The last place Elisa was seen alive is a shop called “The Last Bookstore.”
~ Elisa’s death parallels a movie, Dark Water, which was released prior to this incident. Had Elisa ever seen it? Did it influence her behavior?
~ The last thing Elisa posted on Twitter was an ominous video of someone falling from a building. The Cecil is nicknamed "Suicide Hotel" for its numerous jumpers. Was Elisa aware of the hotel's dark history? Is that why she chose to stay there? Did she have a plan to end her life?
~ Elisa’s social media accounts continued to be updated months after her death. No one has accounted for the location of Elisa's cell phone nor definitively proven these posts were scheduled in advance by Elisa herself (although they probably were).
~ And that brings us to the thing that’s truly mind blowing, the thing that can’t rationally be explained away. Weeks after Elisa’s death, the Cecil Hotel neighborhood (also known as Skid Row) was hit with a significant outbreak of tuberculosis. The health department got involved. The test to diagnose this particular strain of TB is (impossibly) named LAM-ELISA. Now. Let’s slow down. The test name is chemical shorthand for Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Imagine … Elisa Lam’s name was hot in the news, and Cecil hotel residents were recovering from the trauma of using water contaminated with her corpse. Then they were tested with a LAM-ELISA kit, the same exact spelling of an uncommon name. It must have felt like a cruel joke.
It gets weirder. The LAM-ELISA test was developed at the University of Vancouver, the very college attended by Elisa Lam herself. There is no causal link. Elisa did not date a Chemistry grad student who named the test after his girlfriend, tongue in cheek, as an inside joke. (Although that would still be mind bending.) The test was developed in 1971.
That kind of strangeness defies explanation. Some of us believe certain things are written into the fabric of space and time. Elisa’s death at the Cecil feels ordained.
All things considered, Elisa likely took her own life in the midst of a mental health crisis evident in her behavior in the elevator. Maybe she saw Dark Water and read about the horrors of the Cecil, and her poor struggling mind was “inspired” to stitch together a corresponding suicide plan. Maybe that’s why she traveled to Los Angeles in the first place. Maybe it wasn’t lost on her that The Last Bookstore would make a fitting final outing.
Maybe. Probably. But that test is a sign this incident was part of God’s plan - not necessarily Elisa’s. So we’re left wondering. And wondering and wondering.
Accident, suicide, homicide? Haunting? The Grim Reaper? One way or another, fate took her for its own. Rest well, Elisa. Much sympathy to her family and all who knew her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2020
REDUNDANT! CONSPIRACY THEORY! This is like beating a dead horse... no matter how much you beat on the horse, it isn't getting up.
The book revolves around the death of Elisa Lam, a female Vancouver student who was on vacation in early 2013 in L.A.. While at the Cecil Hotel, she vanished and despite searching for her twice, her body was missed in the rooftop water cistern. To top it off Ms. Lam suffered from mental issues, took medication, and was videoed in the elevator, which became a topic of controversy in itself. Everyone believes that someone is covering up something, but there is just no proof that this has happened.
I feel just a little stupid for assuming that this true-crime type book was actually about a true crime... I really missed the bus on this one. If you can't prove that a crime was committed, no evidence to support it as a crime, no witnesses alleging that "someone in the hotel killed her" then there despite beating the dead horse, it cannot rise.
Where or how we got to the point that Anderson asserts that several men drugged her in a date rape attempt, or maybe it was an online follower who read her blog ended up killing her. Anderson's language presents his ideas in a factual manner so that it sounds like he knows this information to be fact. He refers to her computer and how she wanted a new one, would get one if she could get a better job. His diversion from the facts was now complete.
During the course of this 'investigation', I lost track if this was about Elisa or Anderson as he seemed to insert himself and usurp the actual victim several times. I wasn't aware of this case, I believe I had heard of it, but couldn't really say. Anderson's recounting just gets so out there... If this had been presented as a work of fiction, it would have been way more interesting.
The best part of the book was the liability of the hotel... funny how everyone is relieved of responsibility and the hotel stands to absorb the blame for Lam going to the roof, getting on the roof and then going up the ladder, moving the 20 lbs lid that was not locked or hinged.
Family and friends: Most family and friends do not ever think that their friend or loved one would take their life, commit a crime, do something inappropriate, illegal, or otherwise out of the norm. So, whether or not the friends and family thought that Lam would kill herself... there is no evidence to the contrary.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
The book revolves around the death of Elisa Lam, a female Vancouver student who was on vacation in early 2013 in L.A.. While at the Cecil Hotel, she vanished and despite searching for her twice, her body was missed in the rooftop water cistern. To top it off Ms. Lam suffered from mental issues, took medication, and was videoed in the elevator, which became a topic of controversy in itself. Everyone believes that someone is covering up something, but there is just no proof that this has happened.
I feel just a little stupid for assuming that this true-crime type book was actually about a true crime... I really missed the bus on this one. If you can't prove that a crime was committed, no evidence to support it as a crime, no witnesses alleging that "someone in the hotel killed her" then there despite beating the dead horse, it cannot rise.
Where or how we got to the point that Anderson asserts that several men drugged her in a date rape attempt, or maybe it was an online follower who read her blog ended up killing her. Anderson's language presents his ideas in a factual manner so that it sounds like he knows this information to be fact. He refers to her computer and how she wanted a new one, would get one if she could get a better job. His diversion from the facts was now complete.
During the course of this 'investigation', I lost track if this was about Elisa or Anderson as he seemed to insert himself and usurp the actual victim several times. I wasn't aware of this case, I believe I had heard of it, but couldn't really say. Anderson's recounting just gets so out there... If this had been presented as a work of fiction, it would have been way more interesting.
The best part of the book was the liability of the hotel... funny how everyone is relieved of responsibility and the hotel stands to absorb the blame for Lam going to the roof, getting on the roof and then going up the ladder, moving the 20 lbs lid that was not locked or hinged.
Family and friends: Most family and friends do not ever think that their friend or loved one would take their life, commit a crime, do something inappropriate, illegal, or otherwise out of the norm. So, whether or not the friends and family thought that Lam would kill herself... there is no evidence to the contrary.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
March 26, 2020
Ugh, this book was bad. I was looking forward to it because I remember watching the Elisa Lam YouTube video in high school.
My biggest problem was that the author inserted himself into the case and wrote like he was a part of the case when he is just a self-proclaimed web sleuth. He defends being a web sleuth by saying how there are only a few bad apples who stir up wild conspiracy theories and harass people who are involved in the case. Anderson then spends countless pages retelling these crazy theories that include the supernatural and satanic cults, none of which have any evidence behind them. Why give the stories the light of day?
Anderson never unveils any new evidence in the Elisa Lam closed case, he only retells the facts. It's fine to retell the story and timeline, but the structure is all over the place. He starts a thought and then never finishes it, or worse, he says he will get to that later. The "cliffhangers" feel unnatural and forced.
I would not recommend this book at all.
My biggest problem was that the author inserted himself into the case and wrote like he was a part of the case when he is just a self-proclaimed web sleuth. He defends being a web sleuth by saying how there are only a few bad apples who stir up wild conspiracy theories and harass people who are involved in the case. Anderson then spends countless pages retelling these crazy theories that include the supernatural and satanic cults, none of which have any evidence behind them. Why give the stories the light of day?
Anderson never unveils any new evidence in the Elisa Lam closed case, he only retells the facts. It's fine to retell the story and timeline, but the structure is all over the place. He starts a thought and then never finishes it, or worse, he says he will get to that later. The "cliffhangers" feel unnatural and forced.
I would not recommend this book at all.
March 15, 2020
There's some interesting material here, but it's bogged down with poor organization, rambling tangents that just serve to distract, a need for another copy-edit, and a sense that this would have worked better if the author had just set out to write a memoir about his own mental health journey, rather than trying to incorporate it with Elisa's story.
As another reviewer mentioned, if your library has this and you're curious, give it a go. Otherwise, skip this one.
As another reviewer mentioned, if your library has this and you're curious, give it a go. Otherwise, skip this one.
May 13, 2020
Can you give no stars? This book was unreadable and could have really used an editor. I was so excited to read this but it was so poorly organized and full of non-essential information that I had to scroll through to the end. In my experience, journalists write the best books. This man, suffice it to say, is no journalist, despite what he may call himself. He certainly isn't a writer.
March 11, 2020
The things people had a problem with about this book are the things that I loved the most .
Yes...the book is "squirrelly". The author jumps to a (what I feel is a) perfectly short, yet in depth history of the subject that has come up in his narrative. I liked knowing his justification for whatever avenue he explored in this unusual and mysterious case.
I also appreciated that he didn't shy away from the fact that he would accidentally explore some bogus leads, while pointing out the complexities of internet conspiracies and mental illness.
Yes...the book is very personal for an investigative true crime piece. Some of the personal mental state parts seemed like a bit of a flourish, but his openness about his deteriorating mental health issues and that fact being the reason he felt connected to the victim was very compelling.
I thought his introspective look at how Elisa Lam's death effected himself and society was very unique.
Yes...the book is "squirrelly". The author jumps to a (what I feel is a) perfectly short, yet in depth history of the subject that has come up in his narrative. I liked knowing his justification for whatever avenue he explored in this unusual and mysterious case.
I also appreciated that he didn't shy away from the fact that he would accidentally explore some bogus leads, while pointing out the complexities of internet conspiracies and mental illness.
Yes...the book is very personal for an investigative true crime piece. Some of the personal mental state parts seemed like a bit of a flourish, but his openness about his deteriorating mental health issues and that fact being the reason he felt connected to the victim was very compelling.
I thought his introspective look at how Elisa Lam's death effected himself and society was very unique.
July 13, 2020
4.5 Stars for Gone at Midnight: The Mysterious Death of Alisa Lam (ebook) by Jake Anderson. This is such a tragic story. I really appreciate all the research that went into the book. When I first heard about this story it seemed supernatural. Now it’s seems like a horrible injustice.
August 3, 2021
Warren recommended this book to me and in his recommendation, said the book was “very disquieting”, which for me means that I’ll have to read it sooner or later. I first heard of the Elisa Lam case through the elevator game (The Ghost in My Machine did an excellent write up of the history of this creepy game) so I was looking forward to finding out more.
First things first: you shouldn’t be thinking of this book as a straightforward true crime book. Anderson’s personal life and his mental health journey is a huge part of the book, turning this from a straightforward account of the case into something a lot more personal. In fact, I think this complicated my reading of the book – from the very start, it’s clear that all Elisa’s family wants is privacy. What then, should we make of this very public and personal exploration of Elisa’s death? While it’s clear that Anderson tries his best to respect the memory of Elisa, he also does give airtime to some of the more outlandish theories which I think might be hurtful to her family.
But because it’s clear that Anderson has the best of intentions (to find out the truth), I continued reading. Gone at Midnight has the habit of wandering off into tangents, which means that apart from an account of Elisa’s last days and deaths, we also read about websleuths (and conspiracy theories), mental health treatments (Elisa’s and the author’s), the history of the Cecil Hotel, and an investigation into allegations of corruption in the LAPD. It all sounds a bit random, but the ending of the book draws the individual strands together to suggest that Elisa’s death was not an accident but whatever happened, it involved a cover-up by the LAPD.
One point the book made, and which I’m inclined to agree with, is that Elisa’s case has helped galvanise discussions of mental health. Not all of it is productive (some people, for instance, would rather believe conspiracy theories than think that her mental health might have affected her actions in her last days), but it does seem like people are drawn to Elisa’s own posts and find a sort of community from her story.
Overall, this was a rather dark and personal book that not only talks about the Elisa Lam case, but explored the one-sided relationship that people managed to develop with the case. It’s not an easy read and I imagine the personal aspect of the book will turn off a lot of people, but ultimately, I found it to be a book worth reading.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
First things first: you shouldn’t be thinking of this book as a straightforward true crime book. Anderson’s personal life and his mental health journey is a huge part of the book, turning this from a straightforward account of the case into something a lot more personal. In fact, I think this complicated my reading of the book – from the very start, it’s clear that all Elisa’s family wants is privacy. What then, should we make of this very public and personal exploration of Elisa’s death? While it’s clear that Anderson tries his best to respect the memory of Elisa, he also does give airtime to some of the more outlandish theories which I think might be hurtful to her family.
But because it’s clear that Anderson has the best of intentions (to find out the truth), I continued reading. Gone at Midnight has the habit of wandering off into tangents, which means that apart from an account of Elisa’s last days and deaths, we also read about websleuths (and conspiracy theories), mental health treatments (Elisa’s and the author’s), the history of the Cecil Hotel, and an investigation into allegations of corruption in the LAPD. It all sounds a bit random, but the ending of the book draws the individual strands together to suggest that Elisa’s death was not an accident but whatever happened, it involved a cover-up by the LAPD.
One point the book made, and which I’m inclined to agree with, is that Elisa’s case has helped galvanise discussions of mental health. Not all of it is productive (some people, for instance, would rather believe conspiracy theories than think that her mental health might have affected her actions in her last days), but it does seem like people are drawn to Elisa’s own posts and find a sort of community from her story.
Overall, this was a rather dark and personal book that not only talks about the Elisa Lam case, but explored the one-sided relationship that people managed to develop with the case. It’s not an easy read and I imagine the personal aspect of the book will turn off a lot of people, but ultimately, I found it to be a book worth reading.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 25, 2020DNF @ 15%
I kept trying to push myself to pick this up, but just couldn’t press any further. The writing leaves a lot to be desired; I didn’t feel engaged with the content at any point. It really felt like the author was just regurgitating info they found online, and jumping from topic to topic without much of an idea of where they’re going.
There were several points at which I had to wonder how much independent research they had really done. One of these involved a quote from Elisa’s tumblr, where some thought she could have been commenting on graffiti from the roof. But I recognized it right away — it’s literally a quote from the Game of Thrones books. Could she have just been reading asoiaf? Yes! There’s no way for me to know whether the author knew this but either they intentionally left it out to make it look like Elisa had written it herself or they didn’t do the bare minimum of research it would take to realize this was a popular quote from a popular book series.
Regardless, I just didn’t feel like putting time in energy into reading a book I wasn’t at all enjoying.
I kept trying to push myself to pick this up, but just couldn’t press any further. The writing leaves a lot to be desired; I didn’t feel engaged with the content at any point. It really felt like the author was just regurgitating info they found online, and jumping from topic to topic without much of an idea of where they’re going.
There were several points at which I had to wonder how much independent research they had really done. One of these involved a quote from Elisa’s tumblr, where some thought she could have been commenting on graffiti from the roof. But I recognized it right away — it’s literally a quote from the Game of Thrones books. Could she have just been reading asoiaf? Yes! There’s no way for me to know whether the author knew this but either they intentionally left it out to make it look like Elisa had written it herself or they didn’t do the bare minimum of research it would take to realize this was a popular quote from a popular book series.
Regardless, I just didn’t feel like putting time in energy into reading a book I wasn’t at all enjoying.
February 27, 2020
Between moments of fleeting adolescent narcissism, bouts of to-ing and fro-ing between scepticism and belief of the paranormal, and minute glimpses in to the life and death of Elisa Lam - this book often appears poorly researched. For those who are familiar enough with many of the events described (or some inexplicably left out), the lack of correct information, insufficient context or inaccurate attributions becomes frustrating.
But even these moments do not cause so much of an eye-roll as those when the author decides to inject himself in the narrative, musing over this or that like a teenager writing a Tumblr post. Empathy should be shown for the victim in works such as this, but what the author provides in this book seems more like the adolescent narcissism mentioned above. That it so reads like a Tumblr post even in the moments when the author is considering Lam’s own Tumblr posts is a curious irony.
Overall, the only saving grace to this book is the fascination owed by the mystery of Lam’s case itself. That fascination, as the mystery does, still remains.
But even these moments do not cause so much of an eye-roll as those when the author decides to inject himself in the narrative, musing over this or that like a teenager writing a Tumblr post. Empathy should be shown for the victim in works such as this, but what the author provides in this book seems more like the adolescent narcissism mentioned above. That it so reads like a Tumblr post even in the moments when the author is considering Lam’s own Tumblr posts is a curious irony.
Overall, the only saving grace to this book is the fascination owed by the mystery of Lam’s case itself. That fascination, as the mystery does, still remains.
April 9, 2020
A meandering, overwritten mess that doesn't do justice to a very interesting case.
June 14, 2020
I am one of those people who was obsessively fascinated with the Cecil Hotel and the Elisa Lam case. I even made my own visit to the Stay On Main before it shut down. So this book was definitely required reading for me.
While I enjoyed reading this and getting back into the facts of the case, I’m not sure that Anderson uncovers any facts or comes to any conclusions that haven’t already been discussed ad nauseam.
Also, the book isn’t as meticulously researched or well-written as I’d hoped. The author often inserts himself into the narrative, and I found myself wishing the story could have been more solely fact-based instead of part memoir/part true crime. I have really enjoyed some true crime memoirs; I can point to The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir as a superb example. But when Anderson wrote about his own experience at the Cecil, to me, he lost objectivity and journalistic integrity. He describes how the place gave him feelings of “dread and nausea,” relates multiple strange dreams featuring Elisa, and tells an anecdote about a couple of random people on the street who seemed off to him. The book wanders off track, talking about Richard Ramirez and other deaths that happened at the hotel—it seemed like that info was only in there to spice up the story, as it doesn’t really have anything to do with Elisa. He also goes into his interviews with conspiracy theorists . . . need I say more? To me, it felt like the more personal stories didn’t belong in the book. It might make for interesting storytelling, but it made me not trust him as a journalist.
There are also editorial issues throughout the book. I found more than a few instances of repetition, where almost the same fact or sentiment (sometimes even the exact same sentence) was repeated sometimes only a page or two away from the first instance. Additionally, the narrative was sometimes laid out in a confusing way. Paraphrases of details of Elisa’s life (I suppose gleaned from her blogs? It doesn’t say) are inserted haphazardly, without any warning, in-between descriptions of his investigation. These sections seem to be used as justification for the author to again, insert himself into Elisa’s story, talking about his own struggles with mental wellness. The book could have used some structural and editorial help.
I think the aim for Anderson was not only investigating not only the strange case around her disappearance and death, but also her life and how who she was and where she was at in her life culminated in her tragic death. Additionally, Anderson seems interested in the cult of true crime and society’s obsession with the case. The hordes of websleuths who were determined to figure out what happened from behind their computers. The fact that there are so many inconsistencies, strangeness, and things left out. But it just doesn’t seem to get to any sort of conclusion about the culture of true crime, instead focusing more on Anderson’s personal revelations about himself.
While I enjoyed reading this and getting back into the facts of the case, I’m not sure that Anderson uncovers any facts or comes to any conclusions that haven’t already been discussed ad nauseam.
Also, the book isn’t as meticulously researched or well-written as I’d hoped. The author often inserts himself into the narrative, and I found myself wishing the story could have been more solely fact-based instead of part memoir/part true crime. I have really enjoyed some true crime memoirs; I can point to The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir as a superb example. But when Anderson wrote about his own experience at the Cecil, to me, he lost objectivity and journalistic integrity. He describes how the place gave him feelings of “dread and nausea,” relates multiple strange dreams featuring Elisa, and tells an anecdote about a couple of random people on the street who seemed off to him. The book wanders off track, talking about Richard Ramirez and other deaths that happened at the hotel—it seemed like that info was only in there to spice up the story, as it doesn’t really have anything to do with Elisa. He also goes into his interviews with conspiracy theorists . . . need I say more? To me, it felt like the more personal stories didn’t belong in the book. It might make for interesting storytelling, but it made me not trust him as a journalist.
There are also editorial issues throughout the book. I found more than a few instances of repetition, where almost the same fact or sentiment (sometimes even the exact same sentence) was repeated sometimes only a page or two away from the first instance. Additionally, the narrative was sometimes laid out in a confusing way. Paraphrases of details of Elisa’s life (I suppose gleaned from her blogs? It doesn’t say) are inserted haphazardly, without any warning, in-between descriptions of his investigation. These sections seem to be used as justification for the author to again, insert himself into Elisa’s story, talking about his own struggles with mental wellness. The book could have used some structural and editorial help.
I think the aim for Anderson was not only investigating not only the strange case around her disappearance and death, but also her life and how who she was and where she was at in her life culminated in her tragic death. Additionally, Anderson seems interested in the cult of true crime and society’s obsession with the case. The hordes of websleuths who were determined to figure out what happened from behind their computers. The fact that there are so many inconsistencies, strangeness, and things left out. But it just doesn’t seem to get to any sort of conclusion about the culture of true crime, instead focusing more on Anderson’s personal revelations about himself.
January 30, 2020
I absolutely loved this book.
I have followed this case since the beginning and in this book is everything you wanted to know, didn’t know, about Elisa Lam and her strange death.
It gives a myriad of current events which I found pertinent because it was context into what LAPD was handling at the time.
I did not know there are two different types of dogs used in police work.
The history of the hotel, I have a history degree so obviously this is something I like to know.
If there were an Elisa Lam case Bible, this would be it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its background. Especially the personal parts. The author relates to this case in a very personal way and I appreciate that in writing.
This is not just an article spewing raw facts, this is a very well researched body of work and my goodness it was thorough.
Loved it.
Thank you to Kensington publishers for my copy to review.
I have followed this case since the beginning and in this book is everything you wanted to know, didn’t know, about Elisa Lam and her strange death.
It gives a myriad of current events which I found pertinent because it was context into what LAPD was handling at the time.
I did not know there are two different types of dogs used in police work.
The history of the hotel, I have a history degree so obviously this is something I like to know.
If there were an Elisa Lam case Bible, this would be it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its background. Especially the personal parts. The author relates to this case in a very personal way and I appreciate that in writing.
This is not just an article spewing raw facts, this is a very well researched body of work and my goodness it was thorough.
Loved it.
Thank you to Kensington publishers for my copy to review.
December 28, 2019
Gone at Midnight explores three possible scenarios regarding the death of Elisa Lam. Did Elisa commit suicide? Was her death accidental? Was she murdered? The author makes a compelling case for one of these three scenarios.
Jake Anderson delves into mental health issues (one of the scenarios), which gave me a better understanding of this once taboo subject. He touches upon his mental health but does not make it the center of his book.
Another area of interest that Mr. Anderson writes about are the websleuths and what a growing industry it has become. All in all very fascinating.
Very interesting read and while I would like to say enjoyable that is one thing that death is not. I will not divulge anything more here. You have to read Gone at Midnight and form your own conclusions.
Jake Anderson delves into mental health issues (one of the scenarios), which gave me a better understanding of this once taboo subject. He touches upon his mental health but does not make it the center of his book.
Another area of interest that Mr. Anderson writes about are the websleuths and what a growing industry it has become. All in all very fascinating.
Very interesting read and while I would like to say enjoyable that is one thing that death is not. I will not divulge anything more here. You have to read Gone at Midnight and form your own conclusions.
June 9, 2020
The only reason I bought this book was because it was rated as a "bestseller" on one of the more renowned lists (NY TIMES if I am not mistaken)
This was the first time that I was hearing about the Elisa Lam case, and I googled her case to brief myself about her case so that I am a bit prepped on certain details before I start reading.
While there are several conspiracy theories online regarding what could have happened to this young girl, I expected this book to be well researched and throw light on serious mental health issues that are prevalent in our society today, and what can be done so that we are able to avoid individuals enduring such mental plight getting hurt (Like Elisa Lam) in the future.
All I can say is that I truly regret picking up this book. It started off ok, but then when the author dedicates a chapter or 2 on the paranormal, (although he claims he does not believe in such a phenomenon) he somehow says that he is a sceptic. - Why speak about this ? and Why dedicate a chapter on this topic ??
Then, all of a sudden he abandons Elisa and talks about the meatal health issues that effect him..sure, his personal health can be used to portray that he can perhaps relate to Elisa's condition, but then goes on to make the story about himself. I wanted to put this book down and move on to something better, but I have a irresistible urge to complete a book I have started (no matter how dry and mundane).
Towards, the end of the book, I seriously began to doubt the author's credibility and was surprised how did this book ever managed to get published. It seems as if the author has copy-pasted random online blog articles and churned out an all-nighter to produce school essay that was due in the morning. He does is best to pepper fancy words from thesaurus.com across the book which are cringingly ill fitted.
I have read some bad prose before, but this lowers the bar even further.
I wish I could give this book -ve stars !
I would not recommend this book to anyone
This was the first time that I was hearing about the Elisa Lam case, and I googled her case to brief myself about her case so that I am a bit prepped on certain details before I start reading.
While there are several conspiracy theories online regarding what could have happened to this young girl, I expected this book to be well researched and throw light on serious mental health issues that are prevalent in our society today, and what can be done so that we are able to avoid individuals enduring such mental plight getting hurt (Like Elisa Lam) in the future.
All I can say is that I truly regret picking up this book. It started off ok, but then when the author dedicates a chapter or 2 on the paranormal, (although he claims he does not believe in such a phenomenon) he somehow says that he is a sceptic. - Why speak about this ? and Why dedicate a chapter on this topic ??
Then, all of a sudden he abandons Elisa and talks about the meatal health issues that effect him..sure, his personal health can be used to portray that he can perhaps relate to Elisa's condition, but then goes on to make the story about himself. I wanted to put this book down and move on to something better, but I have a irresistible urge to complete a book I have started (no matter how dry and mundane).
Towards, the end of the book, I seriously began to doubt the author's credibility and was surprised how did this book ever managed to get published. It seems as if the author has copy-pasted random online blog articles and churned out an all-nighter to produce school essay that was due in the morning. He does is best to pepper fancy words from thesaurus.com across the book which are cringingly ill fitted.
I have read some bad prose before, but this lowers the bar even further.
I wish I could give this book -ve stars !
I would not recommend this book to anyone
March 9, 2020
I haven't read a whole lot of true crime in my reading career so I don't have a lot to compare this to. I was interested in the case of Elisa Lam that Anderson researched thoroughly. Clearly he was invested in this project. I also appreciate the fact that he wove in the story of his own mental health battle. I am concerned that there were parts of the story which were unnecessary and confusing.
I do applaud Jake Anderson for all the time and resources he used to create this.
I do applaud Jake Anderson for all the time and resources he used to create this.
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