Smile

I’ve listened to dozens of true crime audiobooks, but *Smile* stuck with me like few others. Partly, it’s the subject: Rodney Alcala’s story is the stuff of nightmares precisely because it *isn’t* a lurid spectacle. He wasn’t a shadowy figure; he was a game show contestant, a man women trusted enough to pose for. Green’s writing excels in exposing how Alcala weaponized ordinariness, and Steve White’s narration amplifies this with a performance that’s unsettlingly neutral—almost *too* composed, like a coroner reciting an autopsy report. His voice never tips into melodrama, which makes the rare moments of raw detail (like the description of Alcala’s “trophy” photos) hit like a gut punch. That said, the book isn’t perfect. Green’s reliance on police reports and trial transcripts sometimes flattens the emotional arcs of Alcala’s victims, reducing them to case files rather than fully realized people. A few more interviews with survivors or family members could’ve added depth. And while the brevity is a strength—no padding here—the final chapter rushes through Alcala’s later years, leaving me wanting more analysis of how he evaded justice for so long. Still, the audiobook’s production is flawless: crisp audio, smart pacing, and White’s ability to make even bureaucratic details feel sinister. If you’re tired of true crime that romanticizes killers, *Smile* is the antidote—a cold, clear-eyed look at how evil hides in plain sight.