From the detective who found the Golden State Killer, a memoir of investigating America's toughest cold cases and the rewards—and toll—of a life solving crime.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York—September 22, 2021
Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers, announced today the acquisition of a memoir by Paul Holes, the detective who found The Golden State Killer, the most notorious and cunning serial predator in U.S. history. UNMASKED: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases will be published on April 26, 2022.
Of the acquisition, Holes says: “My career has been simultaneously rewarding, frustrating, and traumatic as I worked to identify those predators that preyed on the innocent, hoping to make a difference for victims and their families. Too often, I sacrificed my personal life - relationships, interests, fatherhood - in the obsessive hunt to catch murderers, most notably the Golden State Killer. By reflecting on the successes and failures in my career and personal life, I'll show the gritty truth of detective work, and the tough decisions I've spent a lifetime grappling with in my pursuit of evil."
Ryan Doherty, VP, Executive Editor, acquired the book; Meredith Miller of United Talent Agency negotiated the deal. Of the acquisition, Doherty adds, "From my initial conversation with Paul I could see this intense passion to bring closure to the lives of the victims and their families. But at what cost? That was the big question we kept returning to. UNMASKED is a brilliant look at the man behind the legendary cold-case investigator, and is a must read for true crime fans."
In his memoir, Holes takes us through his memories of a storied career and provides an insider account of some of the most notorious cases in contemporary American history, including the Golden State Killer, Laci Peterson's murder and Jaycee Dugard's kidnapping. Moreover, Unmasked is a revelatory profile of a complex man and the forces that drive one to pursue a life of solving crime, often at the expense of personal relationships and mental wellbeing.
Celadon Books is a division of Macmillan. For more information please contact Celadon Books Senior Director of Publicity Christine Mykityshyn at (732) 614-7636/christine.mykityshyn@celadonbooks.com
Paul Holes retired as a Cold Case Investigator after spending over 27 years working for the Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices during his tenure in Contra Costa County located in the Bay Area, California. Having experience in both forensic and investigative assignments, Paul throughout his career specialized in cold case and serial predator crimes, developing and applying investigative, behavioral, and forensic expertise in notable cases such as Zodiac, Golden State Killer, and Jaycee Dugard. Paul is frequently sought out by investigators to consult on the most complex and high profile cases and has played a part in putting several serial predators on Death Row such as Darryl Kemp, Joseph Naso, and Joseph Cordova Jr.
As an FBI Task Force Officer while employed with the DA’s Office, Paul teamed with FBI and Sacramento DA personnel to apply innovative technology that identified Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. Since the arrest of DeAngelo, Paul has been very involved on the media side continuing to assist law enforcement and victim’s families with their unsolved cases, through the television shows The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes and America's Most Wanted, and with the podcast Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad.