The Doodler Murders book focuses on 1970s in San Francisco, United States. This decade was known for everything from the political scandal of Richard Nixon and "Watergate," to the feminist movement with Gloria Steinem and the wave of a new style of music called "disco." But in addition to these controversies and movements, America was also becoming known for its significantly increasing crime in cities. The highest crime rate in the country was during the 1970s - the beginning of the decade saw an increase of 11% in 1970 alone. Along with crimes, corruption within law enforcement was exposed. Also, urban decay peaked when some of America's largest cities, including New York, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago, lost more than 10% of their population.
Random violence and crimes weren't the only things on the minds of the people who lived in the cities. There was something much more sinister. Crimes committed by a person who would plan them out to the last detail. Someone so skilled that they would get away with their crimes for sometimes even years. That someone had the attention of the media, police, and public. That someone was dubbed by law enforcement "the serial killer."