Serial Murder Books

I must admit. I don't get it. Two books with grotesque murders related in gory detail against backgrounds of world historical events the intersections of which have little to do with each other. There is a bit of a problem with partially fictionalized history. It becomes a little like infomercials. How much info and how much mercial? And does the fiction begin to stand for the real history rather than admitting when it comes to history there is a lot we don't know and may never know as much as we would like our understanding of the past to read like a novel? It does not and maybe never can. I know a superb writer/historian/anthropologist who has filled an excellent book with words his hero might have said, and the hero in his old age came to believe that the fictionalized account was indeed what he had done. That is a touching confirmation but nonetheless a distortion. Holmes, the villain of this book may have gotten sexual gratification while listening to his victims being gassed to death and I guess that titillates the reader, but the author has no real idea of Holmes' state of mind. Also the Chicago World's Fair had little to with Holmes' murders and the reverse. Then as an extra the author throws in the murderer of Chicago's mayor by an unbalanced newspaper distributor. Yes there were nuts, as there have always been--- John Hinckley, Jr. shot Reagan because of a crush on Jodie Foster---and girls have always disappeared. Both Chicago's painted ladies and the Fair's commotion were not unique. So it is all a literary artifice. I am not sure readers would have been interested in the social history of the Fair without the murders.

As to that social history, it is interesting. Larsen has done a formidable amount or research and presents it in an interesting manner. But Larsen often lapses into purple prose. The biggest, greatest, etc. It gets a bit tiresome and is not true of history. That Westinghouse beat Edison with alternating current I don't think can be attributed to the Fair. And so it goes. Were it not for books on tape, grinding California traffic, and too many hours in a car, I would not have made it through the book. Fast forwarding helps. I must admit that I skipped a lot of detail such as Olmstead's various ailments and even his theory of color but found myself going back to the murder. Yet I could have done without some of the gory stuff. I don't quite understand how Holmes got away with it. But then I guess Larsen does a good job of conveying his charm even if that might have been somewhat fictionalized. With the murderer, he is so unimportant to history that it doesn't really matter. Lots of people who read fiction will like this book a lot more than I did and maybe they will thereby learn some history. I am all for that.

Charlie Fisher, author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha's Way Through Darwin's World

not many books transport you to a time of great changes like this one does. for the too brief of period I have lived in the book I have lived the rise of a nation and the dawn of great evil and vision. wonderfull depictions, great people and amzing time.

Loved it from start to finish! Wanted it to never end. As an enthusiest of non-fiction, I was pleased with all of the interesting tidbits of history as well as the main "plot". I never review anything but this is worth spreading the news about. Read it 1st, then get the audio CD for a trip. I could read it again and again.

Not too many people these days have heard of the infamous Doctor HH Holmes or the Columbian Exposition. Both were major news stories over a hundred years ago, but now are forgotten.

This book aims to change that, and it does so admirably. You get a real feeling of what life was like in Chicago and, indeed, much of America in the Guilded Age. You also see that serial killers like John Wayne Gacey, Ted Bundy and others are hardly a new development in crime.

What I found particularly fascinating about this story was reading about the logistics involved in creating something like the Columbian Exposition. It must've been a wonderful sight to see! I only wish it had survived into the modern age.

If, like me, you have an interest in the Guilded Age I could hardly find a book I'd recommend more! An excellent read.

Larson captures the best and worst of mankind. Two bigger than life men, Daniel Burnham and H.H.Holmes set about creating beauty or destroying life on grand scales. Both were successful and both had setbacks.
Burnham was the visionary who was largely responsible for the success of the 1893 Chicago Worlds' Fair, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World. Holmes took advantage of (mostly) vulnerable women who made their way to Chicago on their own, killing them when he tired of them.
The story of the fair or of the slaughters would have been interesting books on their own. Weaving the tales took away from the story of the fair. While the fair was the background that enabled Holmes to have his pick from thousands of potential subjects, the detail of the how the fair developed didn't add to the story of the slaughters.
Larson is a good writer, but I would have preferred that he wrote two separate books.

This is the book on which Harris' writing career was predicated, and I think his recognition is well-earned.

While hardly groundbreaking, this fast-paced suspense novel wraps up every chapter with a cliffhanger. The writing is leaner and more fast-paced than the later books in the series, and I think that's a good thing.

Dolarhyde, who is maybe a little cartoonish, is nonetheless entertaining to read about. He seems to develop a split personality, one of which is the bloodthirsty dragon, while the other is the socially awkward young man who finds himself falling in love.

Between Dolarhyde, the infamous Hannibal Lecter, and the emotionally vulnerable detective Will Graham, Harris has struck upon three strong characters, each of whom do the heavy lifting of entertaining the audience at times.

I would recommend this book as a page turner, and as an introduction to the character of Hannibal Lecter (although, after Silence, the series really goes downhill).

This was a fantastic book, better than the movie. It was in great shape for a great price.

Red Dragon is an excellent book. Thomas Harris is a master of creating suspenseful stories. The characters that Harris creates fit into the story perfectly. Thomas Harris takes the reader on a psychological rollercoaster ride for the entire novel. Overall, Red Dragon is a must read novel. A+ for Thomas Harris and Red Dragon.

Early Hannibal the Cannibal.


Much like the later Silence of the Lambs we have a serial killer to catch of the rather strange variety, FBI political machinations, and the need for the help of the very scary, even while in prison Lecter.

Not as good as the later book, but if you like that quite a bit you should find this quite good, too.

"Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris is the novel that introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter and preceded the novels "The Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal," and "Hannibal Rising." It's been adapted as a film twice, in the form of "Manhunter" and "Red Dragon"
And, upon its release, Stephen King proclaimed that it was the best American novel to be published since "The Godfather." I haven't seen "Manhunter," but I've seen the film version of "Red Dragon" and I thought it was terrific. The novel is just as good, if not better. The novel is a little over 400-pages and I breezed through them; it's truly a terrific novel. Lecter is not the main character here however and, essentially, makes little more than a cameo in this story. The story is about Will Graham, a retired FBI agent now living in Florida with his wife and step-son; he retired after capturing Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter and was stabbed in the process. But than his old boss, Jack Crawford, arrives and tells him of a new serial killer on the loose. This one, dubbed The Tooth Fairy by the media, kills whole families. Crawford wants Graham to investigate the case, because he has a special gift for the kind of forensic work that Crawford needs investigating. Graham reluctantly agrees; the novel soon begins alternating between Graham's investigations (going so far as to interview Lecter for information on the psyche of a serial killer) and the life of Francis Dolarhyde, the deformed serial killer. The novel is simultaneously horrifying and funny, with a great dose of energy injected everytime Hannibal Lecter appears in the novel. It becomes clear, to me, that Anthony Hopkins was born to play that role in the film version. "Red Dragon" is a terrific novel with terrific, thoughtful characters. Harris really manages to get under the skin and into the mind of Francis Dolarhyde. I haven't read any other novels by Harris, so I'm not entirely sure how this one holds up in comparison...But this novel is a masterpiece.

GRADE: A

This was the first Dean Koontz novel I read and I was up day and night for 2 days reading every spare moment! I fell in love with golden retreivers because of this book. I was terrified for the dog! I was held spellbound throughout the entire book. There is no such thing as boring in a Dean Koontz novel!!

This has to be one of the top 5 books I have read. A unique concept, a great adventure, great underlying themes, it has it all. You cheer for the characters, and it has a very satisfying conclusion. I am a dog lover and have a Golden Retriever, and I don't know if I will ever look at her the same again. This book was truly exciting and touching at the same time.

I hadn't read this book in years but I found myself laid up for a couple of weeks and re-read this book along with a couple of other old favorites between trips to the Doctor's office and naps. This is a great representation of Dean Koontz's writing style. There are the misfit hero and heroine who finally connect and find redemption along the way. The wonderful dog who brings the couple together and showcases the best of canine and human qualities. Koontz, once again, serves up an actual, "monster" and a "human monster." I'm still not sure which monster disturbed me more.
Another wonderful quality of Dean Koontz's books comes from the fact that he develops wonderful supporting characters. I don't think he gets enough credit for these unforgettable characters.
This is a wonderful novel and showcases a master craftsman who continues to be at the top of his game. I have yet to read a book by Dean Koontz that I would not recommend but this old favorite is still on my top five list for this author.

i am a horror movie fan. i love it and if you are a horror fan too, you'll love this book. way better than the movie, watchers.

Watchers is a great book. I think it is one of Koontz's best. I liked all of the characters, even Vince. There are a few places in the book where I laughed so hard I cried. Then, there are other places in the book that scared the Hell out of me. I work at night and coming home was creepy while I was reading this book and, after I read the book. This is a great "get away from it all" book. Although "One Door Away from Heaven" is my favorite book by Koontz, this book rates right up there. Read it, you will love it.

It is a cliche to say the book is always better than the movie. It is not. Although rare, one can point to the sluggish novel THE BOURNE IDENTITY or the real life trek across the Australian Outback of RABBIT PROOF FENCE as instances of the movie far outperforming the source material. It is a testament to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS that, despite an excellent and modern-day classic movie, the flick still does not reach the standard of the book. If Thomas Harris' previous book Red Dragon set the standard for the modern serial killer novel, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS picks up the baton and runs with it very well on its own.

The plot is well known. When a killer leaves a trail of skinned women in his wake, the FBI turns once again to the psychopathic Hannibal Lecter for some helpful hints. Upon taking a liking to Clarice Starling, Lecter engages in a tit-for-tat with the young heroine, providing clues to the killer's thinking in exchange for Starling's personal history.

Despite the viciousness of the plot, the true strength of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is its subtlety. Harris refrains from delving into Lecter's inner thoughts or past history and simply presents him, instead, as the embodiment of pure evil (a portrayal that Harris later spoils in the atrocious Hannibal). That he is smarter than anyone else around makes him more interesting still, but also exposes a personal flaw. Like many people who rely too heavily on their own superior intelligence, Lecter fails to notice other defects in his personality that allow others to gain a tactical advantage over him.

Clarice Starling is also excellently drawn. Just enough of the `awe shucks' country girl left in her, combined with that loss of naivety one usually develops the hard way, she provides the perfect foil for Lecter's malevolent sophistication. You know she will hold herself together in the end. But you also know it will take its toll on her.

Harris later tarnished these excellent characters in subsequent books, so badly, in fact, that it is hard not to see them as diminished even retroactively here. But THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS should be judged on its own. And on its own, it will keep a reader turning the pages until the end.

I enjoyed this book immensely and got it for a great price in good condition.

Thomas Harris is the real deal, and this is the second time I've read Silence of the Lambs. I loved everything about the story, including:

- The well-drawn characters, esp. the heroine: Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee from a poor background. How Harris describes her--her hillbilly idioms, the chip on her shoulder, her perception of sexism from her colleagues--is flat-out brilliant. The other characters are equally well-defined, like her boss Crawford with his dying wife and, of course, Dr. Lecter.

- The original, interesting prose. Harris writes prose that's both unique yet utterly unpretentious (unlike, say, Dennis Lehane with his "silkworm[s] of smiles," etc.). For example, in describing a guy nervous about asking Clarice out on a date, Harris writes, "Pilcher polished his teeth, his tongue moving behind his lips like a cat beneath the covers." Brilliant!

- The excellent dialog. Again, like the prose, unique yet not contrived. There are so many zingers in the novel, and the dialog adds to the character of the person speaking. Roger Ebert commented about this line in the movie--which was, of course, taken from the novel. In looking over a dead body, Clarice notices the body wore glitter polish on her fingers, and she says, "Looks like town to me." Here, not only is the expression interesting, it shows Clarice's poor background growing up.

- Structure. Though Harris doesn't write in super-short prose of, say, James Cain or even Ira Levin, you're never bored in this novel. From beginning to end, you just trust that Harris knows what he's doing--and he does.

So . . . overall, 5 stars out of 5. I would recommend this book along with all his other novels, even Hannibal Rising--which, while not his best effort, is still light-years better than any novel by such atrocious writers like Dennis Lehane and James Patterson.

The book would never receive the accolades that the movie did, because it doesn't rise head and shoulders above the pack in terms of quality.

While the movie was seen as a genre-topping masterpiece, the book is merely very good.

The book, like the movie, hinges on the powerful character of Hannibal Lecter, a man whose viciousness is almost overshadowed by his preternatural genius. Lecter is what makes the book special, and Harris deserves plenty of credit for coming up with a twist on the "evil genius" that is both fresh and iconic.

I would recommend that you read the Lecter books in sequence, although you might want to forgo the closing entry, "Hannibal."

Don't take this wrong, the movie was excellent. But the book has so much more riveting detail that wasn't incorporated into the film. Thomas Harris is in a league of his own, the master of creating suspense. Hannibal Lecter and Jame Gumb are two of the sickest fictional sociopaths ever created. The Silence of the Lambs is one of my all-time favorite books. If you haven't read this book yet, now is the time.

I bet Vincent never thought people would one day have home computers and be able to read the police reports and see the blood evidence because once you do that, you quickly find the book is complete B.S. The crimes could have never taken place as described by Vince. Manson was railroaded and believe me when I tell you I'm no fan of Charlie's but it is true, he was railroaded. Manson is doing life in prison from a story that is a complete lie. Man, what a country we live in when a person can become a millionaire by using the vicious murders of 7 people and no one challenges him. You should be ashamed of yourself Bugliosi. Only in America.

Well written, great TRUE story, fascinatingly frightening. This book will chill you to the bone. It scared me worse than any other book I've ever read. It makes Blatty's "The Exorcist" seem like a Disney Book. Trust me, I do not mean to discredit Blatty because I loved his book, but "Helter Skelter" scared me to the very core.

I initially read this book as a 14 year old and due to the recent publicity regarding Susan Atkins, decided to read it again.

The book chronicles the true story of the murders of the LaBianca's as well as the murders commonly referred to the "Tate" murders. It also touches on the murders of Gary Hinman and Shorty Shea, who are often forgotten victims of the Manson Family.

Essentially, the murders begin with Charles Manson, a career criminal with a poor childhood who was practically raised in youth homes and detention facilities, etc. Despite his poor upbringing and limited education, Charlie was a bright man who had the ability to spot and exploit weaknesses in other people.

Upon his latest release from prison, Manson begins to attract a group of followers, mainly comprised of young girls, and a few young men, whom all seem to have dropped out of society and are experimenting heavily and frequently with drugs. Manson sees their dissatisfaction with society and using that, as well as sex and drugs further breaks down their morals and values until ultimately they look at him as Jesus Christ and look to him to make their every decision for them.

Manson, disillusioned with his failure as a musician, begins to envision a new future for himself and his Family, in part guided by the Beatles musics, which he believes is full of secret messages. Manson believes that there will ultimately be a race war with the black man being victorious. In the meantime Manson and his family will retreat to the desert where they will find a hole leading to the bottomless pit where they will live until the black man realizes that he is incapable of ruling/running society as a whole. At that time, Manson will emerge and become leader of the country, if the world. Charlie calls this chain of events "Helter Skelter".

When Helter Skelter fails to come to fruition in a timely manner, he decides to incite it himself, by murdering rich or upper class white people. His theory is that white society will believe the murders were committed by the black man, and will turn on the black man, thereby getting the race war rolling.

The book further goes on the describe the investigation (or lack thereof on the part of some officers) and ultimate arrest and conviction, as well as an epilogue and afterward in the book with updates.

I have read some of the reviews, and have to agree that in some instances, Vincent Bugliosi was perhaps too wordy and a lot of stuff could have been cut out.

I also noticed that many of the reviews accuse Bugliosi of manufacturing the Helter Skelter motive for his own purposes. While I have not read the other Manson books, I am not inclined to believe this. First of all, he got the idea from many of the family members, many of whom got on the witness stand and testified to Manson's belief system as well as his many statements that "the time for Helter Skelter is now", etc. I also noted that many of those reviewers expressed support for Manson with the oft repeated phrase "he wasn't there", "he didn't kill them", blah blah blah. For the record, he was an active participant in the Hinman murders, slicing his ear off. He was present and aware of what was occurring and ultimately was the one who ordered the kill. He was also present at the Shorty Shea murder, for at least a portion of it. Again, it was at his behest that Shorty was murdered. Further, he is the one who sent the murderers to the Tate residence that night, he is the one who told them to get their knives, he is the one who told Tex to murder everyone and make it gruesome. As if that weren't enough, the next evening, it was he who entered the LaBianca home first and tied them up and left them there with full knowledge of what would happen to them. For anyone who is aware of the law, if someone is killed at your request, if you participate in a felony (i.e., cutting someone's ear off, or say breaking into their home and tying them up), and ultimately those people die in conjunction with those some events in which you particiated, you are responsible as if you killed them yourself.

If anyone is in doubt as to Manson's control over the female defendant's in this case, one only need to read the vast material available regarding the trial and how he conrolled them in court, and how he attempted to control the trial. If they were unable, while their freedom and very lives were on the line, to exercise their own free will and make their own decisions, it's not a stretch to imagine that he was able to control their day to day actions, as well as order them to kill with the expectation that it be carried out.

Additionally, the former Manson Family members who were involved, many of whom are still incarcerated, to this day state that was the motive/theory behind the killings. If it was not Manson's true motive, then he failed to share that with other family members.

Further, in an interview with Charles "Tex" Watson, a reporter asked him if he had read Helter Skelter, to which Watson replied that he had and it was pretty accurate.

Either way, it is a very informative book, and while on the wordy side, provides a detailed and inside look at the trial and what was going on behind the scenes. Whether the reader chooses to believe in the Helter Skelter theory or not is up to them.

The 3 stars if for the actual writing, NOT the contents of the book. If you want a fairly accurate account of the Manson murders, l strongly suggest reading 'Manson - in his own words', and even if you decide to read Helter Skelter, you should read the other book first so you will have much more detailed information than you will ever get out of the distortion and assumptions of Helter Skelter. It is written by the prosecutor and is so one sided. Bugliosi tries to push the "helter skelter" race war theory as a motive which is just ridiculous. Sure the family discussed far out ideas when they were all tripping, but for Bugliosi to push that as the motive was manipulative.
If you want a clear picture of the manson murders, you cant form an opinion based only on hearing a perspective from one side, let alone from an outsider.

Helter Skelter was the absolute best true crime book I have ever read. From the very beginning, the book captures you into the lives of the murderers, victims, and prosecutors. It does a remarkable job at building the story line so that you are not overwhelmed with information, but are still well informed with details and specifics. I also loved that the book went into the past of Charles Manson and the "family". Over all this was an EXCELLENT book, and it was very hard to put down!!

When you know the ending it is hard to write or read a book without being biased with the knowledge. This book weaves what was known and what was not at any given time so well that in your mind you keep trying to reconcile the two and for those moments you do not want to connect them to the end that is now so well known. The way she introduces Ted in the beginning and the way events unravel, you keep trying to juxtapose the known Ted Bundy and the mysterious and ruthless killer who left a trail of death in his wake, and like her, you simply cannot.
What is also praiseworthy is that the author neither interrupts the flow with personal judgment nor does she glamorize the gore. It was mature and intelligent real-crime storytelling at its best.
There are aspects of the relationship between the author and the main character that wants you to judge not Ted, but herself - did she lead Ted on so she could get a story out of it, all the time backing her actions with moral reasoning? In my opinion that is beyond the scope of this review and the five stars that I think the book deserves.

This may be the best, most insightful biography of a serial killer ever written. Oddly, it was only on my second reading that I realized how short Mr. Bundy's reign of homicidal brutality actually was. From January of 1974 until August of 1975, Mr. Bundy lured, attacked, and murdered young women in Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Utah. In January of 1978 Mr. Bundy went on his infamous, and rather uncharacteristic, rampage on the campus of Florida State University and, on February 9th of that year, he claimed his last victim. So how many women did Ted Bundy deprive of life? Anne Rule suggests that his first victim was Ann Marie Burr, vanished August 31, 1961, when Mr. Bundy was 14 years old. She also mentions that she believes he killed Katherine Devine in December of 1973 (see p.435), but DNA tests have since confirmed that her killer was a loser named William Cosden. Mr. Bundy himself admitted to killing 8 young women in Washington State, 5 in Colorado, 5 in Utah, 1 in Oregon, and 3 in Florida. The author also suggests that Bundy was responsible for a murder in Vermont in 1971 (his MO) and perhaps in Pennsylvania in 1969 (not his MO). Mr. Bundy also claimed he killed a hitchhiker near the Washington coast in 1973, but apparently no one ever missed her. Rule also thinks Bundy may have murdered a woman in 1966 and likely dispatched two additional young women in Utah in 1975 and 1976. So, if my math is right, Bundy admitted to killing 23 young women total. The author suspects him of 5 additional murders. And Mr. Bundy himself, despite his being a notorious liar, did hint that he had left some bodies in California as well. So much misery and so much pointless cruelty leaves this reader rather sad and rather shaken.

I am 28 and so was only a young girl when Bundy was executed. I had heard of him, but was not familiar with the extent of his crimes. Working in the forensic field, I am fascinated with the stories of true crime and serial killers. I am an avid reader but sometimes it is hard for me to find non-fiction books that really hold my attention. Not the case with this book. I received this book for my birthday and started it as soon as I finished the book I was reading at the time. I couldn't put it down!

The original book ended before Bundy was executed but there are several follow-ups at the end that really carry the story through to today. Because Rule knew Bundy, she is able to provide much insight and goes above and beyond just the facts.

I highly recommend this book if you are at all interesting in knowing more about one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.

Being friends with and trusting a man who is actually a serial killer is very creepy. It is also sad to know that Ted Bundy took the lives of so many young woman who were just starting live on their own. I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it to anyone interested in true crime.

Not being an aficionado of the true crime genre, I picked this book up because I had read that Rule's version of the Bundy story was the best. There was the additional factor of her personal friendship with him. While Ms Rule claims to have known Ted Bundy well, those claims are based upon having shared a volunteer assignment with him for a short time, and I doubt that their sporadic contact when they went their separate ways truly deepened her familiarity with him and his personality. Nevertheless, there is something to be said for learning about a criminal from someone who was acquainted with him in happier times.

Ms Rule has taken a broad and difficult topic, and in spite of her own emotional ties to Bundy and disinclination to believe in his guilt, has presented an objective, factual account of his killing spree and subsequent processing through the legal system. I was particularly struck by her ability to describe so tellingly the characteristics of an antisocial personality. Her recounting of the murders is clear but avoids becoming gruesomely graphic. What is lacking here, although she tries, is a cogent explanation of how Bundy became that vicious murderer, as his early life was no worse than those of countless other children. In fairness, it must be said that no one has ever been able to truly explain the hows and whys of the development of a serial killer. But I think some of the creepy fascination these guys hold over the public has to do with the hows and whys. I'm not sure we'll ever have the answers, but can recommend The Stranger Beside Me as a fair account of the life of Ted Bundy and the vicious acts, those that we know about, that he committed.

Lock your doors and windows.

Tink's titties, this was one of the best books i've ever read! one of the rare times i cried.. emotionally charged, exciting, unpredictible. If you have read the prvious books, you're gonna looooove it!

This was an amazing entry into the Hollows series. The artifact from FFOC is creating chaos and everyone wants to get their hands on its power. Meanwhile, Rachel is getting even more involved with Demons, and this time they won't leave her alone! Relationship drama overheats between Kisten, Ivy and Rachel. There is a definite sense of resolution with this book, but there are still enough unresolved issues to keep me eagerly anticipating the follow up. In response to some of the bad reviews I've read: Yes, this book needed some editing. It wasn't enough to bother me, but it was enough of an issue to notice. The fact is, however, that this is a solid novel. The action is intense and the last 100 of pages or so I was actually in tears. Rachel isn't perfect, but she has good intentions. Her love and loyalty for her friends are an amazing thing to witness. This is a girl trying to do the right thing in a world where the wrong things are everywhere. In a publishing world where too many amazing authors are churning out incomplete, half-hearted versions of our past favorites, Kim Harrison is still giving us fleshy, character driven, action intense, complete volumes. Also, as we can see from this installment, Kim is also not afraid to take risks. I loved this book and while I wasn't personally happy about several things that happened within, I can say that I believed these events will only make the series stronger. If you enjoyed the previous Hollows books at all, you certainly need to grab this one up...just bring along some tissues.

Very nice book , good progression of characters, awesome plot and a great continuation of the series!!

In all fairness, this was the first book I read in this series so maybe I didn't appreciate the full depth of the characters and their personalities. I had high hopes for it after reading good reviews online and in the Romantic Times Book Reviews.

Having said that, Rachel Morgan was the most unlikeable character I've ever met between the covers of a book. Rachel annoyed me as a know-it-all, overbearing character who took it upon herself to walk all over everyone, including the FIB. I know this is a fantasy novel but I rolled my eyes more times than I could count at some of her actions; it was the first time in memory that I didn't care if something bad happened to the lead character and her friends. I love good, exciting action in a book but I didn't get hooked into this story until the last 50 pages and then I was disappointed and angry about what happened to the only character I actually liked in this book. I might need to go back and pick up Book 1, starting the series from the beginning but I don't have the patience for it right now. I wouldn't recommened For a Few Demons More unless you've read the prior books in the series and enjoyed Rachel.

I like the world, I even like the lead Rachel, and I'm interested in how the various intertwined love lives will resolve - but this book needed a tough editor to do the following: rip out 200 pages of pap, get the tension back into Rachel's decisions between her male lover, and wannabe female lover, remove the obvious plot devices that were something of an insult to the reader, and get the fear factor back into things. Rachel deals so casually with demons that will take her soul, yet is more concerned about a glance at a taunt set of buttocks that when it happens, it grates, then irritates, then finally insults the reader. It could and should have been better than this!

This a a fast pace breath taking read. There were really no long drag but I could do without the romance in this book. I find some of the gruesome details very hard to stomach. It's not her best and it's not her worst novel. I like Gravity better.

Story line is good, but, personally can do without the romance aspect incorporated in it. By now I've learned to look at the spine of the book and if it says romance thriller/mystery, etc. I veer away from it. Good story, I just find this "gorgeous, who didn't know" people, smoldering looks, etc. dumb. If I want that, then I look for romance novels.

A copy cat killer is on the loose in Boston, terrorising young women, and killing them,in a very brutal manner. It is obvious, the killer has a medical background, and he is closing in on his ultimate kill, doctor, Catherine Cordell, a survivor, of the original attacker.

This book should keep your nerves jangling, throughout. I know it's a bit of a cliche, but once I started reading this book, I found it hard to put down.

This book really keeps you interested! The Surgeon
Downloaded onto Kindle and read in two days! Tess Gerritson does a wonderful job with a medical thriller! highly recommend this!

This whole genre has been done to death, and it was done much better by Thomas Harris. This just came across as a pretentious, poor man's Deaver style of novel.

The only aspect of this that sets it apart from the other serial killer novels is the use of all the medical terminalogy. However, while the author feels the need to explain what an "IM" is, she glosses over rather intricate details that are related to the medical field.

Due to the mystery and sensationalism surrounding her murder, Elizabeth Short has been much over-glamorized by both the media and crime buffs alike. In "Severed," John Gilmore does an amazing job of portraying Ms. Short as a real person...warts and all. I've read many works on this case (both fictional and non-fictional) and this is the first one that's left me feeling as if I could relate to Ms. Short as a human being.

I think what I admire most about this book, though, is the author appears to stick to the facts and ONLY the facts. I get the impression that if something wasn't documented and couldn't be verified, Mr. Gilmore elected not to include it.

Unlike some other readers, I feel that Gilmore's theory of who killed Beth Short is probably the most plausible of any I'm aware of. It may not be the sexy revelation we've all been wishing for, but as Freud said, "sometime a cigar is just a cigar."

I wholeheartedly agree...this is tense, good and written without an agenda. Much research has gone into this book..and the writer's style is flawless..

As a true crime book-lover,I say read this one first... then read all the other "Dahlia Theory' books next.. for fun...

Also... Ellroy.. if you like a good, raw novel with typical Ellroy style.

Severed is a truly great read. I was totally absorbed into this book. It's a brilliant, genre-breaking transcripted oral history noir, given by those involved, many of whom were still alive at the time, and are taken and crafted in the diffuse light of another less than promising LA Wednesday morning back in January, 1947, before the fog burned-off at about 10:30 AM. Then you could see her nude body, brutally tortured and completely severed at the midriff, drained of all fluids, carefully washed, and posed for the shutter bugs, who always got there first.

The horror over on Norton, north of 39th. Street, south of Coliseum. Formerly Elizabeth Short of Medford, Mass. The paperboys always know the way. You should believe him when he says he saw a car there at six. A black Ford. That's what the morning paperboys know. That's what the morning paperboys did; fold papers and ID cars.

Martin Lewis, the shoe salesman with a story to tell, to me, formed an interior ring of truth, around which Gilmore's other subjects have spun their true stories. That's how you know it's true. A slight return. It chords with something else, and it buzzes in your head...Gilmore has her there, for a moment, the Black Dahlia herself, and then is all but predictably knocked, skidding, off of her real killer's trail, just as his alkie protagonist and anti-hero, Lanky Jack Wilson is suddenly taken from him, and us, deus ex machina.

"A signature sex killing." Ellroy says. I call it the perfect crime. Did Jack Wilson do Elizabeth Short in? No way in Hell. But, no matter. I suspect the real killer is in there, somewhere. Down the list. Lucid, and at times transfixing, written in seemingly effortless prose, and annealed with the inclusion of some truly shocking crime scene photos, this is the best place to start your own search for the killer, who could still be alive and at large. There is no statute of limitiations on the truth when it comes to LA's darkest and most infamous and unsolved murder case.

Living in Southern California, I always love reading true crime books with So-Cal historical content. Loved it. The pictures inside are fantastic (some graphic). There are pictures of Elizabeth Short in death and in life. There's also a great map of the Los Angeles area that gives 48 places frequented by Short and mentioned in the book. Some are still in existence too. Map also points out the site of the body discovery.
The best pictures and illustrations I've seen in a true crime book.

It's an exciting read from start to finish. As compared to some other Dahlia books I've read, I think this one gives us a glimpse into Elizabeth Short - the person. It's obvious from reading this book that the author has done extensive research to create the most accurate picture of one of the most haunting unsolved murders in Los Angeles.

I think the author is right on the mark with his theory into the main suspect.

Read this one before the other Dahlia books.

I agree with the previous reader called Veronica T.

This book is by far the best book on the subject of the BLACK DAHLIA, (written thus far). It's the only book written to date, that makes any sense.

I've read other books on this same subject and most of them did not come close. Infact, some other books written on this same subject were down right un-imaginable & unbelievable (eg: some books proposed that the Black Dahlia serial killer was the "father of a known L.A. Police Officer",and this was stated in the other books... without showing many facts,other than a few photos that looked nothing like the Dahlia, etc...).

However, by contrast, the facts in this Gilmore book are very well presented by the author.
An easy book to read.
As I said, it's the best one out there on the subject.

PS: The photos in this Gilmore book are so shocking, so plz beware (gulp!).

It's completely believable. (did someone say it isn't totally believable?) It was the first experience I'd had reading any first-hand telling by someone as he in his teens kills his worst bully. His cold disposing of that body and getting away with it. Horrific. But what was meaner than his own father? The ice-man was hit, bashed for reasons that weren't clear to him at the moments his father came down on him. Out of the blue. Bad enough, child battery, when daddy states his reasoning. The iceman even believes that this daddy beat over and over his older brother until that child died. Hello? Mom? where was Mom? Right there! The beatings and other humane neglects formed warm pulsating heart into permafrost in he who became Ice. Ok. Life tells us there are no sufficient provocations for violence. but there are things done to soft and cuddly humans while they are dependent and trusting of the big humans who are in charge of such tenderness that screw their wee minds and there you go. What the Iceman did to his victims is unreadable. You lay (throw?) the book down and gasp and take days to recover and reluctantly give it your time yet again. A horrific read or did I say that? Yet Mr Carlo, you did good. Why did you not have to stop over and over to vomit as you related what are facts of such vile magnitude I'll never figure. maybe you did. Utterly unforgettable, and I tentatively thank you for reporting/writing it.

i am no book reviewer but at first i thought this is one crazy dude.several times i stopped to try to find out how many people wererolled up into this one guy.the photos and discription of him didn't seem to jibe with the dates.it'sfun to read but itt can't all be fact.

Great book about one of the most notoriously unknown killers of all time!

Richard Kuklinski was a very interesting man to say the least, his family life, his secret life of murder and his long list of petty crimes and schemes!

When you finish "The Ice Man", you'll feel as if you know the guy. The book starts off talking about Richard's horrible childhood and how/when he committed his first murder and takes you through his early days of crime and his association with the Mafia!

"Big Rich" as he was known to his friends killed over 100 men, possibly as many as 200. He killed using almost every means possible. Kuklinski claims to have killed the infamous Jimmy Hoffa and ruthless mobster Roy DeMeo. He not only killed for money, he killed without a reason. Strangers, punks, thugs and the homeless all felt the wrath of the Ice Man, but never women or children according to Richard.

Many people, including Richard Kuklinski believe he was poisoned while in prison, which ulitmately led to his death. Richard was going to testify against Sammy (the Bull) Gravano, he died in prison days before!

You can buy the dvd's here at Amazon of Richard's HBO interviews, they can also be found on Youtube! The interviews are excellent, they give a real life perspective of Big Rich!

Great read, very interesting stuff, truly a natural born killer!

This is a reprint of the review I wrote for my book review website Letters On Pages (www.lettersonpages.com)
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Horrifying.

That is really the only good way to describe The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo. The book itself isn't horrifying...in fact it is fantastically written. What is horrifying is Richard Kuklinski and the things the did during his lifetime.

You see...Richard Kuklinski was a Mafia hitman. He killed people for money. He also killed people because they upset him in some manner, like flipping him the bird while driving. The middle finger was a particularly terrible affront to Kuklinski...one that would likely earn you the death penalty. But those killings aren't where he made his mark on the world. Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski is known as one of the most dangerous mob related people ever. I say mob related because he was Polish, and you can't officially join the Mafia unless you are Italian. You can still work as a hired killer though apparently.

Kuklinski was a giant (literally at 6'5" 280lbs) psychopathic, sociopathic, anti-social, paranoid person. He had the classic serial killer upbringing: hyper-abusive parents, picked on by local bullies, enjoyed torturing animals...etc. His home life was so abusive that his father actually killed Richard's brother by beating him. So obviously there was no love in his house, or anywhere throughout his childhood. This, combined with his genetic disposition for violence and personality flaws, turned him into one of the most prolific killers ever. Kuklinski killed over 200 people during his life, most of them mob/organized crime related. His lack of conscience and inability to feel remorse meant that he was a perfect killer. He could "go see somebody", torture (if that's what the client wanted), kill, and dispose of the body with no second thoughts.

In fact, he had a family and loved them dearly. Actually, I don't know that he had the capacity to love. But he cared for them quite a bit. His home life was like Jekyll & Hyde though: sometimes he would be the most caring, thoughtful person around. Other times he would go on a rampage, destroying furniture and beating his wife. He never harmed his children, however. In fact, he would kill people for abusing children. He was a regular vigilante.

This book is amazingly interesting and I couldn't put it down. To read the stories that this man told were shocking. Carlo does a pretty good job of not being too explicit though. There are a few stories that are especially bad...but otherwise it's OK.

I (like a lot of other people) am interested in serial killers and why they do what they do. For some reason they are really interesting to people. I'm sure there are plenty of psyche people who could explain why. Kuklinski is one of the ultimate serial killers, and therefore, garners a lot of attention. That he did all of this while leading a relatively normal family life only futhers the intrigue.

Three HBO documentaries of Kuklinski were filed while he was in prison. I have seen one of them and it's pretty riveting stuff. It's actually frightening to watch him cavalierly describe taking another man's life. Sometimes he gets mad and glares at the interviewer...which is a haunting view for that person I'm sure.

I very highly recommend this book to anyone interested in True Crime, serial killers, or the Mafia. Be prepared though.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was an intense read. It's definitely filled with everything you might expect from reading the Amazon description. The one flaw is its lack of credibility, but I guess if a killer is as good as this, he wouldn't leave a trail of evidence to prove his stories are true later on.