Serial Murder Books

Easy enjoyable summer read. Well thought out plot and vivid likable characters. Liked it well emough to purchase Hard Truth.

This is my first Mariah Stewart book and I liked it well enough that I will be diving back in for more. The initial setup of the book was strong and compelling. Stewart's got a talent for solid character interaction. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the characters. My only thought is that the conflict was a tad expected. I know this is a suspense, not a mystery, but by not knowing who the villain actually was, put me in a mystery state of mind, then figuring out the why so quickly was a little off for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to more books my this author.

I would classify Cold truth as mystery with forensics, and a lot of investigation. But, don't get me wrong, it is NOT boring at all. You can't put it down even though some times you only have a few minutes to spare and you think 'I'll finish this chapter and then I'll leave'; no, it is rarely the case because you get hooked and want to go on reading!

I bought this "Truth" book, from Mariah Stewart because going on a trip I finished the book I brought along, and, so I needed something else to help me while I was relaxing (!!??). I found "Last Look" and read it so fast and enjoyed it so much, the first thing I did when I returned home was to look for more from this author.

If you enjoy watching the occasional CSI, this you will like because it is not exactly about how they dissect a body to come out with the truth but more of picking up all the evidence to come up with the killer.... from a time when all the scientific developments were a thing of Science Fiction: Twenty years ago. You'll get it when you read it.

I was recommended Cold Truth (here in Amazon) as a series of four Truth books that even though are somehow connected in relation with some of the main characters, you can read by itself, and since it is the first one of them all, you'll have no problem understanding. But if you are an avid reader, you'll want to keep on reading the "Truths" until you've read them all -I'm up to the third one called Dark Truth, and will discover which characters show up in the next books.

The reading is easy, yet not predictable. You find yourself reading with a mental picture of the characters and their whereabouts. In a sentence, you get into the book and walk alongside the main characters. I consider that as great writing.

Series of 4. Cold Truth, Hard Truth, Dark Truth and Final Truth. Excellent and fast reads. Would buy all her books.

If you enjoyed Nancy, Bess, George and Ned as a child you will find comparable delight with Mariah Stewart's books. Moderate suspense, minimal gore, unoffensive language, steamless romance and characters who fight for truth and justice without the aid of pyrotechnics. A nice change-up from the standard twisted fare that has become the norm.

The first book I read by Kevin O'brien was LEFT FOR DEAD and I really enjoyed it and when I saw the comment by Tess Gerritsen on the cover of ONE LAST SCREAM, I thought, we have a winner here. Well, ONE LAST SCREAM was a pretty good read, but not one of the best ever. My probelm with this one is that I had it figured out extremely early in the book. I mean extremely early. It's true that the secret behind the killings was not really that big a secret and everything was revealed long before the final chapter. Still, a little mystery would not have hurt. Also, the main heroine, Karen, who is not even mentioned in the description on the back cover did indeed make many mistakes that I find it hard to believe a professional therapist in her position would make. And what about George and Karen? Could we have a little resolution there? Okay, enough of that. The action keeps moving and this book is definately not boring. In fact, I'm about to start another Kevin O'brien book right now. LEFT FOR DEAD was very good. ONE LAST SCREAM was okay. If the next one is some where in between, I'll be happy. Kevin O'Brien seems to be a pretty dependable author. Hey, if Tess Gerritsen can recommend it, how bad can it be?

I just read One Last Scream and all the way through the whole book you are wondering and guessing whats going on. I would read it at night before I went to sleep and dream about what was going on and what is Kevin O'Brien trying to tell us is going on that we can't figure out. Lets just say it has to to with multiple personality disorder and maybe someone who didn't die that is killing people. Let me put it this way you think you know but you don't know and the when you find out who the real killer is you will be shocked and then maybe you will figure out it fits. Enjoy reading! I know I did!

Where do I start? This book not only has the page turning that I've come to love from Kevin's books, but great writing too! I thought the characters were very well developed in this book. I enjoyed the interaction with between Amelia and Karen it was wicked at times. I know after I finished the first chapter and saw the killers "mode of operation" I was a little creeped out myself! I would rank this book as one of his best to date, of course they keep getting better each time. Keep up the great writing Kevin, your one of the best.

I AM AN AVID READER OF MYSTERY/THRILLER OR TRUE CRIME BOOKS. I READ OVER 1/2 OF THIS BOOK AND PUT IT DOWN. IT SURE DIDN'T KEEP MY INTEREST.

I had a very hard time putting this book down! I give this book 4/5 stars because there was a time or two when it was a little boring. This is the first book that I have read of Kevin O'Brien's and it won't be the last.
I was very into the book I felt like I knew the characters and could feel what they were feeling; very powerful and thrilling.

I'm just about halfway through this book and am having a hard time putting it down. Good Mystery. This author (Ruth Rendell) is new to me and I'm enjoying her books.

Everyone knows that Ruth Rendell is one of the the best writers out there (in any genre). This book did not disappoint me. She handles this story about the disappearance of a young black girl with her usual style. It's a realistic story about the lives of what are sometimes called the disenfranchised people, or the people in a community that no one really notices. Wexford is faced with one of the most difficult cases in his career when he sets out to find this girl. To him it's almost like trying to find a ghost. And on his way he uncovers a horrific story about what happens to some people from other races who manage to slip into England under the radar. He can't believe it happens in his lovely little home of Kingsmarkham. But he does manage to solve the mystery, and get the right people in jail in the end. Only Rendell can handle a story that is this complex without letting any of her readers get lost in the process of trying to figure it out.

Winner of three Edgars and four Gold Daggers, Rendell is a master of tightly constructed plots, characters under pressure and heightened atmosphere.

Simisola, her 16th Inspector Wexford mystery, set in the fairly small town of Kingsmarkham, England, opens with Wexford's new doctor -an African immigrant - beseeching the chief inspector for help finding his daughter, Melanie, last seen at the unemployment center. Melanie's home life is strict and Wexford assumes she's shaking off the yoke until the claims adviser who helped Melanie at the job center is found murdered.

Meanwhile Wexford's whiny daughter Sylvia and ill-matched husband are both jobless and going on the dole. Wexford, fretted by guilt at his impatience towards his daughter, and knowing that he would not be making daily visits to Melanie's parents if they were not black, muses over social attitudes, ingrained prejudice and motives for murder until the body of a young black woman is discovered.

There are few blacks in Kingsmarkham and despite several small clues to the contrary, Wexford assumes it's Melanie. After a night of grief, the family arrives at the mortuary only to find a stranger.

Wexford, mortified, approaches the three-part investigation with new insight - re-examining every assumption, taking note of every tiny discrepancy.
Kingsmarkham is large enough to encompass slums, council flats and elaborate estates, allowing Rendell to involve a wealthy and flashy female politician, a surgeon and his lackadaisically privileged children, a petty thief, an adulterous businessman, unemployed youth and a hidden black underclass in a story that unwinds in dark twists and turns of grubby secrets.

Although the explosive ending may seem unrealistically grotesque to some, it's still vintage Rendell - suspenseful and wholly absorbing.

When C.I. Reg Wexford pays a visit to his new doctor,Raymond Akande, the doctor confides in him that his daughter Melanie has been missing from home for a few days after supposedly staying the night with a girlfriend. Most of the characters in this book revolve around the local employment and benefits office and the off-beat customers who spend much of their time there.The body of one of the clerks at the employment office is discovered and Wexford establishes a link between her and the coctors missing daughter.The story is tightly written with the characters well defined--a good fast read.

Ruth Rendell is often admired for her elegantly sparse prose and her psychological insight; I, however, too often find her novels vague in both character and construction--and her solutions more a matter of deux ex machina that actual deduction. And such is the case with SIMISOLA, a novel that finds unassuming Inspector Wexford first in search of a missing girl and then in search of a vicious killer.

As usual, Rendell writes with a graceful touch and brings a certain amount of social commentary into her novel, in this instance elaborating on both racism and joblessness in England. This sounds a promising mix, but Rendell proves quite typical of herself: when all is said and done most of her social commentary seems to have little to do with the story beyond providing a foggy sort of background to a somewhat forced conclusion. The ultimate effect is that of a novel you read a bit of and then put down--and maybe you pick it up again and maybe you don't. Certainly not one of her more interesting efforts.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Book looked interesting. Ordered it used but would have prefered to order it new. When I got it there was a huge sticker on the front which was disappointing. Would have ordered it new if I knew it was going to look very used.

This incredible, but true story is so well written that one really wishes Hitchcock were alive to capture it's alluring power on film. And I really think that's what makes this book a great and unforgettable journey. I've read two others by the talented Mr. Schecter, both hard to put down, but this one is so deviously fascinating and consistantly well documented. It's not only a well researched piece of journalism, but a bonified shock treatment that lingers long after you've finished it. Highly recommended for crime buffs. And young film-makers please take note: "Saw" and "Hostel" are sheer piffle compared to the hideous life of Earl Leonard Nelson. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

A very well documented account of the "Dark Strangler's" life. This book brings together everything that makes a typical great Schechter book: a very well documented research, an excellent work of putting things into perspective (history, popular culture, etc), a gripping writing style, etc.

It's true that this killer may not be the most astounding killer in history (but still... he strangled women to death and then raped their dead bodies, and afterwards he concealed them under beds, in closets, behind furnaces, etc) but this isn't a good parametre to judge by, at any rate. Sure, his modus operandi is consistently the same, but I don't think this changes anything really. Moreover, that is the killer's deeds, not the author, so it would be slightly ridiculous (perhaps even immoral) to blame Schechter for the killer's "unoriginal" acts; also, it's a bit strange a complaint to make: "I wish that killer did more gruesome things for my personal pleasure as a reader." But anyway...

Harold Schechter's work is impressive because of his documentation and the manner with which he leads the whole thing. As usual, I appreciate it very much when the author quotes newspapers and gives the reader some insight in those times. It's truly a work of History that Schechter offers us here. And that's something I really like about this author: you never fall into the merely morbid curiosity and always benefit from the historical perspective on violence in popular culture, as well as other matters worthy of one's interest.

Excellent book.

Harold Schechter has produced several highly acclaimed works of true crime including "Depraved" and "Deviant". In "Bestial", Schechter takes on the lesser known Earle Leonard Nelson. On a cross-continental spree that is documented to have taken the lives of 22 landladies and other women, it makes for an interesting chapter in the history of true crime.

Schechter is comendable in his attention to detail in telling the story. While telling the story, the author must be credited for stepping back and allowing the reader to wonder guilty or guilty and insane. Yet at times I found his digressions frustrating. Taking entire chapters to explore facets of the time period or give superficial facts regarding other murders of the era, massively sidetracks the pace of the story. The profile that is painted of the "Gorilla Man" seems clear for a man that has been deceased for more than 80 years and is largely forgotten in American history because of his arrest and execution in Canada.

Those that are fans of Schechter's other books are likely to enjoy the detail of the Nelson's modus operandi. A graphic crime scene picture included in the book is certain to thrill fans of the genre. Still, I can not help but think the book would have been better with certain chapter full of digressions on the editting room floor.

This is one of Schechter's best, and IMHO, one of the best true crime novels I have read. It is about a murderer/rapist nicknamed the Gorilla Man, who seemed to be "cursed" from birth. He was abnormal from the beginning and lived a bizarre lifestyle his whole life. Both of his parents had and died of syphillis--it makes you wonder if this disease somehow affected this child's brain and warped him. Even his eating habits were more than strange. He later takes to killing and raping landladies while posing as a potential or actual tenant. He manages to get married--to a woman more than 30 years older than him and proceeds to make her miserable--and scared.

This was a riveting read. I could hardly put it down.

Some of this book was interesting, but most was very slow moving. It just didn't captivate. I believe it could have been better written. I don't feel that I or the author ever got "into the mind" of John Wayne Gacy. Then again, to the author's credit, after reading the book, I'm not sure if anyone could accomplish this feat. I came away feeling that on the surface, Gacy seemed calm and even rational almost all of the time, but was totally the opposite while committing the murders. Either way, the book didn't flow well and is lacking. It wasn't as "meaty" as expected... no pun intended.

I first read this book in 1988 and recently read it again. It still gave me the creeps. In the same league as Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and The Boston Strangler by Gerald Frank. I highly recommend it.

Chilling. I could not put this one down. This book is a dramatized cover of the life and crimes of John Wayne Gacy which reads like a fiction novel (read: not boring or heavy with Dr. Bob said this) yet provides clear, factual, and consistent information in with some of the author's speculation as to what went on in the mind of Mr. Gacy.
The end result is a story which will make the hair on your arms stand on end - not only with possibilities and facts, but the feasible likeness of Mr. Gacy's mindset through his actions.

It's 8 in the morning and im down here in the crawl space digging. i cant stand the smell and the people around here are begining to complain. "it's the sump pipe, besty.i'll take care of it soon." is my patten answer, but really... i dont care. As i bury my lastest prey (boy, it's getting easier every time), i say to my self " Jhon Gacy is a winner! I am the man!" The bodies bruied under the crawl are my trophies! See dad i'am a winner!If i could only get rid of the smell. anyway, im digging and then the doorbell rings. Great another puck asking about when he'll be paid or a copper asking about some kid...maybe the kid im burying now. i dust my pants off after leaving the crawl space and answer the door. "MR. Morgan, here is your package." the ups guy says. At that moment i realize that i just put down the best book i've every read about Jhon Gacy. this book is the best to date. After reading this book, you will have a deep understanding of a sick man and a understanding of how/why he commited these horriable crime---as if you witness them yourself. a real tour de force!!!

I don't know how anyone my age or near my age who grew up in Chicago or the outlying suburbs could not remember the Gacy case. I had just turned 14 and was a freshman in high school when news first broke of his crimes. I remember my mother turning off the television for the 5:00 PM local news because of the lurid footage showing the remains being carried out of the house in bags. And I remember the Chicago Tribune running a full page showing individual pictures of all of the identified victims; the yearbook and school pictures of the boys looked like most of my classmates.

I first read this book back in 1987. I recently read it again, almost 20 years later, and I still believe it to be the most thorough, comprehensive book on Gacy. Cahill, an excellent journalist, has done an excellent job of presenting a complete picture of the man and his crimes. He managed to "get inside Gacy's head" (an unhealthy place) to give the reader a clear look of Gacy's personality, views on life, attitude towards his victims and reactions to his trial.

Along with covering the crimes, investigation, arrest and trial of Gacy, Cahill also delves into Gacy's childhood and early years, including his relationship with his abusive father. The book is detailed, and Cahill writes with the kind of insight that only comes from having a complete understanding of his subject. It's also clear that Cahill researched Gacy thoroughly, and he notes in his introduction that he culled his information from a number of sources.

As can be expected, this book is scary stuff, with two chapters in particular being extremely disturbing and frightening to read. Cahill doesn't merely describe, he casts the reader in the role of witness to one of Gacy's murders, showing Gacy's core of pure evil. That said, this is also the type of book that is tough to put down, and also the type that stays with you long after having finished it.

I too could not disagree more with the reviewer who accused Cahill of plagiarising "Killer Clown." They are two very different books. And while "Killer Clown" is a good book, written largely from a legal/trial and punishment perspective, the better of the two by far is "Buried Dreams." The best overall book on Gacy.

a good read and very detailed shows the inner mind of a serial killer in denial.

I AM HALF WAY THROUGH THIS BOOK AND I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. WHAT A STORY!! IF YOU ARE A AVID READER OF TRUE CRIME, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

I really liked this one. It was very hard to put down.
Why is this book so good?
Because you do not learn about one vision but Jackson gives you the versions of how the people who lived near "The Monster" experienced him.For example you will see Luther through the eyes of the woman who loved him,through the eyes of the detective who tries to nail him for years,and bites his teeth in the case. You will be in the skin of his victims their families,but also you will feel their pain,how scared they are,how he managed to create a web surrounding him with people who got mixed up by this men.

The style of the writer appeals a lot to me,eye for detail
As i said before, when i was reading i felt like i was there.
If you start reading this book,make sure you have a lot of time,cause you can't put it down!
Hope you understand my English

As an avid reader of true crime, I will declare that this is one of the best written pieces of work that I have read short of the infamous Ann Rule works.

This book contains the tale of Tom Luther is able to manipulate women with his good looks and his imaginitive story telling; especially Debra Snider, who fell hard and fast for this sexually sadistic loser. The author holds nothing back from the reader on the viciousness of his crime against Cher Elder and many other women; some of whom is only suspected of harming. In addition, readers are given a walk into the hearts and minds of Cher Elder's parents as they struggle to deal with the death of their daughter and the capture of her killer. As you walk through these vicious crimes and feel the torment of Elder's parents, readers are also given insight into how a normal, education, married mother of two (Snider) can fall in love with someone so evil; and even after learning that the evil remains, still loving that person unconditionally.

I agree with the readers that the book was compelling and generally well written. Much better, actually, than the vast majority of true crime books (and like many, I've read too many to count...), but that is where our views diverge; I have NEVER read a book in my life with more grammatical errors or punctuation errors, for that matter. Without even trying, I counted (in my head alone, and only starting about halfway through the book) 15 sentences with no verbs.

I realize that this will seem like nit-picking, but can't the author or publishing company afford an editor...? It really mars an otherwise excellent book (yes, as another reader wrote, it should have been about 100 pages shorter to eliminate repetitiveness) by an author who shows a lot of potential for a genre where most writers seem to have barely made it through junior high school.

This book's look at the police investigations and court events over the years made this a cut above most true crime books, which tend to be sensationalistic rehashes of basic crime descriptions that anyone could write based upon newspaper reports, for example.

One final note: a list of characters and index would be greatly appreciated. I found myself repeatedly researching previous events (particularly the informants' testimony from various prisons and jails over the years) and digging through dozens of pages simply because the author was too lazy and professional to use an index. Still, well done overall and I'll be reading other books by the author in the future if possible.

In MURDER ON NOB HILL, the first of a series, we meet 27 year old Sarah Woolson, a young woman determined to follow in her father's footsteps and become a lawyer. To reach her goal she has managed to be one of the first women to pass the California Bar exam and become a licensed attorney but she now needs to find a firm that will hire her, no easy task in 1880. By use of subtrefuge and audacity she does manage to gain a place in one of San Francisco's most prestigious, and stuffy, law firms by means of poaching one of their wealithiest clients, a young widow accused of murder. As Sarah begins to investigate the case she is lead on a chase that leads through the seamier sides of San Francisco both in the highest and lowest classes, all the while dealing with society's prejudice against women.

The plot has some interesting twists and turns and may hold a surprise or two along the way, but it is never in serious doubt that Sarah's client will not go free or that Sarah will not keep her job. This series, despite it's cosmopolitan setting is definitely in the cozy vein, where the mystery is secondary to the characters involved. In MURDER ON NOB HILL we are introduced not only to Sarah but to her family and several interesting subplots as well. Also a particularly annoying colleague is set up as a potential romantic interest for Sarah.

Perhaps just as interesting as the various plots and subplots we also have the always lovely San Francisco, here shown in her earlier years when street cars were new and daring rather than quaint and charming, Chinatown was mysterious and dangerous rather than a popular tourist attraction.

Fans of the long running AMELIA PEABODY series will probably also enjoy the ongoing adventures of Sarah as she struggles against the conventions of the Victorian era.

This book had me hooked from the very first page! What a great read. The characters are so well drawn I felt like I knew them and truly cared what happened to them. NOB HILL is fast-paced and filled with surprises. Despite the way the book moves right along, Tallman manages to give a strong feeling of being in San Francisco in that time period. You can almost feel and taste the fog, and hear the clang of the cable cars.

I loved the fact that Tallman treats the Chinese of the city with such sympathy and admiration. I have friends who live in Chinatown, but still I learned all kinds of new things about how that section of town must have been in the 1880s. I researched several sections of the book because I thought the Chinatown raid Tallman describes was so fantastic. Low and behold, she'd painted an extremely accurate picture of these raids -- which truly did happen then!! I love an author who does her homework!!

Way to go, Shirley. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!

MURDER ON NOB HILL by Shirley Tallman is a fun, fast-paced book. Sarah Woosley, the main character, is a fiesty, smart, "liberated" 1880's woman in San Francisco. The story takes one to many famous SF landmarks and gives a realistic portrayal of the difficulties women faced in society & the professional work place at the time. My favorite books are murder mysteries and this one had all my favorite elements - a strong heroine, a sense of humor, historical references and likeable main characters who aren't perfect.

I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Facing the obstacles of a woman entering the legal profession in 1880
San Francisco, this is a fast moving introduction of a resourceful, clever & tenacious woman lawyer. It is a real page turner.

I don't know where Patricia Ann "Bookmark" is coming from. Did she read the same book I did?

MURDER ON NOB HILL is anything but slow-moving and boring. I thought it was a terrific historical novel. Not only did it move FAST, but the author kept me guessing about the identity of the killer until the very end. I've lent this book to lots of my mystery-lover friends, and they all agree with me that Sarah Woolson is the best new mystery character to come along in years! She's intelligent, fun, clever, out-spoken and dedicated to helping the underdog. I don't know how Patricia the "Bookmark" could say she's "spoiled". How can you call someone spoiled who's willing to give their life to make sure you get justice in a court of law? I thought she was anything BUT spoiled! (Sorry, but the "Bookmark's" review really got me fuming.)

I've also read the second book in the series, THE RUSSIAN HILL MURDERS, and I think it's also SUPER! And in the Russian Hill book, Sarah actually goes to court to defend a man accused of murder. I can't wait to read the new Sarah Woolson mystery, hopefully VERY SOON! Keep 'em coming, Shirley! And don't pay any attention to Patricia the "Bookmark". You've got a red-hot mystery series going here.

I forgot to mention that I was born and raised in San Francisco, and lived there until I got married. That's another great thing about Shirley Tallman's Sarah Woolson Series. She's really got the heart of San Francisco down pat! MURDER ON NOB HILL is by far one of the VERY BEST HISTORICAL MYSTERIES I've read in a long, long time!!!

Edinburgh Detective Chief Inspector John Rebus finds himself posted to London to aid the local authorities who are investigating the work of a serial killer, known as the Wolfman, who seems to be one step ahead of the coppers. Once in London, Rebus learns he has ben brought to the big city because he is supposed to be some sort of expert on mass murderers.

Rebus' intrinsic antiauthoritarianism and his intuitive investigative style puts his career in jeopardy as he pairs with George Flight, a by the book detective, who has to cover for his Scottish counterpart at every turn of the plot. The collaboration between these investigators provides much of the tension as they struggle to bring a killer to justice. At the same time Rebus is forced to come to grips with middle-aged and a body that has lost a bit of the edge that he enjoyed as a young SAS paratrooper. His daughter Samantha, now 16, lives in London with his ex-wife and he is appalled with her current boyfriend, a slightly older and testosterone burdened motorcycle courier.

Ian Rankin is one of the real masters of the mystery genre. Series characters require real work and a deft touch to keep them fresh and interesting. John Rebus, like Harry Bosch and Travis McGee, manages to grow in each novel in a way that is respectful to the past works and yet revealing in some new way.

Tooth and Nail is more than a good read. It is a tale of policemen under the microscope of publicity when murders most foul terrorize a big city.

This is Rankin at his best. Buy it, enjoy the thriller and then buy the next one. It seems that once you've started reading Rebus, you just can't get enough!

Tooth and Nail finds Rebus helping out the London police hunt down the serial killer, Wolfman. The novel is filled with a lot of local London color, including a car chase down St. Martin's Lane and around Nelson's Column. I enjoyed this book immensely until the last 40 pages, where killer is caught based on an unsubstantiated "hunch".

Being from NYC I found Rebus's take on fast London city life very amusing. Several pages are devoted to Rebus contemplating the utter inhumanity of the Tube! In fact, the only positive comments come from Rebus's would-be partner, George Flight, although Rebus mocks his attitude: "London is bigger, better, rougher, tougher and more important than anywhere else." It's funny that we would want other people to think our city is rough and tough, because that implies that we are as well, when we are actually victims. Fortunately, from the novel I learned a new way to cope: just chant FYTP.

Rankin is a master at capturing the reader's attention. Clues and red herrings fly like nobody's business. Just keep in mind that this is crime fiction not mystery, that is, don't expect the clues to pan out. The dialog is amazingly realistic, witty, and edgy. Ultimately, Rebus's humanity (he describes himself as having "more ambition than talent") and musings on the human condition are the reason why I find this novel, and Rankin's others, so compelling.

He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

"Tooth and Nail" (originally titled "Wolfman," for the alias that police have given the subject of their hunt) takes Rebus to London, where - due an earlier case of his own reluctantly deemed an "expert" on serial murderers - he is to assist metro CID with the case of a killer named for the bite marks he leaves on his victims' bodies. Not overly enthusiastic about any aspect of his mission to the capital (and thus mirroring once more the feelings of Rankin himself, who did not much like living there, either, and "brought Rebus to London so he could suffer, too"), Rebus soon alienates his metro counterpart by his constant unwillingness to follow protocol, although the two men get along reasonably well on a personal level. Eventually, Rebus so seriously jeopardizes his and - by extension - Edinburgh CID's reputation with the Met that he is about to be recalled home, when he finally makes the crucial connection that unmasks the killer, just in time to save the young psychologist who has offered her help with the case and who is his latest love interest. (As befits a good noir detective, Rebus has a new flame in every book, not without incurring fresh scars from each separation, however.)

While this series had a terrific start already in its first three novels, published between 1987 and 1992, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to his nonseries novels, however, which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...

I'm baaaaaack!

After reading the first Rebus novel (Knots and Crosses), I knew I'd continue to read the rest of Ian Rankin's excellent crime fiction stories.

This is actually the third novel in the Inspector Rebus series, and author Ian Rankin's prose continues to astound me. He masterfully weaves a tapestry of plot, character, and location throughout nearly every page (Example from the prologue: `She drives home the knife. The moment, she knows from past experience, is a very intimate one. Her hand is gripped around the knife's cool handle and the thrust takes the blade into the throat up to the hilt until her hand meets the throat itself. Flesh upon flesh. Jacket first, or woollen jersey, cotton shirt or T-shirt, then flesh. Now rent. The knife is writhing, like an animal sniffing. Warm blood covering hilt and hand. (The other hand covers the mouth, stifling screams.) The moment is complete. A meeting. Touching. The body hot, gaping, warm with blood. Seething inside, as insides become outsides. Boiling. The moment is coming to an end all too soon.')

But this time we're no longer in Edinburgh. No? No. Inspector Rebus is sent to London (Oh the pain!) to try and help catch a serial killer whom the local coppers can't pin down. They've nick-named the murderer "The Wolfman", because he bites the victims on the stomach after he kills them. But why send Rebus? Well, in Knots and Crosses, he helped find another serial killer in Edinburgh, and so George Flight (a local London CID guy) requested Scotland's "expert". Rebus sees himself as anything BUT an expert on such things, but reluctantly goes to England's capital to do what he can.

Come to find out, he can do quite a bit; including getting into lots of trouble. He falls for a beautiful psychologist named Liza Frazer (who might have connections with the killer!), disappears for hours or days on end, drinks like a fish, and goes on television and announces that they've caught the killer (even when he knows they haven't). But Rebus' mind works a bit differently than most folks. He can worm his way into a killer's mind as the case unfolds. And we again see how Rebus' past comes to the forefront and aids him in capturing the villain.

The great thing about Rebus is that he's so f#$%ed up that the reader can identify with all of his vices and character flaws. He's no superhuman, and he knows it. But what he does have is a nose for killers, and this bodes poorly for them. Because once Rebus is on your trail, you'll never get away.

Now, it's on to the next in the series!

In 1996 David Rosenthal, then the head of Villard, bought Joseph Glass's first Susan Shader novel, EYES, from Deborah Schneider. Rosenthal loved the book, had his designers create a magnificent cover, and planned significant promotion for it. But before the book could be published Rosenthal left Villard for Simon & Schuster. Brian deFiore came in as head of Villard and, considering Glass a Rosenthal author, refused all promotion of EYES.
Meanwhile Rosenthal, encountering colleagues at S&S who had bad blood for Glass and his wife based on books published years earlier, stopped speaking to Glass. He bought BLOOD and published the book without even telling Glass. When Glass politely asked Rosenthal to renounce his option on future Glass novels, Rosenthal retaliated by canceling the paperback of BLOOD. So there is no paperback of BLOOD.
Glass went on to write a political thriller which Deborah Schneider sold in 2001 for $750,000 in world rights.
I hear that Glass is now writing literary novels and has given up Susan Shader.

The authors real name is "Joseph Liberston" The book says he is a New York times best selling author? That name rings know bells with me.

I enjoy books that deal with psychics. I thought "Eyes" was very good, so I went in search of "Blood". I had trouble getting thru this one because it was so graphic and specific in places that it bothered me. The story was a good one, and I will look for other books by Glass, but I hope future books are not so graphic.

This is certainly a graphic novel, and not for those with weak stomachs. With that aside, this second entry in the Susan Shader series (And I hope there are more to come!) is an excellent thriller, featuring the very interesting Susan Shader, and also her sidekick, David Gold, who is also an integral part of this series.
This time we have two despicable killers, one that Shader thinks she's helped put away (early in the book), and then a serial killer called The Undertaker, who is as sick and bloody as they get.
The book has several unsettling scenes, and you're never quite sure who the Undertaker is. The characters of Wendy Breckinridge and Tony Garza, as well as Scott Carpenter, are also great ones, although the fate of one of them is truly sad, and one has to wonder why Shader allowed it to happen...but it's realistic enough, and brings the book to a hair-raising close.
A brilliant read.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I couldn't put the novel Blood down and read it in one day! it was exciting, very gruesome at times but one of the best novels I have read in a long time. I would highly recommond it

Thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Schecter's book from cover to cover. Purchased after reading a review, possibly in the New York Times Book Review. Book might have benefited from a more compelling jacket image. I would not have picked this book up had I not read the review. Also kept wanting to see more pictures of the characters but I realize that availability of archival images may have played a part. Great story, well told.

I accidentally came across this book at the library. It is a fascinating look at one of the most famous murder trials of the early 20th century, extremely well-written and involving. Even those who do not like "that sort of book" will enjoy this one. The people involved are brought to life by the author's talents, and the research behind the book is thorough and definitive. Absorbing and informative.

I have read nearly all of the author's true crime books and have enjoyed all of them. This latest one I enjoyed as well. I feel he does an excellent job describing the case and the main characters. I would recommend this book.

Without doubt one of the very best true-crime books I've ever read. Historically speaking, Schechter has done a brilliant job of recreating the sights, sounds and especially the newly-minted yellow journalism era. Vice, romance, money, privilege and page turning excitement with a villain to beat the band. This book has got Hollywood written all over it.

Over the past two decades, Harold Schechter has resurrected the stories of many prominent moral monsters from America's past, corrected the numerous myths that have grown up around them, replaced those myths with more fascinating facts, and then related them in compelling narratives that are also scholarly, sensitive, and keenly written.

In resurrecting the crazy story of crazy Roland Molineux and his bizarre journey into murder and in and out of justice, Schechter has written his masterpiece. No question, hands down.

A classic of true crime, and of biography and history. It will be around for many decades to come.