Serial Murder Books

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.

This mystery features excellent characters. The victims are well-developed before they are killed and, as always, Diamond is plenty of fun. The author also draws interesting portraits of the other detectives, Jimmy Barneston and Hen. The ending is impossible to guess and is almost certain to surprise the reader. You really can't beat this mystery for writing quality, plotting, character development and humor.

Another really enjoyable outing with the redoubtable Peter Diamond.
Keep them coming!

This is my first Peter Diamond mystery and I will certainly go for the remainder. Mr. Lovesy is a very good police procedure mystery writer. There is a nice dry with that adds to the telling of the story.

This is a double plus mystery. It starts with the murder of an identified woman on a beach. The tide takes out all the evidence and the investigation is headed by an interesting female CID. Once the body is identified, Inspector Diamond gets involved because the victim is from his turf. A serial killer then emerges and the investigations go hand-in-hand - sometimes.

Inspector Diamond is an obviously evolved character. "Hen" as she is called is new to the series and a very good character with depth and personality. The supporting characters are also believable and have their own characters. It is a compliment to Mr. Lovesy that all the characters have depth and uniqueness.

The solving of the mysteries is interesting and fun. My only criticism is that they get wrapped up so very fast. I looked and so there were only ten pages to go and the serial killer still had to be identifed and caught. It was disappointing, especially compared to the terrific build-up to that point.

A good mystery and highly recommended.

A standard UK-sited police detective story. Competently done. If one likes these, this would be a very good choice. It's just a bit stilted for my tastes.

I rate 8 to10 books in this genre each month. I rate it based on a 0-5 point scale. This book rated Characters: 3.00. Realism: 3.50. Description: 3.50. Ah Ha: 2.75. The Read: 3.00. Overall, the book ranked 184 out of 360 books.

I've long fondled Lovesey's books at the library, but this eighth in his Peter Diamond series is the first I've actually read. It starts with a family on an outing to the beach near Sussex. The all-too-typical day on the beach suddenly becomes creepy when the couple's young daughter goes missing. At the end of a frantic search, a more troubling discovery is madeóthe body of a dead woman. It's a nice little trick to draw the reader in, using one situation as the warm up to the main course.

The dead woman is soon determined to have been strangled while lying on the beach in plain view. This is a sort of reversal of the traditional locked-room mystery, with the added complications of the tide having washed away all forensic evidence, and no clue as to the victim's identity. Tough, cigarillo-smoking D.I. Hen Mallin is assigned to the case, and the difficulties just keep on multiplying even once the victim is identified as a psychologist from Bath who consulted with the police as a criminal profiler. The Bath connection brings with it the involvement of the acerbic Peter Diamond, and the two strong personalities must figure out a way to work with each other.

When they discover that the woman had been working on a hush-hush serial killer case, Diamond subtlety hijacks that case as well. This strand of the book gets a little baroque, as the serial killer invokes "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in a quest to kill Britain's leading film director, a professional golf phenom, and a libidinous ex-pop star turned industrialist. Whether this fantastical case is related to the profiler's death is a key question, and one that isn't answered until the climax.

The investigation is fairly interesting, as encrypted files on the psychologist's computer are decoded, two key witnesses to the beach affair go missing, and all manner of complications are strewn in Diamond and Hen's path. And while this procedural stuff is good, the larger matter of the serial killer left me rather cold. The serial killer is an overused character in fiction, and I tend to find plots revolving around them rather boring. The twisted madness to their methods always come across as over-the-top, and motivations always seem disproportionately thin. This book is no exception, which is too bad, because otherwise, it's quite a good read and the characters draw one in. I will definitely seek out others in the series.

This is a good text, but I found myself wanting more. Several reviewers have spoken about how the authors did a good job of providing a new Ripper suspect, but I didn't feel they tied up the loose ends. There is mention of murders in Jamaica and Nicaragua late in the book, but no evident that Dr T. was ever in those countries at the time of the murders. There was a brief mention of an American `ripper event' in New York City, but no details surrounding this event. The evidence surrounding the Batty Street Lodger was very interesting, but the authors should have flushed that line of reasoning out further.

However the largest weakness of the text surrounds Mary Kelly. In the second appendix the authors decide that Mary is not a Ripper victim, apparently because Dr. T. might have been in police custody at the time of her murder. This might in fact be accurate, but this sort of material needs to be a chapter within the body of their text. This is a HUGE point within their theory and it's added in at the end. The authors spent significant time talking about Mary Kelly, only to discount the murder at the very end of the book because it didn't agree with their theory. This is a major flaw in their argument.

Additionally, early sections of the book spend a good deal of time talking about the Lincoln Assassination and Dr. T's arrest as a suspect in that affair. Unfortunately, these events are never tied back to the Whitechapel affair. Finally, very little information is provided regarding what happened to Dr. T. after he left London. Perhaps this information is not available, but one of the leading reasons to suspect Dr T. is he left London in 1888 (under suspicion). Additionally, if ripper-like murders happened in other parts of the world, this would be a big indicator that he was the Ripper, but only if you can show he was in those locals at the time of the murders.

Having read many Ripper texts, this one is more entertaining than most; however, it left me feeling the authors could have done more with their suspect. They did not convince me they had found Jack, only that Jack the Ripper and the Batty Street Lodger were probably one and the same person.

The Littlechild letter was an exciting find, but I remained unconvinced Tumblety was a viable JTR suspect. Unlike other JTR books though, I feel the authors present their story in an honest and well researched manner and I didn't get the feeling facts were fudged or glossed over altogether.

While Tumblety probably didn't commit the crimes (he didn't fit the description very well and I cannot believe JTR was that organized and competent to amass a small fortune), I wouldn't rule out he murdered others and I would still recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Whitechapel murders.

I was impressed with this book.The best Ripper book yet.Gives the facts ,and no newspaper biases. Timewise,it fits Dr.Tumblity.
Socially,it fits Dr.Tumblity.The O'tumblity's were Irish immigrants ,of the 1830s potatoe famine.He had a poor childhood and few prospects for social acceptance,in the WASP society,of the 19th century.Tumblity was a good medic,during the Civil War.He was even a gate-crasher at the Lincoln White-House.Yet,after the war,he was persona non grata. He had plucked medals off the dead solider's chests and boasted an impressive military service,all Munchhausen quitoxic fabrications. Like a social peacock, trying to impress the local fauna.Yet,it was faux plummage.Tumblity's wife was unfaithful and left him a embittered misogynist.The Tumblity quack sold peppered cure-alls,and performed abortions ,in the backroom,of his foot-to-the-ground office.When Tumblity passed on ,at a St.Louis catholic hospital,on South Euclid ,he donated all the jewlery he had to the unknowing sisters.The rings were from prostitutes and poor women that had no ready-cash for Tumblity's questionable abortion services. No worthy doctor sullied their hands in this dark business of "Angel-making".But,Tumblity did.This Tumblity deemed himself a "respectable gentelman".He had to be frustrated by being restricted to the nether-world of Victorian society.I believe Tumblity met Monty Druitt at a college pub.Tumblity lavished on young artsy college boys,such as Patricia Cornwall's suspect.The chaulked "Juwes" comment ,was atributed to Monty Druitt ,yet probably written by the old fox Tumblity.Tumblity had a falling out with Druitt,dumping his body in the still-water.The corpse was found some weeks later and Tumblity was long gone,having taken a steamer,back to Rochester,New York.Jack is slang for a "puerile boy" and a "ripper" rips things open.The young Tumblity was an saucy erotica porn reader and aware of the street-whores of the lower eastside.The elder Tumblity was an avid theatre goer,watching the performances of the Booth family.(Yet,i do not know if Tumblity having been ejected by the Lincoln beef-eaters,then help hatch the assassination plot with John Wilkes Booth.) Tumblity was also a fan of Gilbert&Sullivan.Tumblity visited his sister(1875) ,from Vallejo,CA and watched the "Mikado" ,in near-by Frisco. Amazing!Did the Zodiac know this?? -- Mr.Lusk was a Mason,yet Tumblity was rejected as a Mason. You do the addition and go figure here.The best evidence provided here is proven and sound. A great book!

I enjoyed this book. Admittedly, it has sat on my shelf for three years, waiting until I was in a suitably dark mood to be tempted by it. The authors present a lot of evidence and show very thorough research. The killer they suggest seems entirely plausible, much more so than in the other Ripper book I read and enjoyed (at the end of which, the author's conclusion was that the man had simply stopped killing. Serial killers don't just stop. So that was implausible). Good book.

Contrary to what Reviewer #2 has to say with his low rating, having read MANY "Studies" of the Ripper over the years, I find the case brought against "Dr." Tumblety to be by FAR the MOST likely; there is just TOO much coincidence for it NOT to be this man. Of particular interest are a SIMILAR rash of murder/mutilations performed AFTER the Whitechapel murders in another locale where Tumblety was proven to have been in at the same time as THAT series occured. PLUS Tumblety's collection of fetuses, etc. HIGHLY recommended, to me one of the MOST compelling books yet written on the topic, with more than enough proof provided to prove Tumblety's guilt.

This is my third book by Richard Montanari that I have read. He is clearly not a "one book fluke," because Merciless is just as good his other work. Montanari reminds me of Thomas Harris, both are master storytellers. Merciless is an excellent police procedural with great characters throughout the book. The gore and brutality in this book is not for the squeamish. If you enjoy a suspenseful thriller then you should take a chance on Merciless. Richard Monatanari is an author who I will be buying more from in the future.

Although many readers may find this kind of comment irrelevant, as a Philadelphian familiar with almost every place named in the novel, I found I could not recognize the feel of my city in this story. The author must have friends here, have visited and been shown around the river and parks- but the story doesn't take place anywhere but in "mystery-suspense land." Maybe residents of English villages have the same reaction to Agatha Christie. But a police force with no African-Americans, but with an Amish detective, plus the way neighborhoods are linked to inhabitants and vice-versa, does not feel right. No one expects absolute factual "realism" from murder mysteries, but place and location realism should work better than they do here.

I keep thinking that Richard Montanari's books cannot get any better. And every year or so, I am proven wrong yet again. With each new novel, Montanari keeps taking his readers further and further into the nether reaches of the criminal mind. MERCILESS is no exception.

Montanari's latest work again features Philadelphia police homicide detective Kevin Byrne, who is on the trail of a bizarre serial murderer with the seeming ability to strike and disappear at will, leaving his victims in a chilling, frightening and somehow familiar tableau. Byrne's partner, Jessica Balzano, is by his side, but the focus is primarily on Byrne and his job as opposed to his quietly turbulent domestic situation that --- although not altogether absent --- is kept in the background. Suspects abound, of course, and part of the enjoyment of this wild ride is trying to sort out the innocent from the oh-so-very guilty.

At the same time a vigilante is quietly going about a dark and very deadly business on the streets of Philadelphia --- an avenger whose path will cross with that of Byrne and Balzano before the tale set forth here is done. Montanari introduces a new character as well, a police detective named Joshua Bontrager, who is --- by way of his background --- unique and possibly original in the annals of detective fiction. Bontrager's presence provides more than a bit of lagniappe to the proceedings, but the star ultimately is the author himself, whose fine eye for detail and uncanny narrative ability cause the 400-plus pages of the book to fly by with the speed of a 10-page short story.

If Montanari's name is not on your must-read list of thriller authors, it will be once you begin digging into MERCILESS. Montanari is riveting, addicting and never disappoints as he continues to raise his own bar, novel after novel, and surpass it.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I am new to Montanari's work. This particular book was suspenseful and well written with alot of supporting details to help readers visualize everything from the decor of a ramshackled hovel to the emotions of a distraught and grieving widower. I actually found myself cheating by skimming quickly over many pages just so I could find out who the perpetrator was. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Having read all six of Richard Montanari's books I am convinced that he is incapable of writing a bad book. That being said, however, Merciless does not measure up to the other two books in the series featuring Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano. While Montanari's writing style and characters will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next, I found that the plot wasn't as engrossing, and the twists and turns weren't as surprising, as I've come to expect from a Montanari thriller -- and particularly from The Rosary Girls and The Skin Gods. You will not be sorry if you read Merciless -- it is a good book. As a matter of fact, you'll probably consider it to be a very good book if it is the first book by Montanari that you've read. My slight disappointment with Merciless is based primarily on the basis of comparison and that I've come to expect more from this very talented author.

This is the second book I've read by Michael Prescott and by sheer chance it is the second book I've read that featured FBI agent Tess McCallum. This is a good murder-mystery thriller that talks about but does not dwell on the emotional baggage of the main characters to the point of boring. This story keeps moving and is easy to read at a good pace. Being the master sleuth that I am, I of course figured out the true identity of Mobius early in the book. (Mobius was the bad guy) At 372 pages in paperback this novel did not drag at all. There were good characterizations and people you could actually care about. The clues were there and the action intense. I am about to order another book by Prescott. I see there is another Tess McCallum book out there that needs to be read. Oh by the way, I guessed early on who the killer was...WRONG!!! It was a total surprize at the end. Good book. Read it, but if you're looking for romance, find something different. This is more action.

This was my first Michael Prescott novel and I found it surprisingly enjoyable. The plot was creative, I learned a few things and the suspense kept me raptly reading late into the night. Like most books of this genre, things get a little silly toward the end of the book, and the protagonist is, of course, only a little less accomplished than God, and everything happens within a two-day time span and the universe is saved within a second or two of oblivion, etc. But, knowing in advance that's how most of these books unfold, the reader can just sit back and enjoy the show. I'd say Prescott is a cut above most thriller writers, so I intend now to order the rest of his books through Amazon and enjoy them.

Sometimes, in the course of reading the work of a talented author who thinks up good concepts, knows the mechanics of good storytelling, writes interesting dialogue, and creates compelling characters, one has to wonder how much creative control they actually have and how much better they could've made their book if left to their own expert devices instead of being comprised by editorial micro-managing. I got an inkling of how Alex Kava's light was obscured by the editorial bushel while reading SPLIT SECOND and I couldn't help but speculate on the same thing while reading Michael Prescott's latest thriller (he'd wanted to name it WIPEOUT but the publisher choose the breathtakingly bland NEXT VICTIM).

A woman on the run from the FBI is carrying a canister of VX nerve agent and is intercepted by a serial killer, who then absconds with it and plans to use it on an unsuspecting Los Angeles. This is the best concept in recent fiction since Jan Burke's BONES (2001).

Not all the book's flaws can be blamed on editing, however- as one reviewer rightly posits, Mobius suffers from the talking villain syndrome, whereas the pieces could've come together in a more organic way, through skillful exposition or having Special Agent Tess McCallum, the book's heroine, tell the reader in her POV. Also, in the ATSAC HQ, Tess is actually relieved when it turns out that Mobius has VX in his possession, instead of the ebola that Tess had feared. I don't know of a single human who would ever be relieved to be dealing with VX, surely the deadliest substance ever engineered by Man.

But NEXT VICTIM'S virtues far outweigh its flaws and the characterization of the principals is good enough to garner sympathy for both antagonist and protagonist. and, while it's obligatory for the heroine to engage the villain in the Endgame in which the heroine (of course) wins, Prescott thankfully was able to break away from his usual DIE HARD-esque ending that involves a tall, abandoned/unfinished building to give the reader a more novel denouement.

As usual, I'll be on the lookout for the talented Prescott's next outing, hoping for both a hardcover deal for him and less editorial interference.

I just want to say I love all of Michael Prescott's books. I read his first one, "Come's The Dark", and I had to go out and get all of the others. Once I start one, I can't put it down. This book really has a great twist at the end, I loved it!! I really look forward to his next one, and hope he has another one on the way!!

Great story line and interesting plot. Prescott hit a grand slam on this one. This book was such an intense thriller, I read it in two days.

I don't like murder mysteries. I don't like romance novels. But I loved this book! To understand why, just read the opening few pages of this wonderful tale of intrigue, murder, old wounds and new loves. Author Bernadette Y. Connor does a great job of developing a strong plot and memorable characters to deliver an exciting and emotionally charged story.

Like her debut novel, Damaged!, the story focuses on a psychiatrist. Dr. Samoa Tate finds herself involved in both the investigation of a series of grisly murders and a budding romance with the primary investigator on the case. Dr. Tate, though smart, rational, and sensitive, has deep issues regarding relationships that stem from her childhood, and this complicates the already complex chemistry between the two.

The actual mystery begins with the murder of a prominent Philadelphia businessman and his mistress, and soon the bodies start to pile up. With enough twists and turns to make even the most die-hard mystery fan wonder who-dun-it, Connor spins a great story.

What I appreciated most about this book is that, while it will definitely appeal to both fans of mysteries and fans of romance, Connor avoids all the clique stereotypes that have been overdone in both genres and creates a truly original work.

I have read two of Bernadette Connors books. Bernadette's characters are true to life. I have enjoyed her writings. The Parcel Express Murders left me on the edge of my seat!!!

D*m*! This book was...d*m*! You have to get this one! This woman(Bernadette Y. Connor) had my head so twisted that I just couldn't figure this one out! This story takes many twists and turns and will have you yearning for more at the end of each page. This was one of those books that was "stuck to my fingers"!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent with this book. Ms. Connor did an excellent job of making me care about all the characters, the good and the bad alike. That's why the discovery in the end was tantalizing. And, talk about folks in other folks business...just wait until you find out how crazy making that can be. The author gives a new definition to the word friend between these pages. Pick this one up soon for that rainy afternoon when all you want to do is treat yourself. You will not be disappointed!

The Parcel Express Murders is an action packed story filled with twists, turns
and spirited characters. Set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a prominent
business man and his mistress are murdered after a swank party and Detectives
Hawkins and Clark are charged with solving the crime. As they investigate the
seemingly unsolvable felony, the body count mounts. And the widow of the
deceased sets her sights on Detective Clark as he tries to start
a romance with the aloof Dr. Somoa Tate. Somoa is a psychiatrist and the
best friend of Detective Hall Hawkinsý wife, Christine. Running parallel to
the murder investigation is the strongest part of the novel -- the
interpersonal relationships of the four main characters. Each character is
presented richly, interspersed with the storyline and their relationships to
each other.

As the story progresses, readers will try to guess who the murderer is and will
undoubtedly be surprised by the outcome. Bernadette Connor weaves an intense
story that comes together perfectly in the end. The mystery is an added
attraction in this book, as readers will enjoy the camaraderie of the four
main characters as well as the life issues that each one confronts during the
course of the tale.

Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD)
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I really enjoyed this book. It validates everything else that I have researched about mind control, the government, and the purpose of this type of evil control our government exercises to obtain complete power and control. The theme of societies thoughts are being kept in constant fear as this fear makes us look to the powers in control for "The Answer". This is being used by the press and media very successfully as each of these brutal actions results in our giving up more of our rights for protection. As it was once said," if you give up freedom for security, you have neither." We as americans must wake up to the real agenda of our government and the world governments which are all working together for the one goal of new world order, one world government, one world control.

An absolutely awful book. "Some say..." is used on almost every page. Who says? You can make a case for anything by saying "according to some". Here, let me try...According to some, Godzilla is a real creature that is responsible for many earthquakes throughout the world. See how easy it is?
Also, many easy verifiable facts are gotten wrong and the author also manages to make everything connect. How? To paraphrase-"The murder was committed the day before Summer Soltice-a significant day for satanists". Really? The day before? Oh my God! Or the week before some supposed satantic holiday or 3 days after and so on and so on. After reading this, I'm convinced EVERY day is some sort of special day for all the supposed satanists running around.
And many of the cases covered in this book had mistakes made by law enforcement, which can only mean one thing...THEY WERE IN ON IT!
Read SATANIC PANIC if you want to see how people like this author have perpetuated the myth that hundreds of thousands of people are being killed every year by a vast conspiracy of robed, politically-connected, satanic meanies.
Seriously, this book is utter crap.

After reading the review by the person billing himself as "True Patriot," I felt compelled to run a search on the manuscript that was submitted for publication. And what I found, contrary to the reviewer's completely bogus claim, is that the phrase "some say" appears in the book exactly once - and then only as part of a quote lifted from the New York Post. The author, which would be me, not only does not use that phrase "on almost every page," but in fact doesn't use it at all throughout the entire 400+ page book! And that, dear readers, should tell you all you need to know about the veracity of Mr. Patriot's so-called review.

I desperately wanted to finish this book because it was so disturbing and disgusting- not because of the author's writing but because of the real life events that he talks about in this book. It simply was gross. But you know what, this is real in the USA and around the world, whether it be Satanic/Cult killings, Pedophilia, necrophilia, cannibalism, and flat out serial homicide, the McGowan makes a good argument about government complicity and cover-up whether it be on a national level or the local level. One is forced to question, the effectiveness of the judicial system and if it really does justice to victims of such crimes. He presents a lot of hard facts that cannot be ignored. However, one criticism with the book is that it loosely connects some of these facts that may not necessarily be associated with one another- making it sound "conspiratorial" and kinda "kooky" in some instances. Nevertheless, it was an informative book that raises a lot of questions about what do we REALLY know about crime. I'd give it 3.5 if it was available and yes, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the cover-ups of the judicial system.

Before reading this book, I thought I knew. I would say (about politics, govt, military, law enforcement, etc.), "Oh yeah well the whole thing is corrupt obviously, nothing I can do about it." And I thought that because I said that, I understood same. Um, no. If the concept of the govt and media lying to you, is new, then you would definetely benefit from reading this book. If you're a seasoned Initiate, and words like: MK-ULTRA, Cathy O'Brien, Michael Hoffmann, Gurudas, James Shelby Downard, Cryptocracy, Pedephocracy, Twilight Language, the Franklin Cover-Up, None Dare Call It Conspiracy, Alex Jones, Project Paperclip/Project 63, Rex-84 & Operation Garden Plot, etc. etc. etc. then you would also benefit greatly from reading this book. That said, for those of you out there that can't stomach strange "conpiracy theories" then this is definetely the book for you. This book has roughly 500 references and is all facts, no speculation necessary when you have court transcripts, etc.
As another reviewer said in reviewing Trance: Formation of America by Cathy O'Brien, "This book is capable of changing even an atheist such as myself, I was left asking an unanswerable question, where did all this evil come from ?" In my perspective, there is only so much that a human being is capable of, swiftly and quickly killing one's enemies in the event of war is perhaps the worst. Anything beyond that ( underground torture chambers where victims are starved and ritually raped and murdered while being recorded, the tapes sold for approx. $5,000/copy to ultra-rich demons in gated communities, happening all over the planet by people who seem to be remote-contolled by people who themselves seem to be remote-controlled also, etc. ) and I can' be convinced that what is happening in such a "inhumane" way can truly be all human in nature. Some share that opinion with me, others don't, period. But to expand any further on that would be a different book entirely, Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin definetely comes to mind ( another amazing read ). In this book you are taken directly into the belly of the beast as it attempts to digest a jalapeno & habanero shake, no joke about it, but what we have in Programmed to Kill is the human facts behind those involved in a sort of corruption on such a mass scale, that it is undreampt of.
Ask yourself a question right quick-like: Do I want to know the truth, or do I want to be comfortable in my ignorance? With regards to current events, this book has opened my eyes more so than any other I can think of, and there are perhaps 300 books on my shelf, 295 of which are non-fiction. This book will change your life, no joke, don't read any further if you wish to stay in the comfort zone state of mind of thinking one knows it all. In reality this book will transform, and possibly give you the knowledge necessary to create the tools which can be used hopefully hands-on to save another's life.

I've recently read a couple Peter Diamond books and enjoyed them both. They are well written in a sort of old fashioned style. Which means that Lovesey isn't on a quest to conjure up the most disturbed characters he can imagine - or the most superhuman crimefighers. And that while there is a serial killer at work, this book doesn't have an absurdly frenetic pace or excessive chaos and blood. Pleasantly, there are other, more human things going on as well in amongst the crime story.

I think the mix makes for a very worthwhile read. You get to know the characters a bit, you like them (or not), and they all play a role in the overall flow of the story. The mystery is complicated and believable enough and the crime solving is sensible and well formulated.

Some people dedicate themselves to their job as a part of grieving for their loss - Detective Peter Diamond is one of these. In "The Secret Hangman", Diamond is hot on the trail of a serial killer, who disgustingly hangs his victims in gore-ridden fashion. This is hard enough, but someone seems to be on his trail as well - and their intentions are not as crystal clear as he would like them to be. Deftly written, "The Secret Hangman" is a top pick for mystery fans and community library collections catering to the genre alike.

As always, Diamond engages readers not just in a murder or series of murder but more importantly in the streets and landmarks, people and places of Bath. A very good read

I thought this book gave the best personal picture of Peter Diamond ever. You saw more of the inside man, along with a great mystery.

Bath Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond still grieves the death of his wife even as he feels some guilt over her being murdered. He currently pretends to not be excited over a secret admirer sending him notes, but inside he is thrilled and albeit a shade more guilt.

On the job, Diamond investigates the public park hanging death murder of waitress Delia Williamson, a mother of two young girls. He quickly finds three prime suspects: her former spouse, her current significant other, and a traveling salesman witnessed as having dined with her just before she died. When they find the ex Danny dead hanging in a cave, Diamond believes two murders occurred while his boss Assistant Chief Constable Georgina Dallymore insists it was a murder-suicide. As he digs deeper to prove his theory, Diamond uncovers a shocker of similar double murders by a serial killer on the loose.

THE SECRET HANGMAN is an exciting Diamond English police procedural. The serial killer case is cleverly drawn so that Diamond and Dallymore can argue over the deaths of Delia and Danny; whereas all these Ds mean delightful to fans as the crusty widower soon seeks a diabolical brilliant serial killer who hides his or her work in the guise of murder-suicide. This is a wonderful entry in a strong crime series.

Harriet Klausner

The subtitles of this book promise a lot, but the book hardly delivers on those promises. Given that there really is still so little insight into the psychology of most serial murderers, a lot of the uncertainly here could have been excused if we hadn't been lured into these pages with the cover's promise of "definitiveness" dangled in front of us like candy from a stranger.

The beginning chapters are especially disappointing. They are full of loosely written anecdote, repetitions, backtrackings, and citations of contradictory statistics. There was a recent spike in serial killings; any spike in killings is more apparent than real, probably a function of recording/classifying technique. Serial killers are actually a very rare phenomenon, there only having been 399 in recorded history; serial killers can and probably have lurked ubiquitously, brushing past us all the time, hidden behind facades of normalcy. The reader is ping-ponged between such opposing assertions. Also, statistical breakdowns sometimes confusingly add up to either more or less than 100%.

While the writing remains generally loose, almost to the point of being sloppy throughout, things do improve as Vronsky gets into case studies. He has a particularly long section on Ted Bundy, providing a few insights that didn't come out in the excellent movie, "The Deliberate Stranger," and that didn't get generally circulated. It's the same with Ted Kaczynski, the "Unibomber" whom it's revealed might have been gulled into participating in potentially dangerous and disorienting LSD experiments done at Harvard.

He also has a fairly good section on John Wayne Gacy in which he quotes Gacy as maintaining that it was "the other guy tilt" who killed all the youths found in his crawl space. Actually, that phrase, "The Other Guy Tilt" with its unstudied, sharply akimbo connotations, would have been a better title for this book than the misleadingly conclusive and academic titles that Vronsky chose.

Even with the case studies, there is something to be disappointed about though. The reader might wish that Vronksy had spent less time on already well-documented lives, and had probed more into the backgrounds of killers who got less media coverage, at least in the U.S. There are so many (such as Dr. Marcel Petiot) who are disposed of in thumbnail sketches, even though their elaborate techniques might have provided a gateway into the murderer's mind.

One gets the feeling Vronsky wanted to put something sensational and saleable on the market as quickly as possible, and didn't want to be bothered doing any difficult, original researches. He settled for second-hand sources, then jotted something down.

However, the book did hold my interest. Some of the last chapters provided especially valuable correctives to the impression of forensic infallibility we get from modern TV shows and movies. For example, Vronsky points out some of the failings of the FBI's classification systems.

On the whole, this book is worth reading, but there are probably better-researched volumes on serial killers out there.

Ever since I first read "The Stranger Beside Me", the ground-breaking book about the serial killings of Ted Bundy, so brilliantly written by Ann Rule, I have read lots of true crime books covering serial killers.

This is one of the best books I've seen covering the topic of serial killers, and is well worth the read. It is truly an educational and well-written study of a stranger who may be beside us!

Peter Vronsky has an interesting personal perspective on serial killers. His book does not try to be a definitive source on all serial killers, but does try to provide an over view to the world that some of these killers live in. His writing is thought provoking and brings to light many interesting statistics and facts about both serial killers and profilers. Definitely a great read for both the amateur as well as the professionals who may have to be searching for the killers. Also has a nice bonus chapter about surviving serial killer abductions.

A lot of reviews focused on the history covered by this book, but what I found most compelling was in fact the second half, which discussed the "formation" of a serial killer.

In the first half, the author goes back a few centuries to uncover gruesome truths of serial killers across Europe. With every chapter, he steps forward in time, narrating the lives and biographies of famous and not-so-famous killers, from Jack the Ripper to the Boston Strangler. Every page delivers a shock, as the lives and practices of the killers are revealed.

If you manage to survive through the photos in the center without passing out at the gore, you'll find the second half even more gripping. It explains how a serial killer develops, how his behavior differs from others in childhood, how he strikes his first victim, and the pattern that dictates his life from there on. There is plenty on the many types of killers and their various approaches to murder.

A fair portion near the end of the book is dedicated to criminal profiling and crime scene investigation. The book closes with a chilling chapter on how to survive if you find yourself at the mercy of a serial killer.

A very engaging read if you have the heart for the gruesome details!

One of the best books on the subject. Comprehensive & detailed w/ case studies. I couldn't put it down.

Mr. Biondi, long since retired from the law enforcement field, recognizes a "good thing" when he sees it. Since Douglas, Ressler (now Hazelwood, too) and others who ever got involved in ANY sensational murder dubbed serial (with elements of psychopathy or not) started to "cash in" on the hype and sensationalism of criminal profiling per se (not a science), it was only a matter of time before others would of lesser-known identity (usually they can't afford to hire a publicist like the aforementioned) too. The book brings no new information to the reader and to the reader who happens to be a professional in the field, the book further lends credibility to the hype in this over-zealous field of crime writers and investigators turned "wanna-be criminal psychologists". No thanks ... don't bother, I'll stick to Dick Tracy, Mike Hammer, Mickey Spillane, Mannix, Columbo, amd quite possibly tune in to the "Man from U.N.C.L.E.", too.

I thought the writing was more like that of a highschool senior and not a journalism teacher. The facts were not totally accurate, at least to the part of the story I have personal knowledge of. Lastly Mr Henderson spelled my daughter's name wrong it's Nichole not Nicole.
Steve Higgins

Wonderfully written and well researched. It provides great insight into the psychological origin of a serial killer. Great Book.

I read the other comments and would like to say to the mother of one of Kibbe's victims that I am very sorry for her terrible loss... One of the elements that elevates this book above most true-crime reporting is the emphasis on the victims, who they were, who loved them, who misses them. Murder can so often seem like just numbers, incomprehensible and not close enough to home to worry about. Along with an excellent, compelling account of the development of the investigation, Henderson brings home the full tragedy.

Rarely do I find true crime books that are written so well. This book, although about a true killing spree, reads like a novel and is hard to put down. I can't count the number of nights I found myself reading it until 2 in the morning. Outstanding journalism which brings in the human interest of the detectives, the victims, and the killer. Must read!!