Serial Murder Books

This book grabs your attention from the very first paragraph as it describes the events leading up to Dennis Nilsen's arrest. It explains in detail Nilsen's early years, and the profound psychological effect on the 6 year-old Nilsen when he sees his first dead body - the corpse of his beloved grandfather.
Although Nilsen's crimes were horrific and, to us, senseless, you cannot help but feel immensely sorry for a man who is so consumed with loneliness that he prefers the company of a corpse to no company at all, hence the title of the book. One can but imagine what might have been if Nilsen had been able to form a stable and secure relationship with someone.


An extremely interesting book for anyone interested in the criminal mind - but definitely not for the squeamish.

After the Jeffrey Dahmer story broke, it was easy to think that no one else like him ever did or ever could have lived. After all, his motive for killing was bizarre to say the least-- he wanted to keep the men he picked up from leaving him. Then a few years later I picked up Brian Masters' Killing for Company almost by chance-- It was shocking: here was Dahmer's mirror image in a quiet British civil servant named Dennis Nilson. For some reason his crimes had not been publicized in the US.

Nilson's crimes had been discovered in 1983 when the plumbing in his apartment buildng started to back up. Workmen were called in and discovered what looked like human flesh was the problem. The police questioned Nilson who confessed to his crime. He had been actively killing young men for 4 years and using their bodies in bizarre tableaus of domesticity and no one had noticed--would probably not have noticed had it not been that his plumbing couldn't handle his method of body disposal.

Masters' book does a very good job of laying out Nilson's life. It is definitely not a quickie books churned out to take advantage of a sensational crime. If you are at all interesed in the darkest, most tabu areas of the human soul this is a very interesting read.

This one is a great mystery. However, there were parts, in my opinion, that were not detailed enough.

It will grab the reader's attention quickly and hold onto it through out the book and is well written.

Yes, this one is worth you money!

Prom night is a special night in every teenager's life; it is a night that should be remembered for the rest of your life. In a way it signifies you are on the way to becoming an adult and growing up. But unfortunately, tragedies occasionally are drawn to nights like these and when that happens it changes everyone's life and not always for the better. Sharyn Howard is following the family tradition, Law Enforcement. Her grandfather was the Sheriff of Diamond Springs, North Carolina and her father had replaced him. Now she has replaced her father becoming the first woman ever elected here for sheriff, unfortunately she had replaced her father because he was shot and killed. Now this small town has once again been shaken to the very foundations. Another young girl has been killed on prom night. The last time was exactly ten years ago at Sharyn's own prom, Leila Bentley was killed in almost the exact same manner. Sharyn isn't sure what is going on, but she has a gut feeling that this was the work of the same person. But to act on that would mean that her father somehow arrested and the town convicted the wrong man and the killer had been here all this time. Now Sharyn must decide if she is going to go against not just her mother and closest friends, but the entire town and reopen the old case to try and solve this one. Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene have created a book that is well worth the money to get it. Last Dance flows smoothly, fast paced with just the right touch. Although there is one section that could have been spread out more, with a smaller leap to the conclusion, it is still a book that is hard to put down and you won't want to put down until the last page is turned.

Tracy Eastgate Reviewer

Unique in the genre, this book takes the reader through actual news clippings surround the Jack The Ripper case. The authors are clearly well-versed and don't seem to have a bias toward the identity of the ripper. It reads as easily as watching a documentary and for anyone really interested in the curiosity of Jack the Ripper, the book is well worth the heafty cover price. If not for volume for the book is thin but for the integrity and presention of the material. Hats off to the authors!

The News from Whitechapel is an excellent treatise of the Ripper Murders and how the contemporary people of Victorian London heard and felt about the atrocities that occurred during the Autumn of 1888.
This virtual day-by-day account of the events related to the 5 Canonical Victims, not only fills the imagine about life at that time, but provides rational thought and insight into their deaths while correcting errors and mistakes reported by the contemporary press.
Many books on Jack the Ripper invariably try to name a suspect or are slanted toward a suspect - NFW authors (well known and respected in this area of study) deal only with the information at hand without grandstanding, wishfull conjectures, or ultimate disappointment.
Over 118 years ago, there were well over 100 newspapers circulating in London - some "penny pieces", some weekly periodicals, while some daily publications had large circulations - one even boasted having 1 Million Readers! Each talking about, reporting on, or relating stories pertaining to the murders - it was, after all, the OJ Simpson media sensation of their day!
The News from Whitechapel is well worth the read for the JtR novice or "expert" alike for its comprehensive and solid look at the murders, which have yet to be solved.
Highly recommended as a source companion for the experienced or as a solid foundation for the beginner.

A friend sent me an email a while back telling me she would mail me a copy of this as she had received it from one of her reading pals. I finished it late one Sunday afternoon and realized the weekend was lost...I could NOT put this down. It's one of the most disturbing serial killer novels I've read, and from my reading experiences that's saying something. My expectations were high and I try to be cautious about this as it's inevitable to be disappointed, but I almost stood up and applauded when it was over. Dylan Jones is most certainly on my must-read list now and I'm amazed that this novel was published five years ago without my knowing about it. It deserves every bit of recognition Silence of the Lambs gets. Incidently, this once again reaffirms my belief that St Martin's Press is a can't-miss publisher. Every novel I've read published them has become a favorite of mine!

Oh, this is a creepy thriller. I thought it might turn out to be a run-of-the-mill Brit serial-killer novel, but it has many more chills than the average. The cover compares it to Silence of the Lambs, but you never get as close to the protagonist as you do to Clarice Starling. The villain gets you, though, just like Hannibal. This book is strong for such a slim volume.

Outside the Rules is creepy and scary, pretty high praise for this particular genre.

Laura

This site dosen't have a picture of the book so first let me say that it's a large hard-cover book with half the face of Jeffrey Dahmer and the words 'Serial Killers- The Stories of History's Most Evil Murderers' on the front.

As far as the content.. it dosen't disapoint. This book lists almost every single serial killer that are more well known as well as some you most likely have never heard of...Prominent killers from Australia, England, South Africa, Russia and New Zealand as well as almost all the American ones.

It's a very well put together book that gives it an edge on many other serial killer books because of all the pictures which are close ups and shots you most likely have not scene. Most other serial killer books usually just have the stories and a couple pictures but this has close up pictures of them all in black and white.

It pretty much covers it all.. why they do it, who they are and what they gain from it.. I could only think of one serial killer that was missing but he's not that well known amongst the general population though I consider him to be one of the worst but that's the only one not in here.

Overall, it's a very well put together book with the facts and profiles as well as full stories about the killers and victims. I pretty much know many of these cases by heart and did notice some small inconsistencies that were off that were somewhat annoying but for the most part it's pretty factual. Other than that I consider this worth the money and it's a unique addition to the true crime genre.

This book is more like an encyclopedia of 50 of the notorious serial killers around. Fortunately, it does not forget the names of the many victims whose lives are taken. The book provides an introduction and an explanation on what identifies a serial killer as well.
The list of contents include the following profiles:
Jack the Ripper of London, England
Herman Webster Mudgett a.k.a. Dr. H.H. Holmes of USA
Bela Kiss of Hungary,
Henri Landru of France
Fritz Haarmann of Hannover, Germany
Carl Panzram of USA
Peter Kurten of Germany
Leonard Earle Nelson of USA
Marcel Petiot of France
John George Haigh of England
William Heirens of USA
John Reginald Christie of London, England
Edward Theodore Gein of Plainfield, Wisconsin, USA
Harvey Glatman of Los Angeles, California
Albert DeSalvo of Massachusetts
Ian Brady and Myra Hindley of Manchester, England
Lucian Staniak of Poland
Jerome Brudos of USa
Zodiac Killer of California
Henry Lee Lucas of USA
Edmund Kemper of USA
Arthur Shawcross of USA
John Wayne Gacy of Illinois, USA
Ted Bundy of USA
David Berkowitz of New York, USA
Peter Sutcliffe of Yorkshire, England
Dean Corll & Wayne Henley of USA
Donald Henry Gaskins of USA
Dennis Nilsen of London, England
Fred & Rosemary West of Gloucester, England
Ken Bianchi & Angela Buono of Los ANgeles, California USA
Ricahrd Trenton Chase of Sacramento, California USA
Donald Harvey of USA
Wayne Williams of Atlanta, Georgia USA
John Francis Duffy of USA
Clifford Raymond Olson of Canada
Gary Leon Ridgway of Seattle, Washington USA
Genene JOnes of USA
Andrei Chikatilo of Russia
Leonard Lake and Charles Ng of California, USA
Richard Ramirez of Los Angeles, California USA
David & CAtherine Birnie of Australia
Aileen Wuornos of Florida, USA
Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka of Canada
Dr. Harold Shipman of Englnad
Jeffrey Dahmer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Colin Ireland of England
Moses Sithole of South Africa
Ivan Milat of Australia
John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo of USA

SERIAL KILLLERS CAN BE ANYONE.YOUR FRIENDS NIEGHBORS,AND EVEN FAMILY MEMBERS.THIS IS A SAD FACT OF LIFE.PEOPLE ARE MURDERD EVERY DAY.THIS BOOK GOES TROUGH THE LIVES OF 7 SERIAL KILLERS. H.H.HOLMES A SAVAGE SERIAL KILLER WHO IS CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE THE FIRST MODERN AMERICAN SERIAL KILLER.THIS BOOK EXPOSSES THE MOST HORRIFIC CRIMES THAT ENYONE HAS EVER SEEN.
ED GEIN,ONLY KILLED TWO WOMEN BUT THIS BOOK TAKE YOU TO GEIN'S CULT LEGEN STATUS.
SIMPLY BY THE NAME"TED BUNDY" IT INVOKES THE IMAGE OF BRUTALY MURDERED AND RAPED YOUNG GIRLS.BUNDY'S ACTION OF HIS CROSS-COUNTRY RAMPAGEIN TH 70'S TERRFIED THE ENTIRE NATION.
THESE THREE OF SEVEN SIREAL KILLERS ARE NOT THE BEST KNOWN,BUT THEY ALLMADE AN INDELIDLE MARK IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

This fascinating book is part of the History Makers series, a series of books for young adults that offer short biographies of people who made history, either for good or for ill. This particular book covers serial killers, and has biographies of Herman Mudgett (a.k.a. H.H. Holmes, The Torture Doctor), Albert Fish, Ed Gein, Andrei Chikatilo, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Each murderer is given a full biography, covering his early years, crimes, capture, trial, and punishment.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating read. Though it is intended for young adults, don't sell this book short. In fact, it gives an excellent introduction to each of the murderers.

Now, as you might expect with a book on this subject, many of the details of the crimes are quite horrifying, so this book should not be given to younger or more sensitive readers. But, that said, if you are interested in serial killers, this is a great book to begin with.

My one suggestion - don't read this book after dark!

Mark Miano's second book featuring Channel 8 newswriter Michael Carpo is an exciting story with plenty of action and enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing. When a serial killer named the Sandman strikes in the East Village, Michael Carpo is drawn into the investigation because not only is he a witness to the crime, but the victim, a young flight attendant, was his neighbor. Mark Miano sets himself apart from other writers in the genre by not only delivering good stories without depending on graphic violence or profanity, but by giving us believable characters that the reader can like and care about. **Don't miss FLESH AND STONE, the first book to feature Micahel Carpo.

The Sandman is the latest serial killer to catch the attention of the public. He is a madman who confines his murders to women living on the lower east side of Manhattan. The media gave him his moniker because of his ability to slip unnoticed into the living quarters of his victims. Unlike his mythological namesake who gently puts people to sleep, the killer uses an ice pick to pluck out the eyes of his victims. Through his window, Michael Carpo, a TV news writer, notices a man in a trench coat running at the same time he hears woman screaming.

The hysterical woman has just discovered the mutilated corpse of her neighbor, Cheryl White. The police believe that Cheryl is latest casualty of the feared Sandman. Instead of just reporting the story, Carpo has become part of the story. He begins to investigate the death of Cheryl. He soon learns that the Sandman goes after brown eyed girls, not blue eyed like Cheryl was. If he continues down the path he has chosen, Carpo may find his life is the next offering of a copy cat killer.

Mark Miano's latest novel is a very good story that is loaded with action, well-developed characters, and incredible layers of atmosphere that capture the reader's notice. Though atmospheric based books typically fail, in the hands of Mr. Miano the story becomes a one sitter. The ending is a total surprise as a murder mystery inserted within a murder mystery is cleverly accomplished. Fans of serial killers and who-done-its in general will want to visit THE STREET WHERE SHE LIVED because this is one trip that will not disappoint anyone.

Harriet Klausner

This is the first in the Women's Murder Club series and it is the first James Patterson book I've read. He is a popular and prolific writer, and this thriller doesn't disappoint. It may not be great literature, but it is easy reading with very short chapters and it keeps the reader's interest to the end. The reason I read the book is because of the TV series based on these books about four women -- a detective, a medical examiner, a crime reporter and an assistant district attorney -- who band together to solve crimes. They call themselves the Women's Murder Club. In this first book Detective Lindsay Boxer is also battling a serious illness and is involved in a romance as well as solving a series of murders. This is a good book to take along on a trip. It will help pass the time at the airport and on the plane.

I have a long drive to work and back through lots of traffic, but this book made me drive so much easier.

First book in the Women's Murder Club series.

Four professional women in San Francisco (a cop, a medical examiner, an assistant DA, and a reporter) join forces to catch a serial killer who is brutally murdering newlyweds.

Lots of page-turning action and Patterson's trademark gruesome, misogynistic murders. Read this for the gory murder mystery, not for the character development. While I didn't love it, I liked it enough that I will continue to read the series.

I started this series on the sixth book, so when I saw this at an airport, I was excited about finding out how the WMC had started. I really enjoyed reading about it unfolding. The mystery of the plot kept me intrigued. It did get a little more graphic than I would have liked at times, and I almost lowered it to 3 stars as a result.

I love murder mysteries, When I first saw this series on television I had to read the books. The only problem I had is that linday has dark hair on t.v. and the books have her as a blonde. Putting that aside the story introduces all the characters, and they work well together and support each other while solving violent crimes. Each woman plays a vital roll to the story. If you do not like women who are in charge and are lead characters, then this is not for you. I personally loved it.

This book, The Lion's Game, falls under the same category as most of Stephen King's work - not serious literature but enjoyable stuff, a so-called "page-turner". The thing was huge, almost 1,000 pages, but it was quick read. It was a suspenseful tale about a Libyan terrorist coming to the United States for pay back to the Libyan air raid in 1986. It was published before September 11th, 2001; I'm not certain how well novels about terrorists would sell today, since it has become clear it's more than just a fun read. The ending, I'll say, is disappointing.

If not for the excellent story, I would have gone with 3 stars. The novel starts off very well with a good suspense drama playing out. The book ends very well. The story is an excellent thriller, which is very well written at the beginning & end. At over 920 pages, I wasn't crazy about the middle. The middle story is a bit long in the tooth with the hero's dialogue. Broken into alternating chapters of heroes & the villain, I found myself rapt with the villain's chapters & only scanning through the drawn out monotony of John Corey & Kate Mayfield. Corey's wise guy sense of humor also grows old. It's a bit much & over the top. The character becomes wearisome. If you can make it through the middle story of this novel, by all means read it. The story itself is excellent. Corey, unfortunately is another matter

My first DeMille book and it will not be the last. This book sat on my shelf for about 2 years. I was hesitant to start a book with over 900 pages. At last, thinking I would be reading the same book all summer I picked it up. Two weeks later I was done. Suspense all through. Don't miss it.

This is a thrilling read....land the plane!!! What's Asad doing? Time to go to sleep, work tomorrow. What about taking a vacation day? I'll just read a few more pages. A feeling takes over ...must know his next move. Open the plane doors... expectations, wide-eyed panoramas. One man's mind set, true belief in what he is....determined, resolved...no regrets. Feel your knowledge grow of other places, another's culture, another's beliefs as you follow Asad as he wrecks his personal war on a country long languishing in peaceful content....thought of as untouchable, Asad has arrived....he is "the fire this time"

BRAVO....what a read...

Asad Khalil's entire family was killed in the 1986 US air raid of Al Azziziyah, the military headquarters of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Now a fully trained and utterly ruthless Libyan terrorist nicknamed "The Lion", Khalil is on a personal jihad - vengeance and the assassination of the pilots who flew that deadly bombing mission so many years ago. De Mille's plot in "The Lion's Game" is simplicity itself - former NYPD Detective John Corey and his side kick, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, both on contract to the ATTF (the Anti-Terrorist Task Force) are led on a merry cross country chase tracking down Khalil as he leaves a grisly trail of death and destruction.

Corey's fans who were first introduced to his somewhat off-beat style in "Plum Island", will be pleased to see that Corey remains unremittingly irascible and a package with no surprises - brash, vulgar, earthy, outrageously opinionated, self-righteous and arrogant, in your face, sarcastic to a fault and oversexed. Yet he can also be witty, humorous, kind, warm, loving and even self-effacing on the odd occasion. Mayfield, the obvious sexual and romantic interest in the book, gives as good as she gets and serves as a great foil to Corey's antics. The sparks fly as the relationship heats up but De Mille's writing never descends into soap opera or melodrama.

Whether De Mille's efforts to get inside Khalil's head and psychologically probe the motivations of a determined Islamic terrorist is accurate is, of course, impossible to say. But one must give credit where credit is due. Written in 2000, "The Lion's Game" was an uncanny, almost eerie predictor of the catastrophic attack that took place at the World Trade Centre in New York a scant one year later. And the ending of the novel, which leaves us wondering about the future, is simply a reflection of reality in which the global war against terrorism is an ongoing story whose ending has likewise not yet been written.

Four stars and two thumbs up! Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

I tend not to enjoy books, fiction, non-fiction or fiction based on non-fiction on this era in American history but this book is extraordinary. Carr does an exemplary job of portraying the darkness of NY and the tenements and despair being a very effective backdrop for this equally dark story. Carr is a master of good old fashioned mystery, using real characters and real landmarks that makes this book all the more effective.

This is one of the reasons I enjoyed The Anatomy of Deception by Goldstone. The two are similar although, Carr is much more effective.

While The Anatomy of Deception uses characters not as well known to the reader, a little research of those characters history will no doubt make The Anatomy of Deception a good read for those who enjoyed the Alienist.

The Alienist is a very good book and I enjoyed it immensely.

This is the second Caleb Carr book I've read and it will be the last. Carr follows Charles Dickens in the tradition of using 100 words to say what 15 could have said.

The plot is slow to develop. Carr sacrifices reader interest for the sake of creating mood. He succeeds in doing both - mood is created and I nearly lost interest. I forced my self to move on, suck it up and finish and I was rewarded with a decent last 100 pages or so. But, the payoff was not early enough for all the build-up.

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone except for the most hardcore fans of mystery and/or New York City.

I first read The Alienist when I was 13. Arguably a bit too young, but I did it anyway. In the 10 years since my first exposure, I've probably read it 10-15 times in whole or in part.

The level of historical research and the fact that most of the characters actually existed is unmatched. Some other reviewers have called it "boring" and "sophomoric". I wonder what grade they got in American History? ;) The characters were strong and relatable. Sara is one of my favorite heroines in all of literature. Of course the plot and descriptions can be gory at times, but the 19th century slums were like that. Carr spared nothing in his descriptions of the conditions in which most people lived. As the editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, Carr has an even better understanding of how to properly research and present his findings in a creative way.

It's an excellent crime drama. It's a veritable encyclopedia of criminology from the turn of the century. In this era of DNA and GCMS, most seem laughable. However, they were relied upon for years. Fingerprinting is briefly touched upon and it's somthing that we take for granted in the crime solving process.

It's definitely a book for people with an interest in history. I would call it a "smart" book because it requires you to think. If you're looking for something fluffy and mindless, I certainly would not suggest this book. Perhaps a Dan Brown novel instead.

This is my all time favorite book. If you love historical fiction and/or crime novels you must read this! The story and characters are fabulous. It is such a page turner I could not sleep for three days until I finished it! And then I was sad it was done!

Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read, and I've read a lot. Its characters are so strong and leave one of the strongest residual traces of any novel I've picked up. Caleb Carr's New York is almost as vivid and visual as a movie, the author's researched the historical facts very well. I've recommended this to a lot of people. However, the follow up, "Angel of Darkness" was very disappointing.