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The
A To Z Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Review
contributed by Jenn: |
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| Bestial By Harold Schechter Simon & Schuster Earle Leonard Nelson had a really sucky press officer. How else to explain the sheer anonymity of this compelling thug? Known as the "Gorilla Killer" for his cruel deeds which obviously were accomplished with great strength and savagery, Nelson traveled the West Coast starting in 1926, beginning in San Francisco and working his way north, raping and murdering landladies along the way. His modus operandi was to pretend to be a prospective tenant in order to gain access to the house, and used his incredibly strong hands to strangle the poor woman to death before raping her corpse. In all, Nelson murdered more than 20 people, and his life story - the chronicle of an eccentric simpleton who grew into a monstrous married oaf - is as compelling as his crimes. Wonderful reading! NNNN - Bestial Bliss! |
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| Depraved By Harold Schechter Simon & Schuster Another stellar book by primo true crime historian Harold Schechter. This one details H. H. Holmes, the 19th Century Chicago pyschopath who created a "castle" filled with dungeons and torture chambers where he lured World's Fair goers to their doom. This book doesn't actually focus on the World's Fair happenings, but rather the sad fate of some of his other victims... which is both good and bad. It's good because the story of how he betrayed and destroyed a family makes for a compelling read, but it's bad because I felt like I didn't get the whole story of Holmes. Still, a very good book. (For more on Holmes and the magic of the World's Fair, see the excellent Devil In The White City) NNNN - A Depraved Delight! |
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| Deranged By Harold Schechter Simon & Schuster Ah, Albert Fish! The Supreme American Sadist! The Inspiration for the cannibalism in Hannibal. A Pervert Extraordinaire who enjoyed sticking pins in his groin and considered the electric chair the "Supreme Thrill". In the realm of Serial Killer Lore, you just can't find many killers as fascinating as this one. He really set the standard for the Dahmers and Cholenko's of the world to follow. And this is an excellent summation of his "career" - written again by the imminently readable historian Harold Schechter. A most fascinating read. NNNN - Positively Yummy! |
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| The
Devil In The White City By Erik Larson Vintage This book is about the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893 which was held in Chicago, and was one of the greatest artistic, engineering, and architectural achievements in American history. And it's about our old friend H. H. Holmes, widely-regarded as America's first serial killer, who built a hotel to lure young fair-goers, of the female variety, to a most grim fate. Strangely enough, it wasn't the chapters of the book that discuss Holmes that I found most interesting. Rather, it was the work of Daniel Burnham and Frederick Olmsted, as the construction supervisor and landscape architect of the fair, that I found fascinating. The fact that they were able to pull off the fair and turn the desolate, muddy wild that was Jackson Park into the glorious, sparkling White City in such a short period of time is truly amazing. Especially when you learn of all the things that went wrong during the construction! And the World's Columbian Exposition itself is such a subject of fascination for a nostalgic soul like myself. So many things that we take for granted today originated or were popularized during this fair: Cracker Jacks, the Ferris Wheel, the carnival midway, shredded wheat, AC electricity, even that exotic little snake-charmer melody that goes, "There's a place in France where the naked ladies dance..." It's a fascinating chronicle and I highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in history! (For more on Holmes, see Depraved) NNNNN - An Affair To Remember! |
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| Fiend By Harold Schechter Simon & Schuster This is one of the most captivating "true crime" books I've ever read. It details the life and sorry times of 19th Century Boston "Boy Fiend" Jesse Pomeroy, a strange youngster who got sexual kicks from torturing and killing children. Harold does an exceptional job at replaying the events leading up to Jesse's arrest and life imprisonment. Just the thought that there were monsters like Jesse roaming the streets in 1872 makes life much more interesting, don't you think? If I were a filmmaker, I'd jump all over this story! NNNNN -Fiendishly Fantastic!! |
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| House
of Secrets by Lowell Cauffiel (Pinnacle Books) Recommended by sandy: "This book, about the Sexton family... is truly shocking and morbid at times. The pictures in the middle actually show a baby that had been buried by his mother: he looked almost mummified. Ewwwww..." Sounds like a marvelous recommendation to me! I checked out the description of the book and it sounds absolutely fascinating! "'Eddie Lee Sexton is evil incarnate. Like Charles Manson, he exercised a cult-like mind control over others who did his dirty work. But unlike Manson, both Sexton's victims and his subjects were his very own flesh and blood.' As strong as they are, these words from an assistant district attorney barely hint at the depravity hidden for years within the Sexton family. Strange notions about 'Futuretrons' and hand markings that convey absolute power, revelations of incest and physical abuse, bodies buried in the camping area of a Florida state park-- House of Secrets has so many layers of weirdness that it will amaze even seasoned readers of true crime." Comtesse: I'd have to agree that this is a quite fascinating tale of a very evil man. It's not the greatest of true crime novels, but it certainly held my interest. But then again, I find horrible people to be the most fascinating people. Don't you? In any event, the murder itself is not the focus of this book, but the abuse doled out by Eddie is every bit as fascinating. If you need some light reading in the airport, this is a good choice. NNN - Secretively Good |
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| The
Mammoth Book Of The History Of Murder By Colin Wilson Carroll & Graf A great look at murder from the ancients to the present. My favorite parts are the extensive discussion of all manner of blood-thirsty and diabolically imaginative tyrants. (Not Yet Reviewed) |
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| Bad
Girls Do It! - An Encyclopedia of Female Murderers by Michael Newton (Loompanics Unlimited) Recommended by Elizabeth: "I am just finishing up a pretty good book [entitled] 'Bad Girls Do It! An Encyclopedia of Female Murders'. Talk about Girl Power! It ranges from the bored housewife who finds she [would] rather kill herself and [a] hoard of offspring than be a mother, a ton of 'Black Widows' and even some really bizarre women like the lovely Ms. Bathory for one and Delphine Lalaurie, a very interesting character." |
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| Black
Dahlia Avenger by Steve Hodel (Harper Paperbacks) Recommended by Shonagh: "I was at the library and found, Black Dahlia Avenger by Steve Hodel. He is an LAPD detective who worked homocide, but never on the case. He ended up doing all the research for the book after he found a picture of Betty Short in his father's personal photo album. I am only half way through, but I think he is going to accuse his own father. It is a great look into LA in the 40's and 50's." |
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| Blood
Stain by Peter Lalor (Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd - Australia) Recommended by Heather Rank: "I've just finished reading 'Blood Stain' by Peter Lalor - a true crime account of of a really gruesome murder here in Australia. I'm not sure if you ever posted the details of Katherine Knight - the devoted Aussie grandmother who murdered her de-facto husband by stabbing him forty times. The gross bit is what she did afterwards - skinned him then boiled his head and served it up for two of his children (I think with potatoes and carrots - hee!). The best bits of the book is the descriptions of the crime scene given by the poor country town coppers who had to go in there - things like 'the skinned body glistened on the floor,' 'the skin was hung up on a hook, looking like a grotesque wetsuit,' and 'when he looked into the pot on the stove, one boiled eye stared blankly back at him'. Absolutely fascinating stuff. The book delves into her horrid childhood and just how much of a lunatic she really was! Anyway, it is readily available from www.dymocks.com.au and is cheap as chips once you covert it into US dollars. Check it out!" |
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| A
Bloody Business by H. Paul Jeffers (B&N Books) Recommended by Lily: "A History of the Scotland Yard, which details many of the cases they have dealt with over the years (most notably and thoroughly discussed is the Jack the Ripper case, but of course!) A few fabulous pictures, esp. that of a wax sculpture of George Jacobs Smith drowning one of his wives, and wonderfully chilling stories." |
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| Buried
Dreams by Tim Cahill (Bantam) Recommended by Michael: "...an excellent, if chilling book [which] frighteningly recounts the life and grisly deeds of John Wayne Gacy. If you have not read it, it's well worth looking for." |
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Cannibal
Killers : The History of Impossible Murderers |
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| Cellar
of Horror by Ken Englade (St. Martin's Paperbacks) Recommended by Lenore: "A fantastic book on Gary Heidnick is Cellar of Horror." |
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| Citizen
X by Robert Cullen (Ivy Books) Recommended by Carolyn: "I have a morbid read/movie for ya! The book and the movie is called Citizen X. It is about the worst Russian serial killer in history (killing, raping and mutilating over 70 people over a 30 year span.) The book has many morbid details and Donald Sutherland does a fine job in the movie. Worth checking out!" |
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| The
Complete History Of Jack The Ripper by Philip Sudgen (Carroll & Graf) Recommended by b si: "I'm surprised you don't have more books on Jack the Ripper... maybe b/c it's a tad overdone... but nonetheless a book called The Complete History of Jack Ripper written by an Englishman called Phillip Sugden is indeed complete and informative. He discounts many other supposed true books about him and goes into many details about not only Jack himself but about the lifestyles of the women killed, the police involved, and others, including witnesses. It has a complete index and is 532 pages long. I haven't read the entire thing but it's pretty good. Its not entirely gruesome but is still a good read. The best part though is the pictures in the middle of the book. They have a picture of one the women's mutilated bodies and an autopsy drawing another. All in all, it's worth the $15." |
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| Countess
Dracula by Tony Thorne (Bloomsbury) Recommended by Scott: "This book is fantastic. It explains that [Elizabeth] was no worse at mistreating her employees than any other noble person in those turbulent times in Central Europe. It explains that she was, in fact, persecuted for being a woman - her male rivals engineered trumped up charges to enrich themselves with her property. The book is quite fascinating and contains information on how brutal times were then... which would no doubt interest you! But, unfortunately for lovers of gore, Elizabeth Bathory was not a monster." |
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| Daddy
Was the Black Dahlia Killer : The Identity of America's Most Notorious
Serial Murderer--Revealed at Last By Janice Knowlton with Michael Newton (Pocket) Recommended by aren't you special: "It is one of the most enduringly fascinating crimes in American history. On January 15, 1947, passersby made a grisly discovery in a vacant lot in Los Angeles: the body of a naked young woman, cut in two, and savagely mutilated. The victim was identified as Elizabeth Short, a struggling Hollywood actress. Nicknamed the Black Dahlia by a headline-hungry press, her lurid demise sparked a desperate manhunt. But the mystery of the Black Dahlia murder remained unsolved for nearly half a century -- until now. "A victim of incest and brutality from infancy, Janice Knowlton was an old hand at repressing hideous memories by age ten, when she watched her father, George Frederick Knowlton, torture, kill, and dismember Elizabeth Short in the detached garage of their California home. It was not the first of Daddy's murders Jon had witnessed, and it would not be the last -- but she had been so traumatized that it took over four decades for fragments of her memory to resurface. Aided by a family counselor specializing in child abuse, Jan experienced a nightmare flood of childhood memories -- and realized that she had witnessed her father commit up to nine savage and sadistic murders, including that of her own infant son, a child of incest. Using census records, maps, family interviews, police reports, and clippings from a dozen newspapers to document her searing memories, Janice exposes her father's thirty-year rampage of rope and murder in this astonishing survivor's testament -- and provides persuasive evidence that Los Angeles low enforcement authorities always knew the shocking truth..." [Sounds like complete bollocks to me, but what do I know? - Comtesse] |
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| Demon
Doctors By Kenneth V. Iserson (Galen Press) "In this first volume of a two-volume series, Dr. Kenneth V. Iserson has assembled eight amazing profiles of some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' most heinous physician-serial killers and -mass murderers. These doctors have perverted the noble ideals of their profession, exploiting the trust inherent in the patient-doctor relationship to their own ends." |
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| Die
For Me: The Terrifying True Story of the Charles Ng & Leonard
Lake Torture Murders By Don Lasseter (Pinnacle Books) "The scariest book I have ever read about serial killers is called 'Die for Me', about Leonard Lake and Charles Ng in Wilseyville, CA. Even the name of the town is creepy. It's probably the first time ever that I was too spooked to finish - only got halfway in my first effort. There is absolutely no morbid humor to be found in that dreadful saga. I did pick it up later and finished it but I almost wish I hadn't." |
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| Dracula
Was A Woman: In Search Of The Blood Countess Of Transylvania by Raymond McNally Recommended by Altaria: "... worth checking out... It's a biography of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory as well as a lovely section about the history of lycanthropy in Europe. Definately worth checking out, although *very* hard to find - cheapest copy I've seen was $80 I think." |
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| The
Evil That Men Do by Stephen G. Michaud Recommended by MRK52659: "An FBI profiler journeys into the minds of sexual predators. Good read!" |
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| Final
Truth by Donald H. Gaskins, Wilton Earle Recommended by Hagondes: "I'm surprised that in your section on killers you left out the cornerstone of any serial killer compendium, 'Final Truth,' by Donald Pee Wee Gaskins. Im sure that I'm not the first person to recomend it but I'll vouch for the fact that it is by far the most disturbing thing you will ever read in terms of serial homocide, because it's an autobiography, written in the whole redneck dialect of Gaskins. As well as the fact that he stands out as one of the most insanely sadistic monster created by the prison systems of South Carolina." |
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| Hunting
The Devil by Richard Lourie Recommended by Bad Kitty: "[I] happened to stumble upon a wonderful book. The book, by Richard Lourie, is titled Hunting the Devil. I am not much of a reader, but this book is to my delight very entertaining. It is about 'the pursuit, capture, and confession of the most savage serial killer in history.' That killer is none other than the sexual cannibal himself, Andrei Chikatilo. "This
story goes back into Chikatilo's younger days and also into the
life of the investigator that caught him and made him confess to
his crimes, Issa Kostoev. All these wonderful murders took place
only a couple of decades ago in Russia. And to think that I knew
nothing about them until recently! I have to study up on my serial
killer memory for I am getting a bit rusty these days (and to think
I am still oh so young!). |
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| In
Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Vintage Books) Recommended by Dov: "To this day a part of that book has stuck in my mind as oddly and uniquely morbid; and it's not the murdering part! If you remember, there was a surviving daughter in the case who had happened to be away at college. When she came home for the funerals she held her long planned wedding since all the other friends and surviving family happened to be there anyway. That wedding must have been festive!" |
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Killer
Fiction |
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| Lustmord:
Sexual Murder in Weimar Germany by Maria M. Tatar (Princeton University Press) William recommends that we, "check out Marie Tatar's delightful 'Lustmord: Sexual Murder in Weimar Germany'. Though it is a bit academic and approaches the subject from a feminist/gender politics/sociological perspective, the book still provides an excellent overview of the subject and will provide hours of enjoyment - if Lustmord is your kind of thing, that is...." |
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| Mistresses
of Mayhem: The Book of Women Criminals by Francine Hornberger (Alpha) Recommended by Sarah: "I have found a wonderful book on women criminals that I thought you might enjoy if you haven't already. It's called Mistresses of Mayhem - The Book of Women Criminals by Francine Hornberger. It has summaries on the criminals lives of a number of women from Lizzie Borden to the Manson women to Karla Faye Tucker. Very interesting reading... if you're into that sort of thing." |
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| The
Most Evil Men and Women In History by Miranda Twiss (Michael O'Mara Books) Recommended by Ladyfreud: I have come upon a great read (so far). A very interesting little book titled 'The Most Evil Men and Women in History' by Miranda Twiss. It's spanned out over the last 2000 years. Not enough pictures :( But still interesting. It includes: Caligula
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| Mutiny
on the Globe by Thomas Farel Heffernan Recommended by Jen: "... this is a really great new book- lots of mutiny and long bloody knives" |
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| Out
Of The Shadows by Anne Marie West and Virginia Hill Recommended by Joey: "[You previously featured a] morbid fact... about the West couple, who raped and murdered young women, and even their own daughter and the first wife of Fred West. It reminded me of a book my mother once lent me. It´s called Out of the Shadows, and it is the biography/memoirs of Anne Marie West - the child of Fred West and his ex-wife. It describes her childhood, and the cruel way she and her siblings were treated by Fred and Rosemary. It´s a rough, but true story, and makes a truly morbid read." |
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| Party
Monster: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland by James St. James (Simon & Schuster) Recommended by Ameehan: "Wonderfully snarky and frank recount of the Clubkid Murder by James St. James. I *adore* this book." |
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| The
Shoemaker: The Anatomy of a Psychotic by Flora Rheta Schreiber Recommended by Char. Here's a review from Amazon.Com: "THE SHOEMAKER is a rarity amongst books that deal with killers, in that it's not tabloidish or sensational. Additionally, Flora Schreiber does what no genre book has done, truly get behind the mind of her subject. The psychotic killer, Joe Kallinger, is the subject that Schreiber (who penned SYBIL..that many know of from the Sissy Spacek movie) so thoroughly and convincingly covers. At points you feel as if you're reading an autobiography; so in depth this book is. The portrayals of Kallinger's 'visions,' his lapses into the surreal and unreal, are so vivid, so real, that the reader themselves will feel as if they were in a trance or on a mind-altering narcotic. While Schreiber certainly feels for her subject, she doesn't lose sight of the fact that this man, despite his mental shortcoming that were bred from an odd childhood, did take the lives of others, including that of his own seed. Tough to find, you can't go wrong with seeking it out." |
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Sniper's Sin by David Alan Soprano Recommended by Stephen: "Maybe, you should read 'A Sniper's Sin', by 'David Alan Soprano' (a fake name). He's a former Vietnam / CIA sniper-turned-Mob hitman, and his stories'll make you ill, knowing that a man could be such an animal. His job was to kill VC, but he slowly started to turn evil, and the book is all about his turn. If you're not sure, read the last paragraph of the book first... ...I promise you that'll be enough to make you buy the book." |
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| The
Strange Case Of H. H. Holmes Produced by John Borowski; Edited by Dimas Estrada (Waterfront Productions) Here's the press release: New H.H. Holmes book now available! You've read about the WHITE CITY...Now read about the DEVIL. 3 BOOKS...1 SERIAL KILLER "The Strange Case of Dr. H.H. Holmes" contains three fully illustrated, unabridged primary source books, plus Holmes' published confession as originally documented shortly before his execution. For the first time in over a century, these materials are again available - and all in one book. HOLMES'
OWN STORY by Herman W. Mudgett - 1895 THE
HOLMES-PITEZEL CASE by Detective Frank Geyer - 1896 THE
HOLMES CASTLE by Robert Corbitt - 1895 THE
CONFESSION OF H.H. HOLMES - 1896 The
Strange Case of Dr. H.H. Holmes ***ORDER
YOUR COPY NOW*** "Anyone
with an interest in true crime or is studying criminology, law or
forensics should own this book which focuses on an awesome, groundbreaking
historical case." Soft
cover 6" x 9" - Perfect Bound - 430 Pages - ISBN: 0975918516 Website: For more information - http://www.strangecase.com |
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| The
Thames Torso Murders of Victorian London by R. Michael Gordon (McFarland & Company) Recommended by zale: "... details some wonderfully gruesome murders that have unfortunately been overshadowed by Jack the Ripper and his crimes, though the book does try to link them together." |
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| Torso by Brian Michael Bendis (Image Comics) Recommended by mattsochocki. Do you remember the Morbid Fact Du Jour about Cleveland's unidentified Torso Killer? You may remember the delightful rhyme that schoolkids of the time used to sing? "Floating down the river, chunk by chunk by chunk/Arms and legs and torsos, hunk by hunk by hunk." If not, check the April 12, 2003 MFDJ. In any event, did you know that there is a graphic novel inspired by this true tale of gruesome gore? Mattsochocki did, and he sent me notification of the existence of Torso, which sounds positively fascinating based on this Amazon.Com blurb: "Cleveland. 1935. Eliot Ness, fresh from his legendary Chicago triumph over Al Capone and associates, sets his sights on Cleveland. He went on a crusade that matched, and sometimes even surpassed, his past accomplishments. But dismembered body parts started washing up in a concentrated area of Lake Erie Sound. Headless torsos that left no clues to their identity or reason for death. Eliot Ness and his colorful gang of THE UNKNOWNS chased this killer through the underbelly of Cleveland for years. As far as the public was concerned, he was never captured. But what really happened is even more shocking. This award winning series is finally collected into this handsome edition. Also included is material never seen before and a photo essay of the actual murders." |
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| The
Torso Murder: The Untold Story Of Evelyn Dick by Brian Vallee (Key Porter Books) Recommended by Dwayne. Amazon review: "A fresh and fascinating look at the Evelyn Dick murder trial and the intriguing mystery of her disappearance." |
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| Torso:
The Evelyn Dick Case by Marjorie Campbell (New American Library) Recommended by zale: "This is a favourite of mine, not only because it is local (and involves dead babies inside suitcases encased in cement) but because the body was found by children. Children who were friends with my father, who had asked him to go with them on that fateful day - unfortunately Dad didn't go." It's always fun to have a connection to an infamous case of morbidity! |
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| Torture
Killers by Rose Mandelsberg (Pinnacle Books) Recommended by Dahne Larmon: "Very good book!" |
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A
Treasury Of Victorian Murder A
Treasury of Victorian Murder Jack
the Ripper: A Journal of the Whitechapel Murders 1888-1889 The Borden Tragedy: A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892 |
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Shocking Suggestions... |
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