Uncovering the Horrifying Truth: A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Most Notorious Serial Killers

GardeningMarmee: I enjoy Schechter’s books as they tend to be well written & thorough. I would have 5 starred this one, except there was some (IMHO) unnecessary repetitive information, almost as if each section was/had been previously published.
Well worth the read.

United States on Sep 03, 2023

alice: I love this book. Lent it to a friend who "lost it" so re purchased. Its brilliant so much information. Very well written and presented. Easy to find information,and then there's more detailed info too. Brilliant

United Kingdom on Dec 12, 2022

Mayez: Very good condition and arrived fast

Canada on Jan 04, 2021

Amazon Customer: A very thorough and informative book on the subject covering all aspects of the subject and with many details and examples

Canada on May 30, 2020

Jean: It seems to me that Harold Schechter intends this book as a compendium of most things related to true crime serial killers. He repeats himself often enough that I suppose he imagines readers looking up topics, but not reading the book in its entirety. This is the only reason I only gave the book four rather than five stars.
Schechter is among my favorite true crime writers. I like his style and will continue to read his books. Despite the repetitive nature of this book, I read it cover to cover. Because it contains information on a great number of serial killers, I could only take so much atrocities at a sitting. If you are a beginner at reading true crime, you will be stunned by parts of the book. I have read more of these accounts in other books, including others by this author, so that slowed me down, as well, for there was repetition not only in this book but repetition of other books. Overall, I enjoyed this read, but some readers who have read a fair number of true crime books may want to skip this one unless they want a good research source and many, many suggestions of other books to read . I am glad I read it.

United States on Oct 04, 2018

Janet Westerling: This is one of the most informative books I have read in the serial killer genre . Each account is thoroughly researched and detailed. Nothing short of individual books/biographies on each serial killer could be anymore concise or clearly written. If the reader is interested in an true account/synopsis of the serial killers and their deeds, This is the book for you. Not only does this book detail the crimes but also informs the reader everything about the aspects of serial killers, types/classifications, legal actions and so on. It is a definite must read for anyone with interest in this genre.

Happy reading!!!

Canada on Jun 16, 2018

David Baron: This book has plenty of well-researched info on a lot of serial killers. It is quite comprehensive. However, the choice to organize the book by killer TYPE and psychology is a drawback. It means that you are reading about the same killers and their crimes over and over again to illustrate examples of the particular killer type and psychology. So instead getting one chapter each on Bundy, Gacy, Gein, Dahmer, Albert Fish, et al, we get chapter on this kind of killer, and that kind of killer, and the supporting characters and examples. Unfortunately, there's a lot of crossover, which can mean, for example, you get a description of Albert Fish (and others) in almost every section of the book. And not just as a mention on a list, either. EACH TIME Albert Fish comes up, we read how he kidnapped the Gibb girl, killed her, ate her, then wrote the letter describing it to her grieving parents. EACH TIME Ed Gein comes up, he is called a ghoul, and we read about what was in his house of horrors. These sections are written as if the reader hasn't just read same content in previous sections or has some how managed to forget them. So if you are reading the book cover-to-cover, it makes things...

United States on Jan 19, 2012

David McMahon: Overall, the book is recommended. Many passages are engrossing and the author is a great writer that provides shocking details and discusses many serial killers you probably haven't heard of. However, he is needlessly repetitive, introducing the same serial killers multiple times throughout the book and rehashing the same information. While he often goes into more details he didn't include earlier, his constant rehashing is annoying.

I also found his "why" chapter a complete let down. The discussion in this all important chapter was superficial. Also, he quickly dismisses the "bad seed" idea and basically pins the behavior of serial killers on bad family backgrounds. OK right. I am sure a bad family background definitely contributes but its not going to lead to the completely out of this world deviant behavior exhibited by these people. There is obviously a "bad seed" component which in the modern era we would refer to as genetics.

He does give some credence to the idea the two may be related, i.e. these people had rotten family backgrounds (abuse in childhood or bizarre behavior by parents) because of a bad family genetic history. But the idea is not explored...

United States on Dec 13, 2011

Derek S.: This book contains a very thorough list of serial killers, recent and ancient. Each is typically given a page or two, often leaving you wanting to know more, but that's the price for such a comprehensive list. It's written for an American audience, which can be very amusing, for example, when it reveals the shocking news that not all serial killers are American.
The overall style is more tabloid than broadsheet, often using subjective assessments, and the author is occasionally rather coy about the more explicit details.
Overall, a very good introduction to the world of the serial killers, for those not seeking an academic work.

United Kingdom on May 21, 2010