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The Big Book of Serial Killers #1
The Big Book of Serial Killers
There is little more terrifying than those who hunt, stalk and snatch their prey under the cloak of darkness. These hunters search not for animals, but for the touch, taste, and empowerment of human flesh. They are cannibals, vampires and monsters, and they walk among us.
These serial killers are not mythical beasts with horns and shaggy hair. They are people living among society, going about their day to day activities until nightfall. They are the Dennis Rader’s, the fathers, husbands, church going members of the community.
This A-Z encyclopedia of 150 serial killers is the ideal reference book. Included are the most famous true crime serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Richard Ramirez, and not to mention the women who kill, such as Aileen Wuornos and Martha Rendell. There are also lesser known serial killers, covering many countries around the world, so the range is broad.
Each of the serial killer files includes information on when and how they killed the victims, the background of each killer, or the suspects in some cases such as the Zodiac killer, their trials and punishments. For some there are chilling quotes by the killers themselves. The Big Book of Serial Killers is an easy to follow collection of information on the world’s most heinous murderers.
These serial killers are not mythical beasts with horns and shaggy hair. They are people living among society, going about their day to day activities until nightfall. They are the Dennis Rader’s, the fathers, husbands, church going members of the community.
This A-Z encyclopedia of 150 serial killers is the ideal reference book. Included are the most famous true crime serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Richard Ramirez, and not to mention the women who kill, such as Aileen Wuornos and Martha Rendell. There are also lesser known serial killers, covering many countries around the world, so the range is broad.
Each of the serial killer files includes information on when and how they killed the victims, the background of each killer, or the suspects in some cases such as the Zodiac killer, their trials and punishments. For some there are chilling quotes by the killers themselves. The Big Book of Serial Killers is an easy to follow collection of information on the world’s most heinous murderers.
446 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2017
6883 people are currently reading
3990 people want to read
About the author
Jack Rosewood
91 books146 followersI live in one of the most beautiful places in Florida, Jupiter, with my wife, two kids and our golden retriever, Vincent. I've been a full time author for the last 15 years and I wouldn't trade it against anything in the world!
My father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that's where my big interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear my father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as we were out fishing as a kid are some of my best memories.
My father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that's where my big interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear my father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as we were out fishing as a kid are some of my best memories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
December 28, 2021
A huge collection of serial killers. Some are familiar, but most are not. It is amazing how many serial killers I never knew existed that operated under the media radar. Information on their cases, victims, and the final sentencing. If you are interested in learning more about serial killers this is your book.
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December 16, 2019
Author was all over the place throwing opinions were they didn’t belong and adding a lot of victim blaming. I’d rather watch 10 hours of criminal minds reruns.
February 19, 2018
Oh boy.
Talk about a book that should contain interesting information in an uninteresting way.
The editing on this book is pretty bad, misspellings and layout errors quite frequently. The organization of the information also changes several times as the book progresses. I'll give it a break that it is an encyclopedia layout so I don't expect super in-depth information that could be gathered from a book on a specific killer, but much of the information was extremely lacking with a much larger focus on victim names, ages, and specific dates rather than more detailed insight into the killers, how they were caught, and why they committed their crimes.
I also feel like the information could have been presented in a more clinical/professional manner. Many of the sentences were either redundant or overly long with the sentiment that might be found in the narration of a bad true crime series or a report written by a middle schooler.
It's an interesting read for quick information on some of the famous (and not-so-famous) serial killers, but I feel there are probably better written, more interesting and informational sources out there.
Talk about a book that should contain interesting information in an uninteresting way.
The editing on this book is pretty bad, misspellings and layout errors quite frequently. The organization of the information also changes several times as the book progresses. I'll give it a break that it is an encyclopedia layout so I don't expect super in-depth information that could be gathered from a book on a specific killer, but much of the information was extremely lacking with a much larger focus on victim names, ages, and specific dates rather than more detailed insight into the killers, how they were caught, and why they committed their crimes.
I also feel like the information could have been presented in a more clinical/professional manner. Many of the sentences were either redundant or overly long with the sentiment that might be found in the narration of a bad true crime series or a report written by a middle schooler.
It's an interesting read for quick information on some of the famous (and not-so-famous) serial killers, but I feel there are probably better written, more interesting and informational sources out there.
April 25, 2024
Для тих, хто фанатіє від тру крайму ця книга - ідеальне снодійне (бо навряд невинні ромашки полізуть читати про серійників, нехай і настільки стисло)) і вона добряче рятувала мене з січня від безсоння. Ця книжка наче й має розлогий перелік різних збоченців й душогубів, та через те, що їх аж сотня, перелік фактів з їхніх біографій подається стисло і дещо недбало. Подекуди інформація в досьє повторюється у двох різних розділах, через що про затримання й страту ми читаємо і на початку файлу і в кінці, де й має бути ця інформація. А в деяких місцях пропущені величезні шматки інформації, і читач з кількох рядків про нарождення-дитинство одразу потрапляє до ледь не останніх злочинів і того ж таки арешту. Розумію, не про всіх серійних вбивць дійсно можна відшукати багато інформації, та назва книжки вабить, а зміст дещо розчаровує. Не найліпший екземпляр з цього жанру. І трійку я поставила тільки з поваги до того, що в книзі назбиралось реально сто імен, та менше, але якісніше й цікавіше було б краще.
June 14, 2017
A frenzied feast for all true-crime fans!...
This is yet another great read that’s really hard to put down. It's an insightful and graphically detailed account of some of the most horrific serial killers. In fact, while reading yet another of Jack Rosewoods books (this time it’s more of an encyclopedia!), I just had to keep turning the pages yet again. Not necessarily because it's all that enjoyable in any way, shape or form, to delve a little too deeply into the malefic minds of such murderous men, but because I sincerely believe that most people are fascinated in one way or another by serial killers. Perhaps it’s the human morbid fascination with death. I’m not exactly sure. However, maybe it just astounds the average person as to how depraved other individuals can be.
In case you skipped passed the book description, author Jack Rosewood best describes this frenzied feast better than I ever could: “There is little more terrifying than those who hunt, stalk and snatch their prey under the cloak of darkness. These hunters search not for animals, but for the touch, taste, and empowerment of human flesh. They are cannibals, vampires and monsters, and they walk among us.
These serial killers are not mythical beasts with horns and shaggy hair. They are people living among society, going about their day to day activities until nightfall. They are the Dennis Rader’s, the fathers, husbands, church going members of the community.
This A-Z encyclopedia of 150 serial killers is the ideal reference book. Included are the most famous true crime serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Richard Ramirez, and not to mention the women who kill, such as Aileen Wuornos and Martha Rendell. There are also lesser known serial killers, covering many countries around the world, so the range is broad.
Each of the serial killer files includes information on when and how they killed the victims, the background of each killer, or the suspects in some cases such as the Zodiac killer, their trials and punishments. For some there are chilling quotes by the killers themselves. The Big Book of Serial Killers is an easy to follow collection of information on the world’s most heinous murderers.”
Even if you are a seasoned campaigner of true crime, The Big Book of Serial Killers: 150 Serial Killer Files of the World's Worst Murderers (An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers) will surely raise more than a few hairs on the back of your neck. It was a first-class read and the author gave a perspective to these horrific crimes that was both fascinating and intriguing. This was one of the better true crime books that I have read recently.
I would highly recommend this read to all fans of the true-crime genre. I’m also a big fan of Jack Rosewood so it’s another 5 Stars from me. Well done again!
This is yet another great read that’s really hard to put down. It's an insightful and graphically detailed account of some of the most horrific serial killers. In fact, while reading yet another of Jack Rosewoods books (this time it’s more of an encyclopedia!), I just had to keep turning the pages yet again. Not necessarily because it's all that enjoyable in any way, shape or form, to delve a little too deeply into the malefic minds of such murderous men, but because I sincerely believe that most people are fascinated in one way or another by serial killers. Perhaps it’s the human morbid fascination with death. I’m not exactly sure. However, maybe it just astounds the average person as to how depraved other individuals can be.
In case you skipped passed the book description, author Jack Rosewood best describes this frenzied feast better than I ever could: “There is little more terrifying than those who hunt, stalk and snatch their prey under the cloak of darkness. These hunters search not for animals, but for the touch, taste, and empowerment of human flesh. They are cannibals, vampires and monsters, and they walk among us.
These serial killers are not mythical beasts with horns and shaggy hair. They are people living among society, going about their day to day activities until nightfall. They are the Dennis Rader’s, the fathers, husbands, church going members of the community.
This A-Z encyclopedia of 150 serial killers is the ideal reference book. Included are the most famous true crime serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Richard Ramirez, and not to mention the women who kill, such as Aileen Wuornos and Martha Rendell. There are also lesser known serial killers, covering many countries around the world, so the range is broad.
Each of the serial killer files includes information on when and how they killed the victims, the background of each killer, or the suspects in some cases such as the Zodiac killer, their trials and punishments. For some there are chilling quotes by the killers themselves. The Big Book of Serial Killers is an easy to follow collection of information on the world’s most heinous murderers.”
Even if you are a seasoned campaigner of true crime, The Big Book of Serial Killers: 150 Serial Killer Files of the World's Worst Murderers (An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers) will surely raise more than a few hairs on the back of your neck. It was a first-class read and the author gave a perspective to these horrific crimes that was both fascinating and intriguing. This was one of the better true crime books that I have read recently.
I would highly recommend this read to all fans of the true-crime genre. I’m also a big fan of Jack Rosewood so it’s another 5 Stars from me. Well done again!
October 12, 2024
Obviamente esta no va a ser una reseña común ya que este tipo de libro no es lo normal por aquí. Para empezar los fanáticos del género “True crime” deberían leer este libro, y para los que quieran saber sobre crímenes reales es súper interesante.
.
Leí este libro con calma, porque me resultaba alucinante la cantidad de personajes tan tarados que pueden existir, porque realmente hay casos que te ponen los pelos de punta y el autor los describe desde una perspectiva que lo hace hasta fascinante.
.
Esta dividido en partes, y habla de asesinos que se conocen mundialmente pero hay muchos que no lo son tantos, incluyendo información sobre cuándo y cómo mataron a las víctimas, los antecedentes de cada asesino y en algunos casos hasta citas de los propios asesinos que de verdad te quedas de piedra…
.
Me ha gustado y creo que quizá no es un libro para todo el mundo pero a mí me ha parecido súper interesante.
.
Leí este libro con calma, porque me resultaba alucinante la cantidad de personajes tan tarados que pueden existir, porque realmente hay casos que te ponen los pelos de punta y el autor los describe desde una perspectiva que lo hace hasta fascinante.
.
Esta dividido en partes, y habla de asesinos que se conocen mundialmente pero hay muchos que no lo son tantos, incluyendo información sobre cuándo y cómo mataron a las víctimas, los antecedentes de cada asesino y en algunos casos hasta citas de los propios asesinos que de verdad te quedas de piedra…
.
Me ha gustado y creo que quizá no es un libro para todo el mundo pero a mí me ha parecido súper interesante.
February 8, 2019
This book REALLY could have benefited from proper editing. The content sometimes suffer from a lack of objectivity, like other reviews mentioned. However, in my mind, the bigger issue was the absolutely staggering number of typos, spelling, and grammar errors that could have easily been caught in the editing process. These mistakes occurred often enough to be very distracting. It was only my interest in the content that allowed me to power through and finish the book, albeit with lots of venting to friends and family.
September 1, 2017
The first thing I need to mention is that I purchased this book as an audio book. This is significant because it contributes strongly to the impression that I got of this book. This is going to sound like a strange comparison but to me this book brought forth the image of what I imagine speed dating to be like. I know, weird analogy, but hear me out.
When you are listening to this book what happens is that you get a whole lot of very brief descriptions of each of many killers. Most of them I had read something about before, but some were brand new for me. To me it was almost like registering for a speed dating event. You get a few minutes to review photos of individuals that are participating, and then move from one table to the next getting just the highlights. That is to say you get a list of names, dates, and general timeline. No time for things like in depth understanding, just is this someone I'm interested in or not.
The reason I suppose that this image is so appropriate is because it has the same effect on me. I will use this book to note individuals I might be interested in completing a case study. A brief overview of individuals like this will give you an opportunity to pick out individuals for say a case study on individuals who developed fantasies based on a fetish, or individuals who went from victim to abuser. It is also possible to use brief cases coverage to weed through and pick out individual cases that support a theory such as, "Serial killers appear to have either higher than average or lower than average intelligence." I am not saying that is a fact by the way, just that it is an example of a theory that could gain potential support material in this book.
So what makes this a 4 star book? I like the writing of Jack Rosewood. He is direct without a lot of padding and sequential so things make since. Furthermore he does his research and does not insert opinion.
When you are listening to this book what happens is that you get a whole lot of very brief descriptions of each of many killers. Most of them I had read something about before, but some were brand new for me. To me it was almost like registering for a speed dating event. You get a few minutes to review photos of individuals that are participating, and then move from one table to the next getting just the highlights. That is to say you get a list of names, dates, and general timeline. No time for things like in depth understanding, just is this someone I'm interested in or not.
The reason I suppose that this image is so appropriate is because it has the same effect on me. I will use this book to note individuals I might be interested in completing a case study. A brief overview of individuals like this will give you an opportunity to pick out individuals for say a case study on individuals who developed fantasies based on a fetish, or individuals who went from victim to abuser. It is also possible to use brief cases coverage to weed through and pick out individual cases that support a theory such as, "Serial killers appear to have either higher than average or lower than average intelligence." I am not saying that is a fact by the way, just that it is an example of a theory that could gain potential support material in this book.
So what makes this a 4 star book? I like the writing of Jack Rosewood. He is direct without a lot of padding and sequential so things make since. Furthermore he does his research and does not insert opinion.
March 15, 2020
Wow, is this badly written. It's in desperate need of an editor, a proofreader, and someone who understands Microsoft Word better than the author. (Hint: Spell-check doesn't catch everything. "He was lead to the gallows" is actually L-E-D. Every single time that word was used, it was wrong.) On two occasions, the author confused the name of a victim with that of the killer. Really?? How does a book go to print like that?
I gave it two stars rather than one because it had a lot of serial killers included, and although the research wasn't nearly thorough enough, (and was often repeated, almost verbatim, on the same page), there was a LOT to research.
It lacked detail about the murders, and in many cases, about the murderer. If you want to read a book that tells you a little about the murderer, very little about the victims other than when they were killed and how old they were (presumably if it was easy for the author to find out), and you enjoy trying to decipher badly written text, constant misspellings and terrible formatting, then by all means, read this book. I'm thrilled to be done with it.
I gave it two stars rather than one because it had a lot of serial killers included, and although the research wasn't nearly thorough enough, (and was often repeated, almost verbatim, on the same page), there was a LOT to research.
It lacked detail about the murders, and in many cases, about the murderer. If you want to read a book that tells you a little about the murderer, very little about the victims other than when they were killed and how old they were (presumably if it was easy for the author to find out), and you enjoy trying to decipher badly written text, constant misspellings and terrible formatting, then by all means, read this book. I'm thrilled to be done with it.
January 11, 2021
This book contains false information that could have been fact-checked with a simple Google search. It's sensationalist in tone; It sets out to be a encyclopedia that gives an overview of each kliller, but goes into great detail in regards as to how they tortured and killed their victims. Why they did it though remains completely unexplored. Multiple victims are mentioned by name and its then described how this particular person found their horrible death, which again felt tone deaf and sensationalist.
Some information, that again is very easily accesible, is activley let out so the stories sound more out there (again, for the sake of sensationalism).
English is not my first language and even I noticed how bad the grammar in this was.
If you're looking for the information about any of these killers, or any killer really, you can find better researched information on the internet.
Absolutely do not recommend.
Some information, that again is very easily accesible, is activley let out so the stories sound more out there (again, for the sake of sensationalism).
English is not my first language and even I noticed how bad the grammar in this was.
If you're looking for the information about any of these killers, or any killer really, you can find better researched information on the internet.
Absolutely do not recommend.
November 29, 2020
This was a very long and informative book.
I think this book is perfect for someone who is just getting into true crime.
It tells you a little about a lot of different serial killers. So it's a perfect springboard to go off and find more information and books dedicated to the serial killers you find most interesting.
This book did get quite repetitive at times. Some of the information was repeated so it felt a little boring. Although, I did like the trivia sections.
I did notice a couple of spelling mistakes in this book which was disappointing.
I did like the mix of both well known killers and lesser known killers.
I do recommend this book to people new to true crime but if you've read a lot of true crime books, this one probably won't do much for you
TW: real life descriptions of murder, violence, death, rape, torture and animal cruelty
I think this book is perfect for someone who is just getting into true crime.
It tells you a little about a lot of different serial killers. So it's a perfect springboard to go off and find more information and books dedicated to the serial killers you find most interesting.
This book did get quite repetitive at times. Some of the information was repeated so it felt a little boring. Although, I did like the trivia sections.
I did notice a couple of spelling mistakes in this book which was disappointing.
I did like the mix of both well known killers and lesser known killers.
I do recommend this book to people new to true crime but if you've read a lot of true crime books, this one probably won't do much for you
TW: real life descriptions of murder, violence, death, rape, torture and animal cruelty
August 26, 2017
Missing information
The book was haphazardly written. There are numerous typos, minimal information and most of what was included seemed to be copied and pasted from Wikipedia. For example, one quote is said to be from an expert, but the expert isn't named. There are statistics included that claim to be from "studies" but the studies aren't cited. At one point, a sentence was repeated word for word on back to back pages, I thought I had accidentally gone back a page...
The book was haphazardly written. There are numerous typos, minimal information and most of what was included seemed to be copied and pasted from Wikipedia. For example, one quote is said to be from an expert, but the expert isn't named. There are statistics included that claim to be from "studies" but the studies aren't cited. At one point, a sentence was repeated word for word on back to back pages, I thought I had accidentally gone back a page...
February 24, 2019
Interesting topic, but....
This book was rife with spelling and grammatical errors. I don't know if it was self published, but it is in desperate need of a proper editor. The subject matter was intriguing, which is why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of only 1, but I found all of the errors very irritating and unprofessional.
This book was rife with spelling and grammatical errors. I don't know if it was self published, but it is in desperate need of a proper editor. The subject matter was intriguing, which is why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of only 1, but I found all of the errors very irritating and unprofessional.
May 14, 2022
Interesting
This book was really interesting. Ill probably read the second d one as well. I just wish they would include real photos instead of sketches.
This book was really interesting. Ill probably read the second d one as well. I just wish they would include real photos instead of sketches.
Read
January 8, 2026Nie będę tego oceniać, ponieważ ta książka nie powinna być oceniana. Poznajemy tutaj profile seryjnych morderców i niektóre opisy były okropne i obrzydliwe.
P.s. Redakcja tej książki jest słaba i ma dużo błędów
P.s. Redakcja tej książki jest słaba i ma dużo błędów
June 17, 2017
Some perpetrators about whom we have heard or read, some are surprises!
Florida author Jack Rosewood inherited his fascination for heinous crimes from his father, a journalist covering major grim crimes such as Ted Bundy. He is fascinated with serial killers – their development psychologically, their preparation for their life of crime, and the details of how they made their bloody black marks on the world. Jack moves away from his intensive studies of serial killers to explore current crimes most of which are discoveries for the reader – even the Jack Rosewood reader! He is joined by co-author Rebecca Lo with whom he has published three other collections - TRUE CRIME STORIES: TRUE CRIME ANTHOLOGY - and together they survey THE BIG BOOK OF SERIAL KILLERS – electing to share the incredulous horror of 150 serial killers.
As usual Jack (and now with Rebecca) opens with an introduction explaining the decision to place these gruesome stories before us: ‘For hundreds of years, serial killers have walked the streets and driven the highways in all four corners of the world. The Big Book of Serial Killers has brought 150 of the most depraved, sadistic, and terrifying murderers from Russia, America, Germany, Australia, Korea, China, Denmark and the UK together in one giant encyclopedia. From Elias Abuelazam to the Zodiac killer, this A-Z reference book contains information on the classification of each killer, the background, victims, method of killing, arrest, trial and punishment of some of the worst killers that have terrorized the world. Dates are included, such as when they started killing, their arrest, and execution dates where relevant. This encyclopedia is concise and factual, an educational tool for those who wish to learn more about the men and women who kill.’
From this terrifying introduction Jack and Rebecca address not only the back history of each of these serial killers, but also carefully describe the manner in which the killings occurred with a sense of psychological finesse that is rarely found in books such as this. We read, we learn, and we begin to understand.
Easy reading? No, because of the subject matter but not the style of journalism. This is another important book from Jack Rosewood as assisted by Rebecca Lo. We must remain vigilant.
Florida author Jack Rosewood inherited his fascination for heinous crimes from his father, a journalist covering major grim crimes such as Ted Bundy. He is fascinated with serial killers – their development psychologically, their preparation for their life of crime, and the details of how they made their bloody black marks on the world. Jack moves away from his intensive studies of serial killers to explore current crimes most of which are discoveries for the reader – even the Jack Rosewood reader! He is joined by co-author Rebecca Lo with whom he has published three other collections - TRUE CRIME STORIES: TRUE CRIME ANTHOLOGY - and together they survey THE BIG BOOK OF SERIAL KILLERS – electing to share the incredulous horror of 150 serial killers.
As usual Jack (and now with Rebecca) opens with an introduction explaining the decision to place these gruesome stories before us: ‘For hundreds of years, serial killers have walked the streets and driven the highways in all four corners of the world. The Big Book of Serial Killers has brought 150 of the most depraved, sadistic, and terrifying murderers from Russia, America, Germany, Australia, Korea, China, Denmark and the UK together in one giant encyclopedia. From Elias Abuelazam to the Zodiac killer, this A-Z reference book contains information on the classification of each killer, the background, victims, method of killing, arrest, trial and punishment of some of the worst killers that have terrorized the world. Dates are included, such as when they started killing, their arrest, and execution dates where relevant. This encyclopedia is concise and factual, an educational tool for those who wish to learn more about the men and women who kill.’
From this terrifying introduction Jack and Rebecca address not only the back history of each of these serial killers, but also carefully describe the manner in which the killings occurred with a sense of psychological finesse that is rarely found in books such as this. We read, we learn, and we begin to understand.
Easy reading? No, because of the subject matter but not the style of journalism. This is another important book from Jack Rosewood as assisted by Rebecca Lo. We must remain vigilant.
July 12, 2018
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This was a really good encyclopedia concerning serial killers. I really liked that it branched out from the US and dealt with cases from around the world, and that it talked about cases that aren't known by the wider public instead of just focusing on serial killers that people have heard of, such as Jeffrey Dahmer or Fred and Rosemary West. It was pretty cool in that it also focused on female serial killers as well, such as the woman who poisoned her stepchildren with acid.
Each chapter is quite small, so it's not massively detailed, but it does have a quick overview of each victim, their childhood, how they killed, their victims, the timeline of events and their capture/imprisonment and death, if applicable.
This was a really good encyclopedia concerning serial killers. I really liked that it branched out from the US and dealt with cases from around the world, and that it talked about cases that aren't known by the wider public instead of just focusing on serial killers that people have heard of, such as Jeffrey Dahmer or Fred and Rosemary West. It was pretty cool in that it also focused on female serial killers as well, such as the woman who poisoned her stepchildren with acid.
Each chapter is quite small, so it's not massively detailed, but it does have a quick overview of each victim, their childhood, how they killed, their victims, the timeline of events and their capture/imprisonment and death, if applicable.
August 18, 2017
What a truly great serial killer encyclopedia. It covers so many serial killers. Some well known, others not so well known. There were a few I did not know. It not only covers the basics (number of victims, ages, method, status, etc.) but he provides background information, murders, arrests, trial and sentencing. Very complete info, including trivia as well! The book is well written and well researched. I have not found a Jack Rosewood book that I didn't like. They get better and better. If you like to read about serial killers, this is one for you!
May 1, 2019
Whilst I am so fascinated by how and why people become serial killers, this book was a bit too plain for me. I would've loved to have gone in a bit deeper. This made me just wanted to find out so much more!
April 19, 2021
3.5/5
A chilling anthology of some of the most prolific serial killers. The book focuses in people A-Z and gives a brief description of their background, their murders, and their arrest. It also tells the reader the whereouts of the murderers (i.e. what happened to them). Some are still living in prison, a handful were never caught.
While there were some typos and editorial errors, you can't gloss over the fact that this is a pretty big information database. I've never read something like this (and may never again due to nightmares) and I can say that it was easy to read and I was given all the info I wanted to know. There's no need to go deeper unless you want to be truly scared. (And I don't want to do that to myself, these people scared me plenty already!)
Recommended for anyone who finds themselves fascinated by heinous crime.
A chilling anthology of some of the most prolific serial killers. The book focuses in people A-Z and gives a brief description of their background, their murders, and their arrest. It also tells the reader the whereouts of the murderers (i.e. what happened to them). Some are still living in prison, a handful were never caught.
While there were some typos and editorial errors, you can't gloss over the fact that this is a pretty big information database. I've never read something like this (and may never again due to nightmares) and I can say that it was easy to read and I was given all the info I wanted to know. There's no need to go deeper unless you want to be truly scared. (And I don't want to do that to myself, these people scared me plenty already!)
Recommended for anyone who finds themselves fascinated by heinous crime.
January 20, 2020
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The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers is something every true crime enthusiast should have on their shelves.
The format of the book is simple. The serial killers are being presented in alphabetical order according to their last name.
We get a bit of information on them such as their date of birth, nicknames, characteristics, number of victims, date of murders, date of arrest, murder method, known victims, crime location, their current status.
It then moved on their background story where we get to learn about their childhood or adult life. In the murder section we get details on how each murder happened, when and who was the victim, we also get a timeline of the murders. The book then moves on Arrest and Trial and the Outcome. On some of the killers an additional section called Trivia appears featuring quotes of weird incidents that took place during their incarcerations.
It is a very self explanatory book that could also be used by Criminology students who study cases but also a good source for those who like true crime. A lot of interesting and sometimes unknown information is presented in there and it features serial killers from all over the world.
The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers is something every true crime enthusiast should have on their shelves.
The format of the book is simple. The serial killers are being presented in alphabetical order according to their last name.
We get a bit of information on them such as their date of birth, nicknames, characteristics, number of victims, date of murders, date of arrest, murder method, known victims, crime location, their current status.
It then moved on their background story where we get to learn about their childhood or adult life. In the murder section we get details on how each murder happened, when and who was the victim, we also get a timeline of the murders. The book then moves on Arrest and Trial and the Outcome. On some of the killers an additional section called Trivia appears featuring quotes of weird incidents that took place during their incarcerations.
It is a very self explanatory book that could also be used by Criminology students who study cases but also a good source for those who like true crime. A lot of interesting and sometimes unknown information is presented in there and it features serial killers from all over the world.
July 10, 2017
Edge of your seat reading!
I’ve read quite a few of Jack Rosewood’s true crime books-these are primarily shorter works: He has a series in which each volume focuses on one killer and he also has a series of true crime anthologies each examining about fifteen different murderers. This volume is a BIG, big book, a much larger project. Here we have an encyclopaedia of serial killers detailing a huge one hundred and fifty of the most famous perpetrators. The worst of the worst. This has an easy to follow structure with a brief résumé of info about the killer's lives, their victims, their MO, etc.
This was quite a harrowing read, it was quick to whip through though, and what a feast of info and facts and figures. It can certainly be read continuously in the normal way, (which is what I did), or, kindle format particularly lends itself to searching for a killer's name or a victim’s name and it will quickly come up with all entries of it/them in the book. So, an ideal reference guide which can be used again and again. Edge of your seat reading-it contained some truly terrible things but I was compelled to read on.
I’ve read quite a few of Jack Rosewood’s true crime books-these are primarily shorter works: He has a series in which each volume focuses on one killer and he also has a series of true crime anthologies each examining about fifteen different murderers. This volume is a BIG, big book, a much larger project. Here we have an encyclopaedia of serial killers detailing a huge one hundred and fifty of the most famous perpetrators. The worst of the worst. This has an easy to follow structure with a brief résumé of info about the killer's lives, their victims, their MO, etc.
This was quite a harrowing read, it was quick to whip through though, and what a feast of info and facts and figures. It can certainly be read continuously in the normal way, (which is what I did), or, kindle format particularly lends itself to searching for a killer's name or a victim’s name and it will quickly come up with all entries of it/them in the book. So, an ideal reference guide which can be used again and again. Edge of your seat reading-it contained some truly terrible things but I was compelled to read on.
March 5, 2018
It was free and interesting. I can not wrap my head around people who kill so I was hoping to maybe get a little insight and I did. The answer: people are jacked up and there’s not really anything you can do to prevent it.
July 29, 2018
I really love this book, I read it over and over. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I will honestly say this is probably one of my favorite books!
May 5, 2018
A good read if you want bite sized info on the many people inside. Was more listing facts than telling stories.
January 22, 2019
I like the way this was written, just the basics but all the goods needed to make for a great read and reference. There were even some new ones in there I hadn’t heard of.
March 24, 2019
Key word here is ENCYCLOPEDIA.
May 28, 2019
This is a good, quick little overview of 150 different serial killers. A nice way to dip your toe into the subject so you can do further research on any that seem interesting.
November 2, 2019
I love this kind of books
October 13, 2020
Is It Odd to Say “Cool”?
Other than editing errors, I learned about killers that I’ll surely be investigating further? Definitely worth the read. Thanks,
Jack! Keep em comin!
Other than editing errors, I learned about killers that I’ll surely be investigating further? Definitely worth the read. Thanks,
Jack! Keep em comin!
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