The Sunset Murders

by Louise Farr

An account of the crimes of Doug Clark describes how Clark transformed matronly housewife Carol Bundy into his ideal woman--a woman who would accompany him on his killing sprees. Reprint.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Serial Killer

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

Reviews

[Fishface]

A really atrocious case. Read this one if you're a gorehound, if you like odd crimes and if you like to see wrongdoers go down with a splat.

[Nat]

But the story itself is fantastic. Flows so well, and really is difficult to put down. The author doesn’t appear to take sides, doesn’t pay attention to only the convicted. She went into enough detail to get a feel for the Doug and Carol, as well as set up the scene and explain their backstory.

I found that last few chapters particularly interesting as this was the trial. Like Ted Bundy, another infamous serial murder, Doug acted as his own lawyer for much of the trial. I found this interesting and enjoyed reading the farce he made of the trial and himself. I felt like I actually got to witness the trial because of the meticulous detail the author wrote in, but not so much that it dragged on. I do know that there are people who don’t enjoy the trial part of these sorts of stories. I didn’t feel that this one overstepped that boundary.

An excellent read. I learned more about these two horrific predators, and enjoyed the writers style immensely. Would definitely recommend this one to true crime lovers!

[Ronnie Cramer]

There's a lot of information included in this book, but the organization and presentation could stand some improvement.

[Katy Koivastik]

The Sunset Murders occurred approximately two years after the Hillside Stranglers were active in and around the same geographic areas. Just as gruesome, and just as worthy of press coverage, the Sunset Murders were almost unheard of until publication of this well researched book.

Louise Farr dug deep, bringing the victims and their families, the perpetrators and their families, the police detectives and officers of the court to life with their backstories and psychologies.

Common wisdom tells us murderers most often don’t look the part. The two perpetrators at the heart of this book could not have appeared more ordinary, part of what makes their story so chilling.

[Michael Greer]

Doug or "Dug" as he wrote in the third grade, standing up for the spelling. Doug had used his mother's underwear when he was nine years old. But Doug was not early on a behavioral problem. No, not at all. Later, much later. Add some exotic locations (Kwajalein, Delhi) and Sunday school, every Sunday, "packed off" to the International School in Switzerland, marriage in a small chapel in the San Fernando Valley, and then, then the sordid tale of murder and mayhem begins for real. Enjoy.

[Melissa]

This was an interesting read. A true story based on serial killers Doug Clark and Carol Bundy. The crimes they committed were unbelievable and gruesome and disturbing. I was looking for something different to read and I certainly found it with this one.

[Linda]

True story of serial killers Doug Clark and Carol Bundy.

[Laura]

Crazy... and true.

[Andrew]

If you like true crime, you will like this book. Better written than most, and depravity that is difficult to concieve of.

[Sharon]

well researched.