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The Killer Book of Serial Killers: Incredible Stories, Facts and Trivia from the World of Serial Killers (The Ultimate Gift for True Crime Fans)
Terrifying tales of the ultimate evil among us! One of the best serial killer books for fans of true crime. Dive deep into the twisted psyche of infamous murderers as this meticulously researched volume unravels their chilling tales. Unveiling shocking details and uncovering the darkest secrets, this comprehensive guide offers an in-depth analysis of notorious cases that have plagued society. The Killer Book of Serial Killers delves into the psychology, modus operandi, and haunting legacies of infamous murderers. From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, each chapter offers a gripping narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This essential reference also sheds light on the investigative techniques and forensic breakthroughs that helped solve these heinous crimes. Gain a unique insight into the criminal justice system's relentless pursuit of justice and the tireless efforts of law enforcement in catching these elusive predators. Sprinkled throughout the book are Q&As, quizzes, quotes, photos, and odd facts about serial killers and their true stories to test your knowledge and make you shudder in horrified delight, along with recommended reading to dig even deeper into their sordid lives. Learn more about notorious serial killers The Killer Book of Serial Killers is the definitive guide for anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the darkest corners of humanity. Immerse yourself in a world where the search for truth collides with the macabre, providing a spine-chilling reading experience like no other.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Tom Philbin
59 books25 followersTom Philbin is a writer of numerous books and has also written articles for a variety of magazines, including Parade, Woman's Day, and Reader's Digest. He lives in Centerport, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
February 26, 2010
As a serial killer enthusiast, I found this book to be factually inaccurate and horribly simplified. It seems as if the writer did no research and relied on hearsay and Investigation Discovery specials for his information. It was a very entertaining book, with the quizzes, quotes and trivia, but it fell flat for me. I like details, not just overviews.
April 6, 2015
My problems with the book:
*badly written
*filled with cliches
*seems unsympathetic to the readers
*too much time spent tying to justify why killers kill
*badly written
*filled with cliches
*seems unsympathetic to the readers
*too much time spent tying to justify why killers kill
November 25, 2013
This book was okay. It had a lot of information but some of the chapters were missing main events that had happened over the course of the killer's killing sprees. Also, a lot of the chapter's timelines were too back and forth and sometimes just didn't make any sense. It was kind of like a poorly written Quentin Tarantino film. I did like that this book had random quotes, facts, interviews, and trivia in the back though. It added a "fun" element to it.
I would not recommend this as a first book to anyone who has not read anything about serial killers before.
I would not recommend this as a first book to anyone who has not read anything about serial killers before.
March 19, 2018
Not professionally written, bad editing, nothing new or interesting. The individual accounts were not very structured and some of the most notorious killers are missing. Cannot recommend it, especially because of it's attention grabbing-attitude and treatment of the victims.
March 19, 2019
Great book for someone who is newly interested in learning about serial killers, but if you're someone who has read and researched killers over the years then this book is not for you. The information on each killer is short and the book often leaves out major information on each killer in order to fit as many killers as possible into it. The timeline also goes back and forth frequently, and not in a good way. Also, a lot of the wording is unnecessary (i.e. calling some of the victims sexy or plump when it is not needed/not expressed that the killer felt this way) which kind of distracts you from reading. If you haven't really read about serial killers before then this is a good introduction, but if you're someone like me who has knowledge on the subject before reading I suggest steering clear of this book.
June 29, 2009
I became alarmed when I realized that could expand with further information on every case and spotted any inconsistancies or errors in the facts listed. I know more detailed personal information about most serial killers than I do about people who are directly related to me. I scare myself sometimes.
December 24, 2022
Finished it like 4 months ago but forgot lol
February 12, 2019
Anything counter or subcultural has been a focus of my personal studies for years. Organized crime, musical movements, serial murderers, etc. With that said, I am always devouring as much source material as I can. This book was a very sweet gift from a friend, but unfortunately, their good intentions could not save this book from its authors.
For starters, the authors and editor should reconsider their calling in life. The entire book is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. In some cases they omit words or just make them up. As an academic, I have seen some truly horrible writing, but this is right up there among some of my most abysmal students. Don't even get me started on their version of "citation."
Secondly, given the length of my study on virtually every one of the individuals mentioned in this book, I can assure you that there is very little truth to many of the stories shared. It appears as though the authors simply binged all the true crime television they could find and simply regurgitated it back onto a page. Far too many inaccuracies to count and there is always this eerie sense that they are attempting to make the reader empathise with the subjects.
Third, as the book progresses you can see the effort and quality (what minimal amount there is) waning. Chapters get shorter and shorter, details become fewer and fewer, and the inaccuracies multiply ten fold. Also, the odd guessing games that are thrown in as if to just take up space with no introduction are clunky and, again, oversimplified and inaccurate.
Overall, this book would be better suited to the gossip rack in a grocery checkout line than a bookshelf. What is perhaps the most puzzling, is the fact that they have been published over and over again. This type of misinformation, while not crucial to our society's health, is certainly disappointing.
For starters, the authors and editor should reconsider their calling in life. The entire book is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. In some cases they omit words or just make them up. As an academic, I have seen some truly horrible writing, but this is right up there among some of my most abysmal students. Don't even get me started on their version of "citation."
Secondly, given the length of my study on virtually every one of the individuals mentioned in this book, I can assure you that there is very little truth to many of the stories shared. It appears as though the authors simply binged all the true crime television they could find and simply regurgitated it back onto a page. Far too many inaccuracies to count and there is always this eerie sense that they are attempting to make the reader empathise with the subjects.
Third, as the book progresses you can see the effort and quality (what minimal amount there is) waning. Chapters get shorter and shorter, details become fewer and fewer, and the inaccuracies multiply ten fold. Also, the odd guessing games that are thrown in as if to just take up space with no introduction are clunky and, again, oversimplified and inaccurate.
Overall, this book would be better suited to the gossip rack in a grocery checkout line than a bookshelf. What is perhaps the most puzzling, is the fact that they have been published over and over again. This type of misinformation, while not crucial to our society's health, is certainly disappointing.
August 10, 2012
My interest was piqued when I found this on my local library's web site and look forward to reading about cases unfamiliar to me. What I found were some in depth stories but many more stories that took only a glancing look at the crimes. One of the aspects of this book that disappoints is while the authors give an afterword on some of the cases such as, he died in prison in such and such year, some just abruptly end.
I think if they had not tried to cover so many killers and had been more in depth, it would have worked better for me. Maybe this wasn't a book for people who have followed many of these cases and more for someone who is just getting interested in seeing what makes these monsters tick. In fairness the authors did make this plain in the introduction.
I think if they had not tried to cover so many killers and had been more in depth, it would have worked better for me. Maybe this wasn't a book for people who have followed many of these cases and more for someone who is just getting interested in seeing what makes these monsters tick. In fairness the authors did make this plain in the introduction.
October 8, 2022
Very disappointing. The book is alright for very general information about the killers but it often omits very important facts and because of that the murderers often seemed indistinguishable from each other (which, diving deeper, I know is not the case). It’s also kind of poorly written which is a shame, here’s a quote lol: “It has been said that he killed more than three hundred people, and while this is undoubtedly false, one thing is for sure: He murdered a lot of people”. This is the sort of narration throughout the whole book ://
November 29, 2012
I think I got this in the clearance section at a Barnes & Nobles. It was very insightful to read new details I did not know about regarding the Albert Fish Murders and to get more details on the Richard Ramirez Nightstalker case. I recommend this to True Crime readers everywhere.
August 2, 2017
3 stars ~ Sometimes I have the urge to read non-fiction and I am a big true crime fan. While this book was enjoyable, it contains a lot of misinformation.
April 12, 2020
It was well-written and well-researched. I can’t say I enjoyed it because of the nature of the book, but it was informative, as it was meant to be, and it fulfilled its purpose.
August 18, 2021
Overall, I was quite satisfied with 'The Killer Book of Serial Killers'.
This 'big book' provides a solid high level overview of 30 serial killers.
For someone who has a reasonable level of familiarity with American serial killers, I wanted a little more depth, or for certain particulars to be dug into a little deeper, in some cases. However, this book did provide a solid overview of each of the American serial killers featured, and is more than adequate for someone beginning their reading or research.
The section on International serial killers was quite fascinating. Having not read or researched many of these, it was a great overview that provided me a solid foundation to build further research should I want more details. The only aspect that lacked representation, in my opinion, was the representation of Canadian serial killers. I understand that this book did not seek to represent every single one, however, the choice of Paul Bernardo with no representation of Robert Pickton, was a bit disappointing. While Paul Bernardo received much more 'glamorous' media coverage, the story of Robert Pickton is far more extensive and grisly.
I do highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to gain an solid over of a good number of bona-fide serial killers, all over the world. It is well organized, easy to digest, and allows the reader to binge a few serial killer profiles easily first thing in the morning, or before bedtime.
This 'big book' provides a solid high level overview of 30 serial killers.
For someone who has a reasonable level of familiarity with American serial killers, I wanted a little more depth, or for certain particulars to be dug into a little deeper, in some cases. However, this book did provide a solid overview of each of the American serial killers featured, and is more than adequate for someone beginning their reading or research.
The section on International serial killers was quite fascinating. Having not read or researched many of these, it was a great overview that provided me a solid foundation to build further research should I want more details. The only aspect that lacked representation, in my opinion, was the representation of Canadian serial killers. I understand that this book did not seek to represent every single one, however, the choice of Paul Bernardo with no representation of Robert Pickton, was a bit disappointing. While Paul Bernardo received much more 'glamorous' media coverage, the story of Robert Pickton is far more extensive and grisly.
I do highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to gain an solid over of a good number of bona-fide serial killers, all over the world. It is well organized, easy to digest, and allows the reader to binge a few serial killer profiles easily first thing in the morning, or before bedtime.
January 28, 2023
I enjoyed it, there were a few issues I had with the book, such as some chapters seemed to be formatted differently than others, like some are told from the perspective of a defective and some chapters were just spitting facts about what the killer did. Another issue I had was each chapter seemed to get shorter as the book went on as if the authors were running out of energy. The chapters went from 7-13 pages to 2-4 which irritated me. However, I did have a fun time reading this and it does seem like the authors did there research and were able to handle each subject with respect. But it skips over many important details of the killers spree, and leaves it oversimplified. I feel like this book would have done much better if they didn’t do 37 killers, but instead did 15 and made a second book so we can get more details about the killers and the victims.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and don’t really get as critical with biography’s as I do with other fiction novels. I liked it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and don’t really get as critical with biography’s as I do with other fiction novels. I liked it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 15, 2023
4.5stars. The book itself was very interesting. Even with the morbid history of it. But they had a few discrepancies in the book. Like Ted Bundy's date of death. They had listed as January 25, 1989. When it is January 24, 1989. If they may have took the time to idk Google little known facts like that i would have given it a higher rating. Also they got Dean Corlls date of death wrong as well. I read this so fast on Ebooks. I highly recommend it if you like to read about true crime.
June 9, 2020
Interesting
This book was super fascinating and interesting. I'll probably be reading more from this author. I couldn't put it down
This book was super fascinating and interesting. I'll probably be reading more from this author. I couldn't put it down
October 6, 2023
Omg this book was incredible I loved it and it started my fascination with serial killers.
July 5, 2023
It is a fun book of tidbits about some of the most prolific serial killers in the world. Great for poolside reading, ensures you aren't bothered by strangers too much.
April 10, 2019
I selected this book because it was seemed very interesting at the time. It talked about all the inside stories of America’s worst serial killers. It is disturbing, but yet thrilling to read at the same time.
This book is about all the inside stories of some of the worst serial killers in the world. Each chapter explains the different stories of each serial killer. It describes what made them known as a serial killer, and possibly what led them to become a serial killer. For almost all the serial killers it goes back to their childhood; where all the anger, pain, and suffering they received eventually led to them to becoming serial killers. The last chapters shows their trials in court where you read what was going through the serial killers mind for their murders.
I think the author did a lot of things well for this book. The author started each chapter with how each serial killer became known throughout that area. After, the author would describe each of their major kills until they were caught. They would show some sympathy for the serial killer by sharing their extremely rough childhood, which led them to their murderous ways. The author would then finish the chapter off with their sentence by the court, and if they’re still alive where they are today. I think the was a perfect sequence to explain each serial killer’s story. After hearing the horrific things they’ve done; the author would explain what could’ve possibly caused them to become like this.
To be honest, I don’t think there was many things wrong with this book. It flowed very nicely in and between each chapter. However, there was some parts that could’ve used some work to make it flow even better. Some parts it was a little choppy with explaining a scenario in some of the serial killer’s murders. The author would explain a scenario in a way that it could be hard to imagine and see. Most of the time the author did very well with this, but at times it was an issue. Other than that I thought the book was very well done and kept you interested in every chapter you read.
This book is about all the inside stories of some of the worst serial killers in the world. Each chapter explains the different stories of each serial killer. It describes what made them known as a serial killer, and possibly what led them to become a serial killer. For almost all the serial killers it goes back to their childhood; where all the anger, pain, and suffering they received eventually led to them to becoming serial killers. The last chapters shows their trials in court where you read what was going through the serial killers mind for their murders.
I think the author did a lot of things well for this book. The author started each chapter with how each serial killer became known throughout that area. After, the author would describe each of their major kills until they were caught. They would show some sympathy for the serial killer by sharing their extremely rough childhood, which led them to their murderous ways. The author would then finish the chapter off with their sentence by the court, and if they’re still alive where they are today. I think the was a perfect sequence to explain each serial killer’s story. After hearing the horrific things they’ve done; the author would explain what could’ve possibly caused them to become like this.
To be honest, I don’t think there was many things wrong with this book. It flowed very nicely in and between each chapter. However, there was some parts that could’ve used some work to make it flow even better. Some parts it was a little choppy with explaining a scenario in some of the serial killer’s murders. The author would explain a scenario in a way that it could be hard to imagine and see. Most of the time the author did very well with this, but at times it was an issue. Other than that I thought the book was very well done and kept you interested in every chapter you read.
March 13, 2022
a great go to book for serial killers!
It took me a while to read this book only because I chose to read a chapter each night (so one serial killer per night). I was expecting the book to tip tow around the more graphic parts of what serial killers did, however the authors chose to be up front with it all. I found that refreshing.
I really enjoyed the little snippets that were added about each killer and how the authors also took time to focus on the victims of each killer (I don't feel as though the victims are acknowledged enough when talking about serial killers).
The "quizzes" at the end of the book were a unique addition and a great tool to help recall each killer.
Overall, I am happy with the book and will be looking for more books similar to this one. I'll miss reading a chapter a night about each killer. The chapters were filled with information but short enough that by the time I get super sleepy at night I'm finishing up.
It took me a while to read this book only because I chose to read a chapter each night (so one serial killer per night). I was expecting the book to tip tow around the more graphic parts of what serial killers did, however the authors chose to be up front with it all. I found that refreshing.
I really enjoyed the little snippets that were added about each killer and how the authors also took time to focus on the victims of each killer (I don't feel as though the victims are acknowledged enough when talking about serial killers).
The "quizzes" at the end of the book were a unique addition and a great tool to help recall each killer.
Overall, I am happy with the book and will be looking for more books similar to this one. I'll miss reading a chapter a night about each killer. The chapters were filled with information but short enough that by the time I get super sleepy at night I'm finishing up.
July 1, 2018
WARNING, do not read this book while eating. I repeat, do not read this book while eating. You should avoid hot beverages as well, because it can get really messy. Some of the facts and stories about certain serial killers are literally revolting and gut-wrenching and they leave you thinking how can a human being possibly be this diabolical (Gary Heidnik, I see you. Ed Gein, you cool bro).
But seriously, this was such an entertaining reading. As a serial-killer-fanatic, I had a great time reading all these bewildering biographies, and I recommend this book for anybody who shares the same interest. I could've given this 5 stars but this book unfortunately didn't include Charles Manson. I know he isn't technically a serial killer but he deserved a spot among those infamous monsters.
But seriously, this was such an entertaining reading. As a serial-killer-fanatic, I had a great time reading all these bewildering biographies, and I recommend this book for anybody who shares the same interest. I could've given this 5 stars but this book unfortunately didn't include Charles Manson. I know he isn't technically a serial killer but he deserved a spot among those infamous monsters.
November 20, 2020
Overall: 2.5 stars. An encyclopedia approach to various serial killers with a tone that is just this side of cheesy
I ended up not enjoying the “encyclopedia” style approach here: each entry was rather short and didn’t really cover any of the post-crime details of each killer like trials or psychological assessments which I really like. The tone was not full “freak show” but leaned a bit towards something that is half-cheesy/half-serious like a History Channel special.
I did learn of some cases I hadn’t heard of before, and I think this book could be a useful introduction for someone getting into true crime and looking to find out which cases interest them enough to learn more in-depth, but overall: meh.
I ended up not enjoying the “encyclopedia” style approach here: each entry was rather short and didn’t really cover any of the post-crime details of each killer like trials or psychological assessments which I really like. The tone was not full “freak show” but leaned a bit towards something that is half-cheesy/half-serious like a History Channel special.
I did learn of some cases I hadn’t heard of before, and I think this book could be a useful introduction for someone getting into true crime and looking to find out which cases interest them enough to learn more in-depth, but overall: meh.
March 12, 2013
I liked the idea of this book but they went about it was wrong. I think that they tried to cram to much into one book. There wasn't enough details and information. Honestly I don't want to take a quiz at the end of a book that I just read. I think that the last chapter could of been used a lot better then for some dumb quiz. For some of them they could of used more pages. I didn't like the fact some of the people they wrote about only had 2 or so pages. This book to me was not worth reading. There is defiantly better books out there to read.
December 12, 2009
In this book, the author presents a good overview of many popular and lesser-known serial killers, delving into the psychology of the killers and peppering his case studies with interesting factoids. Very interesting and enjoyable (that is, if you find reading about serial killers enjoyable!)
January 23, 2012
Awesome book for people like me who are into creepy stuff like this. It was full of information without it being dull. It presented everything in a fascinating way and had bits of trivia, quotes, interviews and pictures that added to each section.
October 27, 2012
Very enjoyable to read. Not an in-depth history book, but each killer has a few pages dedicated to him. Most of the killers I already knew about, but there were a few I'd never heard of before, so that was interesting to find out new facts. Not recommended for real big true crime buffs though.
February 4, 2019
I didn’t even bother to finish this book because the few killers I read about I already knew more than what was written. I would have preferred more information even if it meant less killers covered in the book.
September 1, 2014
So freaking weird
May 9, 2020
The product of the modern fetishization of serial killers and murder.
This book, while informative, has numerous issues which I will attempt to list here.
The first big one, for me at least, is that it tries to cover so much ground with these killers. You will get one to four pages of information on any one killer. That's not nearly enough, the book essentially skims over all the interesting information about the killers and their victims.
The next issue I have is how this book tries to portray killers as one dimensional creatures that have only a single objective: To kill. Reality would disagree with this book's narrative. Serial killers, in the real world, are much more complex that soulless murder vessels. The book tries to say the serial killers have no emotion or feelings for others, when in reality they have the ability to love and feel empathy, they can just turn those feelings off at will.
This book is more directed at the middle age soccer moms who drink wine and want to "be bad" and read a book about something taboo. The book is just another pearl on the string of "informative murder porn" media made for people who find serial killers & murderers "cool". This whole category of media has been done to death by channels such as Investigation Discovery(ID).
If you are looking for a book to delve deep into the reasons behind sociopaths actions, and a peek into their psyche you are in the wrong place.
While I have crapped all over this book in my review so far I would like to point out that this book isn't all bad, by any means. It covers a lot of ground and does indeed have a lot of information in it that may be useful to many for research purposes. I will finish my review off with one final nitpick. The author does try very hard to incorporate police "slang" & terminology to the books detriment. It comes off as inauthentic and trying hard.
I would recommend this book for anyone trying to find light information on a lot of serial killers but if you are looking for deeper information and analysis, look elsewhere. The book likes to skim over most of the subjects victims only focusing on one or two who are noteworthy. In effect it actually skips over some of the more interesting victims and facts about some serial killers.
This book, while informative, has numerous issues which I will attempt to list here.
The first big one, for me at least, is that it tries to cover so much ground with these killers. You will get one to four pages of information on any one killer. That's not nearly enough, the book essentially skims over all the interesting information about the killers and their victims.
The next issue I have is how this book tries to portray killers as one dimensional creatures that have only a single objective: To kill. Reality would disagree with this book's narrative. Serial killers, in the real world, are much more complex that soulless murder vessels. The book tries to say the serial killers have no emotion or feelings for others, when in reality they have the ability to love and feel empathy, they can just turn those feelings off at will.
This book is more directed at the middle age soccer moms who drink wine and want to "be bad" and read a book about something taboo. The book is just another pearl on the string of "informative murder porn" media made for people who find serial killers & murderers "cool". This whole category of media has been done to death by channels such as Investigation Discovery(ID).
If you are looking for a book to delve deep into the reasons behind sociopaths actions, and a peek into their psyche you are in the wrong place.
While I have crapped all over this book in my review so far I would like to point out that this book isn't all bad, by any means. It covers a lot of ground and does indeed have a lot of information in it that may be useful to many for research purposes. I will finish my review off with one final nitpick. The author does try very hard to incorporate police "slang" & terminology to the books detriment. It comes off as inauthentic and trying hard.
I would recommend this book for anyone trying to find light information on a lot of serial killers but if you are looking for deeper information and analysis, look elsewhere. The book likes to skim over most of the subjects victims only focusing on one or two who are noteworthy. In effect it actually skips over some of the more interesting victims and facts about some serial killers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews