Follows the story of George Russell, Jr., a charismatic young African American from an affluent Seattle suburb who targeted and killed three beautiful women and whose charming outward appearance kept him from suspicion. Reprint. NYT.
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Amazon.com Review
This is the story of George, an African American who grew up in a Caucasian suburb of Seattle, where his unaffectionate mother and racial isolation led him to develop an effervescent personality in order to get along. He became a small-time burglar and an accomplished liar--a wisecracking "smoothy" who pretended to be an undercover detective. George made lots of friends, especially within a subculture of giggly young white women who partied endlessly in upscale Seattle clubs during 1989-90. And he murdered three of them, bizarrely mutilating and "staging" their bodies. The drinks, dancing, and deejays--the group pad where George lived with an adoring coterie of feckless college kids--Olsen gives us the quirky details that make the murderer's well-hidden rage and misogyny all the more shocking. As the New York Times wrote, "Like fine cinema verité, [Charmer] mesmerizes us with the sense of watching real life, unaugmented, move before our eyes."
From Publishers Weekly
Olsen (Son) has established himself so firmly near the pinnacle of true-crime writers that anything from him not a masterwork is somewhat of a disappointment. That is the case with this story of a young African American from a posh Seattle suburb. George Russell Jr., highly intelligent, supremely articulate and supposedly the son of professionals, became a serial killer who mutilated his victims. His story is told largely through transcripts of interviews with police officers, bar personnel and the far younger women he hung around with (at 28, he enjoyed the company of girls of 13 and 14). Beneath his charm, however, lay a pathological hatred of women, so it is not surprising that his career in crime, which began with petty theft and advanced to cat burglary, climaxed with the murders of three females. The book's strength is its lesson that diligent police work can indeed produce results. Russell is now serving a life term. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
From Mother Of One Of Russell's Victims,
By A Customer
This review is from: Charmer: The True Story of a Ladies' Man and His Victims (Mass Market Paperback)
I am the mother of one of Russell's victims in Jack Olsen's book "Charmer." George Russell attacked my daughter, she almost died ... she was given the Last Rites while in a coma state at the hospital. My daughter, however, was one of the luckiest of his victims and, by the grace of God, survived his brutal attack. There was much more that could have been told about Russell's brutality and the savagery of his crimes that are not in this book. It took me five years before I had the courage to buy and read "Charmer," but I'm glad I did. His book gives you good insight into this maniac killer. Prison is too good for this animal.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
JUST THE FACTS...,
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)
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This review is from: Charmer: The True Story of a Ladies' Man and His Victims (Mass Market Paperback)
The late great Jack Olsen is one of the greatest true crime writers around, along with Ann Rule. With this book, the author explores the life of George Russell, Jr., a young, highly intelligent African-American who lived with his mother, step-father, and half-sister in the affluent Seattle suburb of Mercer Island. There was little to indicate at the time that he would grow up to become a notorious serial killer, murdering three young women before being stopped.The author gives a fact based account of what happened, relying heavily upon interviews of those who knew George Russell, Jr. It would appear that George was an ingratiating, silver tongued devil, with a propensity for lying. Still, this charismatic Svengali had a following among the very young teens with whom he would associate. He also had a peculiar approach towards women, based probably on the distorted and distant relationship with his own mother, a cold and austere woman who abandoned George to his step-father, when she divorced him. The story of George Russell, Jr. and his infamous crimes is well laid out by the author in a no nonsense style. Those looking for tabloid sensationalism should look elsewhere. It is the facts, ma'm, strictly the facts, with little attempt at analysis. The book lacks crime scene photographs or even a photograph of the killer around whom this story unfolds. The book is simply a straightforward, take it or leave it presentation of this killer's story without input from the killer. Consequently, the book suffers somewhat from these omissions. Still, it is a well told tale that is sure to interest those with a penchant for the true crime genre.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
George will remain in my memory for a long time.,
This review is from: Charmer: The True Story of a Ladies' Man and His Victims (Mass Market Paperback)
One reviewer found this book too much "just the facts, maam." But that's exactly what most mystery fans want. I thought Olsen did a great job of slowing exposing George's sinister character. I wish that the circumstances of his early childhood had been examined more for facts and not just "heresay". I came upon this book by accident, but will certainly read more of Olsen's work. It was a 1-day read for me- couldn't put it down. Carolyn
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