Customer Reviews

The Devil's Dozen: How Cutting-Edge Forensics Took Down 12 Notorious Serial Killers

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This is a fascinating book about very cunning serial killer monsters and heroic efforts of detectives and forensic scientists working together to stop a killing machine and bring him to justice. Dr. Ramsland has carefully selected serial killers that are not household names, like "The Red Spider, who left a note in red ink near one of his victims in a brazen and brutal Christmas Eve killing and then later sent alarming notes to newspaper editors written in blood-colored ink.

Ramsland's expertise in selecting the terrifying killers is only part of the equation. These twelve cases are dramatic examples of how police and forensic experts brought these killing machines to justice. She captures the fear, excitment and revulsion of the people who are working crazy hours for days, months and even years trying to prevent these killers from killing again. Each of the twelve cases is the makings of a movie.

It's a great read, especially for audiences of CSI and the other forensics TV series. Highly recommended.

- The first 3 cases are full of facts but dry.

- The remaining cases are more interesting for example the Harvey Robinson case. The suspense created while the police lying in wait for the criminal to kill again was unbearable.

- On the average, each case is covered in 24 pages. It's long enough for all the necessary details.

- This book emphasizes on the hard working of the detectives and the scientific methods used to solve the crimes. However, the details of the methods are sketchy. If you are a CSI student, you will want more detailed information.

- It does not expose the inner thinking or feeling of the criminals either. You'll have to read Ann Rule's books for that.

- Each case has one to two illustrations. Many cases have only one drawing or photo of the criminals but none of the detectives.

- Overall, it's a gripping book. I could not put it down until I finished it.

Below is the list of the 12 crimes described in this book.
Albert Fish, Andrei Chikatilo, Colin Pitchfork, Dennis Rader, H.H. Holmes, Harvey Robinson, Jack Unterweger, James B. Grinder, Lucian Staniak, Ludwig Tessnow, Richard Rogers, Robert Pickton.

The stories are very interesting and well written but the scientific content is a little "light" for some of the forensic evidence.