Customer Reviews

Killers On the Loose: Unsolved Cases of Serial Murder

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was a decent book but since I just read it now, some of the unsolved murders have now been solved. Killers on the Loose is superficially alluring but ultimately unsatisfying - the paperback equivalent of a salacious American television documentary. The major shortcoming of Mendoza's is that he makes no reference to any other work on the subject. It's not that Mendoza hasn't carried out any research, clearly he has, but he provides no references to substantiate what appears to be a paper-bound version of the case studies on his website. The book abounds with unsourced quotes from various law enforcement officials that might be from newspapers, television news or from interviews, but the sources are never stated (in fact the only reference Mendoza provides in the whole 240 pages is to his own website). So while the cover tells us that "this is the first look at serial killers at large, from one of the world's foremost authorities", this claim appears to be no more than an unsupported assertion on the part of the blurb-writer.

I am a big true crime fan. What I like about Mendoza's book are the murderers he chooses to cover -- they're not the same one's you always hear about. His unadorned prose and direct approach storytelling lets the grisley facts speak for themselves. I couldn't put this book down but I'm glad I'm finished with it... it kept me up at night.

who knew there were so many serial killers throughout the world. I loved this book. it paints a fascinating picture of different serial killers on the loose and the investigators looking for them. in a couple chapters mendoza chronicles how suspects are finally brought to justice, giving us a first-hand look of how serial killers are caught.

Some true crime books just aren't worth it--this is one of those. Look elsewhere is all I can tell you. this one is practically a waste of time. Also: incorrect regarding the Green River Killer. They do have a guy in custody and he is still alive, etc.
I guess the cover is worth a single star. About it. Read Truman Capote's masterpiece IN COLD BLOOD if you want a book to keep you up at night and give you chills.

this is one of the best true crime books i've read in a long time. it's up to the minute information on open cases worldwide is fascinating. who knew there were so many serial killers at large today. it seems that several of the cases in the book were solved by authorities while the author was writing it, which he includes as updates at the end of the respective chapters, giving us a great overview of the investigative process. a definite must read for all true crime aficionados.