Customer Reviews

From the Mouth of the Monster: The Joel Rifkin Story

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is very rare to see an author transform himself during the writing process. Mladinich, a seasoned NYPD Detective, lures the reader in with the gripping details surrounding the well-publicized slayings of serial killer Joel Rifkin. In the true form of a master interrogator, Mladinich draws Rifkin out of his "sociopathic lair" but at the same time enters the domain of a murderer's psyche. He succeeds in drawing parallels between his own seemingly "normal" life and that of a confessed executioner of innocent young women and asks, "what makes an individual cross the line?" It is a must read for any student of psychology as well as fans of the old-fashioned murder and suspense fiction novel ... only this story actually happened. Gripping, insightful, and intelligently written ... I anxiously await Mladinich's next book.

In the late 1990s, Joel Rifkin was a serial murderer of prostitutes who is jailed for life in the New York prison system. Author Robert Mladinich was a New York detective and writer who, in college, had briefly known and liked Joel Rifkin. It was inconceivable to Mladinich that someone he had considered a kindred spirit could have committed the senseless murders Rifkin did - murders of people who had not threatened him nor harmed him in any way - and he began a mission to understand the soul of Joel Rifkin and ultimately of himself.
Rifkin as an adult was insecure, fearful, and socially inept, and - as might be expected - was the same as a child. He was the sad child we have all known: friendless, excluded, and the perennial target of bullies. As an example, Rifkin's mother reports that Rifkin, a photographer who played a major role in the production of his high school yearbook, was subsequently not invited to the yearbook wrap party. This seems to have been a pattern throughout his life.
Mladinch allows the personality, psyche, and soul of Rifkin to emerge through Rifkin's own words, provided to the author during numerous visits to Rifkin in prison and through Rifkin's letters to Mladinich. There is no bias and almost no personal judgement by Mladinch which is impressive given the despicably vile acts Rifkin committed. The reader can read Rifkin's words without any commentary by Mladinich about how he is supposed to feel.
The resulting book is simply one of the most outstanding I have read of any kind. It is really not a true crime book at all, but rather in in depth, often painful, character study. Describing the aftermath of Rifkin's first murder, Mladinich writes, "As he sopped up the blood and cleaned up the mess in the living room of the home where had always found refuge from his tormentors, Joel did not realize that, in essence, he had died along with Susie on that cold, damp March morning."
The last two chapters thoughtfully and in considerable depth summarize Rifkin's soul and, due to the bond Mladinich still feels with him all these years later, Mladinich's as well. "What was most apparent was that Joel, living within the artificial environment of a prison, was finally experiencing, in his own mind at least, what it was like to be normal. For the first time in his life he had....a social network of friends who were in no position to betray or abandon him." And, "Joel had finally found his utopia, a place where the disenfranchised and the dissociated were welcomed with open arms...."
Even as he is repulsed by Rifkin's murders, Mladinich retains a bond of humanity with his old friend and, amazing to himself, finds him to be intelligent and in some ways still likable. He writes thoughtfully and intelligently and with a depth, personal honesty, and humanity which are extremely rare, resulting in a book of much greater value than either a dry psychiatric report or many of the often superficial true crime books currently written.
This book is simply outstanding. Although it would obviously be more difficult to obtain material as the subjects are dead, I would love to read a book by Mladinich about the lives of Rifkin's victims. I'm sure it would be fascinating due to Mladinch's obvious personal feelings of a human bond between himself and all other people. I will read anything else he has written.

Joel Rifkin, the most prolific serial killer in New York history, was adopted at the age of 3 weeks and raised by loving, community-minded, and educated parents. Rifkin's parents also raised an adoptive daughter who was popular, intelligent, and conscientious. So what happened to Joel?

It is highly likely that Joel was born with brain abnormalities (e.g. undiagnosed brain lesions, cognitive processing delays, etc.). As a child, Joel was physically awkward, socially delayed, and exhibited odd and eccentric behaviors. However, no one could have predicted the murderous impulses that were later unleashed on the prostitute population of New York.

The final chapters of the book make reference to another book, "Guilty by Reason of Insanity." I have read this very well researched and thought provoking book. The authors, who studied many violent criminals, including Joel Rifkin, provide documentation of congenital brain abnormalities and/or a history of head truama associated with many, many violent criminals and serial killers. While this in no way excuses the behavior of Rifkin, it does provide explanation. Rifkin probably never had a chance.

There are numerous Rifkin quotes throughout the entirety of the book, providing a glimpse into the contradictory thinking and bizarre rationalizations of a serial killer. My only complaint about the book is that Rifkin was less than insightful at times, leaving the reader with more questions than answers. But then, what should one expect of a serial killer? I would suggest that more inquiring minds read "Guilty by Reason of Insanity" for a more comprehensive understanding of the enigma Rifkin always was and continues to be.

This book was well written. I enjoyed the many comments directly from the subject of the book, and I really appreciated the author's sharing of his own thoughts-both good and bad. I felt the author was very honest with the reader and found it easy to identify with this author and his feelings of confusion.

The book was informative, but did not provide information about the victims of this monster. As so often happens, the victims were merely deemed "prostitutes" with nothing about the people they were, and they were people...with loving hearts, families, friends and shattered dreams. I knew one of them and miss her dearly. I wish the author had taken a little more time to talk about the victims, and the hardships they suffered in life instead of rationalizing this monster's actions with "bullying" as a child.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims and hope that some day this author might consider writing about them....

I'm over 1/2 way through this book and I can see right now that I'm going to bed real late this evening. Joel Rifkin blames everyone and everything on someone else, but not him. I liked the fact that the author gets into his childhood up to his older years. If I had to choose from a mountain of true crime books that were good reads, this one would be fairly close to the top of my list. Well worth the read for true crime buffs.

I really enjoyed this book. The writer parallels and contrasts his own life with Joel Rifkin, a notorious serial killer that he had met in college. The book is well researched and is a chilling journey into the life of a killer. I highly reccomend it.

A friend gave me this book to read on the plane, I am glad I had it, we were delayed two hours. I really liked this book, it is a little different than the other true crime books I have read, the writer shares his life, his own shortcomings, fears and insights with the reader. I also thought the book a had a good pace, there was always something around the corner...