Customer Reviews

The Night Stalker

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

A friend of mine was recently at the book store and decided to pick up a few "real crime" books. One was on Ted Bundy, another on Charles Manson, and a third that happened to be a book on Richard Ramirez. He decided to read the Ted Bundy piece first, and offered "The Night Stalker..." to me.

I never knew much about the crimes, other than my vague memories of laying awake at night as a child in my grandmother's Orange County home and praying the Night Stalker wouldn't choose my house to come to on any given night, and as such I decided to give the book a read through. From the first page I wasn't met with an ounce of disappointment.

The compelling descriptions on the psyche of Richard Ramirez, as well as the in-depth descriptions of the murder scenes and the acts themselves seemed highly detailed and a quick read. In fact, I'm half asleep at my desk right now due to my inability to put the book down last night.

Philip Carlo has written a compelling and interesting book on a subject that was all too close to me for my own comfort. I can only imagine the thoughts that went through his mind while going to the crime scenes and being face to face with the man deemed responsible for those atrocities. He has managed to capture it all within the pages of this book.

If you're into this genre, it hasn't been done better. A must buy!

With the exception of the Night Stalker himself, Philip Carlo is the foremost expert on Richard Ramirez and the Night Stalker case. Every television documentary I have seen on Ramirez's murderous rampage in southern California in 1985 includes interviews with Carlo and information coming directly from this book. Carlo provides one of the most thorough true crime works I have read. He has accumulated information from hundreds of interviews with the key people in Ramirez's life and the Night Stalker case, including hours with the Night Stalker, himself. Every thing is covered here: the gory details of the numerous rapes and murders, the exciting capture of Ramirez by an angry mob, the long and often infuriating trial, and Ramirez's Death Row wedding with an entertainment magazine editor. What I found to be the most interesting part of the book was the section on the Ramirez family, particularly young Richard's relationship with his cousin Mike.

Mike was a decorated Green Beret who returned to the U.S. a mental and emotional volcano. He taught young Richard guerrilla combat techniques which ironically came in handy when Richard set out for a "career" in burglary that later escalated to much worse crimes. Mike also showed Richard photographs of Vietnamese women sexually tortured and killed. A crime Richard witnessed Mike committing while a visitor in his cousin's home was a turning point in Ramirez's life.

The bizarre groupies who attended Ramirez's sometimes farcical trial is very eye-opening. I was shocked at the lengths to which some of these women went to visit Ramirez even after he was convicted for some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. That one of these groupies was a juror is even more remarkable (even Madonna wanted to meet him). This book is the best source on one of the most infamous serial killer cases of the century and, by true crime standards, well written. An index would have been a welcomed addition, but the book is divided in the following "books": "The Hunted and the Hunters," "Richie," "Capture," "The Trial," and "Epilogue."

Phillip Carlo did lots of research and was very patient in producing this thorough and complete book examining the Night Stalker. Modus Operandi, descriptions of the LA area, and the fear caused by this sick person were detailed. The honestly gruesome details of what Ramirez did to his victims were covered. If there is evil on this Earth Ramirez fits the bill. This is a very good book.

This was my first true crime novel I had ever attempted to read, and my foray into this subject was a success. I am a psychology major, and I wrote a term paper on Mr. Ramirez with the help of this novel as one of my sources. This nonfiction work reads likes fiction in that it is so descriptive and jarring it almost seems like you are entering a sadistic universe that doesn't exist, although in the mind of Richard it actually does. A sadist to the tenth degree as well as a religiously obsessed genius, Richard is a man who one feels sympathy for if only for the fact that if it were not for his uncontrollable psychosis he could have actually been a wonderful asset to society with his unexpected wit and high intelligence. Read this man's quotes, ponder his wonderful speech given in court, and you will realize this is no "average joe" killer. This is an intelligent, sadistic, individual who is at war with the philosophical demons he posseses and the incredible beauty, talent, and genius he holds deep inside.

What is it that makes a serial killer tick? And what exactly is it that makes the public fascinated with them while fearful of them? Richard Ramirez, infamously known as the Night Stalker, is in a breed of his own. One of the most dangerous and feared serial killers in America, Ramirez and his crimes still haunt the public mind today as his murderous spree did in the mid-1980s. Philip Carlo's book about Ramirez's life and crimes is extremely thorough and well-written, a quick-paced nightmare of a read.

Richard Ramirez became known as the Night Stalker because his crimes occured at night; he would sneak into his victims' houses while they were sleeping and attack them. His rampages were never quite the same, making him an unusual serial killer who didn't always follow the same MO, but ensuring that he was all the more difficult to track because investigators wouldn't tie his crimes together. Except for homicide detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno (of Hillside Strangler fame) who were convinced that the variety of crimes committed in quiet L.A. neighborhoods were the work of one man. Their task force was responsible for finding evidence to link these crimes and capture the man resopnsible for the string of robberies, rapes, murders, and attempted murders.

Carlo's book is divided neatly into different sections, creating suspense for the reader as he begins with vivid recreations of the Night Stalker crimes, then springboards into Ramirez's youth and finally into his capture and trial. Ramirez's crimes terrorized the Los Angeles area, but also mesmerized legions of people. A known Satanist, Ramirez instilled fear in not only his victims, but many who came in contact with him. For others, especially young women (including a juror), he was a beautiful, dangerous man they wanted to embrace and fight for, beliving him innocent of the crimes. "The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez" is a spellbinding book that weaves a complete picture of Richard Ramirez and recreates an unbiased look at his capture and trial and the mystery that surrounds him still.

This book takes you through, in great detail, every crime Richard Ramirez committed, the investigation,search, and capture of the Nightstalker. His rampage that left more than a dozen people dead and HURT. From there, it details his trial and his experiences in prison/death row. Mr. Carlo leaves no stone unturned in this book. This book is REAL hard to put down.

If you are looking for information on this case, get this one FIRST!!

The detail with which Carlo writes of the murders is impressive, although the calibur of his writing could be better. I found it difficult to put the book down up until the apprehension of Ramirez, which takes place at maybe pg. 300 or so. Thereafter, the narrative becomes somewhat bogged down with superfluous details, such as meticulous but frankly boring recitation of courtroom antics and other minutiae that ultimately has no bearing on the outcome of the case or the story in general. Admittedly, it's tough to achieve the same level of excitement in the second act for obvious reasons; however, if you pick up a copy of Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" you'll find that it's not quite an impossible feat.

This book is one of the few True Crime books I've read that talked more about the crime, and less about the trial. I enjoyed the way it described the movements Richard Ramirez took with every murder & his childhood. I am not interested on every detail of the trail or how the trees swayed in the breeze. I like more information on how the crime was acted out. For instance, when it talks about events Richard did before and after each break-in. Also it goes in great detail about his childhood so the reader has some idea of where he was coming from with each kill. If you are someone who likes more crime & less trial than this is an excellent book to get.

When I first read this book, I thought it would just be another true crime book. But soon after starting this book, I realized I was in for a ride! It was tough to lay in my bedroom at night time and read this book. Every little noise, crack and creak in my house had me listening very closely and holding my breathe.

For sure, this book is the reason I always double check my locks and windows at night time. The way he was able to break into homes at night time and be completely undetected was amazing. You would think you or your dog would hear when a window is being opened. Unfortunately, this book shows you how you are not safe in your home at night time. Gives me chills thinking about it and it has been a few years since I read it. I most likely will never read this book again due to the nightmares I experienced from it the first time around.

So if your thinking of reading this book, turn the lights on while someone else is home with you or just read it during the day.

If one wants to seriously get into the mind of a serial killer this is a must have best buy. Phillip Carlo presents facinating background with this piece. It isn't often a writer can take me there so I'm scared to turn off the light but this book did it. The book reads like a novel, I couldn't put it down, and was sad to discover there weren't about 10 more from the author I could purchase. Richard Ramirez is captured so expertly you'll think you know him by the last page. Did you like "In Cold Blood'? Then you must read "The Night Stalker"