Customer Reviews

The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers," Harold Schechter, New York, Ballantine Books, 2003 ISBN 0-345-46566-0 (ppk) is by an established author of 10 prior books, 7 on serial killers.
The book's 402 pages of text are conveniently divided into 9 chapters plus 7 pages listing a rather thorough true-crime bibliography for about 100 individual cases, mostly SK-loners but perhaps 10% SK-couples or "family".
If this book is read cover-to-cover the reader encounters moderate redundancy -- but this is a literary devise seemingly required for the book's division into chapters which nicely explore all those elements of the lengthy sub-title (who, what, where, how and why) plus intriguing chapters on sadism, extreme perversions as cannibalism, methodology, profiling, and an exceptionally spirited coverage of SK culture.
This book is a treatise with cross-referencing of "everything you ever wanted to know about serial killers," with lots of gruesome details on lust-killers, torture, etc. Were one to choose a single book on SK, this one by Schechter stands out, and the price is right. The only technical error I noted was the name of the acids hydrochloric vs sulfuric (HCl page 265, and H2SO4 page 334) used by J. G. Haigh, the "Acid-Bath Killer".

This is a veritable compendium of serial killers (who they are, how they kill, why they do it) and each killer has an in depth case study, and I do mean IN DEPTH! What more can I say. It was an interesting read with loads of resources for whatever macabre murder or murder type strikes your fancy...my only complaint is that there was actually quite a bit of repeated information. I'm assuming though that the author probably doesn't intend for the book to be read cover to cover (as I did), so he repeats information in various sections one might reference, probably to ensure his ideas are conveyed thoroughly for those not reading the entire book, like say, looking up a specific killer or type of killer. I give it a solid B, this would make a handy reference for a library or for use in a personal library if one writes about serial killers! :-)

I have been a reader of Mr. Schechter's non fiction for three or four years now. One of my first books on serial killers in general (as opposed to books on individual serial killers) was A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, so I didn't know about this book. But, well, the subject matter is too tantalizing, so I went for it. Was I glad I did. The most valuable thing about this book for me were the updates. We get the Green River Killer update, The Railway Killer, and the Beltway Snipers, to mention only a few. The format here is interesting, and while I read it from page one all the way straight to the end, with its terrific index, its a reference or a "snack" of infomation, however you wish to use it. It has a place of honor on my shelf.

So many true crime books are sensationally written, poorly researched tabloid type renditions of serial murder. Harold Schechter, however, has literally written a text book of murder. This book is well written, organized, and provides an interesting historical overview of serial killers...from the "Bluebeard" killers, to the Black Widows, to the sexual sadists, he covers them all. Schechter also provides insight into the empty soul of the sociopath. I highly recommend this book!

It's a reference book but reads well cover-to-cover, or you can just look up the specific topics you're interested in. But you'll end up reading the whole thing. Covers all the basics (Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer. . . . and the difference between serial killers and mass murderers) plus a hundred other things I'd never heard of (African American serial killers, or weirdest ways of dumping the bodies). . . . also has a whole comic book about a serial killer named Panzram.

This is without any doubt one of the most informative books on the history of serial killers. Schechters writing style is so fluid that it's hard to put the book down. Around 150 - 200 serial killers are discussed in the book, which means that Schechter also mentions the lesser known serial killers, like Javed Iqbal and Li Wenxian. It's interesting to read that serial killers aren't a phenomenon of the last 150 years. Schechter proves that by going back to ancient Rome and the middle ages.

Who, what, where, how en why ... You will find the answer in this book. Excellent for true crime addicts. 5 star

I have been an enthusiast of serial killer literature for years and years, and I can confidently say that this book will now be the singular resource on serial killers. It is comprehensive, well-written, and perfectly executed. It satisfied all of the questions I have had about serial killers. Full of informations, interesting, engaging--anyone with an interest similar to mine should definitely buy this book!!

For those interested in serial killers or in understanding the human condition in some of its darkest forms, this book offers a number of wonderful insights. Details from interviews with many notorious killers including John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Karl "Kropsey" Morgan, make this book both a fascinating and truly repulsive read.

This book was pretty informative about serial killers. There were more gruesome killers than I ever imagined! The author did a good job, the only prob lem I had was in his way of explaining things. In the different chapters, he goes back and REDESCRIBES the murderer or the crimes they commited. It got a little old and repetitive after a while especially after the third or fourth time he repeated something. I DID enjoy this book though, and would recommend it to other readers.

Nice book to reference over for the morbidly curious and those who find serial killers fascinating. However, I feel the author takes artistic license in certain areas of the book (for example, the account of Nero's mother Agrippina being put to death by "being raped by a specially trained giraffe, after which she was torn apart by wild animals") [Schechter p. 130] causes me to second guess the writer.