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Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters [Paperback]

Peter Vronsky
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 5, 2004
In this unique book, Peter Vronsky documents the psychological, investigative, and cultural aspects of serial murder, beginning with its first recorded instance in Ancient Rome, through fifteenth-century France, up to such notorious contemporary cases as cannibal/necrophile Ed Kemper, Henry Lee Lucas, Ted Bundy, and the emergence of what he classifies as "the serial rampage killer" such as Andrew Cunanan.

Exhaustively researched with transcripts of interviews with killers, and featuring up-to-date information on the apprehension and conviction of the Green River Killer and the Beltway Snipers, Vronsky's one-of-a-kind books covers every conceivable aspect of an endlessly riveting true-crime phenomenon.


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Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters + The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers + Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Vronsky is an investigative journalist and a producer of documentary films for television. His work has appeared on PBS, Discovery Channel, MTV, CNN, and various international channels.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Trade; Trade edition edition (October 5, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0425196402
  • ISBN-13: 978-0425196403
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

A very interesting and easy to read book! Robyn Christenson  |  12 reviewers made a similar statement
Peter Vronksy's "Serial Killers" is a good overview of serial killers and what makes them tick. Deborah McGrane  |  12 reviewers made a similar statement
There is so much information within the pages that it is almost a mind overload. Jenn  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading Impossible To Put Down! May 9, 2006
Format:Paperback
This book was on the list of required readings for a criminal justice course I took but it was actually fun to read compared to some of the dull and clinical readings we have to do. I began reading this book on the way home from the campus bookstore, and could hardly put it down until I finished it. This writer deals with some very technical and heavy-going forensic material on serial killers, their psychology, history and investigative techniques. But he explains things in a very understandable way without talking down to you and gives real case examples for his stuff with identifiable details (which forensic texts often do not.) The references in this book are worth its cover price alone. I am so tired of reading "true crime" accounts with no idea where the authors get their information. This writer tells you the source of almost every major fact or controversial claim in his book. You can go and look it up yourself if you don't believe him or want to know more. And there is material here that no other books on Serial Killers deal with. Great book. Smart and hip. A Fast Food Nation or Black Hawk Down of serial killer books. Well researched and brilliantly written. Going beyond books on serial killers, this is one of the better books outright that I have read this year. Just a pleasure to read.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars History, present, and future of serial killers April 11, 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A lot of reviews focused on the history covered by this book, but what I found most compelling was in fact the second half, which discussed the "formation" of a serial killer.

In the first half, the author goes back a few centuries to uncover gruesome truths of serial killers across Europe. With every chapter, he steps forward in time, narrating the lives and biographies of famous and not-so-famous killers, from Jack the Ripper to the Boston Strangler. Every page delivers a shock, as the lives and practices of the killers are revealed.

If you manage to survive through the photos in the center without passing out at the gore, you'll find the second half even more gripping. It explains how a serial killer develops, how his behavior differs from others in childhood, how he strikes his first victim, and the pattern that dictates his life from there on. There is plenty on the many types of killers and their various approaches to murder.

A fair portion near the end of the book is dedicated to criminal profiling and crime scene investigation. The book closes with a chilling chapter on how to survive if you find yourself at the mercy of a serial killer.

A very engaging read if you have the heart for the gruesome details!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book by a talented amateur April 5, 2007
Format:Paperback
Peter Vronsky has an interesting personal perspective on serial killers. His book does not try to be a definitive source on all serial killers, but does try to provide an over view to the world that some of these killers live in. His writing is thought provoking and brings to light many interesting statistics and facts about both serial killers and profilers. Definitely a great read for both the amateur as well as the professionals who may have to be searching for the killers. Also has a nice bonus chapter about surviving serial killer abductions.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of the Genre : Non-Biased, Well Written, Factual...
There are many serial killers books available. Most are content to restate the plain facts about the most popular twenty killers. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Aries Minder
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, highly recommend as an intro
Compared to other informational books on serial killers out for sale at present, this is one of the best I've read so far; Vronsky distinguishes the integral differences between... Read more
Published 11 days ago by eames
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the true crime enthusiast
A must read for all the true crime enthusiasts out there, especially if you're into serial killers. The text does get a little heavy from time to time, slowing me down and really... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Traveling Hobo
4.0 out of 5 stars Stranger than Fiction
They always say life imitates art, but its just the opposite - every serial killer book you've read that you think is a fantasy likely has some semblance of truth from one of the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D'Bri
3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistent.
Overall well written. Had little entertainment value. The fascinating stories of the characters that comprised the study were too often interrupted by long dry statements of facts... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kw4242
4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely, Maybe
This is the VERY FIRST BOOK where the author discredits himself in the very first sentence --literally. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Madacy101
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Nice Book
It has a lot of information about serial killers that I didn't know about. I believe it was a excellent choice
Published 3 months ago by B. Villalobos
5.0 out of 5 stars So Much Information
Once I started this book I could not put it down!! There is so much information within the pages that it is almost a mind overload. There are so many killers throghout history. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jenn
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down.
This was a very interesting and detailed, yet easy to understand book. Vronsky tells the reader from the beginning that he's no serial murder expert, but it does seem like he's... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mal
5.0 out of 5 stars Good survey of the subject matter
I've been watching Criminal Minds lately, and it's made me wonder how accurate the portrayal of profiling is, as well as about some of the cases they refer to in their... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Boo Katers
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