Signature Killers [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Keppel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997 | Series: Pocket Books True Crime

In a real-life scenario straight out of The Silence of the Lambs, Robert Keppel went one-on-one with the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, who advised Keppel on the detective's highly publicized search for the elusive Green River Killer. Bundy's chilling revelations were chronicled in The Riverman, "a page-turner" (Ted Montgomery, Detroit News) praised by Ann Rule as "the definitive book on serials." But Ted Bundy wasn't the first killer of his kind -- or the last.

Signature Killers

They leave telltale identifiers, their gruesome "calling cards," at the scenes of their crimes. They are driven by a primitive motivation to act out the same brutality over and over. With brilliant detection, high-tech analysis -- and a little luck -- they can be caught. But what does the signature killer seek from victim to victim? The answers are hidden among the grisly evidence, the common threads that link each devastating act.

Sparked by a growing concern over the steady rise of signature murders, Robert Keppel explores in unflinching detail the monstrous patterns, sadistic compulsions, and depraved motives of this breed of killer. From the Lonely Hearts Killer who hunted the most desperate of women in 1950s America, to the savage Midtown Torso Murders that stunned the NYPD, to such infamous symbols of evil as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Gacy, these are the cases -- horrifying, graphic and unforgettable -- that Keppel ingeniously taps to shed light on the darkest corners of the pathological mind.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Signature Killers is a peculiar yet valuable book--repetitious, brilliant, turgid, passionate, and indispensable for understanding serial killers. Those who persevere through the prolix writing style will be rewarded by compelling insights into the psychological needs, and evolution over time, of a specific type of murderer, one whose key characteristic is not so much that he kills multiple people, but that he leaves a signature behind at every crime scene. Robert Keppel knows what he's talking about: He's been involved in more than 2,000 murder investigations, including 50 high-profile serial cases. The topics he covers in exhaustive and harrowing detail (Signature Killers is not for the faint of heart) include "the essence of torture," "the anger-retaliation signature," "the picquerism signature," "the psychological imprint of a sadist," "the retaliation-to-excitation continuum," and why Jeffrey Dahmer is "the black hole at the end of the continuum."

About the Author

Robert D. Keppel is the chief criminal investigator for the Washington State Attorney General's Office. He has a Ph.D in criminal justice from the University of Washington and has been an investigator or consultant to more than two thousand murder cases and more than fifty serial murder investigations, including the Atlanta child murders and the Green River murders. With William J. Birnes, he is coauthor of The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer, published by Pocket Books.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671001302
• ISBN-13: 978-0671001308
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterwork, September 18, 2001

By 

Paul Cerra - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signature Killers (Mass Market Paperback)

Bob Keppel cut his teeth working the Ted Bundy murders in Washington State in the mid-1970s. He later went on to work the infamous "Green River" investigation, as well as consulting on other high-profile serial murder cases like the Atlanta child murders in 1979-1981. He has worked with leading law enforcement professionals on the state and federal levels. As such, Keppel is well-positioned to discuss serial murder.

Signature Killers focuses on sexual offenders who leave "signatures" at their crime scenes. These individuals are compulsively forced to commit certain acts that will not vary from crime to crime. So while a murderer may change his modus operandi -- climbing in a window one time, picking a lock the next -- his signature will not change. Perhaps even more interesting is Keppel's theory on the "arc" of violence that murderers move through. Included are discussions on sadism, picquerism, and even cannibalism.

Many reviewers have complained that Keppel's writing style leaves something to be desired. While this is probably true, I think it should be pointed out that this book almost certainly derives from Keppel's dissertation in pursuit of his Ph.D. Keppel appears to have taken sections from his thesis and added commentary to form a book. The discerning reader can see where the structured style of the dissertation leaves off and the conversational, casual style begins. I don't consider this a fault; I'm glad to have this accessible book to read instead of a dry, stuffy doctoral dissertation. Keppel should be commended for making this material available to a wider audience.

Anyone interested in the motives of serial offenders can hardly do better than to turn to Dr. Bob Keppel. Others have said, and I agree, that Keppel's last chapter -- regarding the cause(s) of increasing violence in our society -- leaves a bit to be desired. But Keppel is entitled to his opinion (which, in this case, cannot be proved or disproved with ease) and it certainly doesn't diminish the comprehensive knowledge on serial sexual offenders that Keppel makes available to readers in Signature Killers.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrifying look into several serial murderers, July 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Signature Killers (Mass Market Paperback)

Robert Keppel presents some of the most terrifying and interesting serial murder cases that he investigated during his long career. In this book, Keppel uses 1 part intuition mixed with 1 part psychological knowledge to explain the signature that every killer inevitably leaves at the scene.

Keppel writes in the same tone that he spoke with in my Sociology (Murder) class at the University of Washington-clearly, factually and concisely. This book is a must for those interested in more than just the gory details of a serial murder.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Information Vs. Entertainment, July 28, 2004

By 

Ava Young "journey of jordanna east" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Signature Killers (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book to be one of the best on the market on behavioral science with respect to serial killers. Unfortunately, many other readers are determined to point out Keppel's faults as a writer. I believe this text is meant to be more informative than entertaining. Perhaps if they are seeking entertainment, they should look for Crime Novels rather than True Crime selections.

On the other hand, I agree with the other readers in regards to the author's annoying habit of repetition. However, I won't let that stop me from reading his other book, The Riverman.