Customer Reviews

Signature Killers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am the Director of Justice Studies at dodge city community college in dodge city, kansas. I teach a class on serial killers. Keppels book is excellent! He does an excellent job of explaining the difference between an MO and a signature. I encourage my students to read Keppels books and John Douglas's.

I have read many books about serial killers and this is by far one of the most fascinating and informative that there are.

An interesting topic, with some very interesting ideas. But there is a lot of repetition -- where was the editor? -- and the prose is slow and slack. I would have prefered a more detached clinical approach to the one taken -- tell a dramtic tale, but poorly, and then discuss the theories.

A 75 page monograph disguised as book. But the content is indeed of interest.

I purchased this book at the same time that I purchased John Douglas's "Journey Into Darkness". I thought both books were highly informative and fascinating reads.

Keppel does a great job profiling the killers. He discusses several killers, their signatures, and, most interesting to me, how they got that way. I cannot stress enough how critical the early childhood years and development issues are for these killers. Here's the recipe for disaster: abandonment/neglect/bad parenting, poor social skills, lack of boundaries, and an uncontrollable rage in their miserable lives.

Keppel even outlines how some people suffer from these issues, yet never reach the point of these signature killers. Keppel makes it easy to identify these personality types and you can apply it to any weirdo you've ever met. This book could be very helpful to human resources directors, school counselors, community counselors, teachers, parents, and anyone interested in why these people go so horribly wrong. They should pass this book out in the maternity ward and during parent-teacher conference night.

Keppel gives great details - whether you want them, or not, about the murders and the killers. The section on Jeffrey Dahmer is the most horrifying and most fascinating look into a signature killer's mind -- well worth the price of the book. You will ask yourself over and over how in the heck these people were undetected for so long and, moreover, how their parents live with themselves for creating these monsters.

Okay, Keppel is not as smooth as Ressler, or egocentric as Douglas, but he IS as informative. Of the many serial killer books I have read, this one gave me some of the best information on the whys and wherefores of what is a signiture and how can it be identified, and how it differs from an M.O. Keppel is not condscending, like Douglas can be at times, but tries to explain it all. Although, I must say, as with all the Profilers, he has a way of referring back to his one "Big Case." There are some decent biography and verbal re-creation of crime scenes, with commentary on how to figure out what's going on in the killer's head.

As a lover of true-crime books, I appreciated Keppel's detailed explanation of how a signature differs from an MO. Keppel does a wonderful job of explaining the process of determining a serial killer's signature, and exactly what these signatures tell the investigator about the killer. He also uses real cases and the details of the crimes to walk the lay-person through the actual apprehension.

As previous reviewers have already stated, and I would agree, Keppel isn't truly a "great" writer. His style does tend to be very factual and rather dry. This probably stems from having to give just hard facts when writing reports but translates to often dry data for an average reader. Moreover, Keppel has an annoying habit of repeating the same thing over and over and over and over... well, you get the idea. Sometimes, it actually felt insulting, as though he thought the reader wasn't smart enough to remember what he had explained a few paragraphs before.

Finally, as another reader already stated, the final chapter was truly annoying. Instead of using the opportunity to summarize on the info gained from the book, or to bring out final thoughts for the reader; instead Keppel used this to soapbox his views of the American Family Structure. While much of this may or may not be right on target, I was not interested in Mr. Keppel's opinion on the state of Family Values. I would and have read sociology books to garter that type of information.

Overall, however, I would recommend this book. It is a quick and easy read and a wealth of good information for true-crime readers. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over at parts. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over in parts. LOL. ---Kathryn White-Fidram

Signature Killers was informative, educational, and kept me focussed and intrieged by the minds of criminals. By using different case studies, Robert Keppel brings into review some of the most disturbing crimes and analyzes the root and causes of these human diviances. A definate "keeper" in my books!