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Philip Carlo
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The Night Stalker Mass Market Paperback – May 1, 2006

by Philip Carlo (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 531 ratings
See all formats and editions
Based on Death Row interviews with Ramirez, an account of his murderous crime spree follows his criminal odyssey, from his first brush with the law, to his Los Angeles murders, to the investigation that brought him to justice. Reissue.
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  1. Print length
    576 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pinnacle
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    4 x 1.75 x 7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0786018100
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0786018109
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pinnacle (May 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 576 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786018100
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786018109
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4 x 1.75 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 531 ratings

About the author

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Philip Carlo

Philip Carlo

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Philip Carlo was the author of The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer, his New York Times bestselling book about Richard “Ice Man” Kuklinski, murderer of 200 people and a favorite among all seven of the East Coast crime families. He was also the author of Gaspipe, The Butcher, and The Night Stalker, which chronicles the brutal career of serial killer Richard Ramirez. Carlo grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, amidst the world’s highest concentration of Mafia members. When he was 16, Carlo was shot in the head in a gang war, and while recuperating, he read voraciously, discovering the magic of books for the first time. His intimate knowledge of Mafia culture—their walk and their talk—helped Carlo become a successful crime writer. He died in 2010 from ALS.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
531 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very good and impressive with the amount of work that went into writing it. They also describe the plot as detailed, interesting, and scary. Opinions are mixed on the ruthlessness, with some finding it one of the best true crimes they've read in a long time, while others say it's a sadistic and rutless perpetrator.

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Overall qualityPlotContentRuthlessness
12 customers mention "Overall quality"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very good, wise, and staggering. They also say the structure was a wise choice by the author.

"...The level of research Carlo has undertaken to compile this work is staggering. The writing is completely engrossing...." Read more

"...This structure was a very wise choice by the author; I wish that other true crime authors would try to follow this pattern...." Read more

"...I couldn't put it down. I am impressed with the amount of work that went into writing this book and it certainly seems to have paid off...." Read more

"...i had bought this for a university criminology task and it proved surprisingly useful...." Read more

10 customers mention "Plot"7 positive3 negative

Customers find the plot interesting and detailed. They also appreciate the terrifyingly descriptive writing and attention to detail.

"...Detailed, concise, terrifyingly descriptive. The level of research Carlo has undertaken to compile this work is staggering...." Read more

"...In order, we have: the murder part, which is riveting and terrifying; the upbringing part, which comes off nicely as kind of a "fractured fairy..." Read more

"...This is the scariest book I've ever read. I was living overseas on an island when I read this, and I was scared walking home at night...." Read more

"...But the book, just like the book Helter Skelter, hit a snag when recounting the trial...." Read more

7 customers mention "Content"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing detailed, interesting, and well-researched. They also say the book is chilling at times, with graphic details of the stalker.

"...amazing true crime novel which chills my soul and renders me frozen with addictive fascination." Read more

"...book is more exciting, but the trial and his childhood were also very interesting." Read more

"...The book is just plain chilling at times, with graphic details of the Stalker terrorizing California during a wicked summer heatwave in 1985...." Read more

"...what caused Richard to become a serial killer, it does give a lot of background information into his childhood and family dynamics...." Read more

5 customers mention "Ruthlessness"3 positive2 negative

Customers are mixed about the ruthlessness of the book. Some mention it's one of the best True Crimes they've read in a long time, while others say the perpetrator is sadistic and rutheless.

"Night Stalker by Phillip Carlo is - hands down - the best true-crime novel ever written (with a respectful nod to Anne Rule)...." Read more

"...This book, however, was about a perpetrator so sadistic, so ruthless, so psychopathic I could not get further into the book...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book because I felt it struck a good balance between the actual crimes..." Read more

"...Note it does have alot of gore." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Deborah M Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars The book people like to steal
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
Night Stalker by Phillip Carlo is - hands down - the best true-crime novel ever written (with a respectful nod to Anne Rule).

Detailed, concise, terrifyingly descriptive. The level of research Carlo has undertaken to compile this work is staggering. The writing is completely engrossing.

The evolution from little Richard Ramirez to the monster known as the Night Stalker puts the reader on a ghastly path to a detailed and gruesome journey through his career as one of the most notorious and vicious serial killers in American history. The triumphant (and highly satisfying) mob capture of Ramirez allows the reader to relax the shoulders and breathe a sigh of relief.

The intricate details of the frustrating and endless trial of Ramirez shakes (and then restores) the faith in the criminal justice system. The stomach turns and the heart sickens at the notion that such "groupies" exist for animals such as Ramirez.

Richard Ramirez is the epitome of every woman' nightmare. Carlo manages to summarize the monster's psyche with horrifying accuracy. The reader feels as if he or she is actually witnessing the Night Stalker's crimes taking place. I would not recommend reading this book while alone in the house.

I've purchased this particular title many times over the last six years. In every case, it has mysteriously disappeared, likely due to friends fascinated by the creepy face on the cover.

Not one to be embittered by passive theft (at least the book is being read), I embrace the notion of re-purchasing Night Stalker for two reasons:

Phillip Carlo will benefit financially and I will continue to reluctantly enjoy the amazing true crime novel which chills my soul and renders me frozen with addictive fascination.
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Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2010
Verified Purchase
I've read a lot true crime books, most of them you'll find in the recommendations amazon will offer you as soon as you've
purchased this one. This book however will make you consider buying something for protection or at least make you a little
more aware of the weak spots of your house. The nickname "Nightstalker" in my opinion is a bad choice. According to the book
Ramirez never really stalked, he randomly(?) entered homes at night and terrorized/killed the people in them. The first part
of the book discribes these crimes in detail. What shocked me the most was, how much bad police work enabled R. to repeat these
vicious acts over and over again. One can only hope, that the authorities have read this book too and learned from it.
As for Ramirez himself I admit he had a bad start in life (like many, many others), but to be honest I still want him wiped out.
Something like this should not be alive. Not on the streets, not in the joint. His Groupies in my opinion are all sickos and
should be under 24/7 surveillance. They must carry the potential within them otherwise they would not support this scumbag.
The lovely Mrs. Ramirez included.
3 people found this helpful
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California Dreaming
4.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for Nothing, Senator. . . .
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
I've read many true crime books, from many true crime authors. This is surely one of the better ones that I have read. At least the first half or so.

I've often complained, while reviewing film, when filmmakers don't use a standard linear narrative in their movies; I think that it makes it the easiest for the viewer to follow. "The Burning Plain" was a prime example, a movie that had its serious pluses and minuses for me. But the non-linear narrative was so difficult to follow that, ultimately, I had to give it a pass. Too bad, since I thought that Charlize Theron was really good with what she had to work with. (The rest of the cast were only passable, in my opinion.)

But in true crime, a linear narrative doesn't exactly work. If this book would have followed this pattern, it would have discussed Richard Ramirez's upbringing, how he moved to California, how he got involved with crime -- and then eventually murder -- and then discussed the trial and sentencing. The problem with this approach: the reader would have been completely bored by the time he started reading about Mr. Ramirez's crimes in Los Angeles. I am very glad that Mr. Carlo did not make this mistake.

What I thought was the strongest point about this book: its organization. In order, we have: the murder part, which is riveting and terrifying; the upbringing part, which comes off nicely as kind of a "fractured fairy tale" in a way, as you almost hear the words "once upon a time" while reading; the capture part, which is exhilarating; the trial and sentencing part, which is quite boring (discussed below); and finally the epilogue, which includes a nice section with an interview with Mr. Ramirez. This structure was a very wise choice by the author; I wish that other true crime authors would try to follow this pattern.

Of course, there are issues with this book as well. One peeve: as usual, the trial phase in the book is way, way, way too long. I wish that crime writers would just include the most important events in a trial, and explain why those events are important. This one must be at least 100 pages. But I have a second peeve: the author did a poor job when it came to his use of referent pronouns. He often wrote sentences such as the following (this doesn't exist in the book but is common): "Richard Ramirez and the attorney had a bad day at trial. He was mad at how it went." Who is "he" in this sentence? You tell me. If it were rewritten, a clearer interpretation might be, "Richard Ramirez and the attorney had a bad day at trial. The lawyer was mad how it went." (Notice how I switched from "attorney" to "lawyer" to make it more entertaining, and how I removed the ambiguity by removing "he.") But while reading, these type of ambiguities exist everywhere, and I had to read many passages multiple times, just to understand the meaning of those passages.

When it comes to Mr. Ramirez, it appears to me that he was surely guilty and deserved his punishment. The strongest evidence to me: there was a crime scene that included both prints from shoes that he supposedly owned, and either palm or fingerprints from his as well. Those same shoe prints showed up at almost all of the rest of the crime scenes, the shoes were very rare -- I believe that only one pair of that type and size had been sold in all of L.A. -- and the M.O.s were very similar. In other words, there existed a crime that tied the shoes to Mr. Ramirez's biometrics. Ultimately, this is what did Mr. Ramirez in, besides his outrageous behavior in court.

One little side bit of information that I found interesting, since I live in California, and especially since I used to live in downtown San Francisco: Dianne Feinstein used to be the mayor of S.F. I didn't know that until I read this book, although I was aware that she is now a senator. The Nightstalker left L.A. for San Francisco and committed some murders up north, and the police knew that he had moved since the M.O.s were the same, and the same shoe prints appeared at the S.F. crimes. As with any other murder investigation, the police held back some information, and part of the "hold back" here was the type of shoes the killer wore. Now, Ms. Feinstein decided to hold a press conference in S.F. and disclose that information to the media! What a huge mistake that was, and the police were really mad at her, and rightfully so. At any rate, it made the cops' job much more difficult because the Nightstalker read about this press conference and proceeded to throw those shoes off the Golden Gate Bridge and then wear a different pair after that. What I want to know: if someone can't handle a job as a mayor, how can that same person handle a more difficult job as a senator? You tell me. My answer would be: not very well, and that has seemingly been proven as of late, with continued mistakes.

This book was almost a five for me, but I bumped it down a notch due to the issues discussed above. I would still give a strong recommendation for purchase, but perhaps just skim through the trial phase. Otherwise, you might fall asleep, just like Mr. Ramirez did often in court while supposedly fighting for his life. Evidently, his own life wasn't any more important to him than the lives of his many victims.
2 people found this helpful
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Miss Mercury
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Well-Balanced and Well-Researched
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2009
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I really enjoyed this book because I felt it struck a good balance between the actual crimes (written as though we are riding along with the killer in gripping detail), the personal life and background of the Killer (so many books seem to leave out that serial killers are somebody's brother, son etc.), and the difficult and incredibly complex trial that follows (this was one of the longest and most intricate trials in all of CA history). I couldn't put it down. I am impressed with the amount of work that went into writing this book and it certainly seems to have paid off. Just like "The Only Living Witness" is one of the best books written on Bundy, I feel this is its equal in terms of Ramirez. Excellent, won't dissapoint.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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RAFAEL LÓPEZ MONTES
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente investigación
Reviewed in Spain on March 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
Muy bie investigado y de lectura que engancha desde el principio. Uno de los mejores libros de true cykme que he leído.
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Lucia
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2022
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Fantastic book, easy to read, full of details which were never disclosed by media. I particularly enjoyed reading about Richard Ramirez’s family and their reactions when Richard got arrested.
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Alessia V.
5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo!
Reviewed in Italy on December 7, 2021
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Interessantissimo! Sono in fissa con la storia di Richard, molto presa dal mondo che riguarda la psiche e il suo funzionamento
One person found this helpful
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Miss Kubelik
5.0 out of 5 stars True Crime
Reviewed in Germany on January 29, 2018
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Ein tolles Buch, die Taten des Nightstalkers Richard Ramirez kompakt in dieser Form mit vielen Details zum Fall. Wer sich für wahre Mordfälle interessiert, kommt an diesem Buch nicht vorbei, es ist packend geschrieben und gruseliger als jeder Film, denn das ist wirklich passiert. Ein Mann der wahllos in Häuser einbricht und Menschen foltert und tötet, es ist kein wirkliches Muster erkennbar, es kann jeden treffen... was ist das für ein Mensch? Das Buch beleuchtet die Hintergründe und Psyche von Richard Ramirez und erlaubt einen kleinen Einblick in die Dunkelheit.
One person found this helpful
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Anna Arseneault
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this Book!!
Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2013
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I absolutely loved this book. The details and feelings were described amazingly. I have lent it over and over again.
One person found this helpful
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