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Post by Fairweather on May 11, 2009 20:34:08 GMT -5
I'm rather a bloody-minded sort, and I do enjoy a well-written true crime book. Alas, most are not. The absolute best I ever read was Serpentine, by journalist Thomas Thompson, about the crimes of French-Vietnamese serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who is presently doing a life sentence in Nepal. The absolute worst are collections of articles written for true crime mags, which focus on sensationalism and are written in bad, breathless, lurid prose. (Ann Rule began her career writing for such mags, but her writing has become much better than such a start would suggest.)
Mom is presently reading Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. It's about an absolutely horrific murder of a three-year-old boy in England in 1860, and how narrow conventional mid-Victorian thinking prevented a Scotland Yard detective from making an arrest in the crime and effectively ruined his career. I haven't read it yet, but will report farther when I do.
Meanwhile, have any of you read any good true crime books?
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Post by parkerskid on May 16, 2009 23:56:12 GMT -5
I'm rather a bloody-minded sort, and I do enjoy a well-written true crime book. Alas, most are not. The absolute best I ever read was Serpentine, by journalist Thomas Thompson, about the crimes of French-Vietnamese serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who is presently doing a life sentence in Nepal. The absolute worst are collections of articles written for true crime mags, which focus on sensationalism and are written in bad, breathless, lurid prose. (Ann Rule began her career writing for such mags, but her writing has become much better than such a start would suggest.) Mom is presently reading Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. It's about an absolutely horrific murder of a three-year-old boy in England in 1860, and how narrow conventional mid-Victorian thinking prevented a Scotland Yard detective from making an arrest in the crime and effectively ruined his career. I haven't read it yet, but will report farther when I do. Meanwhile, have any of you read any good true crime books? I can heartily (if that's the correct word) recommend "Fred & Rose" by Howard Sounes, "Every Mother's Nightmare" by Mark Thomas, and "Entering Hades' by John Leake. Each of these books is out of print, but I found used copies after searching B&N's site. The used copies have all been in good condition, but some have a slightly musty smell which does wear off after a couple of days. "Wicked Beyond Belief" by Michael Bilton is about the Yorkshire Ripper and is pretty good. There is also a book about the moors murders which I thought was called "Beyond Belief" by Emlyn Williams, but I'm unable to locate it at B&N. I know I have it amongst thousands of books, but can't put my finger on it. When I find it, I'll repost.
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Post by parkerskid on May 19, 2009 0:40:27 GMT -5
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Post by Fairweather on May 19, 2009 16:43:26 GMT -5
I can recall many years ago reading a book about the Moors Murderers--aka Ian Brady and Myra Hindley--and how horrifying the whole story was, but I can't remember if it was this specific one or not. Also recall reading, in a book by Colin Wilson, how some of the bodies of their victims have been located, others not. How heartbreaking.
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Post by parkerskid on May 19, 2009 17:14:14 GMT -5
I can recall many years ago reading a book about the Moors Murderers--aka Ian Brady and Myra Hindley--and how horrifying the whole story was, but I can't remember if it was this specific one or not. Also recall reading, in a book by Colin Wilson, how some of the bodies of their victims have been located, others not. How heartbreaking. Ian Brady is still rotting in prison but Myra Hindley died a few years ago, supposedly still behind bars. There is a theory that she was released shortly before her death, but under an assumed name. Lord Longford had pronounced her fit to be set free after her conversion to Catholicism. I find that hard to believe. Ian Brady, I believe, is certifiably a nutcase, but Hindley did her evil deeds solely to hold onto her man. Although this book is particularly harrowing, it serves as an example of man's inhumanity to man.
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Post by parkerskid on May 20, 2009 17:24:14 GMT -5
I can recall many years ago reading a book about the Moors Murderers--aka Ian Brady and Myra Hindley--and how horrifying the whole story was, but I can't remember if it was this specific one or not. Also recall reading, in a book by Colin Wilson, how some of the bodies of their victims have been located, others not. How heartbreaking. Fair, I could find only one book by Colin Wilson. It is "Final Truth-the Autobiography of a Serial Killer" and it is about a killer named Donald Henry Gaskins, Jr. It looks really interesting as much of it is autobiographical. As an aside, why is it that in talking about serial killers, many of them are referred to by their full name? eg. John Wayne Gacy and Lee Harvey Oswald.
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Post by Fairweather on May 21, 2009 14:11:27 GMT -5
I can recall many years ago reading a book about the Moors Murderers--aka Ian Brady and Myra Hindley--and how horrifying the whole story was, but I can't remember if it was this specific one or not. Also recall reading, in a book by Colin Wilson, how some of the bodies of their victims have been located, others not. How heartbreaking. Fair, I could find only one book by Colin Wilson. It is "Final Truth-the Autobiography of a Serial Killer" and it is about a killer named Donald Henry Gaskins, Jr. It looks really interesting as much of it is autobiographical. As an aside, why is it that in talking about serial killers, many of them are referred to by their full name? eg. John Wayne Gacy and Lee Harvey Oswald. I've read several of Colin Wilson's books, Linda, but not that particular one--although I can tell you Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins was a South Carolina serial killer who was executed in 1991. Most of the Colin Wilson books I've read have been in the "history of crime" and historical mysteries genres. He has some highly eccentric opinions about many things--it's been hysterical over the years following his changes of mind about the identity of Jack the Ripper, for instance.
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Post by puhlease on Jun 25, 2009 17:35:14 GMT -5
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Post by parkerskid on Jul 12, 2009 14:28:12 GMT -5
Thank you, Lynn. I read a little about these books at B&N. The first two (1974 and 1977) are available but used copies only of 1980 and 1983 are available as of right now. The prices shocked the h.ell out of me. 1980 is $51.91 and 1983 is #73.38. However, the former will be available (reissued, I suppose) 9/08/2009. That gives me hope that 1983 will be available soon after.
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