The Serial Killer Files

By: Paul Simpson

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Paperback | 18 May 2017 | Edition Number 1

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352 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.4 x 12.8 x 19.8

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There are many myths about serial killers: that they are all dysfunctional loners; all white males; only motivated by sex; that they all travel and operate across a wide area; cannot stop killing; are all insane, or evil geniuses; and that they all want to get caught.

Of course, there are some serial killers who fit into these categories, but the married Green River Killer was not a dysfunctional loner; there are plenty of female and non-Caucasian serial killers; Dr Harold Shipman was certainly not motivated by sex; many serial killings (such as the Ipswich prostitute murders carried out by Steve Wright) happen within a confined area; the 'BTK Killer', Dennis Rader, stopped killing in 1991, but wasn't caught until fourteen years later. Many serial killers may have a low animal cunning, or be 'street smart', but few of them are Mensa-level geniuses.

Each of the thirty cases covered here is unusual in some respect, perhaps in the way in which the killer carried out their crimes, the choice of victims, the way in which they were apprehended, or the method of their execution.

The cases are presented alphabetically by country - from Australia via Colombia, Great Britain, Indonesia, Iran, South Africa and elsewhere to the United States - and then chronologically. They come from across history and from all over the world. The author has gone back as far as possible to contemporary source material - newspaper accounts, trial evidence, interviews with perpetrators or survivors - rather than rely on the increasingly blurred truth to be found online and in far too many collections.

About the Author

Paul Simpson is the author and co-author of over two dozen non-fiction books including A Brief History of the Spy and The Mammoth Book of Prison Breaks.

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If you want to know more about Lewis without getting bogged down in all the religious iconography, you could do worse than start here. - Sci-Fi Online

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The author takes the reader on an accessible and light-hearted trip down the yellow brick road, stopping at particularly interesting renditions and manifestations of Dorothy, the wizards, and the rest of the gang. - ProtoView

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The best book about King and his work I have ever read. - Books Monthly

Praise for A Brief Guide to Stephen King

There have been surveys of Stephen King's work before but none with the same mix of concision and erudition. Covering forty years of all things Kingian from Carrie to the present day, Paul Simpson combines breadth of knowledge with passion for his subject, and his judgments are as fair as they are well argued. If you think you know about King, you will finish this book knowing more, and if you are a relative newcomer to the Maine horror maestro's writing, you will be moved by this book to read further. A Brief Guide to Stephen King is both scholarly and readable, a rare combination. It is also indispensable.

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Simpson delves into the details and background of each escape, leaving no stone unturned in his attempt to place each episode in context. He presents this series of engaging tales in an accessible, fluid style, and follows every subject to their often untimely end. With its short chapters and casual tone, this is ideal popcorn reading for fans of true crime. - Publishers Weekly

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For a single book, Simpson has provided a very good introduction to modern intelligence.

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