Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The scariest one I ever read was Journey Into Darkness by John Douglas. I'd read his previous book, Mindhunter, but the cases in Journey Into Darkness were so disturbing that I didn't sleep well for the next two nights after I finished it. It's just frightening that there are people like this out there, and some of those who committed these murders have never been caught. I lent it to a friend who began to read it and then said, "I can't read this, I just can't" and gave it to her cop boyfriend.
I've also read his book The Cases That Haunt Us, which covers Jon Benet Ramsey (on which the author was a consultant) and Jack The Ripper.
I think I've read all of John Douglas's books. It is terrifying knowing how depraved some people are but it is also good to know that they have the FBI studying them and making inroads into understanding what makes these people tick.
I find these types of books fascinating. I think it is better to be aware that there are these type of people out there who are predators. The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker is well worth reading.
The true crime books that are the hardest to digest are the books involving excessive physical abuse of children. I've gotten half-way thru some of these and? "Oh Lord, is it going to get any worse in the next chapter? Can it get any more heart-wrenching?" And? You read on and it gets even worse! And you kick yourself for being curious enough to continue reading it hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel.
One of these books that comes to mind is Zero At The Bone by Bryce Marshall & Paul Williams. Imagine! Lining up your kids in the backyards, with a BB gun, and using their bodies for target practice!
Another one that I've never thrown out: When A Child Kills by Paul Mones. (Abused Children Who Kill Their Parents). This is where the abuse got so out of hand, the children killed their mother or father, and Paul Mones is an attorney who defends these children in courtrooms!
Murder, involving poison, are can also be hard to digest. Ann Rule has one on a poisoning case and then there's Preacher's Girl by Jim Schutze, the Life and Times of Blanche Taylor Moore. Killed 3 of her husbands with arsenic and was almost to kill a 4th until she was apprehended.
And who will ever forget Perfect Victim by Christine McGuire and Carla Norton, concerning the "Girl in the Box".
The true crime books that are the hardest to digest are the books involving excessive physical abuse of children. I've gotten half-way thru some of these and? "Oh Lord, is it going to get any worse in the next chapter? Can it get any more heart-wrenching?" And? You read on and it gets even worse! And you kick yourself for being curious enough to continue reading it hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel...
Wow... I feel the same way. You look at people differently after reading those accounts.
I started to believe a great deal of the problems in the world are due to children who have been abused/abandoned/neglected by their parents. They probably have the lowest self esteem because "If my parents don't care about me I must be really bad"
I read a group of books about Gary Ridgeway, and felt that I got a balanced view on him due to these multiple perspectives - one book was by the woman who was married to him when he was arrested, another by Robert Keppel who interviewed Ted Bundy about the case, one by the lawyer who defended GR, one by David Reichert, the lead detective on the case, and one by Anne Rule.
The best ones were by the people who had had actual on-going involvement with Gary and/or the case against him.
Fatal Vision was a tragic book. I truly believe McDonald killed his family. He was on speed, steroids, a perfectionist, I think his temper went out of control, and his wife and daughter were killed in a rage.
He made up a story, and killed the baby to make it fit his story.
"Double Jeopardy" by Bob Hill. This story took place in Louisville, Kentucky (where I was born and raised) but moved away at the end of 1988. It was in September 1988 that Brenda Schaefer, a nurse, disappeared. At that time on the TV news and in the local newspaper it was reported the police felt she just ran away but that wasn't the case. The police and her family knew exactly what had happened to her but at the time of her disappearance had no evidence to prove their suspicions. The evidence would be found later. But found when it was too late to prosecute the culprit for murder, hence the title "Double Jeopardy." It was fascinating to read how much the police did know at the very beginning but because they had no proof could not or would not let the public know. It was also interesting to read what the prosecuting attorney did after there was proof of her murder to at least see the culprit spend some time in jail. He was able to prove the culprit committed perjury.
The reason I followed this case even after moving away from Louisville was because Ms. Schaefer was a nurse in the office of the doctor I went to while growing up. Because Brenda Schaefer and I are close in age, I think she started working in this doctor's office after I was no longer a patient there. I did not remember her being one of the nurses in his office. I did remember the woman mentioned in the book as the office manager.
One thing from Fatal Vision that caught my attention was how thorough the forensic investigation of the apartment was. They had documented the location of fibers with precision I didn't know existed at the time.
I'm a true crime afficianadoand this book was my first thought. I've read probably hundreds but this one resonated.
Jack Olsen is a wonderful true crime writer.
He is. Two things stay with me from reading "Son" - Kevin Coe's bizarre term of endearment for his mother "Bearfax", and how he compared himself, or a certain part of himself, to the Seattle Space Needle.
What a pair that mother and son were!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
