I used to read true crime all of the time too, Judith, but haven’t really read any in the past 10 years or so. ps…did you watch Evil Genius on Netflix? OMG!
Michele…for me the visuals were so creepy. The shots of him leaving the bank and doing the weird little walk was just so macabre considering he was wearing a bomb under his shirt.
The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness And Greed by John Vaillant and Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer and anything by Ann Rule
@Wendy, that he was & then to find out he took his own life on 06/06/06. ? you have to wonder did communicating and visiting them screw him up to the point he took his own life ??
Danielle…I absolutely think that it did mess him up. I always wondered if he recognized something dark inside himself when he developed those relationships (especially with Gacey).
@Wendy, I still shudder when I think about his visits with Gacey. I mean I suppose when you really think about it anyone that would develop relationships with these people have to be dark. I’m interested in the WHY but I wouldn’t be a pen pal or swing by jail to say hhheeeyyyyy
The two most interesting things that came out of that book for me (also heard interviews that he did on the radio) was the kind of freedom that Gacey had in prison and how Moss offered up his own little brother as bait to lure Gacey.
@Wendy, RIGHT!!! I haven’t heard the radio interviews ? I’ll have to Google to see if I can find them. It’s been years since I read it now but didn’t he have art work from one of them too? I just can’t remember if it was Dahmer or Ramirez
@Wendy, it may have been and I’m pretty sure it was this book lol… They do tend to mesh together sometimes but now that you mention it it very well may have been Gacey
Ramirez was so scary because what he did was so random. He didn’t have a type of victim, didn’t care how old, what they looked like, what sex they were…he just cared about killing. Plus…the whole thing about his seeing the photo of the severed head (and the details of the photo) when he was a kid totally freaked me out.
@Wendy Very true!! And the amount of woman who became smitten with him while he was in prison was even scarier. That man had a serious female fan base. Oooweee!
Helper Skelter
My first…read as a teenager. I was fascinated!
@Judith and the some of the people still alive and he just passed
@Estherjane me too!
Hands down!
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote.
Just borrowed from my library!
I Will Find You by Joe Kenda and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara.
Read I’ll Be Gone right after they arrested him!
Helter Skelter and In The Garden of Good and Evil.
Stranger Beside Me – Ann Rule
I’m watching the Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix right now and I keep wondering if they will mention the Ann Rule connection.
@Wendy I just watched Ted Bundy on Netflix too. Then 20/20 had a special on BTK. Kind of ignited my desire for a good true crime read.
I used to read true crime all of the time too, Judith, but haven’t really read any in the past 10 years or so. ps…did you watch Evil Genius on Netflix? OMG!
@Wendy I just finished it on Netflix last night. Would have been more shocking if I hadn’t already read the book. But still pretty shocking ?
Michele…for me the visuals were so creepy. The shots of him leaving the bank and doing the weird little walk was just so macabre considering he was wearing a bomb under his shirt.
@Wendy I have not. I will try to check it out!
Wendy Anderson I watched it as well and never caught any reference to Ann Rule which shocked me. I just knew for sure she would had been mentioned.
@Nicki I was waiting too. I think she has passed on though but it would have been amazing if they could have interviewed her
Cruel Death by M. William Phelps. I grew up with Erika Sifrit…
The Devil in the White City
@Julie yes!! I loved it!
The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness And Greed by John Vaillant and Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer and anything by Ann Rule
Nearly all of the above
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/03/they-all-love-jack-busting-ripper-bruce-robinson-review-withnail-i
Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert Ressler
My favorite genre! I’m going to get lots of new book ideas!
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson!!!
Yes!!!
Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burns. Disturbing and extremely well-written.
The last one of those I read was about the Pam Smart murder case when it was still hot in the news.
The iceman!
The Last Victim by Jason Moss & Precious Angels by Barbara Davis
That is a freaky book and he was a freaky guy!
@Danielle Absolutely!
@Wendy, that he was & then to find out he took his own life on 06/06/06. ? you have to wonder did communicating and visiting them screw him up to the point he took his own life ??
Danielle…I absolutely think that it did mess him up. I always wondered if he recognized something dark inside himself when he developed those relationships (especially with Gacey).
@Wendy, I still shudder when I think about his visits with Gacey. I mean I suppose when you really think about it anyone that would develop relationships with these people have to be dark. I’m interested in the WHY but I wouldn’t be a pen pal or swing by jail to say hhheeeyyyyy
The two most interesting things that came out of that book for me (also heard interviews that he did on the radio) was the kind of freedom that Gacey had in prison and how Moss offered up his own little brother as bait to lure Gacey.
@Wendy, RIGHT!!! I haven’t heard the radio interviews ? I’ll have to Google to see if I can find them. It’s been years since I read it now but didn’t he have art work from one of them too? I just can’t remember if it was Dahmer or Ramirez
I don’t remember the art work element to it…although Gacey took up painting in prison so maybe it was his.
@Wendy, it may have been and I’m pretty sure it was this book lol… They do tend to mesh together sometimes but now that you mention it it very well may have been Gacey
I love all of Ann Rule’s books, but my favorite of hers is Dead by Sunset.
@Christina I just added this to my list the other day! I’m reading The Stranger Beside Me right now.
Both excellent books! I miss new books from her so much. May she RIP.
@Jennifer That was a very, very good book.
Small Sacrifices was the one that got me hooked on her books.
@Wendy Same.
@Wendy Small Sacrifices is her best one! I’m from Eugene though, so I might be biased
“Small Sacrifices” by Ann Rule and “Fatal Vision” by Joe McGinnis.
Both are great books.
The Night Stalker about Richard Ramirez. Scariest true crime book I’ve ever read.
@Wendy, night stalker ??good book!
@Wendy THAT was a gooooood book. Richard Ramirez was something else! ?
Ramirez was so scary because what he did was so random. He didn’t have a type of victim, didn’t care how old, what they looked like, what sex they were…he just cared about killing. Plus…the whole thing about his seeing the photo of the severed head (and the details of the photo) when he was a kid totally freaked me out.
@Wendy, exactly!
@Wendy Very true!! And the amount of woman who became smitten with him while he was in prison was even scarier. That man had a serious female fan base. Oooweee!
@Nicki, YES! I would love for someone to explain to me how men and women can fall in love with such monsters
Crazy women!
I have been looking for something in this. I am glad you asked, @Judith.
The Dracula Killer. I don’t remember who wrote it, but it’s about Richard Trenton Chase. He killed in the Sacramento area in California.
Chase- if anyone was ever not guilty by reason of insanity- it was him.
@Meredith oh absolutely!
Someone Else’s Daughter by Julia Sheppherd about the murder of Anita Cobby in Sydney, Aus. Its very, very disturbing, yet I couldnt put it down.
@Belinda
@Jessica this is a good post – will hopefully pick up some good recommendations!!
The suspicions of mr whicher
Following
Hands down for me: “In Cold Blood,” by Truman Capote.
@Colleen read this in 2 days. Did some digging after reading this. Found out so much interesting things.
In Cold Blood
Helter Skelter
The Stranger Beside Me and Helter Skelter
Deviant. The Night Stalker. BTK. Chasing The Devil.
Anything by Ann Rule
Ann Rule
Thanks so much everyone!!
Crime school
Murder Machine
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and Devil in the White City.