From this book, now retitled "Citizen X," I learned more about Soviet and Russian culture and everyday life than I ever did from the many somber and glacial tomes that adopted the sociological approach. The psychological make up of the killer, Andrei Chikatilo, and the inherent inability of the Soviet system to catch or even promptly search for him was also fascinating. There are a number of other books about Chikatilo which I have not read, one per serial killer being more than adequate for me, but this one presents him in an understandable, even sympathetic way. ( )

I liked this book a lot.
The subject is a sad one, but when you look past that, the story of the man hunt, putting the pieces of the puzzle together, the determination of the person in pursuit is a great one. Add to that the back ground information on Russia in the Soviet period and for me this book had just the right mix to make it kind of irresistable. ( )