O fenômeno de assassinatos em série sempre foi considerado, ao mesmo tempo, o mais macabro e o mais fascinante ramo da criminologia moderna. Apenas recentemente autoridades policiais, psicólogos e cientistas removeram o véu de mistério para desvendar os segredos, os motivos e os perigos que os serial killers escondiam. A enciclopédia de serial killers traz à tona esses criminosos e seus hábitos horrendos. Trata-se de um instrumento inestimável ao entendimento e ao combate da mais cruel atividade criminal, com mais de 240 verbetes detalhados, 70 fotos, além de vários apêndices. Entre os assuntos abordados estão: estudos dos casos de assassinato em série notórios e os monstros criminosos que os perpetraram; figuras-chave policiais e técnicas utilizadas para apanhar suas presas; a psicologia do assassino serial - o que faz de alguém um assassino; como as sociedades lidam com os serial killers e os punem; diferentes tipos de serial killers e seus métodos utilizados. De "anjos da morte" ao matador do "zodíaco", esta obra traz o estudo de um deprimente fenômeno criminoso: o serial killer.

AN ESSENTIAL ADDITION TO YOUR TRUE CRIME LIBRARY

This book is exactly what it says it is -- an ENCYCLOPEDIA of killers. Each alphabetized entry runs from a paragraph or two in length to several pages, depending on the killer. I am writing this review in 2020, several years after I first read this book, so I can tell you that many of the entries will be out of date now as some of the killers have now been caught. Although I say I have "read the book" that is a bit misleading as I have never sat down and read it cover to cover, in alphabetical order. Instead I have read about the different killers at different time, usually after I have encountered a story online or watched a program about one in particular then grabbed this book to check what it says about the killer in question. So, I suppose I will never consider my experience with this book "finished." It will always sit on my shelves as an essential true crime reference. If you enjoy reading about true crime, and specifically serial killers, this book is a must have. ( )

Already, this book kicks ass. More later. :) ( )

I enjoyed this book, it's written as an encylopedia from A - Z . Gives details of the killers story including their early years, past convictions, victims and so on. I really enjoyed the entries from the earliest serial killers, something you often don't hear about. Not sure if it is just me but I did seem to find a reoccuring theme in the entries; most of the killers were oftem times ignored by the justice system, going their entire young adult lives in and out of the court system only to be let go and then later convicted of serial killings. I also liked the face that the author lists types of serial killers, and the thinking, psychology behind them such as medical murders. It is an interesting read and one you don't have to read from page 1 to the end, you can pursue this in your own time and get as much from it as you want. ( )

I have to admit that I got this book for one reason only: The section about Elizabeth Bathory (I collect books with mentions of her). However, this book has far exceeded my expectations, I recieved it yesterday and have already read quite a bit of it. The encyclopedia format makes it easy to read and find information, and there are so many different people, so many different motives and stories, it's really an interesting read. Chilling, but interesting. ( )