I've been in a slump recently and have been re-reading some of the long-timers on my shelves, hoping they will nudge me out of it. They haven't. This book has been lingering on my library pile, quietly giving me the side-eye while silently reminding me that I've already renewed it 3 times and that's my library's limit. So I picked it up and gave it a go.

Now, it might be because I'm in a slump and I'm feeling a bit harsh as a result, but I didn't like this book. It was only about 10% of what I'd hoped, which were case studies and discussion of little known cold cases and how they were solved. The remaining 90% was divided up between first year University level lecturing (60%) and self promotion (20%).

More than half of the lecturing portion of the book was about the sexually deviant nature of serial killers - and he makes it clear that anyone that murders more than once is a serial killer. I won't dispute this, which isn't for me to do anyway, but it feels a bit excessive to call 2 murders a serial. I bring it up because this definition might leave readers feeling even more despondent about humanity than they already do. A reader on the more sensitive, or impressionable, end of the spectrum might never want to leave their house again, or allow their children to ever see sunlight. Especially women, of course. Honestly, by the end of the book, a reader would give a lot to read about a good old fashioned murder for inheritance.

Mostly, I think, I just didn't like his writing. I wanted to DNF it, but I kept hoping for more case studies, which the author included just enough of to keep me on the string, but by the 75% mark there was some heavy skimming because I just wanted it to be over.… (meer)

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murderbydeath | 1 andere bespreking | Nov 15, 2022 |

Monster City: Murder, Music, and Mayhem in N… door Michael Arntfield

Being a lifelong resident of the Nashville area, this book brought back memories of some of the more infamous crimes in this area from my childhood to more recent years. In as much as it was about the crimes themselves, the book was an excellent insight on the man who headed up the team that solved most of these crimes and brought the perpetrators to justice. Definitely worth a read if you are a true crime lover and even more so if you are a Nashvillian. Be ready for a ride down memory lane.

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Tim.Roberson | 1 andere bespreking | Jul 2, 2019 |

Mad City: The True Story of the Campus Murders That… door Michael Arntfield

Excellent! I listened to the audiobook at work, and I was startled every time a co-worked walked up behind me. The writing style is a bit academic, but nonetheless, compelling. I'm definitely glad I'm years removed from being a co-ed on a college campus. I highly recommend the audiobook (Jonathan Davis is an excellent narrator).

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tntbeckyford | 1 andere bespreking | Feb 16, 2019 |

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