David ReichertBesprekingen

So boring! If you're interested in a book about Gary Ridgway, read anything but this...

I liked reading about the subject matter even though it was an awful crime, mostly about what it took to capture the Green River Killer and all of the changes to how things were investigated from start to finish of this case. I think the fact that I listened to the book made it easier for me to like it since it seemed like the author was having a conversation instead of trying to write about his experiences. The author is most definitely not a seasoned writer and the fact that he added quite a bit of the taped conversations with Ted Bundy, and a news reporter to the audiobook shows this. Those were the things I liked least about the audiobook. If you want to read this I highly suggest getting the audiobook, I think if I had tried to read the actual book I would have given up on it.

A fascinating non-fiction look into the actual work of police in trying to solve the Green River murders and catch a serial killer. An account of the 20+ years Detective (and eventually Sheriff) David Reichert spent trying to bring to justice the criminal responsible for the rapes and murders of dozens and dozens of young girls and women in the Seattle area that started in the 1980s. Gary Ridgway, the most prolific serial killer in the U.S., spent most of those two decades, first under the radar and then as a prime suspect -- but with no evidence to convict. It was not until DNA analysis became standard that Ridgway was arrested for several of the murders... before he stroke a plea deal and confessed to 48 confirmed murders (and later claimed many more victims). The book covers all -- from the hopes and struggles of investigators, to the lack of interest (compared to when Ted Bundy was killing co-eds), to budget cuts and the media... most of the book -- even if you know the story -- will keep you wanting that insider information... along with honoring the victims.

good read. goes thru the investigation and how they finally got him.

Written from the point of view of the main investigator of the Green River homicides, this presents the process of identifying the numerous victims, tracking down the killer, then bringing him to justice. Though you can tell the story is somewhat biased toward the investigator's point of view, it gives a fairly good description of the 20-year process involved, from the point of the first recovered bodies until the sentencing. This audio version is interesting in that it includes live recordings of interviews with the killer, as well as an interview with serial-killer Ted Bundy; however, the quality of the audio is poor & somewhat difficult to truly appreciate. While I'm sure there are probably better-written true crime stories out there, this was satisfactory in that it educated me & makes me want to view the Lifetime movie based on this account.½

Author Sheriff David Reichert provides an inside view of the maddening frustration he and others experienced during the twenty plus year pursuit of the Green River Killer. Reichert's story is a testament to the importance of crime investigators' dogged pursuit of little details and never giving up. This true crime story offers an opportunity to vicariously experience the lows and highs that were experienced by a person who was making decisions.

In his book, Reichert describes some of his contact with the victim's families. I found these snippets to be fascinating as they provided a glimpse of the understandably volatile emotions of the families of the young girls murdered by the Green River Killer and the personal struggle of Reichert and other dedicated individuals to find for them some sense of closure.

The book includes a number of photographs which attach faces to some of the names, they are a definite plus. I would have appreciated a simple map that displayed the Green River Killer's pick-up zone (The Strip), the body dump zones and the neighborhood the Green River Killer resided.

Finally, a word of caution . . . . I do not recommend reading this book shortly before sleeping. While Reichert's prose are not disgusting in an over-the-top manner, they are graphic enough to this father to bother sleep patterns.