June ScaredyKIT: Serial Killers

Hmmm, finding an image for this was just a little bit creepy! I usually put one at the start and one at the end, but I might just use one this time! I think I’ll put it at the bottom, so it might be easier for people to scroll past, in case it creeps anyone else out, too!

We probably don’t need a definition, but here we go, anyway:

From wikipedia:
“A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people, with the killings taking place over a significant period of time between them. The serial killers' psychological gratification is the motivation for the killings, and many serial murders involve sexual contact with the victims at different points during the murder process. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that the motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking, and killings may be executed as such. The victims tend to have things in common such as, demographic profile, appearance, gender or race. The FBI will focus on particular patterns that the serial killers follow throughout their murders. They will then use on the patterns they find for key clues into finding the killer along with their motives.“

My suggestions are amongst my top-rated books that I’ve tagged “serial killers”.

Suggestions:
Dead of Winter / Darcy Coates
How I’ll Kill You / Ren DeStefano
Intensity / Dean Koontz
The Quiet Tenant / Michellon Clemence
What the Night Knows / Dean Koontz
The Search / Nora Roberts
The Killer of Little Shepherds / Douglas Starr
Kiss the Girls / James Patterson

Don’t forget to post to the wiki:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2024_ScaredyKIT#June:_Serial_Killers


"A serial Killer?" by Giampaolo Macorig is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Oh, no! And the image isn't appearing for me. Not sure if others can see it or not.

I might try looking for an alternate later, but not at the moment.

I am planning on reading The Doll's House by M. J. Arlidge which is the third in the DI Helen Grace series. She seems to specialize in tracking down serial killers.

I'm planning on reading The Boys from Santa Cruz by Jonathan Nasaw. He's an old favorite of mine, author-wise, and I've somehow never gotten around to this one, so it feels like the perfect time!

I usually read true crime, but none of my shelf right now pertaining to serial killers. I do have a Dean Koontz, Intensity, which is tagged as serial killer. I have also never read a Dean Koontz. I think I'll try this one.

I still need to pick something out.

>5 Tess_W: I loved "Intensity". I also listened to the audio and it was done very very well!

I'm going with an Ann Rule crime file collection, Kiss Me, Kill Me. This has true crimes, including serial killers in shorter essays.

>7 mstrust: Rule is my all time fav true crime writer!

I am going to read The Ash Lake Murders, the first in a series. It is about a female serial killer and I don't think I have read any fiction about female serial killers.

>8 Tess_W: I've only read The Stranger Beside Me so far.

I'll probably do two, both on audio:
The Finders / Jeffrey Burton
Dark Roads / Chevy Stevens

I plan to read The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson.

I'm planning to read A Darkness More than Night by Michael Connelly that has been tagged serial killer.

The Finders / Jeffrey B. Burton
3.5 stars

When a dog is left behind and almost dies at a crime scene, dog-trainer Mason adopts her and names her Elvira, or Vira for short. The type of training Mason does is for cadaver dogs – to find human remains. Vira is exceptional at this, and is able to pick out the perpetrator from quite a ways away, so is recruited to help with a current case.

I listened to the audio and was hopeful this one would really hold my attention. It did… until we heard from the killer, “Everyman” he called himself. I am rarely interested in the killer’s POV in any book, and it’s just way too easy for me to lose where I am in an audio book, so put the two together... It flipped back and forth too often and without warning, unfortunately. I loved the dogs, though… not just Vira, but Sue (a male dog… “A Boy Named Sue” – Mason liked to name his dogs after songs), as well (and there were a few other dogs, too). I’m rating it “good” and do plan to continue the series.