The Murder Hunters: True Stories of How the World's Most Brutal Killers Were Brought to Justice by Colin Bell
I bought this one on the spur of the moment in Angus & Robertson this afternoon. I needed something to read on the train, and True Crime has always been interesting. It certainly served the purpose I purchased it for - I was able to read it on the train without problems, and the details of how the hunts for various serial killers (such as how the decision is made regarding whether or not there *is* a serial killer at large) were interesting. However, I have to admit to a certain amount of disappointment that the book doesn't go into a great deal of detail. Eight cases, two hundred and fifty five pages, and essentially what the reader is given is a skim over each story, which is a pity, since any one of these cases would have been fodder for at least twice as many pages on their own. This, plus the lack of an index at the end of the book, makes me slightly less than willing to recommend it as a serious book on such matters.
Between the sparse amount of space alotted to each case, and the rather dramatic language used by the author in describing each case (quite often Bell appears almost to regret that the criminals in the various cases hadn't been at large for longer, with statements such as "Frankly, if he'd thought to change his shoes more often, and looked more carefully at where he trod, he might still be on the loose" (p188, regarding Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker" killer) cropping up.) In what appears to be an attempt to heighten the drama of the story, Bell show more tends to highlight all the narrow escapes the killers get from the various police forces. This does tend to give the book the feel of something like a series of tabloid newspaper articles.
Despite its largely American focus (the majority of the murders covered occurred in the United States) there is an international inclusion - that of the Backpacker murderer, Ivan Milat. It was refreshing to find something which covered the actions of a police force outside the United States in dealing with such matters, although I would have appreciated a bit more coverage of same - possibly a comparison and contrast between the two forces?
Overall, if you're looking for a book which covers criminology in detail, I'd suggest skipping this one. If you're looking for a summary of the kinds of work done by a police department in attempting to find a murderer, this might be worth having a look at. There's no gory photos for the ghouls, but there's some descriptions of the various murders, if that's the way your preferences go. show less
Between the sparse amount of space alotted to each case, and the rather dramatic language used by the author in describing each case (quite often Bell appears almost to regret that the criminals in the various cases hadn't been at large for longer, with statements such as "Frankly, if he'd thought to change his shoes more often, and looked more carefully at where he trod, he might still be on the loose" (p188, regarding Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker" killer) cropping up.) In what appears to be an attempt to heighten the drama of the story, Bell show more tends to highlight all the narrow escapes the killers get from the various police forces. This does tend to give the book the feel of something like a series of tabloid newspaper articles.
Despite its largely American focus (the majority of the murders covered occurred in the United States) there is an international inclusion - that of the Backpacker murderer, Ivan Milat. It was refreshing to find something which covered the actions of a police force outside the United States in dealing with such matters, although I would have appreciated a bit more coverage of same - possibly a comparison and contrast between the two forces?
Overall, if you're looking for a book which covers criminology in detail, I'd suggest skipping this one. If you're looking for a summary of the kinds of work done by a police department in attempting to find a murderer, this might be worth having a look at. There's no gory photos for the ghouls, but there's some descriptions of the various murders, if that's the way your preferences go. show less
Okay, I bought this one on the strength of two things: some quotes by Lebowitz I've seen in books of humourous quotes, and the blurbs for it. Well, three things - boredom was a factor. I started reading it last night, and I don't think it'll be finishing it.
This is probably less a failing on the part of the writer as a complete lack of sympathy between myself and herself. I'm not a neurotic New Yorker, a mother of two, a wife of a copyright lawyer, or a literary agent, and I therefore have very little in common with the main character of the book. What I've read of the book so far doesn't exactly endear her to me, and it renders the book boring. I'm not really a fan of travelogues in the first place, unless they're funny. Neither am I a fan of books about the joys of raising children, since I don't have any myself, or plan to have any. The book failed to catch me in the first few chapters (each of the individual chapters is very short, about five pages maximum) and I don't think I'll be reading any further unless I get very bored indeed.
ISBN: 1-86325-424-2
Publisher's Blurb:"I can see my glass is half full... but, of course, I did order a double."
When a frazzled New Yorker who is mad, bad and dangerous to know lands in Asia, life is never quite the same again - for anyone...
Fran Lebowitz cheerfully admits that she is intergalactically self-absorbed, a little crazy and really, really hard to please - just ask her eternally patient and bemused husband, Frank. But when her show more life in the fast land falls apart - again - it's time for a miracle. Reeling from the worst week of her life, topped off by her most important client stabbing her in the back, Fran realises that she's almost forgotten what her family looks like. She wants out of the rat race and her hectic life as a literary agent - and time to be herself, a real wife and mother to her two small children.
Good old Frank delivers what seems the answer to her prayers - to escape for three months to Singapore while he does some business. But what starts out as a little break and a very big culture shock for all concerned marks the hilarious beginning of the end of the old Fran - and a whole new life.
This is unreliable memoir at its best, drawn from the real life of one Fran Lebowitz, a broad who really knows how to grab life by the scruff of the neck. There's a little bit of fiction and a lot of fact, but if you're thinking of adopting Frank, be warned - he's very real and Fran doesn't like to share. show less
This is probably less a failing on the part of the writer as a complete lack of sympathy between myself and herself. I'm not a neurotic New Yorker, a mother of two, a wife of a copyright lawyer, or a literary agent, and I therefore have very little in common with the main character of the book. What I've read of the book so far doesn't exactly endear her to me, and it renders the book boring. I'm not really a fan of travelogues in the first place, unless they're funny. Neither am I a fan of books about the joys of raising children, since I don't have any myself, or plan to have any. The book failed to catch me in the first few chapters (each of the individual chapters is very short, about five pages maximum) and I don't think I'll be reading any further unless I get very bored indeed.
ISBN: 1-86325-424-2
Publisher's Blurb:"I can see my glass is half full... but, of course, I did order a double."
When a frazzled New Yorker who is mad, bad and dangerous to know lands in Asia, life is never quite the same again - for anyone...
Fran Lebowitz cheerfully admits that she is intergalactically self-absorbed, a little crazy and really, really hard to please - just ask her eternally patient and bemused husband, Frank. But when her show more life in the fast land falls apart - again - it's time for a miracle. Reeling from the worst week of her life, topped off by her most important client stabbing her in the back, Fran realises that she's almost forgotten what her family looks like. She wants out of the rat race and her hectic life as a literary agent - and time to be herself, a real wife and mother to her two small children.
Good old Frank delivers what seems the answer to her prayers - to escape for three months to Singapore while he does some business. But what starts out as a little break and a very big culture shock for all concerned marks the hilarious beginning of the end of the old Fran - and a whole new life.
This is unreliable memoir at its best, drawn from the real life of one Fran Lebowitz, a broad who really knows how to grab life by the scruff of the neck. There's a little bit of fiction and a lot of fact, but if you're thinking of adopting Frank, be warned - he's very real and Fran doesn't like to share. show less
I read this one to find out what all the fuss was about. About three pages in, I discovered it was a cut-price version of "Pride and Prejudice", and effectively lost interest. Well, that's probably not accurate - I lost interest except for reading it through to see how the writer handled the situations with the main character's family embarassing her.
It still amazes me that this book is classed under "literary fiction" in the bookstores. I'd be putting it with things like the Cliff's Notes - it's a commentary on an existing story, nothing more.
It still amazes me that this book is classed under "literary fiction" in the bookstores. I'd be putting it with things like the Cliff's Notes - it's a commentary on an existing story, nothing more.