Always love a true crime story. While this book was fairly short, it was to the point and didn't best around the bush or add fluff material. I would have loved a few extra things, though. Maybe talk to some experts about Eric and his possible state of mind, what it meant that he wasn't a typically serial killer, and things like that. Would love to see the author tackle another story like this.

The book wasn't dense and proved to be an easy read once you get into a groove. Language was also easy to understand. With books like this sometimes authors get carried away with using legal terms, scientific terms, etc. A great job was also done with covering all of the victims and acknowledging the possibility of extras. I would have loved to also know a little more detail about the history of the death penalty in Australia considering he was the last man hanged there. Otherwise, this was a good read and I would read more books by this author! ( )

I received a mobi.File copy of this book through a LibraryThing giveaway and the following is my honest opinion.
In this outing the author, Jack Rosewood, takes us to the land down under and to the sadistic mind of Eric Edgar Cooke , otherwise known as “The Night Caller.”
Like most serial killers Cooke we can his depraved mindset to an abusive childhood, and in Cooke’s case his facial deformity which couldn’t be hidden and his speech impediment aided in the formation of his true Jekyll and Hyde personality.
While during the day the Jekyll half of his personality was prominent, the night allowed Mr. Hyde to take over. None of his co-workers or even the police never could associate Cooke to any of the murders and hit-and-run killings taking place around them. In fact, the police even had empathy for him and even called him “Cookie.”
As in the rest of his books Mr. Rosewood makes sure he discussed his early childhood, abusive from his parents and the torment he received from his classmates at school. Cooke’s shrewdness made sure he didn’t fall into any recognizable pattern; his victims in their sex, age and manner in which they died had always been in random.
While Cooke had been forced to take menial jobs and usually wound up injuring himself; he even had stints in the military but wound being dismissed when his criminal past caught up with him.
With a wife and seven children to take care of Eric began his spree of burglaries which eventually led to down the path to murders.
To round out his book the author has made sure to give a listing of some of his victims and ending by writing about the mistake which, as with all serial killers, eventually led to his being caught, his trial and execution.
In the end readers are also given information about survivors of his attacks and other factors connected to Cooke’s rain of terror and the effect it had on the City of Perth.
The book contains several bonuses including a brief discussion regarding the psyche of serial killers and a link for a FREE e-book copy of another book in his series.
For another enlightening book about serial killers I’m giving this one 5 STARS. ( )