The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition (Facts on File Crime Library)

An objective look at a fascinating criminal phenomenon—updated.

Praise for the hardcover edition:
"...recommended..."—American Reference Books Annual

The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition provides accurate, unglamorized information on hundreds of serial murder cases—from early history to the present. Written in a non-sensational manner, this comprehensive encyclopedia debunks many of the myths surrounding this most notorious of criminal activities. New major serial killers have come to light since the first edition was published, and many older cases have been solved (such as the Green River Killer) or further investigated (like Jack the Ripper and the "Zodiac" Killer). Completely updated entries and appendixes pair with more than 30 new photographs and many new entries to make this new edition more fascinating than ever.

New and updated entries include:

• "Axe Man of New Orleans"
• BTK Killer
• Jack the Ripper
• Cuidad Juarez, Mexico
• John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Sniper Killers
• Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer
• Harold Frederick Shipman
• ViCLAS
• Coral Watts
• Aileen Wuornos
• Robert Lee Yates Jr.
• and more.

Arranged alphabetically to include case histories of individual serial killers and essays on general topics, this reference work would appear to be the perfect companion to Jay Robert Nash's Encyclopedia of World Crime: Criminal Justice, Criminology and Law Enforcement (1989. o.p.). However, close examination reveals several flaws. The first is that Newton (Serial Slaughter) never explains his criteria for inclusion--a serious problem, in that he includes people like Josef Mengele (generally considered not a serial but a mass murderer). The second, related problem concerns the way he defines serial killer. By FBI standards, a serial killer is a person who murders three or more people. But Newton doesn't define his terms until two-thirds of the way into the book--and then he uses the National Institute of Justice's definition (that is, a person who murders two or more people) and argues that this should be the accepted one. Unfortunately, until someone else writes a better book on this topic, Newton's will have to do. Purchase cautiously.
-Michael Sawyer, Northwestern Regional Lib., Elkin, NC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.