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

Praise for the previous edition:
"...a good source of general information on the topic from a reputable publisher...an excellent choice..." Booklist

Serial killers have long aroused society's curiosity. Recent high-profile cases and intense media coverage have drawn increased attention to this terrifying brand of crime, its shocking criminals, and the details of killers' heinous acts. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition contains comprehensive information on hundreds of serial murderers and murder cases, from early history to the present. Debunking common myths and misconceptions, the encyclopedia avoids glamorizing serial killers and provides accurate accounts of who they are, how they operate, and how law enforcement hunts them and stops them from killing.

With more than 250 entries, including more than 60 new and updated, and more than 30 new photographs, The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition is an indispensable reference for students, researchers, and general readers interested in the macabre but fascinating world of serial killers.

New and updated entries include:

• "Axe Man of New Orleans"
• Black Widows and Bluebeards
• Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a town plagued by murder
• Jeffrey Dahmer, cannibal killer
• Ed Gein, the inspiration for Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Jack the Ripper
• The motives of serial killers
• John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Sniper Killers
• Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer
• Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer
• John Edward Robinson Sr., the "Slavemaster"
• Serial killers in film and fiction
• ViCLAS, profiling, and serial killer investigations
• Aileen Wuornos
• and many others.

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.