Hunting the Devil/Pursuit, Capture and Confession of the Most Savage Serial Killer in History

Tells the story of the Russian serial killer who murdered fifty-three women and children, and the efforts to catch him and obtain a confession

This is the story of Andrei Chikatilo, a sadistic sexual serial killer convicted in Rostov of 53 murders of women and children. In the former Soviet Union, information about crime was rarely forthcoming, but now this shocking case has received considerable publicity and spawned several new and forthcoming books (Peter Conradi's The Red Ripper , Dell, 1992; Robert Cullen's The Killer Department , previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/93). Lourie, author of Russia Speaks ( LJ 3/15/91), focuses on detective Issa Kostoev, who led the years-long investigation that finally caught Chikatilo (but not before an innocent man was executed for his first murder). Given the subject, this is a rather bland effort, lacking the supporting details and dramatic intensity found in compelling crime writing. Still, the setting is intriguing and there will be interest in reading about Russia's "Jack the Ripper." Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/93.
- Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., Davis
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.