Rating: 
Summary: A Great Starting Piece
Review: As an avid serial killer fan and generally morbid person, I naturally gravitated to this book, rationalizing the purchase with the fact that even though I possessed every other individual serial killer book and could recite Richard Ramirez's speach at his trial at 3:00 AM, I didn't have an encyclopedia about all, and really, ...it's fairly cheap compared to its rival, 'The Serial Killer Encyclopedia'.... I suppose that's where some could find a problem- true crime fans are notorious collectors (of memorabilia and knowledge both), and I think some of us were disappointed with the brevity of which our faves were discussed, or sometimes downright slandered, as is the case with the Night Stalker himself, whom the authors quite noticably do not appreciate. Tied to that is the fact that I found myself correcting some facts, grammatical and factual. However, I greatly enjoyed reading odd facts and being introduced to lesser-known killers, as well as some critques of appropriate books and movies. I read the thing straight through, all 357 pages of it, but I would discourage others from doing the same, simply because it gets understandably repititive and begins to overlap. This book functions best as a referance piece, to be read sparatically. Nonetheless, I still believe this a good, solid work and a great starting piece for all fans.
Rating: 
Summary: For A Younger, Less Experienced Audience
Review: I bought this book hoping to get detailed, in depth information about many of the more famous serial killers as well as information on the different types of killer's profiles. I bought the wrong book. After reading this book cover to cover, however, I can say I was entertained and did learn some interesting facts.The book never really gets that in-depth in to WHY these people comit the crimes they comitted. It is also a little too light-hearted in places in dealing with a distasteful topic. I would have preferred a much more respectful approach to the topic. This book IS entertaining as a light read on an airplane or something like that, but there are other books on this subject that would be vastly more interesting to the discerning reader looking to learn something about serial killers.
Rating: 
Summary: The Minds. The Madness. The Mistakes.
Review: I love reading books about true crime, and this book has alot to offer. I love how it is in alphabetical order and includes pictures. However, I am not too happy with how the overall book has been put together. I am not even halfway done, and already I have found a few major mistakes (one being that the writing on pg 37 is cut off & doesn't continue on pg 38). I have read other books by Harold Schechter, and I personally think this book isn't up to his normal standard. If you are into serial killers/famous crimes, do get the book, but beware of mistakes and repeated information.
Rating:
Summary: Good interesting book
Review: i must say that this book did in fact open my eyes to the serial killer world. it had alot of very graphic details on the victims and how they turned into victims. the only thing i didnt realy like about this book was that the author repeats himself throught the book on a continual basis, just re-worded. other than that a great book. i couldnt put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun read you will wanna read over and over...
Review: If you are at all intrerested in serial killers, this is a good book to start off with. 357 pages of fascinating serial killer research and information including many interesting tidbits and illustrations. Also, included is a special appendix on the mind of spree killer Andrew Cunanan. It is short, but still full of information. This book is simply what the title says it is. For each letter of the alphabet, there is a segment on an act. For example, for the letter "B", there is a writeup on Black Widows, Blasphemy, and Blackbeards. The letter "M" has Movies, Models, and Media. For "S", there is Spree Killers and Statistics. You get the idea. Also, there is a special for each killer's name. Bundy is under "B" and Manson under "M". I have read this book a bunch of times. I am not big into reading, but this is just so much fun to read. The most chilling thing I have EVER read is in this book, I wont spoil it for you here, just let you know it is under "L" for "letters"...everytime I read it I get goosebumps...
Rating:
Summary: Fun read you will wanna read over and over...
Review: If you are at all intrerested in serial killers, this is a good book to start off with. 357 pages of fascinating serial killer research and information including many interesting tidbits and illustrations. Also, included is a special appendix on the mind of spree killer Andrew Cunanan. It is short, but still full of information. This book is simply what the title says it is. For each letter of the alphabet, there is a segment on an act. For example, for the letter "B", there is a writeup on Black Widows, Blasphemy, and Blackbeards. The letter "M" has Movies, Models, and Media. For "S", there is Spree Killers and Statistics. You get the idea. Also, there is a special for each killer's name. Bundy is under "B" and Manson under "M". I have read this book a bunch of times. I am not big into reading, but this is just so much fun to read. The most chilling thing I have EVER read is in this book, I wont spoil it for you here, just let you know it is under "L" for "letters"...everytime I read it I get goosebumps...
Rating:
Summary: Full of Interesting Facts
Review: If you've ever been fascinated by serial killers, this is a book I highly recommend.
It's not a book that I'd sit down and read all at once, but it's good to flip through and read the short bios and all things related to serial killers.
Rating:
Summary: Great place to start!
Review: It's a great place to start if you want to read and know more about Serial Killers. This book covers them all; Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, H.H. Holmes, my personal favorite Ed Gein, and lets not forget the one who got away with it, Jack the Ripper. This book goes vastly far into the knowledge of Serial killers. There are sections devoted to everything ranging from Fantasy, Board games, Refrigerators, Upbringing, Cannibalism, Songs, Trophies, X-Rays and the X Rated.
My only complaint is that there were very few actual photos from the crime scenes. I would like to see Ed Gein being placed into a squad car, or Men in Bio Suits removing Dahmer's Fridge from Apartment 213. If you enjoy the bizarre, strange or just want to freak out anyone who stumbles upon your little library, this is an essential. It isn't a long read either, as it is an encyclopedia it goes straight to the point, unlike most Stephen King books which seem that you must read half of the book before you reach the point where you can't put it down. Harold Schechter and David Everitt did a great job piecing this together. Hope this helped; it's worth the price, 357 pages of pure goodness.
Rating:
Summary: Hard To Put Down
Review: The A-Z Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers is an indispensable addition to my collection. I love the macabre blood splattered chapter decor, orginal headings like "Orchards", "Power Tools" and "Necropholia" and the abundance of gory details. It's also a great reference book as it contains tons of book/movie recommendations and contact adresses for serial killer paraphenelia. Some of the minor drawbacks are the inclusion of sketched portraits as opposed to real mugshots and repetition. It's also pretty compact so there's not much room for elaboration but overall it's comprehensive and creepy, just what I was looking for.
Rating:
Summary: Hard To Put Down
Review: The perfect book for those who haven't got the time to read entire books on individual serial killers, "The A-Z Encyclopedia..." has a small and concise, but informative biography on all of the most notorious serial killers that are known, as well as articles on the subjects that have interested them. Plus, there are articles on the impact that serial killers have had on society, including artists, cinema, music, literature, and folklore. If you are looking for a book that details almost all aspects of serial killers, that is packed full of easily digestable facts that you can refer back to when needed, then look no further.
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