328 reviews for:

Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers

Caroline Fraser

3.84 AVERAGE

storyskein's review against another edition

3.0

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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Kind of like the non-fiction version of Mindhunter, down to the methodical tone and bracketing the story with BTK. The book is single-minded on the link between heavy metal exposure and violence, but aims for broader context with the author's own biographical interludes. This sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. 

There's also a lot...and I mean a lot...of Ted Bundy in here. 

Tl;dr compelling if you're interested in environmental justice, the horrors of capitalism and exploitative industry, and/or the history of serial murders and violence, particularly in the 70s and/or the PNW. 

CW: the descriptions of violence are graphic and detailed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent

trillium39's review against another edition

4.75

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I think people who like The Devil in the White City would like this book. I really enjoyed the over the top writing style and the whole feel. I think one aspect of the more lead contamination > violent murders that isn't explored is the rise in mass shootings which is mostly after lead levels are dropping.   

omeldrum's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

mtt_'s review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

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Super creepy

phoenix13's review against another edition

3.0

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The premise is fascinating but the text is disjointed and bogged down by the author's personal and most likely completely unrelated stories. 

beccacondon's review against another edition

4.0

dark informative sad medium-paced

chaptercheckout's review against another edition

3.0

dark informative tense medium-paced

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I like the premise and it was well researched. The author jumps around between multiple killers and her own age/experience at that time, which took away from the story to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder

Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry

dobak23's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

napavore's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark informative medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

missaychreads's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced