You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

ejbergen's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

Too graphic about killings 
challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced
dark informative sad tense medium-paced
challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Dense yet accessible, Caroline Fraser's Murderland gives readers a comprehensive--and I do mean comprehensive--look at proliferation of serial killers in the 20th Century. Case in point, here's what I expected to learn about when I picked up this book:
  • serial killers
  • the Pacific Northwest

Here's a brief list of topics covered within:
  • serial killers
  • the Pacific Northwest
  • geology
  • transportation planning and engineering
  • metal smelting
  • the physical and mental effects of heavy metal and toxin exposure
  • the Christian Science religion

Like I said, dense yet accessible. Its main fault is that it becomes long-winded at times, though it does always return to the main point. I'll be honest though, the intertwining memoir portions got old about halfway through, contributing to that main fault. This was still a good read, however, and I can see myself recommending it to true crime fans regularly. Solid four stars. 
dark emotional informative medium-paced

A wonderful weaving of atrocities. (And ending the book with a
curse on corporations
is so cunty and I am here for it.)
dark informative sad slow-paced
dark informative sad medium-paced
dark informative medium-paced
challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

Well written and researched but incredibly dark. I wanted more of the environmental story and not so much serial killer. Also not completely clear why so much of the bridge was covered,  aside from the fact that it was a crazy story of incompetence by state transportation office. Also wanted more about Juarez but I don’t think it fit her main thesis/focus in Pacific Northwest. 
challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5 stars for heebie jeebies (why is that not a ‘mood’ rating?). I wish the author had gone into more detail and provided more scientific evidence about the link between exposure to toxins and violent crime. Would have rated higher if not for that.