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A review by xxstefaniereadsxx
Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris by David King
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Dr. Marcel Petiot was a real piece of work. He was born in France in 1897. Once he hit his preteen years, around age 11, he propositioned a classmate for sex. He also got into some trouble for shooting off his father's weapon, as well as robbing a mail box. He underwent a psychiatric evaluation, where it was determined that he had a mental illness. His struggle with mental illness became worse after serving in World War I, as was the case for many people. Despite the fact that he was clearly struggling, he was sent back to the front, even after he was arrested for stealing from the hospitals in which he stayed. All of this did not prevent him from becoming a medical doctor. He completed medical school in eight months, partly thanks to a program for the education of veterans. By the time he had made it to medical school, he had been documented as having various mental health struggles, various criminal activities, and was addicted to narcotics. Simultaneously, his medical practices were called into question. He was not seen as a very adept doctor, plus he was performing illegal abortions and passing out narcotics left and right. Somehow, people thought it was a great idea to elect him to public office, where he stole money and electricity. There was a host of other wild things outlined in this book that just should have been red flags to literally everyone, but apparently were not. (Also, he looked like an absolute creep.)
In 1944, several citizens reported heavy black smoke coming from the chimney of a home, as well as a foul smell. Police and firemen arrived and entered the building. Once inside, they determined the source of the smoke and smell were bodies being burned in the furnace. (For some reason, it never occurred to me that people, including actual government officials, had to simply overlook all of this weird stuff because they were under Nazi occupation. I am unsure if I thought people just decided to not be weirdos and murderers whilst in the middle of a global war, or if it just never occurred to me that regular government activities would be hindered because of the Nazis and Gestapo buildings. How stupid of me, being a World War II major, to not have ever thought of that.) The whole case after the discovery of the bodies was wild, but I won't spoil it here.
This was a really interesting criminal case, and Dr. Marcel Petiot was a creepy person. This story was told in a way that was very engaging. Despite the fact that it is historical nonfiction, it was really a page turner. A lot of people drag nonfiction for being boring, but they aren't reading the right kinds of nonfiction. This was a true crime book and a World War II book all in one, which is ideal for me. I am glad that I found this book at the store and picked it up. It was really worth it. This was my last planned read for the month of December, because I am way ahead of schedule. I can't wait to get started on a plan for meeting my reading challenge in 2023. I have to get planning.
In 1944, several citizens reported heavy black smoke coming from the chimney of a home, as well as a foul smell. Police and firemen arrived and entered the building. Once inside, they determined the source of the smoke and smell were bodies being burned in the furnace. (For some reason, it never occurred to me that people, including actual government officials, had to simply overlook all of this weird stuff because they were under Nazi occupation. I am unsure if I thought people just decided to not be weirdos and murderers whilst in the middle of a global war, or if it just never occurred to me that regular government activities would be hindered because of the Nazis and Gestapo buildings. How stupid of me, being a World War II major, to not have ever thought of that.) The whole case after the discovery of the bodies was wild, but I won't spoil it here.
This was a really interesting criminal case, and Dr. Marcel Petiot was a creepy person. This story was told in a way that was very engaging. Despite the fact that it is historical nonfiction, it was really a page turner. A lot of people drag nonfiction for being boring, but they aren't reading the right kinds of nonfiction. This was a true crime book and a World War II book all in one, which is ideal for me. I am glad that I found this book at the store and picked it up. It was really worth it. This was my last planned read for the month of December, because I am way ahead of schedule. I can't wait to get started on a plan for meeting my reading challenge in 2023. I have to get planning.