becthree 's review for:

Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser

4.0

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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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.