imyourmausoleum's reviews
1724 reviews

The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century by Harold Schechter

informative medium-paced

3.0

Roland Molineux was a chemist, who happened to be the son of a well-known parent, General Edward Leslie Molineux, which elevated this case in the media. Molineux was a chemist by trade and was accused of giving a man who he was having a row with a bottle of poison disguised as headache powders. The man took the poison home and have it to a cousin who was staying with him to help her headache, only she died from poisoning. This book discusses the accusation against Molineux and features some interesting snippets from news articles at the time. I really enjoy learning about old cases like this, and I also really enjoy this true crime author. Very pleased with this book.

Killing for Company: The Case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Dennis Nilsen was born in Scotland in 1945. Nilsen was a reserved child, with a close relationship with his grandfather. His emotional problems grew upon the death of his grandfather, and upon the discovery that he was gay. Nilsen joined the military, where he excelled. Nilsen began killing people pretty frequently, mostly boys and men, mostly homosexual ones. He would wash and keep the bodies inside his home for days or weeks before eventually disposing of them down the toilet or other drains. This disposal tactic and the stench of his apartment and his person would lead to the discovery of his crimes.

This book goes into pretty decent detail about the life and crimes of Dennis Neilsen. If you are interested in learning about him, this would be a good book to pick up. His case is featured on a couple of Netflix documentaries, as well as several podcasts. This book was listed on the reading list for The Last Podcast on the Left, if anyone still listens to that. 

Final Truth: The Autobiography of Mass Murderer/Serial Killer Donald Pee Wee Gaskins by Donald Gaskins, Wilton Earle

reflective slow-paced

2.0

 In case any of you are unfamiliar with Donald Pee Wee Gaskins, he was born in South Carolina in 1933. He had a criminal record a mile long before he started murdering people. Most of those crimes involved theft, assault, and rape. He then went on a killing campaign, killing at least fifteen people by various methods. He would later claim to have killed 110, but police are of the opinion that was to make himself famous. I think it could go either way.

I am always interested to hear from a killer in their own words. Often, you do not have the opportunity to hear from people like this directly, though that has changed quite a bit in the years since the Internet has become a thing. I could do without hearing from Pee Wee Gaskins. This man was a habitual liar and braggart. He was certainly proud of the crimes he had committed and relished all the gruesome details. At the same time, you simply cannot believe a word he says. He seems like a person that would be insufferable to be in the same room with. This book was listed on the reading list for The Last Podcast on the Left, which is why I had it on my to read list. I think a much more informative, less obnoxious book on this man and his crimes could be found. I would never read this again.
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Dracula Killer: The True Story of California's Vampire Killer by Walt Hecox, Ray Biondi

informative slow-paced

3.0

 Richard Chase was born in California in 1950. Chase's mother appeared to have some type of mental health issues, in my opinion, and I wonder if some of his issues were inherited on top of the way that he was raised. At any rate, Chase exhibited a keen interest in tormenting animals, setting fires, bedwetting, and violent behaviors as a child. In later years, Chase was a drug user, often heavily using LSD. He believed people were stealing his organs, that he was a member of Frank and Jesse James' gang, and he would also hold oranges over his head to absorb Vitamin C though his brain. Somewhere around high school, Chase discovered he was having problems with erectile dysfunction, adding fuel to his already problematic fire. Unsurprisingly, Chase had a stay in a mental health facility, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. (I'm sure the drug use didn't help that, but I also believe his mother also must have been schizophrenic based on some of her behaviors.) Chase left the facility and commenced murdering six people. He would earn several names in the media: The Dracula Killer, The Vampire Killer, and The Vampire of Sacramento to name a few. This book does into rich detail about this case, but if necrophilia and cannibalism bother you...steer clear.

This book was on the reading list for The Last Podcast on the Left, if any of you are interested in that podcast. I no longer listen, but some of the books recommended are still on my to be read list. I found this book to be decently researched, and I can see why it was suggested reading and used as a reference for the podcast. This man was certainly troubled before he got to the point of murdering people. It is very interesting to compare the treatments of mental health issues from this time period to today. While I am certain his mental health issues did not cause him to murder, they did not help, certainly not when coupled with drug use. Overall, this was a decent book. 

The Embrace: A True Vampire Story by Aphrodite Jones

informative slow-paced

2.0

 This book covers the case of Rod Ferrell, a self-proclaimed vampire cult leader. Ferrell was the leader of a group of people known as the "Vampire Clan". Ferrell adopted the personality of a 500-year-old vampire, called Vesago, that he created on a video game he liked to play. Ferrell was introduced to the game by his mother, who also had some really bizarre hobbies that involved vampirism. Ferrell and his group of friends, aka cult members, met up to drink each others blood and discuss death rituals and other things. Ferrell and another cult member went to the home of Heather Wendorf to help her run away from her home. Both of her parents were beaten to death with a crow bar by Ferrell and his friend. I will not spoil anymore of the case for anyone interested in looking it up or reading this book.

This author was wonderful to meet and hear speak at Crime Con in Nashville. I wish that I enjoyed her books as much as I enjoyed hearing her speak, but I haven't found that one that really got my attention like some other crime writers I enjoy reading. This book was tedious in places, especially in the first half of the book. I think it is important to go over the background and living situation of the people involved in the case, especially if it may shed some light on the actual crimes. This was a bit of a beating a dead horse situation when it came to rehashing the same details repeatedly. Towards the end of the book, the pace picked up and so did my interest. The case was interesting to learn about, but this could have been done better. There were a lot of missed opportunities for research into various relevant topics. Read at your own risk. 

Love And Space Dust Volume II by David Jones

sad fast-paced

3.0

 

I prefer the first volume, however this one had some really good poems in it that I related to on a personal level. This is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

Panzram: A Journal of Murder by James O. Long, Thomas E. Gaddis

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

Carl Panzram was born in Minnesota in 1891. Panzram began getting in trouble with authorities at only age 8. By age 12, he had graduated from truancy to being drunk and disorderly in public. He was sent to reform school, where he endured sexual and physical abuse. In the 1920s, Panzram would engage in a murder spree that claimed at least 5 lives, though he confessed to over 20, and it was believed that he had killed at least 100. This book is a memoir of Panzram's life and crimes. I always find books like this interesting, because the psychology and thought process of people who commit crimes like this is beyond the scope of my comprehension. This book is also part of the reading list for The Last Podcast on the Left, for anyone interested in that show.

The Death of an Heir: Adolph Coors III and the Murder That Rocked an American Brewing Dynasty by Philip Jett

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Adolph Coors III was born in Colorado in 1915. He was the son of Adolph Coors Jr, heir to the Coors Brewing Dynasty. Coors attended Cornell University, where he was also president of the Quill and Dagger society and involved in a fraternity. On February 9, 1960, Coors was murdered in a kidnapping attempt gone awry. I will not go deep into the details of the case, but it was very interesting how the investigation played out. If you are interested in family dynasties or just the history of brewing companies, this may be a great book for you to check out. It was very well done, and provided a lot of information both about the case and history of the company. I own the Audible version, but the physical copy is under 400 pages. 

Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were both born in Texas. They met due to a mutual friend and engaged in a life of crime together afterwards. Parker and Barrow traveled around the country with the Barrow Gang, committing all sorts of crimes and running from law enforcement. Together, the pair killed twelve people, nine of those were members of law enforcement. The two were eventually gunned down in their car by police.

This book was exceptionally well done and well researched. I have read other books by this author, and this one was just as well done as those. We recently took another trip to the Alcatraz East crime museum, which features a replica of the death car from a movie, as well as several actual artifacts from Bonnie and Clyde. If you are in the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area, that is one attraction worth checking out. We live pretty close and like to check out the temporary exhibits there. This book was interesting to read right after taking that trip, though I did not plan it that way. Overall, this was a good book. 

Love and Space Dust by David Jones

emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

This is a wonderfully sad book of poems that I relate to on a deep level.