Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters

Peter Vronsky's fascinating book is jam packed with an abundance of cultural, psychological, sociological and investigative insights into how and why serial killers emerge. The amount of detail and in-depth exploration in this work will certainly carry a reader into the dark unimaginable inner realm of human evil. And there in an abundance of case histories (some notorious, others less so, but still unimaginably horrific and disturbing) from which Vronsky cites. However, before he journeys into the lives of the monsters he chillingly writes about, he recounts with a vividness his own incredible and inadvertent meeting with not one but two (not yet captured) serial killers, most notably Andrei Chikatilo, a.k.a., The Butcher of Rostov as well as Richard Cottingham, a.k.a., The Torso Killer of New Jersey and New York. Long before Vronsky acquired a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice History and Espionage in International Relations, he worked in many facets of the documentary and film business, and these two chance encounters only helped in germinating his budding interest in the dark area of the human psyche.

While there are many aspects of this book that are quite compelling and well laid out (read the Brief History of Serial Homicide in Part I, most notably the case histories of Gilles de Rais, the original Bluebeard near Nantes, France and Countess Elizabeth Bathroy, The Vampire Blood Countess of Transylvania), I found the section, labeled Part II and III, to be especially informative, essentially because Vronsky addresses the various aspects and operations of the Behavioral Sciences Division of the FBI; he lays out the criminal profiling team's system of categories and subcategories, of organized sexual homicide, disorganized sexual homicide and mixed sexual homicide. From these categories emerge subcategories all the way downward, almost like a trickle down effect whereby a behavioral scientist can decipher-via the available evidence at a crime scene-whether or not the perpetrator is married, was a bed wetter as a child or had a speech impediment while growing up, et cetera. Every behavioral nuance is labeled and micro analyzed repeatedly until a likely and credible profile is established. It is like a fractured and scattered chain whereby investigators try to connect the correct link with the previous one. The blow-by-blow depictions of the tools and techniques that are used in the cat and mouse chase of police against criminal is heart pounding, to say the least. And while the abundant descriptions and histories offered in the book-from killer to victim profile-does pander, intellectually, at least, to the baser interests of the wider public, it does offer some good scrupulous insights as to why men and women develop into the gruesome and nightmarish monsters that are so often depicted on celluloid. But truth is more disturbing than fiction. Vronsky's case assessments and facts attest to that truth.

As stated above, the book is certainly filled to the brim with a laundry list of serial killers, some more well known than other, but they are all on equal par (in my book) due to their deeds. While they all kill differently and uniquely in their own horrific way, the end results are still the same. And the insatiable thirst for lust and murder is never fully quenched, only more honed and developed, the mask of normalcy adjusted just right so an unsuspecting society does not raise an eyebrow of suspicion. Vronsky's book, in my view, is probably one of the better ones out there, lest you compare it to the Crime Classification Manuel (CCM) or even remotely to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders (DSM). If anything, works like this and others similar to it will certainly raise a clarion call of alertness to a general apathetic populace. A disturbing yet informative read!

Very good book, if you are interested in more than just the gory serial murder details. Don’t get me wrong, this book does have some gory details, but this book is really about trying to understand what makes the different types of serial murderers tick. If you are interested in the statistics, psychology and/or overall mentality of serial killers, you will more than likely enjoy this book. Before I bought this (audio) book, I read quite a few negative reviews about the narrator. I had zero problems/issues with the narrator. I have listened to books where the narrator made it difficult for me to listen, so I suppose that part depends on the individual listener. They offer sample audio before purchasing any of the audiobooks, I recommend doing that before purchasing.

Peter Vronksy's "Serial Killers" is a good overview of serial killers and what makes them tick. The book is filled with case studies of famous serial killers, as well as some thumbnail sketches of less famous killers. To be honest, I would have been more interested in reading about the lesser-known killers, as yet another retelling of Ted Bundy isn't really needed at this point. The first chapter of the book is fairly boring, filled with statistics and conjecture. The book picks up speed toward the middle and doesn't really slow down from then on out. My stomach turned at some of the descriptions of victims in the book, and I realized that perhaps I learned more about some of these killers and their deeds than I had wanted.

A warning: there are some very graphic photos in the middle of the book that I now wish I hadn't seen as they are very explicit. You may want to skip the picture section if you are squeamish.

An assignment for a college level course required me to choose a nonfiction book that would not only capture my attention, but hold it. Least to say, choosing to read about serial killers was a bold choice. On one end, while reading about the madness and drive behind certain cases can be fascinating, the style of writing and descriptions can turn a good read into a bad one. Picking up "Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters" was a bold choice, but reading the first sentence helped me realize it was a wise one.

Peter Vronsky opens each chapter with a quote that not only asserts his beliefs as he writes, but adds a little humor here and there. The beginning section opens with Vronsky describing his encounters with two different serial killers. More so than making it seem as if he knew all along what the killers were doing and were capable of, Vronsky places you in his shoes. He lets you experience his life and fear when he finds out he has spoken to a person of mass destruction. How you can resist a story that places you in its midst? You can't.

From there Vronsky mentions a few known and unknown serial killers ranging from Ted Bundy to Son of Sam. He doesn't explain their method of killing and move on to the next. He offers logic and data behind the murders one probably didn't consider or known about. He also helps the reader see that a serial killer isn't a mad man, chanting spirit's names and rocking back and forth in public. More than likely, they're normal people living normal lives that have a different streak or nerve inside of them. Vronsky even adds a bit of humor in his descriptions by explaining the normal daily things they did, then adding a random line in the mix that says "oh, and they killed such and such amount of people." It comes as a shocker, yet it flows so nicely.

Vronsky's story is a work of magic I recommend to anyone interested in the background of serial killers. It's a different read. But it makes for an interesting one.

An excellent mid-range book on serial killers. A little beyond basic but not quite extensive enough to be a definitive book on Serial Killers. I enjoyed it immensely as a casual read. If you are doing research on the subject then it is a good start but you will need to seek out further sources to fill in the blanks. Overall an excellent read and I recommend it.

Once I started this book I could not put it down!! There is so much information within the pages that it is almost a mind overload. There are so many killers throghout history. This book makes you wonder who you are talking too, what is in the mind of every stranger around you and how on this Earth we live in that there are so many demented and broken people who want to kill and do harm.

Great read for any true crime or serial killer fan out there.

Engrossing, but also kind of reads like a text book, with the methodology explanations being comparatively dry compared to the sections on the murderers and their crimes. This isn't a complaint, just a statement. Comprehensive, though a bit repetitive and over-redundant in places (the only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5). There's a lot to learn here, but the approach is very analytical and cerebral (though it is still chilling in spots). If you're looking for more sensationalistic and gut-wrenching, this isn't your book.

There are many serial killers books available. Most are content to restate the plain facts about the most popular twenty killers. In the minority are books that get into the raw material of the psychological, biological and environmental factors of these criminals. This is one such book. What really impressed me is the way in which the information was presented. It was well written with adequate terminology and an understandable vocabulary. The information seemed fact checked and unbiased. More importantly, however, is the order in which the information is provided. Peter Vronsky gives examples of killers while relaying information about certain classifications and profiles. By using examples of criminals throughout the book, one can really understand the various technical aspects of serial killer criminology. Lastly, it is easy to relate to the author as a man that accidentally met two convicted serial killers; even if it was brief. Overall, I found this book to be informative, enlightening, and enjoyable.

I bought this book on Saturday....4/16/11......I got through it soon after. This is better than it seems. Especially the section on Peter Woodcock(Gary Michael Krueger).The serial killers covered here are done so with detail. This book even goes into detail about some brutal sex offenders from pre modern times....(no sections are not dedicated to them) but at least a couple of paragraphs. Some are covered in 2 pages. This is an excellent book on the subject. I whould really suggest this book.

As someone who loves reading true crime stories and has a long term plan on working with the FBI, I have to say this is by far one of the best books out there for the history, profiling, and creation of the world's favorite monsters - serial killers. I could not put this book down! In addition to being well written, academically researched, and detailed, it opens the door to many other sources for people who are looking to learn more about the profiling and psychology of criminals.

Dr. Vronsky's "Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters" is, to my knowledge, the best affordable introduction to the world of serial killers available to the layman. It adequately summarizes many of the most popular theories of serial murder, from the heuristic typology developed by Holmes and DeBurger, through research conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to the psycho-historical theories of the British author Colin Wilson. What I love about Vronsky's work is that he has the audacity to challenge spurious conclusions where he perceives them, and is not afraid of controversy. This includes elucidating bold new theories which have yet to be acknowledged or accepted by the old boys' club (and if you know anything about the serial murder "industry", you'll know exactly what that means). Given that this was written for the general public, "Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters" is a one-shot, perception altering knowledge injection. It is the gateway from avid True Crime readership to serious academic inquiry: a "must have" for anybody taking first steps into entering the field.

As this book changed my comprehension of the subject for the better, I would like to address the one star review, which I can only assume is motivated by personal vendetta, jealousy, or spiteful ignorance. One star is the lowest score you can give a piece of writing, and even people of intelligence who dislike the book would be hard pressed to justify such an extremely harsh rating. As an academic studying serial murder under some of the world's best, allow me to slowly dismember this ridiculous review.

Let's start with the absurdity of the first line:

"I have read literally every book written on serial and sexually motivated murder and this is by far the worst."

"Literally"? Do you know what that word even means, because you probably meant "figuratively." If you had read EVERY book on serial and sexually motivated murder you would have to be fluent in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and a slew of other languages. To call this "the worst" book on the subject is ridiculous, considering some of the sensationalist anti-educational junk floating around out there. Therefore it's safe to conclude that this reviewer is either a liar or a fool.

Proceeding to paragraph two of his review:

"This book starts with an admission by the writer that he knows nothing about the subject and has learned everything he knows just like the reader. Bad omen. He then proceeds with the rambling tale of how he thinks he has bumped into two different serial murderers in his life and that seems to be the motivation to write this book."

So the reviewer is criticizing the author for being honest? Wow. Enlighten me: how does one learn about this subject without reading books? Do you honestly think they don't read voluminously at Quantico or in university psychology or criminology programs? Get real. What a silly criticism. The reviewer then goes on to describe Dr. Vronsky's accounts of encountering the serial killers Cottingham and Chikatilo as "rambling." They are anything but; in fact, they are rather concise and non-sensational considering the unscrupulous way the author could have spun these stories. Ask yourself this: would the book be better if the author had neglected to mention the fact that he happened to be in the same hotel and ran into Richard Cottingham when the killer was fleeing the building after mutilating and burning the bodies of two call girls? What kind of an idiot WOULDN'T want to share this story. The fact that the reviewer includes "thinks he" shows an outright bias. There is no reason to disbelieve Dr. Vronsky's accounts, as there is nothing in them that is contradictory or even portrays him in a favorable light.

Paragraph three of this pathetic attempt at a literary assassination reads:

"So then, the book begins. He seems antagonistic at best when referencing the work of experts in the field such as the Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico, disputing statistics compiled by people who have, by his own admission, more experience than he does."

Having read LITERALLY every serial killer book, the reviewer should be aware that the academic community has long criticized the BSU for never divulging their statistics for peer review. The reviewer is making an "appeal to authority" logical fallacy in this attack - a laughable one actually - considering that Vronsky's challenges to the BSU are also held by some of the most respected academics in the field, including Fox and Levin, and Canter. Considering the reviewer has read every serial killer book, it's surprising he doesn't recall such details.

Paragraph 4:

"The crime accounts are no better than what you could read in the news reports of these cases. As an example it includes an account of the London Moster who was a man that stabbed women but never killed anyone, which is piquerism not serial homicide. never focused or on track this book is all over the place and a very amatuerish work."

I won't comment on the reviewer's individual spelling and grammatical errors. They speak for themselves. Fellow readers should take note however. Personally, I thought that Dr. Vronsky's writing style was well suited to the flavor of his book (though this is largely subjective). Firstly, the author uses the London Monster case in which women were stabbed in the buttocks (if memory serves me correctly) NOT as an example of serial murder, but to explain the concept of piquerism - a paraphilia in which sexual pleasure is derived from cutting or stabbing. Piquerism is a common paraphila linked with serial murder, but this does not mean that all piquerists are serial murderers. In fact, Dr. Vronsky does not refer to the London Monster as a serial killer. So the reviewer has created a Straw Man argument, his second logical fallacy in very few words. I won't even comment on the hypocrisy of the reviewer's last sentence in this paragraph, but any learned person should be able to spot the irony implicit within it.

Paragraph 5: "I highly recommend that you buy another book such as Hunting Humans, or The Criminal Mind."

There it is - the reviewer's predictable default to recommending Leyton. How safe. Have you, oh enlightened reviewer, looked critically at any of the statistics underpinning Leyton's historical arguments about the transformation of serial murder in the post-war era from lower-class to middle-class victims? If you have, you'd quickly realize that this is simply incorrect. "Hunting Humans" is indeed a terrific book, but the grand theory arising from it is highly flawed. Perhaps if you were to look as critically at your heroes in the FBI and in the established canon of serial killer literature as you had at Dr. Vronsky's book, you might actually begin to grasp how little you know. In conclusion, I assert that this "one star reviewer" suffers from bias and that potential readers should ignore his sophomoric rant. I, in turn, give "Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters" five stars, and the unjustly negative review a big fat zero.

I further recommend Dr. Vronsky's second work on female serial killers, and look forward to his future writings on the topic.

My sister bought this book on the store for me as a gift & it's a great book.
Mr. Vronsky has a very personal yet insightful and informative way of writing. He also has info. you won't find in other books.

This book was on the list of required readings for a criminal justice course I took but it was actually fun to read compared to some of the dull and clinical readings we have to do. I began reading this book on the way home from the campus bookstore, and could hardly put it down until I finished it. This writer deals with some very technical and heavy-going forensic material on serial killers, their psychology, history and investigative techniques. But he explains things in a very understandable way without talking down to you and gives real case examples for his stuff with identifiable details (which forensic texts often do not.) The references in this book are worth its cover price alone. I am so tired of reading "true crime" accounts with no idea where the authors get their information. This writer tells you the source of almost every major fact or controversial claim in his book. You can go and look it up yourself if you don't believe him or want to know more. And there is material here that no other books on Serial Killers deal with. Great book. Smart and hip. A Fast Food Nation or Black Hawk Down of serial killer books. Well researched and brilliantly written. Going beyond books on serial killers, this is one of the better books outright that I have read this year. Just a pleasure to read.

I really can't praise this book enough. There is so much information in it, and it is set up in a very accessible way. It isn't written in a dry, clinical sort of way where the writer's voice is entirely absent. There is dry, and incredibly dark, humour to be found in here (some well deserved comedic relief, I suppose.) I found the parts about how they profile serial killers to be incredibly interesting, and want to find more about this thanks to this book. There is also a very interesting bit towards the end, filled with advice on how to survive a serial killer. Of course, they are not foolproof, as he states, but they are words of wisdom taken from the mouths of those who ought to know. FBI profilers, and, uniquely enough, the Gainesville Ripper.
Definitely give this book a read!

Peter Vronsky has an interesting personal perspective on serial killers. His book does not try to be a definitive source on all serial killers, but does try to provide an over view to the world that some of these killers live in. His writing is thought provoking and brings to light many interesting statistics and facts about both serial killers and profilers. Definitely a great read for both the amateur as well as the professionals who may have to be searching for the killers. Also has a nice bonus chapter about surviving serial killer abductions.

I don't understand all the positive reviews this book is getting. It's mostly rehash of rehash, and the author is simply and significantly WRONG about many things. He repeats the cliche that the Rolling Stones were playing "Sympathy for the Devil" when Hell's Angels killed a guy at Altamont. Wrong: they were playing "Under My Thumb." He also exposes terrible ignorance when he claims that LSD will mimic schizophrenia when taken by "normal" people. Nobody in the scientific community has believed that since the 1960s, when the whole psycho-mimetic theory of LSD was completely discredited. The author spends a lot of time summarizing already known material under the guise of clarifying different types of serial killers, when, in fact, it seems like he just knows more about certain cases, like Ted Bundy. Save your money and to to more original and useful studies.

This was a great book, Peter Vronsky obviously did a ton of research. The only minor complaint I have is there are times where he states the same things over again as if they hadn't been written in the book already. Other than that, in my opinion, it was indeed a well written book. He goes into great detail about what "triggers" serial killers, MO's, the methods of profiling, stories of actual crimes, etc. I was so intrigued by this book I finished it in 3 days.

This book also made me really stop and think just how comfortable we humans become in our daily routines, with many of us believing nothing will ever happen to us. Even something as simple as going to the grocery store, which may be something you do every Sunday, could end up being your last day alive. Not only is this book truly informative, I think there is also a lesson to be learned; never trust ANYONE. Always be aware of your surroundings and no matter how innocent a stranger may be or seem, you CANNOT trust them. And above all, NEVER, EVER get into a strangers car. I'm not suggesting living out the rest of your life in fear by any means but this book, for me at least, reinforced the belief we always need to be aware of our surroundings and again, never trust anyone. Do not be afraid to refuse to help someone get something into their car, do not be afraid to stand your ground fearing you may come off as a jerk or impolite and mostly, if you say no, do not allow someone to pressure you into doing something you don't want to, it really could save your life.

I loved this book right from the beginning. I could barely put it down to eat and work! It was interesting yet informative. I am not in any way a master when it comes to anything about serial killers... but if you're one of those people that is just interested and looking for something to read on the matter.....READ THIS ONE! :)

Ever since I first read "The Stranger Beside Me", the ground-breaking book about the serial killings of Ted Bundy, so brilliantly written by Ann Rule, I have read lots of true crime books covering serial killers.

This is one of the best books I've seen covering the topic of serial killers, and is well worth the read. It is truly an educational and well-written study of a stranger who may be beside us!

Vronsky is a great story teller and gives a thorough analysis of serial killing and the perpetrators. Like others have said, the book is hard to put down. If you have many books on the subject, few or none, pick this book up. You won't regret it.

The subtitles of this book promise a lot, but the book hardly delivers on those promises. Given that there really is still so little insight into the psychology of most serial murderers, a lot of the uncertainly here could have been excused if we hadn't been lured into these pages with the cover's promise of "definitiveness" dangled in front of us like candy from a stranger.

The beginning chapters are especially disappointing. They are full of loosely written anecdote, repetitions, backtrackings, and citations of contradictory statistics. There was a recent spike in serial killings; any spike in killings is more apparent than real, probably a function of recording/classifying technique. Serial killers are actually a very rare phenomenon, there only having been 399 in recorded history; serial killers can and probably have lurked ubiquitously, brushing past us all the time, hidden behind facades of normalcy. The reader is ping-ponged between such opposing assertions. Also, statistical breakdowns sometimes confusingly add up to either more or less than 100%.

While the writing remains generally loose, almost to the point of being sloppy throughout, things do improve as Vronsky gets into case studies. He has a particularly long section on Ted Bundy, providing a few insights that didn't come out in the excellent movie, "The Deliberate Stranger," and that didn't get generally circulated. It's the same with Ted Kaczynski, the "Unibomber" whom it's revealed might have been gulled into participating in potentially dangerous and disorienting LSD experiments done at Harvard.

He also has a fairly good section on John Wayne Gacy in which he quotes Gacy as maintaining that it was "the other guy tilt" who killed all the youths found in his crawl space. Actually, that phrase, "The Other Guy Tilt" with its unstudied, sharply akimbo connotations, would have been a better title for this book than the misleadingly conclusive and academic titles that Vronsky chose.

Even with the case studies, there is something to be disappointed about though. The reader might wish that Vronksy had spent less time on already well-documented lives, and had probed more into the backgrounds of killers who got less media coverage, at least in the U.S. There are so many (such as Dr. Marcel Petiot) who are disposed of in thumbnail sketches, even though their elaborate techniques might have provided a gateway into the murderer's mind.

One gets the feeling Vronsky wanted to put something sensational and saleable on the market as quickly as possible, and didn't want to be bothered doing any difficult, original researches. He settled for second-hand sources, then jotted something down.

However, the book did hold my interest. Some of the last chapters provided especially valuable correctives to the impression of forensic infallibility we get from modern TV shows and movies. For example, Vronsky points out some of the failings of the FBI's classification systems.

On the whole, this book is worth reading, but there are probably better-researched volumes on serial killers out there.

I cannot say much more about this book than the other review, however, I can HIGHLY recommend it. It was by far one of the best books I have ever read pertaining to serial killers and everything inbetween. The author adds a slight comical touch to his writing which makes it a definite hook book, and gives a broadrange of topics covered to peak anyones interest. I have read many books on serial killers and profiling and this tops them all.

This book is such an easy read and it is so interesting. The only boring part is the section of statistics. He describes the killers so very well and it is cool that he includes quotes from the killers. Great book do not recommend if you are a easily frightened because some of the content is disturbing.

I just started this book. Overall, it is a very good read. Granted, I love this particular topic and it has been a passion of mine. The author is very well researched and I do like the way he has presented the information. However, the punctuation is so very difficult to read through. The punctuation errors are ongoing and very, very difficult to read through.

I have read literally every book written on serial and sexually motivated murder and this is by far the worst.

This book starts with an admission by the writer that he knows nothing about the subject and has learned everything he knows just like the reader. Bad omen. He then proceeds with the rambling tale of how he thinks he has bumped into two different serial murderers in his life and that seems to be the motivation to write this book.

So then, the book begins. He seems antagonistic at best when referencing the work of experts in the field such as the Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico, disputing statistics compiled by people who have, by his own admission, more experience than he does.

The crime accounts are no better than what you could read in the news reports of these cases. As an example it includes an account of the London Moster who was a man that stabbed women but never killed anyone, which is piquerism not serial homicide. never focused or on track this book is all over the place and a very amatuerish work.

I highly recommend that you buy another book such as Hunting Humans, or The Criminal Mind