Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this grisly, workmanlike compendium, British crime novelist Davis (Noise Abatement) examines the lives of (mostly) contemporary female serial killers from England, the U.S., Australia and Canada. Her case summaries support her contention that although only 2% of known serial killers are women, they are as "cruel and compassionless" as their male counterparts. She also recounts neglect, abuse and manipulation inflicted on her subjects during childhood by criminalized, impoverished, drug-using adults, with a few notable exceptions such as upper-middle class Charlene Gallego, who with her husband Gerald raped and killed ten teenagers. Some of the women worked as caretakers of children or the infirm, such as nursing aides Gwen Graham and Catherine Wood, who in 1987 killed at least five seniors. Others went on vicious rampages against their own gender, often in cahoots with sociopathic males. Assessing these couples, Davis notes that the women may be seen by society and juries as less accountable, despite evidence of their enthusiastic involvement. The seemingly harmless femininity of, for instance, Karla Homolka, who helped her boyfriend rape and murder her sister and two others, may have abetted the murders. Davis writes with verve, but her distanced, summary journalism and slavish attention to gory detail can have a pummeling effect, and her insights pale alongside prominent shock-value material. Despite ample psychological discussion (e.g. of criminal types with names like "Profit Killer" or "Angel of Death"), this book is more Grand Guignol than academic, unlike Deborah Schurman-Kauflin's The New Predator: Women Who Kill Profiles of Female Serial Killers (Forecasts, Jan. 1). (June 1) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Davis, a Scottish crime novelist who holds a master's degree in criminology, follows up on Michael Kelleher's Murder Most Rare (LJ 4/1/98), another book discussing female serial killers. Whereas Kelleher's study is presented in research format, Davis writes in a way that keeps the reader's interest while describing the detailed lives of 14 women who have been classified as serial killers. The women selected are from around the world and were all physically and/or emotionally abused when they were young; some ended up in abusive relationships as adults. The details of their crimes are grisly. To give an accurate account, Davis interviewed prison officers, police officers, and associates of the killers. Society has a hard time believing that women committed these atrocities, and consequently women are likely to receive lighter sentences than their male counterparts. A couple of the women mentioned have either been paroled or will be soon. Recommended for all true-crime collections, especially those libraries that have Kelleher's book, as it will serve as a good companion. Michael Sawyer, Northwestern Regional Lib., Elkin, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
