Depravity: A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers

Harvey Rosenfeld
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440128479
Reviewed by Bill Cooper for Reader Views (02/10)

 

A potpourri of serial killers; a veritable dictionary of some of the worst mass murderers in history, this book is a compendium of true stories based on 16 different killers who were responsible for so many lives.  It is a who’s who of personalities who committed unmentionable atrocities on men, women, and children.  Dr. Rosenfeld is a proven expert on the subject of mass murder as he spent more than 30 years with an emphasis on the Holocaust, and has written several similar books.  Dr. Rosenfeld explores the circumstances of these cases, providing not only insight into the cases, but into the history and personalities of the murderers themselves.

Of note in this book is that Dr. Rosenfeld did not select some of the more publicized serial killers of our time to write about – Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Eileen Wournos, and John Wayne Gacy for example.  He did provide cases that give the reader a deeper insight into these events, and provided a global aspect as opposed to an America-centric view.  He meticulously searched and reviewed case files and records to provide words directly from the mouths of the killers, as well as an historic overview of the victims.  He provides the conditions that motivated these people towards killing and why they kept doing it.

As a retired Chief of Police I had the opportunity in my career to investigate many death cases.  I had the opportunity to attend various courses in homicide investigation offered by serial killer experts, and I learned a great deal from these fine people.  After reading this book, I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet and learn from Dr. Rosenfeld.  “Depravity: A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers” is an exceptional piece of work and would be a useful addition to any law enforcement library or training course, but would be a great book for anyone interested in the topic.

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