The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation Book

It was certainly a thorough set of case histories for killers throughout history. I was a little disappointed that she didn't go more in depth on her theory that serial killers act on the subtle tensions which exist but aren't acknowledged in society. I was also somewhat disappointed that there was no attempt at analysis of the motivations of various types of killers. Someone like Jeffery Dahmer is acting for a different reason than a baby farmer in Victorian England.

I thought she made a good call to exclude those who did their killing as part of a war effort (like Vlad Tepes Dracul). While I'm sure some killers managed to sate their urges in otherwise legitimate arenas, it would be hard to distinguish them.

The patterns which emerged were definitely interesting. The women noted by history as multiple killers mostly seem to have targeted people known to them while stranger killing is mostly a male pastime. Of course, I wonder if there are women serial killers who have simply never been caught because no one was looking for a female?

It was an interesting book, although the lists of victims and crimes became encyclopedic sometimes. For those interested in the subject matter, it's a good reference.