Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most HeinousMurder Spree

Randy Kraft is believed to have committed more than 60 murders before he was apprehended by California troopers in 1983. He kept a meticulous scorecard and photos of his killings in his small brown Toyota. The young men died in agony--tortured with an automobile cigarette lighter, often impaled and sexually mutilated. Surprisingly, though, Kraft is not very famous. Perhaps that's because he killed only male hitchhikers and patrons of gay bars. Or perhaps it's because he never spoke about his crimes: he maintained the winsome smile and shy-guy pose that had served him well as a computer consultant in Orange County. Even his lover of many years, a gourmet candy maker who bought a house with Kraft, never suspected. Dennis McDougal (author of Mother's Day and In the Best of Families) tells the story effectively, combining extensive research and well-paced narrative with a wry, world-weary prose style that has just a touch of mordant humor.