Hunting Humans: An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers

This no-nonsense encyclopedia features a preface with statistics on typology and distribution of serial killers, and detailed, well-composed entries on more than 500 individual cases from all over the world. The cases are listed by names of killers and by categories of crimes (including unsolved murders by geographical region). They include lust killers, merry widows and widowers, "bluebeards," duos and gangs, murderous cults, lethal doctors and nurses, highway and railroad killers, and four examples of killers who were dressed in girls' clothes as punishment when they were little. This reviewer was fascinated by such cases as the New Orleans ax murderer who vowed to bypass any homes where jazz was playing, and the Polish rooming house landlord who pickled some 30 of his tenants in brine. As acclaimed true crime writer Jack Olsen writes, "Hunting Humans is a must read for anyone interested in crime, sociology or human behavior. It is a welcome addition to my shelf, and I intend to borrow from it liberally."