Perverted psychology and a respectable lifestyle, cold-blooded cruelty and unremarkable appearance, extreme sadism and the ability to charm people. Each serial killer is unique, but they share common traits that evoke horror and curiosity in us.
Richard Estep investigates the profiles of famous maniacs to study the similarities and differences in their motives, behavior, and methods of committing crimes. His goal is to understand the deep mechanisms of the human psyche and the circumstances that shape a future serial killer. The stories of Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Clown Killer John Wayne Gacy, Andrei Chikatilo, and other notorious individuals highlight the universality of factors contributing to the formation of a killer: an innate tendency toward cruelty, experienced trauma, social isolation, and self-hatred and hatred of others.
This is both frightening and mesmerizing reading, based on detailed research and archival materials, intended for those interested in criminology, psychology, and the motivations of serial killers.