The Shadow of Death
The Hunt for the Connecticut River Valley Killer
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4.3 • 23 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
The true crime story of the search for a latter-day Jack the Ripper stalking New England in the 1970s and '80s—from a New York Times–bestselling author.
"Rich with characterization and insight, and a real page-turner." —Jonathan Kellerman
"A standout in the recent spate of books about serial killers. . . . Unusual for its psychological depth and close-ups of exotic new forensics." —Kirkus Reviews
In the mid-1980s, someone stabbed six women to death in the Connecticut River Valley on the border between New Hampshire and Vermont. The murderer remains at large, and the total number of his victims is unknown. In this brilliant work of true crime reportage, New York Times–bestselling author Philip E. Ginsburg provides fascinating insights into the groundbreaking forensic methods used to track the killer and paints indelible portraits of the lives he cut so tragically short.
The Shadow of Death re-creates the fear that consumed the idyllic region when young women began to disappear with horrifying regularity. Neighbors used to leaving their doors unlocked suddenly wondered who among them was a sadistic serial killer. Friends and family of the victims were left to endure the bottomless pain of imagining their loved ones' terrifying last moments. Desperate to stop the slayings, local police and FBI investigators used exotic new techniques to try to unmask the murderer. In some of the book's most harrowing sections, Ginsburg documents the extraordinary efforts of psychologist John Philpin as he risks his own emotional stability to get inside the mind of a madman.
Law enforcement officials identified several suspects and came tantalizingly close to putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, but it was only after a pregnant woman survived a brutal attack that the killings appeared to stop. The question remains: Could they start again? The Shadow of Death is a "riveting" profile of one of America's greatest unsolved mysteries (Kirkus Reviews).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the mid-1980s, six women were brutally stabbed to death by a serial murderer, still not caught, who roamed the Connecticut River valley bordering New Hampshire and Vermont. In this chronicle of the crimes and the FBI investigations, Ginsburg ( Poisoned Blood ) reports that several other murdered women may have been victimized by the same person. He also describes the experiences of a young woman who survived a violent assault, likely by the same killer. Focusing on the skills, tactics and personalities of the police and psychologists sifting through case evidence and leads, Ginsburg writes with keen appreciation of the region's backroads, rest stops, landscape and pace of life. He insightfully details the thorough investigation of several suspects who were eventually cleared of suspicion. Photos not seen by PW. True Crime Book Club selection.
Customer Reviews
Too much fluff
I’m not adverse to long reads, but this was so full of useless character bios that it stalled out, at least for me! I would literally skip a couple chapters ahead and feel I hadn’t missed anything! This was the first book I haven’t finished in a long time, but it became frustrating instead of enjoyable & there is SOOOO much more readable stuff out there!