American Serial Killers

November 1, 2020
From 1950-2000, over 2,300 serial killers stalked the cities and highways of the United States. This staggering number accounts for nearly 90% of all serial killers in the entire twentieth century. True crime scholars facetiously refer to this era as the "golden age" of serial killers. Renowned true crime author Vronksy (Sons of Cain, 2018) has composed an exhaustive history of these epidemic years, recounting the atrocities of heavy-hitters like Ted Bundy and introducing readers to more obscure murderers like Melvin Rees. Vronsky cuts to the core of American culture at that time and theorizes its contribution to the explosion of multiple murderers. Young men raised by parents traumatized from the Great Depression and World War II, seduced by graphic images of rape and domination easily available in men's adventure and true detective magazines, and then tossed into the uncertainty and chaos of Vietnam: it was the perfect recipe for a generation of homicidal maniacs. Thoroughly researched and highly detailed, Vronsky's analysis of the "golden age" of serial killers is an essential true crime reference work.

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December 7, 2020
Vronsky (Sons of Cain) opens this gripping survey of 20th century serial killers with the discovery by two Milwaukee police officers in 1991 of the body parts in Jeffery Dahmer’s apartment. From this horrific scene, Vronsky goes on to survey early cases, such as that of an unknown man who killed 49 people with an axe in 1911 and 1912 in Texas, but it wasn’t, Vronsky claims, until a perfect storm of traumatized WWII veterans, “domineering mothers,” and a rise in social problems created a generation of monsters. The construction of the freeway system in America in the 1950s and ’60s meant more potential victims were traveling long distances, many of them displaced, marginalized people from city neighborhoods seized by eminent domain to build the highways. With the creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit and Violent Crime Apprehension Program in the ’70s, Vronsky writes, the “epidemic” began to slow; in the ’90s there were 669 known serial killers, a drop of almost 20% from the ’80s. Serial killers are still out there, maybe as many as 35 a year, but with the current increase in hate crimes, Vronsky projects that the country could be heading for another surge. Smooth prose helps keep the pages turning. True crime fans with strong stomachs will want to check this one out. Agent: Elaine Spencer, Knight Agency.

December 1, 2020

More than 2,000 serial killers were active between 1950 and 2000, leading one true crime writer to sardonically label the period "the golden age of serial murderers." Vronsky (Sons of Cain) calls it an epidemic. Though some believe that supposedly permissive attitudes of these decades gave rise to murderers, Vronsky dismisses this idea, instead emphasizing the importance of childhood histories in serial killer research. These killers were raised by the Greatest Generation: mothers and fathers who were traumatized by war, economic depression, and societal upheaval. Vronsky also blames the media, specifically men's adventure magazines that converted wartime atrocities into entertainment. The first half of the book builds up to the rise of the epidemic, while the second half focuses on "celebrity" killers of that era as well as the development of the criminology needed to catch them. Vronsky is brusque, combining a scholarly approach with four-letter word summations. He also calls out stupidity where he sees it, even in his own earlier writings. VERDICT Vronsky's true crime writing is charged. When his target is ViCAP, it's brilliant. When it's university administrative assistants, it's baffling. Although famous killers and their gruesome crimes get an unnecessary retread, Vronsky's focus on the society that reared them is fresh--and the parallels he sees between the period he examines and our current one are chilling.--Terry Bosky, Madison, WI

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