Talk Back

[alyson]

For some reason I had an embarrassing Jones for a true-crime book. Something about the BTK guy being on trial started it. So I did a speed-peruse (if that's possible) of the relevant library section, and pulled out this one; it's about the Happy Face killer, so named because he kept sending notes signed with a happy face.

The book is ok. It alternates long sections of first-person semi-fictionalized narrative from the killer, with long sections of third-person historically-styled narrative about his childhood. Here's the tight synopsis: this introverted childhood animal-torturer and fire-setter killed eight women (that can be confirmed), and claims it's his dad's fault for being a child abuser. His dad disagrees. The killer's in jail now, and spends his time writing other killers, and arguing via mail with his dad about whose fault his killings were.

When reading this kind of thing I always find it interesting and slightly disturbing that people can deal with shows and movies etc that involve rape and/or murder of adults, but if the crime is against animals or children it's hard to handle. That's the way it is with me, certainly. I can see that it would be more upsetting because animals and children are innocents and you can't imagine them deserving bad things; but what about those poor adults? Do they deserve to be raped and killed because they've had time to be bad, or to know what bad is?

I dunno. Anyway, this ain't no great lit-ra-cher, but if you have an embarrassing true-crime jones it'll do. If you're not embarrassed you could probably find more disturbing ones yet.

[alyson]

Sorry, missed the author's last name. That's Jack Olsen.