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The Hired Killers
The abililty to snuff out human lives as easily as most of us swat flies. This is what distinguishes the men in this book from most anybody else. They are hired agents who kill for paltry fees. A few are mobsters for whom murder is all in a day's work. But most are rank thrill-seeking youths, bored drifters, petty crookes -- people you see walking down any city street or washing dishes at a bar or drive-in. They are available for any chore, including murder. Provocative case studies with interviews of the killers, their family, friends, co-workers, psychiatrists, teachers, prosecutors, lawyers and sweethearts. Suspenseful and shocking!
- GenresTrue Crime
185 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1964
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Peter Wyden
22 books7 followersPeter H. Wyden, born Peter Weidenreich, in Berlin to a Jewish family, was an American journalist and writer.
He left Nazi Germany and went to the United States in 1937. After studying at City University of New York, he served with the U.S. Army's Psychological Warfare Division in Europe during World War II. After the war, he began a career in journalism, during which he worked as a reporter for The Wichita Eagle, a feature writer for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine, a contributing editor for The Saturday Evening Post in Chicago and San Francisco, articles editor for McCall's, and executive editor for Ladies' Home Journal. He authored or coauthored nine books, and numerous articles that appeared in major magazines. In 1970, he became a book publisher in New York City and Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Source: wikipedia.com
He left Nazi Germany and went to the United States in 1937. After studying at City University of New York, he served with the U.S. Army's Psychological Warfare Division in Europe during World War II. After the war, he began a career in journalism, during which he worked as a reporter for The Wichita Eagle, a feature writer for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine, a contributing editor for The Saturday Evening Post in Chicago and San Francisco, articles editor for McCall's, and executive editor for Ladies' Home Journal. He authored or coauthored nine books, and numerous articles that appeared in major magazines. In 1970, he became a book publisher in New York City and Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Source: wikipedia.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 7, 2021
Peter Wyden’s The Hired Killers got a nomination for an Edgar Award in 1964. That attracted me to the book. Also, I thought that is account of how contract killers get into their line of work would be interested.
The book works - but only at times. Wyden does a good job as long as he sticks to writing about the killers and their crimes. But he cannot resist pontificating and it nearly ruins his book. In Wyden’s analysis, it’s society’s fault that there are contract killers. And he goes on at length on this point.
The Hired Killers is somewhat hard to find. It’s worth a look if you come across a copy. But I certainly would not seek it out.
The book works - but only at times. Wyden does a good job as long as he sticks to writing about the killers and their crimes. But he cannot resist pontificating and it nearly ruins his book. In Wyden’s analysis, it’s society’s fault that there are contract killers. And he goes on at length on this point.
The Hired Killers is somewhat hard to find. It’s worth a look if you come across a copy. But I certainly would not seek it out.
September 14, 2021
this ain't it, chief
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews