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Son: A Psychopath and His Victims
A classic from “the dean of true crime” (The Washington Post)—now with a new foreword—this 1983 masterpiece tells the incredible story of a Spokane, Washington serial rapist who was exposed as the handsome, privileged son of one of the city’s most elite families.
For more than two years, a rapist prowled the night streets of the homey, All-American city of Spokane, Washington, terrorizing women, sparking a run on gun stores, and finally causing one newspaper to offer a reward—the calls taken by the distinguished managing editor himself, Gordon Coe. In March 1981, luck and inspired police work at last produced an arrest, and Spokane shuddered. The suspect was clean cut and conservative…and Gordon Coe’s son.
For eighteen months, Jack Olsen researched the cases of Fred and Ruth Coe to try to learn not only what happened within that family, but how and why. He interviewed more than 150 people and built up a portrait not only of that extraordinary family, but of the mind of a psychopath. And searching the memories of the women in Fred Coe’s life, he unearthed a most horrifying question: What is it like to love and live with a man for years—and then discover he is a psychopathic criminal?
For more than two years, a rapist prowled the night streets of the homey, All-American city of Spokane, Washington, terrorizing women, sparking a run on gun stores, and finally causing one newspaper to offer a reward—the calls taken by the distinguished managing editor himself, Gordon Coe. In March 1981, luck and inspired police work at last produced an arrest, and Spokane shuddered. The suspect was clean cut and conservative…and Gordon Coe’s son.
For eighteen months, Jack Olsen researched the cases of Fred and Ruth Coe to try to learn not only what happened within that family, but how and why. He interviewed more than 150 people and built up a portrait not only of that extraordinary family, but of the mind of a psychopath. And searching the memories of the women in Fred Coe’s life, he unearthed a most horrifying question: What is it like to love and live with a man for years—and then discover he is a psychopathic criminal?
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First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
February 5, 2022
For two years, a rapist prowled the streets of Spokane. He terrorized the women of the city with no remorse. Apparently he also liked to jog on sidewalks, next to parks, with no shorts or underwear. I tried to picture myself in that situation. Jogging along and some random guy jogs by naked from the waist down. Considering I have no filter, it wouldn't be a good day for that guy. Anyway finally in March 1981 the police capture Fred Coe, son of a prominent newspaper editor. As Olsen interviews people, an alarming picture of Fred and Ruth's (his mother) relationship comes to focus. Olsen did an outstanding job putting all this together. Fred is one sick pervert. A recommended read.
September 2, 2019
In the 1970s and early '80s the Spokane area was haunted by a serial rapist. This is the story of that man monster, his dysfunctional family, and his blind to his ways wife.
There is a TON of coarse language, so be prepared. Olsen does his typical great job of research and storytelling. The majority of the book details his attacks and his masking behavior.
There is a TON of coarse language, so be prepared. Olsen does his typical great job of research and storytelling. The majority of the book details his attacks and his masking behavior.
Read
March 11, 2017Can't even finish this book. I feel like it's just rambling on and on, past the point of "character building." Which is sad. I was so looking forward to this one.
Want to read
October 29, 2014I am not sure I want to read this book. It might be too triggering for my PTSD to read as his M.O. strikes way too close to the way I was attacked in Spokane, Wa in my bedroom late one night when I was around 11 years old between 1984 and 1985 by a fairly good-looking, fair-skinned white male in his thirties with light brown hair. My attacker wore a jean jacket. I can't remember what other clothing he wore. I know that Mr. Coe was released on bail for that year so it could have been him or someone trying to copy him. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I ended up breaking the basement window to my house because I had forgotten my house key. Later that night my attacker gained entry into my house through that same broken window and found me asleep in my bed in my basement bedroom that I shared with my baby sister at the time. I remember being woken up by a weight on top of me and something shoved into my mouth. It took me a few moments to come more fully awake to realize that some guy was on top of me with one hand shoved into my mouth and pressing against the back of my throat. He told me to take off my panties and I struggled, was able to kick him off me and yelled at him to get out of my house. I don't remember if I kicked him in the groin or just near there because he seemed to recover fairly quickly. He did not try to attack me again though, probably because by that time I was screaming bloody murder and he just wanted to get out before he was caught but I will always remember this; As he started to leave the room and head towards where I knew the broken window was he actually had the gall to turn and smile and wink at me. It sent chills down my spine. Even remembering it years later I am filled with the same shakiness. Unlike Mr. Coe, though, my attacker did not wear any gloves and I still have a tiny scar from where one of his fingernails scratched the inside back roof of my mouth. I went through thirty+ years wondering if the man who attacked me in my bedroom that night was ever caught and I never even knew about Mr. Coe's so-called "signature move" until one I was thinking about the incident and thought, "I wonder if I can google if there were any sexual assaults in my town in the mid-eighties?" and I just sort of stumbled upon some info for the South Hill Rapist and when I read what his signature method was and then that he was free an entire year around the exact same time of my attack my blood just ran utterly cold. I'm not saying for sure I know it was him, but, it's just way, way too close for comfort, you know?
August 18, 2015
There hasn't been a mother-son dynamic this disturbing since the fictional one portrayed in Psycho; however, unlike Norman Bates, Freddie Kevin Coe isn't figment of the page or silver screen. He's a real, living, breathing nightmare, who terrorized the city of Spokane, Washington in the 1980s, raping countless women joggers and bus passengers while maintaining a carefully crafted (and entirely untrue) persona for the benefit of his girlfriends and family. The rerelease of Jack Olsen's true crime classic "Son" is a frightening look into the mind of an unrepentant psychopath and insight into the warped family dynamic that may have created his character.
While Coe has since been imprisoned for his crimes (and, to this day, is still (THANK GOD) behind bars), this comes as little relief to this reader. This book makes you rethink every handsome, well-groomed stranger that you may encounter on the street, second-guess every realtor that you let into your home, and worry over the next braggy-boyfriend that you date. This book strips away the preconcieved notions about who criminals or rapists may be - absolutely frightening!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this true crime thriler. I may not sleep again ;)
While Coe has since been imprisoned for his crimes (and, to this day, is still (THANK GOD) behind bars), this comes as little relief to this reader. This book makes you rethink every handsome, well-groomed stranger that you may encounter on the street, second-guess every realtor that you let into your home, and worry over the next braggy-boyfriend that you date. This book strips away the preconcieved notions about who criminals or rapists may be - absolutely frightening!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this true crime thriler. I may not sleep again ;)
January 7, 2018
True crime doesn't get much better than this. Olsen examines Spokane's South Hill Rapist from all points of view - the victims and their families, the police and reporters who are trying to get information on the guy (or guys), and the family and friends of the psychopath who terrorized the city for three years. Olsen chooses a time based narrative so that we get the story as it comes out, with Olsen masterfully weaving all the voices and action in the proper spaces.
Prefacing most chapters are snippets of psychologists writing about the behaviors of psychopaths in general, and sometimes with quotes from Kevin Coe that illuminate the text that follows. One clear pattern that comes out is the psychopath's "reality" is truly whatever he says it is and he does not have the "theory of mind" to realize that other people can have other sources of information that negates that reality. The amount of damage that a lying, chaotic, violent yet "charming" person so unconcerned with others but so concerned with his "image" can do is astounding. Just imagine if one ever got elected President of the U.S.?
Prefacing most chapters are snippets of psychologists writing about the behaviors of psychopaths in general, and sometimes with quotes from Kevin Coe that illuminate the text that follows. One clear pattern that comes out is the psychopath's "reality" is truly whatever he says it is and he does not have the "theory of mind" to realize that other people can have other sources of information that negates that reality. The amount of damage that a lying, chaotic, violent yet "charming" person so unconcerned with others but so concerned with his "image" can do is astounding. Just imagine if one ever got elected President of the U.S.?
May 30, 2016
Spokane had a reputation as a old-fashioned town, "the All-American City". The newspapers downplayed violent crimes like rape. This thinking was described as inward and backward and such comments where shushed, after all Spokane was "a safe and pure place in an unsafe, impure world." That was before Fred and Ruth Coe, Spokane would never be the same.
After reading this book, all I can say is WOW. The Coe's redefine dysfunctional family. Jack Olsen covers everything in this book. Background of the perpetrator, his relationship with his mother, with the other women in his life. He also gives us a look at this victims, treating them compassionately while telling their story, of the attack and the lasting effect it had on their lives and relationships. The women involved with Fred (or Kevin as he prefers to be called) are treated as victims, after all, what else would you call someone who one day wakes up to the news that the person they love is psychopathic criminal?
As much as I like this book I would have to say it is not for everyone, it might trigger flashbacks in sexual assault victims. While not sensational, the rape accounts are detailed and given in the victims own words. That being said, I do recommend it for true crime fans.
On a side note, I googled: "where is Kevin Coe" and found on a website titled, "Justice Denied" an letter from Kevin Coe it says in part:
At the bottom was a statement from the editor of the page that they believed his account. I have to wonder if they even checked his statement since the crackpot and little known novelist was Jack Olsen and the book was this book, which 7th edition was just published in 2015. His bio is below. I guess if your bio begins, "convicted rapist and psychopath", that might make you a little bitter huh?
After reading this book, all I can say is WOW. The Coe's redefine dysfunctional family. Jack Olsen covers everything in this book. Background of the perpetrator, his relationship with his mother, with the other women in his life. He also gives us a look at this victims, treating them compassionately while telling their story, of the attack and the lasting effect it had on their lives and relationships. The women involved with Fred (or Kevin as he prefers to be called) are treated as victims, after all, what else would you call someone who one day wakes up to the news that the person they love is psychopathic criminal?
As much as I like this book I would have to say it is not for everyone, it might trigger flashbacks in sexual assault victims. While not sensational, the rape accounts are detailed and given in the victims own words. That being said, I do recommend it for true crime fans.
On a side note, I googled: "where is Kevin Coe" and found on a website titled, "Justice Denied" an letter from Kevin Coe it says in part:
The setup of Ruth Coe attracted the attention of a crackpot and little known novelist who announced he would write a book on the Coe cases. In late 1983, his idiotic and libelous book on the suppositious cases was published. The work was made into an even more idiotic and libelous TV movie, aired by CBS in 1991. The book flopped nationally but sold well in Washington State. This ruined my chance for a fair re-trial as jurors brought with them a cemented parti pris (prejudice) of my ‘guilt’.
At the bottom was a statement from the editor of the page that they believed his account. I have to wonder if they even checked his statement since the crackpot and little known novelist was Jack Olsen and the book was this book, which 7th edition was just published in 2015. His bio is below. I guess if your bio begins, "convicted rapist and psychopath", that might make you a little bitter huh?
Jack Olsen is the award-winning author of thirty-three books published in fifteen countries and eleven languages. A former Time bureau chief, Olsen wrote for Vanity Fair, People, Paris Match, Readers Digest, Playboy, Life, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, New York Times Book Review and others. His magazine journalism appeared in thirteen anthologies. His books included The Misbegotten Son, The Bridge at Chappaquiddick,, the eco-thriller Night of the Grizzlies, and his monumental study of a Nazi massacre in Italy, Silence on Monte Sole. Three of his works were adapted for the screen, including Have You Seen My Son? on ABC.
September 16, 2016
An above average true crime book
Between 1979 and 1982, a serial rapist was roaming the streets of Spokane, WA. Eventually Fred "Kevin" Coe was charged with raping six women, although he was suspected of sexually assaulting at least 44 victims. And heaven knows how many rapes went unreported.
This book was well researched and well written. The reader will learn about the psychopath, his victims, his parents, best friend, ex-wife, and girlfriend; the investigation; and the trial and verdict. And the story doesn't end there (but my lips are sealed).
I experienced a lot of emotions as I read the book. Contempt for the rapist, compassion for the victims, anger and frustration that rape was treated by the police as more of a nuisance crime than a serious assault.
The Spokane law enforcement doesn't fare well in this book. Too many rapes occurred before the cops started correlating the victims' stories and seeing similarities. When the police department finally acknowledged that a serial rapist was on the loose, a reporter asked the chief what advice he'd give for women. His reply was, "Tell them to lay back and enjoy it." I doubt a more ignorant statement by a police chief was ever spoken.
This was an above average true crime book. Four stars.
Between 1979 and 1982, a serial rapist was roaming the streets of Spokane, WA. Eventually Fred "Kevin" Coe was charged with raping six women, although he was suspected of sexually assaulting at least 44 victims. And heaven knows how many rapes went unreported.
This book was well researched and well written. The reader will learn about the psychopath, his victims, his parents, best friend, ex-wife, and girlfriend; the investigation; and the trial and verdict. And the story doesn't end there (but my lips are sealed).
I experienced a lot of emotions as I read the book. Contempt for the rapist, compassion for the victims, anger and frustration that rape was treated by the police as more of a nuisance crime than a serious assault.
The Spokane law enforcement doesn't fare well in this book. Too many rapes occurred before the cops started correlating the victims' stories and seeing similarities. When the police department finally acknowledged that a serial rapist was on the loose, a reporter asked the chief what advice he'd give for women. His reply was, "Tell them to lay back and enjoy it." I doubt a more ignorant statement by a police chief was ever spoken.
This was an above average true crime book. Four stars.
August 13, 2012
No need to recommend--I read it and it's one of my all-time favorite true-crime books. Though Kevin Coe never killed anybody(though since his attacks were escalating in violence, I I think that he might have if he had not been caught), he seemed similar to Ted Bundy to me in some ways. Both operated in Washington state, both were charming, smart, good looking and talented,and could have had great futures going straight, and both were almost certainly classic sociopaths. Coe had more advantages in childhood and youth--his father was publisher of the Spokane Chronicle. BTW, Kevin Coe looks like hell now. I saw a recent photo and did not recognze him.
October 10, 2021
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
This is my first TC story, and I liked it!
Narration 5/5
This is my first TC story, and I liked it!
July 12, 2016
Written by Jack Olsen, a long audiobook at close to twenty-three hours of listening, and narrated by Kevin Pierce. Son, originally published in 1983, is an accounting of a serial rapist in Spokane, WA in the late 1970s, early 1980s.
An update to the true crime of this story, information not included in the book. The saga of Fred Coe continued for a few years after the release of the book with appeals, convictions overturned, etc., but fortunately, enough stuck to this predator to keep him locked up. Fred Coe is behind bars as of this writing. Coe has consistently, to this day, been adamant in professing innocence. However, forensic tools now available, such as DNA testing, have confirmed his guilt. A 2011 plea for release was denied.
Silly to enjoy grizzly fiction and get queasy when confronted with the real thing, but there it is. True crime is a genre I’ve avoided - it is so disturbing. Easy to follow, Son is a well written reveal of Fred Coe’s psychopathic mind, in addition to the enabling sickness of his mother, Ruth Coe. The book is about rape, the effect of rape on victims, the victims' families. It is also the dissection and analysis of a psychopath - not just a rapist. Each chapter is preceded by a quotation from a noted physician/psychologist with sage words of understanding or comprehension or explanation.
Narration by Kevin Pierce is excellent. No attempts to sway opinion, by narrator or author. The facts are presented in a listenable manner.
I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but I’m very glad I listened. Not for everyone, but a highly recommended true crime book.
An update to the true crime of this story, information not included in the book. The saga of Fred Coe continued for a few years after the release of the book with appeals, convictions overturned, etc., but fortunately, enough stuck to this predator to keep him locked up. Fred Coe is behind bars as of this writing. Coe has consistently, to this day, been adamant in professing innocence. However, forensic tools now available, such as DNA testing, have confirmed his guilt. A 2011 plea for release was denied.
Silly to enjoy grizzly fiction and get queasy when confronted with the real thing, but there it is. True crime is a genre I’ve avoided - it is so disturbing. Easy to follow, Son is a well written reveal of Fred Coe’s psychopathic mind, in addition to the enabling sickness of his mother, Ruth Coe. The book is about rape, the effect of rape on victims, the victims' families. It is also the dissection and analysis of a psychopath - not just a rapist. Each chapter is preceded by a quotation from a noted physician/psychologist with sage words of understanding or comprehension or explanation.
Narration by Kevin Pierce is excellent. No attempts to sway opinion, by narrator or author. The facts are presented in a listenable manner.
I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but I’m very glad I listened. Not for everyone, but a highly recommended true crime book.
June 28, 2011
In 1980 there were 127 rapes in the city of Spokane. In 1978 there had been 49. Most of these crimes were being committed in the neighborhood where I now live and they bore certain similarities. The rapist was reported by many victims to have jammed his hand, covered with an oven mitt, into their mouth so that they couldn’t scream. Most of them were attacked while out running or after getting off a bus. Spokane was the victim of The South Hill Rapist.
In 1981 Spokane police arrested Kevin Coe, from a prominent family, the son of the Spokane Chronicle editor. He was found guilty of the four rapes for which there was the most evidence against him. His mother, with whom he had a tangled relationship, has been described as making Lizzie Borden look like a combination of Mother Teresa and Mary Poppins. She proceeded to hire a hit man to kill the prosecutor and the judge. Unfortunately for Ruth Coe the man she chose was an undercover cop.
Coe’s original convictions were overturned on the grounds that the victims had been hypnotized but he was tried again and found guilty. He was sent to prison in Walla Walla and when he was eligible for release he was declared a dangerous sexual predator on the basis of new evidence including DNA tests and was incarcerated for life.
Jack Olsen tells the story in mesmerizing detail in this true-crime book which was the basis of a TV movie, Sins of the Mother (which starred Elizabeth Montgomery of all people.)
2011 No 93 Coming soon: Kissed a Sad Goodbye, by Deborah Crombie
In 1981 Spokane police arrested Kevin Coe, from a prominent family, the son of the Spokane Chronicle editor. He was found guilty of the four rapes for which there was the most evidence against him. His mother, with whom he had a tangled relationship, has been described as making Lizzie Borden look like a combination of Mother Teresa and Mary Poppins. She proceeded to hire a hit man to kill the prosecutor and the judge. Unfortunately for Ruth Coe the man she chose was an undercover cop.
Coe’s original convictions were overturned on the grounds that the victims had been hypnotized but he was tried again and found guilty. He was sent to prison in Walla Walla and when he was eligible for release he was declared a dangerous sexual predator on the basis of new evidence including DNA tests and was incarcerated for life.
Jack Olsen tells the story in mesmerizing detail in this true-crime book which was the basis of a TV movie, Sins of the Mother (which starred Elizabeth Montgomery of all people.)
2011 No 93 Coming soon: Kissed a Sad Goodbye, by Deborah Crombie
December 5, 2015
A glimpse into the mind of a psychopath? Sign me up.
Son tell the story of Frederick Harland Coe, a serial rapist and psychopath who haunted Spokane Washington in the 80's. The author takes his time in delivering a realistic account of not only the multiple occurrences but also in providing the backdrop of the time and town in which these crimes were committed. F.H. Coe is one of those characters so eccentric ("don't call me eccentric!") and psychotic that it's difficult to comprehend he's not fictitious. That people actually live this way, moving through a house built of lies, is both intriguing and disturbing.
For me, the story felt a little long and I would have preferred a shortened version, however the dynamics between Coe and his equally psychotic mother, let alone the relationships he maintained, definitely kept the tale moving forward. I'm fascinated by people that have no moral conscience, who live by a code based on "situational morality," and who lie so effectively they convince even themselves. This book provides an excellent case study for those interested in the psychologically damaged.
Son tell the story of Frederick Harland Coe, a serial rapist and psychopath who haunted Spokane Washington in the 80's. The author takes his time in delivering a realistic account of not only the multiple occurrences but also in providing the backdrop of the time and town in which these crimes were committed. F.H. Coe is one of those characters so eccentric ("don't call me eccentric!") and psychotic that it's difficult to comprehend he's not fictitious. That people actually live this way, moving through a house built of lies, is both intriguing and disturbing.
For me, the story felt a little long and I would have preferred a shortened version, however the dynamics between Coe and his equally psychotic mother, let alone the relationships he maintained, definitely kept the tale moving forward. I'm fascinated by people that have no moral conscience, who live by a code based on "situational morality," and who lie so effectively they convince even themselves. This book provides an excellent case study for those interested in the psychologically damaged.
February 5, 2022
A must read for all women who are against rape. Amazingly detailed portrait of how to raise your child to be a good-for-nothing, all-talk-and-no-action ne'er-do-well and a serial rapist to boot. Provides step by step instructions for robbing your child of any sense of right and wrong. Includes the breathtaking description of how one woman took matters into her own hands and chased the assailant off, and how the others clubbed together and prosecuted his worthless self.
September 1, 2017
Most true crime books are about murderers, gangsters or con men. "Son" by Jack Olsen focuses on a serial rapist. Most readers will be uncomfortable with that just from the description on the cover. Reading the entire book is a prolonged, queasy experience but one worth the time as it is well written and thought provoking. The author certainly keeps the victims in mind, being graphic enough to describe the details of the criminal acts without being lurid or sensational.
The subject, Fred Coe aka the South Hill rapist, is certainly book worthy. His privileged upbringing, father a newspaper editor and mother an overbearing manic depressive, and his seeming inability to connect emotionally with others leads us to almost sympathize with him. However, his good looks, material possessions and casual demeanor hide a psychopath capable of well-planned brutality. The reader is left in disbelief at the series of rapes and other crimes and how he got away with them for years.
All sides are presented with plenty of input from Coe, family, friends, victims, police, lawyers and others. As disturbing as this book can be, I couldn't stop reading. Not recommended for the overly sensitive and empathetic, but they shouldn't be reading true crime anyway.
The subject, Fred Coe aka the South Hill rapist, is certainly book worthy. His privileged upbringing, father a newspaper editor and mother an overbearing manic depressive, and his seeming inability to connect emotionally with others leads us to almost sympathize with him. However, his good looks, material possessions and casual demeanor hide a psychopath capable of well-planned brutality. The reader is left in disbelief at the series of rapes and other crimes and how he got away with them for years.
All sides are presented with plenty of input from Coe, family, friends, victims, police, lawyers and others. As disturbing as this book can be, I couldn't stop reading. Not recommended for the overly sensitive and empathetic, but they shouldn't be reading true crime anyway.
July 18, 2015
This is a true crime novel about a serial rapist in the 1980s in Spokane, Washington. I don't normally read true crime, but I was taken by the cover art. I also have a personal interest as my youngest son and his family live in Spokane and have since about 2000. The author paints a much different Spokane as it was back then.
This is an older book ... first published in 1983. The author has since passed away. However, it's been re-published with a new Forward .. written by another author a lot of us know ...Gregg Olsen (no relation). Gregg relates how he met the author and how he influenced Gregg in his own writing endeavors. It's like getting a short story, as well as the book.
As of 12/2013 ... Fred Coe, being held indefinitely at a secure state facility for sexually violent predators, has filed suit in U.S. District Court seeking immediate release from what he calls unconstitutional confinement. No hearings on the request have been set.
After serving 25 years in prison for rape, state authorities blocked Coe’s planned release in 2006 and a Spokane County jury deemed him a continuing danger to society following a month
long civil commitment proceeding. He’s being detained indefinitely as a sexually violent predator at the state’s special commitment center on McNeil Island.
Coe has been diagnosed with personality disorder not otherwise specified, along with narcissistic and antisocial traits.
The author takes us to the beginning ... the beginning of Coe's life as a rapist ... the women he loved, hated, lied to, cheated on. He was a braggart although he never really accomplished anything to brag about.
And then we meet his mother .... she was really something else! She knew what he was doing, but did nothing to stop it. Nobody was good enough for her SON, even though she berated him constantly. His father was a very quiet man, who stood in the corner and obeyed his wife.
The book goes through some of his victims and we find out how they dealt in the aftermath.
The book was very well-written. He did a great job in humanizing the victims. Coe was painted as a narcissistic psychopath. As far as I know, that has never changed.
I can't say I loved the book ... I am far more comfortable reading about the fictional monsters..... but it was a compelling read.
My thanks to NetGalley / Scribner for furnishing an electronic copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
This is an older book ... first published in 1983. The author has since passed away. However, it's been re-published with a new Forward .. written by another author a lot of us know ...Gregg Olsen (no relation). Gregg relates how he met the author and how he influenced Gregg in his own writing endeavors. It's like getting a short story, as well as the book.
As of 12/2013 ... Fred Coe, being held indefinitely at a secure state facility for sexually violent predators, has filed suit in U.S. District Court seeking immediate release from what he calls unconstitutional confinement. No hearings on the request have been set.
After serving 25 years in prison for rape, state authorities blocked Coe’s planned release in 2006 and a Spokane County jury deemed him a continuing danger to society following a month
long civil commitment proceeding. He’s being detained indefinitely as a sexually violent predator at the state’s special commitment center on McNeil Island.
Coe has been diagnosed with personality disorder not otherwise specified, along with narcissistic and antisocial traits.
The author takes us to the beginning ... the beginning of Coe's life as a rapist ... the women he loved, hated, lied to, cheated on. He was a braggart although he never really accomplished anything to brag about.
And then we meet his mother .... she was really something else! She knew what he was doing, but did nothing to stop it. Nobody was good enough for her SON, even though she berated him constantly. His father was a very quiet man, who stood in the corner and obeyed his wife.
The book goes through some of his victims and we find out how they dealt in the aftermath.
The book was very well-written. He did a great job in humanizing the victims. Coe was painted as a narcissistic psychopath. As far as I know, that has never changed.
I can't say I loved the book ... I am far more comfortable reading about the fictional monsters..... but it was a compelling read.
My thanks to NetGalley / Scribner for furnishing an electronic copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
December 18, 2016
So far as anyone knows, Kevin Coe never escalated to murder, but Jack Olsen's narrative makes it clear it was only going to be a matter of time. Coe is currently incarcerated in a "Special Commitment Center"--a dreadfully Orwellian title for a facility that holds sexual predators; the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's article about his attempt to sue the state of Washington makes it absolutely clear that he hasn't changed a particle since 1981 when he was first convicted; he's using the same arguments and the same language. That in itself suggests to me that he is where he belongs.
Son is an excellent book. Olsen has a sprawling story, a lot of people whose voices need to be heard, and some remarkable pieces of truth stranger than fiction, including Coe's mother in toto. Olsen doesn't rush, but there's no sense of wandering or rambling. He knows what story he's telling, and he balances it beautifully: Coe, his victims, his family and friends, the police, the city of Spokane (which is a character in this book in its own right). Olsen charts the damage done to Coe's victims but also to his friends, his girlfriend, his ex-wife; the book ends, in fact, with an oddly lovely and moving description of Jenifer Coe trying to put herself back together: "After twenty-eight months of self-imposed house arrest, she rode the bus downtown to look for work. She said she felt like Columbus sailing toward the edge of the earth" (570).
Son is an excellent book. Olsen has a sprawling story, a lot of people whose voices need to be heard, and some remarkable pieces of truth stranger than fiction, including Coe's mother in toto. Olsen doesn't rush, but there's no sense of wandering or rambling. He knows what story he's telling, and he balances it beautifully: Coe, his victims, his family and friends, the police, the city of Spokane (which is a character in this book in its own right). Olsen charts the damage done to Coe's victims but also to his friends, his girlfriend, his ex-wife; the book ends, in fact, with an oddly lovely and moving description of Jenifer Coe trying to put herself back together: "After twenty-eight months of self-imposed house arrest, she rode the bus downtown to look for work. She said she felt like Columbus sailing toward the edge of the earth" (570).
September 25, 2008
No matter what problems you have with your mother-in-law, she is going to seem like Julie Andrews by the time you're through reading about the bejeweled harpy who rules this true-crime wonder. The "son" of the title is her slick, creepy offspring, Kevin "Fred" Coe, who's not only a real estate agent, he's a serial rapist! The best parts of this book are the inane nicknames Coe and his mother have for one another and the details about the book Coe himself wrote, supposedly a satirical comedy, about which I recall only the concept of "Catlicks" and "Episscopale-yuns." That is some true comedic genius at work, there, and it's too bad that all the vicious criminal raping caught up with him and stifled what was sure to be a brilliant career in arts and letters.
November 14, 2015
I was in Mexico, and I'd run out of things to read. Amazon suggested this classic true crime book. While I want to like true crime, most of those books are trashy and sad. This book? Wow. A classic, for sure.
If I'd known going in that it was a book about a serial rapist, I probably would have said no thanks. But I'm glad I didn't know, as this book was stellar. Simply written, clear, concise, fact based, nothing fancy. Pure journalism.
All true crime books should be this cleanly written.
If I'd known going in that it was a book about a serial rapist, I probably would have said no thanks. But I'm glad I didn't know, as this book was stellar. Simply written, clear, concise, fact based, nothing fancy. Pure journalism.
All true crime books should be this cleanly written.
February 7, 2020
I'm not sure how I never heard of this case of a serial rapist and his delusional mother in Spokane, Washington which seemingly garnered worldwide attention (it is one of the strangest stories ever). My only complaint is there are not enough photographs and there is very little online. I was specifically looking for an actual interview with Fred aka "Kevin" Coe (the one he did for Spokane TV circa 1981, against the advice of his attorneys). I also wanted to find photos of his wife and girlfriend. (They have understandably sought to disappear from the face of the earth, though how they achieved this in the Internet age is a mystery). Thus it remains that I cannot imagine anyone dating this guy for one week, much less agreeing to move in with him for a period of years. It's puzzling because neither of these women seemed crazy, although the first wife was a depressed alchoholic.
One big red flag was that Coe would frequently return home between the hours of 2:00 am and 7:00 am covered in scratches and dirt. When questioned, he always used the same excuse, saying he was attacked by a dog while jogging. The other red flag was that he was a glib talker about everything he said he was going to do, yet he never actually did anything. A real estate agent for close to three years, he never sold a house...except to his mother. But that did not stop him using the master lock box key to enter homes for his nefarious purposes.
In fact it was frustrating that so many opportunities to catch this guy earlier were missed, all because nobody really got a good look at his face in the dark. However, police routinely overlooked the same M.O. (he shoved his hand down women's throats wearing gloves and he had the same cheesy line of questioning for each victim). Also, people noticed the same silver Chevy Citation with a yellow license plate (the color of which was unusual) parked near many of the crime scenes. Hell, he even gave his business card to one victim. However, she seems to have used reverse psychology on the rapist, and escaped relatively unscathed. Later on, she recognized her attacker from news reports in which a different victim quoted the standard patter. She did not come forward because she was not actually raped, and she did not think the police would take her story seriously.
If you don't like disturbing reads, you should probably avoid this one. I wouldn't put it in the same league as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, but I couldn't really put it down either (until the trial where it lost a little momentum for me). And if you are one of those people who lives in a town like Mayberry RFD, you will probably end up more like this cynical, suspicious, New Yorker who ALWAYS locks the doors no matter how safe people insist it is.
One big red flag was that Coe would frequently return home between the hours of 2:00 am and 7:00 am covered in scratches and dirt. When questioned, he always used the same excuse, saying he was attacked by a dog while jogging. The other red flag was that he was a glib talker about everything he said he was going to do, yet he never actually did anything. A real estate agent for close to three years, he never sold a house...except to his mother. But that did not stop him using the master lock box key to enter homes for his nefarious purposes.
In fact it was frustrating that so many opportunities to catch this guy earlier were missed, all because nobody really got a good look at his face in the dark. However, police routinely overlooked the same M.O. (he shoved his hand down women's throats wearing gloves and he had the same cheesy line of questioning for each victim). Also, people noticed the same silver Chevy Citation with a yellow license plate (the color of which was unusual) parked near many of the crime scenes. Hell, he even gave his business card to one victim. However, she seems to have used reverse psychology on the rapist, and escaped relatively unscathed. Later on, she recognized her attacker from news reports in which a different victim quoted the standard patter. She did not come forward because she was not actually raped, and she did not think the police would take her story seriously.
If you don't like disturbing reads, you should probably avoid this one. I wouldn't put it in the same league as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, but I couldn't really put it down either (until the trial where it lost a little momentum for me). And if you are one of those people who lives in a town like Mayberry RFD, you will probably end up more like this cynical, suspicious, New Yorker who ALWAYS locks the doors no matter how safe people insist it is.
June 28, 2015
this book was given to me for an honest review
this book talks about a case of rapist ,his crimes , his arrest , and his court.
with a lot of details, characters , and psychological analyzing jack Olsen tell us the story of a society who face a serial rapist , the reaction of people , the stigma against raped women ,and how people with gathered huge efforts could face a crisis .
Kevin Pierce’s performance was great ,his voice volume was very steady and calm ,yet it delivered the events in reality based voice , also it gave each character it's own voice , and way of speech (for the main characters at least)
There is one main issue about this book I was against (a psychological note):
a Psychological note : as a psychologist i believe Fred Coe wasn't a psychopath as the book says , i believe he suffered from a Narcissistic Personality Disorder , we can see that in his :
-self absorbent
-fixation on his look, clothes , how people see him
-high emotionality and borderline moodiness.
what do you think?
this book talks about a case of rapist ,his crimes , his arrest , and his court.
with a lot of details, characters , and psychological analyzing jack Olsen tell us the story of a society who face a serial rapist , the reaction of people , the stigma against raped women ,and how people with gathered huge efforts could face a crisis .
Kevin Pierce’s performance was great ,his voice volume was very steady and calm ,yet it delivered the events in reality based voice , also it gave each character it's own voice , and way of speech (for the main characters at least)
There is one main issue about this book I was against (a psychological note):
a Psychological note : as a psychologist i believe Fred Coe wasn't a psychopath as the book says , i believe he suffered from a Narcissistic Personality Disorder , we can see that in his :
-self absorbent
-fixation on his look, clothes , how people see him
-high emotionality and borderline moodiness.
what do you think?
February 4, 2016
This book was very well researched, and very well written. It was a bit long, but not belabored as so many books that exceed 400 pages seem to be. The story itself is dark. True crime novels usually are dark, but this one went deeper into the dark side and gave quotes from Fredrick (Kevin) Coe that showed him to be deeply disturbed.
After reading this book I felt compelled to Google the whereabouts of Mr. Coe and verify that the system has not failed society in allowing this monster back onto the streets. To my relief he has been civilly committed and will live out his days in an institution for individuals that propose a threat to society. His victims should never ever have to wonder if he might some day be allowed to attack more women.
After reading this book I felt compelled to Google the whereabouts of Mr. Coe and verify that the system has not failed society in allowing this monster back onto the streets. To my relief he has been civilly committed and will live out his days in an institution for individuals that propose a threat to society. His victims should never ever have to wonder if he might some day be allowed to attack more women.
October 7, 2017
What a great book! Jack Olsen can write true crime masterfully. The story about Fred Coe, the South Hill Rapist, is written so well I wanted to yell at some of the people in the story, almost like yelling at atheletes on TV when they do something stupid. To think that there were people that actually believed in his innocence boggles ones mind. The apple certainly did not fall far from the tree between mother and son. This is a must read for any true crime lover. Will certainly look for more offerings by Mr. Olsen.
January 25, 2023
Let me start by saying that I like true crime stories. Of course, not a single book can hold up to Capote's classic "In Cold Blood" which reads like a novel.
This one shows a true psychopath at work and his mom is a true nut job. Though Olsen did a lot of research, this book still reads like a police report. Not as good as expected. 2.8 stars.
This one shows a true psychopath at work and his mom is a true nut job. Though Olsen did a lot of research, this book still reads like a police report. Not as good as expected. 2.8 stars.
July 14, 2017
“You got to read this book,” my wife said. It was unusual. Whenever I ask my wife how’s the book she’s reading, I get a look. Maybe that’s because I ask before she's started reading. But you can get a feel for a book from the cover, the typography, paperweight, you know. Not having read a book has never stopped me from having an opinion on it. So, the fact that my wife suggested I read SON by Jack Olsen, more than once, was nothing for me to take lightly.
She was not mistaken. The son of the title is a handsome loser with grandiose delusion. He’s also a serial rapist who terrorized Spokane, Washington, for a few years in the late 1970s-early 1980s. He may be the most pathetic psychopath in history.
Olsen’s talent is delivering just the facts and letting them speak for themselves, sort of like a more human Jack Webb. It’s not that he doesn’t have a point of view. Most of the short chapters are prefaced with quotes from psychological books on psychopaths. But he doesn’t need to embellish the story or insert his opinion.
While he devotes ample pages to the rapes and a thorough profile of the son, Kevin Coe, and his immediate family, the police and the victims are given just as much space. What develops is a rapist who can’t stop raping even though he can’t get it up. That's not to belittle violent crime, but it fits with Coe's inflated idea of his success as a businessman, lover, you name it.
The son isn’t a monster, if there are such things, he’s a dangerous failure, a sad excuse for a human being who deserves our pity if he wasn’t such a creep. A fascinating creep, though, and he’s just scratching the surface of a family of weirdos. Wait until you read about the mom!
You got to love them, on the page. Those freaks! But after 500 or so of those pages I was ready for a break. That said, when I did finish the book I missed those nuts. I can see why my wife loved the book so much. It’s like a trip to the zoo. Or, more accurately, the greatest episode of “Forensic Files,” my wife’s current favorite TV show, without the forensics and just the fucked up shit.
She was not mistaken. The son of the title is a handsome loser with grandiose delusion. He’s also a serial rapist who terrorized Spokane, Washington, for a few years in the late 1970s-early 1980s. He may be the most pathetic psychopath in history.
Olsen’s talent is delivering just the facts and letting them speak for themselves, sort of like a more human Jack Webb. It’s not that he doesn’t have a point of view. Most of the short chapters are prefaced with quotes from psychological books on psychopaths. But he doesn’t need to embellish the story or insert his opinion.
While he devotes ample pages to the rapes and a thorough profile of the son, Kevin Coe, and his immediate family, the police and the victims are given just as much space. What develops is a rapist who can’t stop raping even though he can’t get it up. That's not to belittle violent crime, but it fits with Coe's inflated idea of his success as a businessman, lover, you name it.
The son isn’t a monster, if there are such things, he’s a dangerous failure, a sad excuse for a human being who deserves our pity if he wasn’t such a creep. A fascinating creep, though, and he’s just scratching the surface of a family of weirdos. Wait until you read about the mom!
You got to love them, on the page. Those freaks! But after 500 or so of those pages I was ready for a break. That said, when I did finish the book I missed those nuts. I can see why my wife loved the book so much. It’s like a trip to the zoo. Or, more accurately, the greatest episode of “Forensic Files,” my wife’s current favorite TV show, without the forensics and just the fucked up shit.
March 6, 2019
Chilling! That is how I can describe the crimes of Fredrick 'Kevin' Coe. His crimes sent shudders to the public in Spokane County and his wife Gini. H raped at least 100 women in the period between 1978 and 1979. In the course of his crimes, he preferred working under the cover of darkness where he could follow his victims, thrust his hands down their throats, beat them up, ask them to urinate on him, perform oral sex on them and vise versa, ejaculate on them, and talk smack at them. Unfortunately, in most cases he was not able to penetrate these women. This was mainly due to the fact that he was unable to achieve a full erection.
Coe reportedly had problems dating women in high school. He was a psychopath who people shied away from. But also, he was very manipulative. In the days preceeding the trial he managed to manipulate both his friends and family alike. Despite the evidence to the contrary, his father and mother went out of their way to intimidate witnesses and fabricate evidence on behalf of their embattled son. The trial was the worst. Victims and witnesses alike were very uncomfortable. Questions like you like oral sex, what is wrong with him putting his hands inside your vagina, you are a lesbian etc. Questions aimed at embarrassing the witnesses rather than eliciting the truth. Unfortunately, that is the state of most of our criminal justice system. Terrible.
Coe reportedly had problems dating women in high school. He was a psychopath who people shied away from. But also, he was very manipulative. In the days preceeding the trial he managed to manipulate both his friends and family alike. Despite the evidence to the contrary, his father and mother went out of their way to intimidate witnesses and fabricate evidence on behalf of their embattled son. The trial was the worst. Victims and witnesses alike were very uncomfortable. Questions like you like oral sex, what is wrong with him putting his hands inside your vagina, you are a lesbian etc. Questions aimed at embarrassing the witnesses rather than eliciting the truth. Unfortunately, that is the state of most of our criminal justice system. Terrible.
September 7, 2025
I rarely rate a true crime book with 5 stars but this one earns it. I listened to this as an audiobook. It was read by Kevin Pierce, and he is one of my favorite narrators. The book was so interesting. The book focused on the personality and development of the rapist, his family and his girlfriend. I found it very interesting that the city of Spokane more or less ignored this crime for so long and even after they had a task force it took them quite a while to solve the case. I like the way Jack Olsen, the author wrote the book and will be reading more of his titles.
June 30, 2021
3.5 stars rounded down. This is solid true crime writing, although at times it felt a little too descriptive with the ex-wife’s backstory. The journalistic focus on the victims is strong and what ultimately makes this a standout read. I really enjoyed the foreword, it was very heartfelt and meaningful- which I felt helped me connect more to the writing.
March 31, 2019
Interesting and brutal
Curiosity struck so I bit. It’s brutally honest, horrific, hard to read at times because it’s true. The author did an amazing job, the content though is tough. The brain of a psychopath and mental illness are intriguing and baffling. Not for the light reading or entertainment.
Curiosity struck so I bit. It’s brutally honest, horrific, hard to read at times because it’s true. The author did an amazing job, the content though is tough. The brain of a psychopath and mental illness are intriguing and baffling. Not for the light reading or entertainment.
December 2, 2023
Debated whether to give it 4 stars or 5…. Usually I only give 5 stars to books that “stick with me”, that I think about long after I’ve finished them. We’ll see.
Warning - very graphic descriptions of rapes.
Warning - very graphic descriptions of rapes.
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