The Killer Book of True Crime: Incredible Stories, Facts and Trivia from the World of Murder and Mayhem

by Tom Philbin, Michael Philbin

You've read all the stories...but can you match the mobster with the way he met his end? Do you know how they caught the Boston Strangler? Can you define chickens, a Shotaro complex or Colombian neckties?

The Killer Book of True Crime is the ultimate collection of in-depth stories, trivia, quizzes, quotes and photos gruesome and interesting enough to make any crime buff shudder in horrified delight. Discover all the odd and intriguing facts and tidbits you've never heard

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Trivia, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Tom Philbin is a writer of numerous books and has also written articles for a variety of magazines, including Parade, Woman's Day, and Reader's Digest. He lives in Centerport, New York.

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting, though not very deep. If you're looking for a thought-provoking analysis of crimes, look elsewhere. If you're looking for some thrills and entertainment though, you're right on the money, and the authors say in the intro that their goal is to entertain. The book covers a wide range of crimes with many detailed stories (some of them quite funny) that I haven't seen elsewhere. I did spot a few minor errors, though.

[Janice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was definitely below what I expected. The authors promised in the forward to go in-depth about obscure and rare cases. I don't know if it says something about me but I was familiar with 90% of these cases.
What I really found off-putting about this book was the tone as they wrote about the salacious details of these crimes. I got this in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble for my Nook so I wasn't expecting the best true crime writing but I was definitely creeped-out by the chunks of Nicole Brown Simpson and JonBenet Ramsay's autopsy reports.
This book would be good for beginners to the true crime genre but if you've been reading the genre for as long as I have, I'd say avoid the bargain and save up for something by Harold Schechter or Erik Larson.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written in a trivia-type format, with very little depth in the details. It was interesting, but there were some parts that I don’t believe should have been published in a book like this, or at all for that matter. How to mix up substances used to poison people and autopsy photos have no business in a book that literally anyone could pick up off a bookstore shelf. I’ve read tons of true crime books, but finding these two items in this one rapidly turned me against it.

[maddy eger · Rating 5 out of 5]

so awesome! i’ve read the whole series but this one includes autopsy photos so be careful. It has Jon Bonet Ramsey, Marilyn Monroe and Nicole Simpson’s ME reports and photos at the end. They are some puzzles like matching throughout the book which is fun to keep the information rolling!

Love it,
go get it!

[Eric Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just an entertaining little reference book. The authors do a fair job of keeping the tone more mild sourcebookish rather than encyclopedic. The interspersed crime scene art was particularly interesting and most not previously known by me.

[Andrea Hartline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite. I just couldn’t get through it. There was no in depth review of any criminals, just a smattering of stories that I essentially already knew. It’s a good intro to true crime if you know absolutely nothing about it, but for true crime fans it was a bit of a snore.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this read. Great pick for a true crime lover.

[Hallow Harmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wild 2024 read. A lot of outdated facts/trivia from 2007. Interesting read.

[Ari Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was a magnificent book, although it could have been a bit more organized. The paragraphs were rather random. But it is still a great book with good information

[Betty Stoneking]

Killer book really true storys it really like crime story you will love this book.

[Jamii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being into Serial Killers and Crime investigation, this is one of my favorite books. It presents various things (mafia info, serial killer tidbits, arson facts, autopsy reports) in fun bite sized snippets.

Which is perfect for an opportunistic reader like me, long chapter books are good reads before bed, but I like to sneak a few pages while waiting to pick my brother up from work of after arriving at a meeting place waiting on my friend/family to arrive. It's great for someone who encounters a lot of interruptions because you can finish a snippet in just a few minutes, then your on to a new thing.

Other than being easily digestible for the busy, the information is fascinating. You get a chance to match mob members to their cause of death and see if you're right. You get to read a very ordinary interview answered by a horrific serial killer. You get memorable quotes from various people. It's not a book that goes into extensive detail but it's enough to get you intrigued and able to decide what you'd like to read more on. It's truly one of my favorite books!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, especially since I'm really interested in crime and investigation. If anyone wants to know know more about crime and how crime is categorized, this book explains them all. Also, expressions and words used to express something within a crime are presented. I learned a lot about infamous people and what their big time crime consisted of. Many of the crimes committed by these people are helpful to understand why they are categorized as, for example, serial killing oppose to mass murder. "Crime can also be funny" pages within the book tell a funny incident where a crime is considered to be really funny.
For anyone who wants to be exposed a bit to the criminal justice field, this book will cover basic terms and information.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should really be titled facts and trivia from the USA, as the book deals mostly with America and only makes a passing reference to other countries.
The chapter on terrorism makes no mention of the IRA, Basque Separatists etc
The chapter on execution talks of America and the systems of execution, Elliot is mentioned as the most prolific executioner but there is no mention of Albert Pierrepoint.
It's an interesting book, and there is humour mixed in but I have to admit I skipped the autopsy reports at the back of the book. Felt like an invasion of privacy.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick read, full of information about well-known and lesser-known crimes and criminals. I have never even read some of the facts about a few of the more well-known criminals in the book before. Some of the details in the book are not for the faint of heart, such as the autopsy reports of Nicole Brown Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey, but I still recommend reading this for all true crime lovers.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Other than the fact you need a strong stomach to read the "Mass Murder" section, this book was interesting. Probably the best thing in the book is that it defines a lot of true crime Jargon. It ranges from prison short hand, to mob and drug slang. I was hoping it would open the door on new investigative techniques and crime genres, but most of the case studies are fairly straight forward. As is real life.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book mixes, short stories, anecdotes, Q&A, factoids, pictures, and stories about crime, including gory details, famous stories and not-so-famous but intriguing stories about crime. Each chapter is something like arson, mass murder, and details cases related to that kind of crime.

Oh so interesting, fun to read during my lunch breaks, and the best way to scare someone into thinking everyone is out to murder, maim, and kidnap you! :)

[Consuelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was entertaining, some parts were so gory they were hard to get through, reading about Albert Fish gave me nightmares of the worst kind, what a dispicable human being. Besides the gore and heartlessness of his story and a few others, the majority of the the book was entertaining and fascinating. I would not refer to this one for informational purposes but if you are looking for odds and ends of crime and small tid bits this is a good place to find it.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I really like this book. As someone who doesn't read a lot this book caught my attention because of the style. Philbin adds a fact page for each chapter and he adds a little like quiz type page to see if you can match criminals with their crimes. I really enjoy how he includes the dates and quotes of what people said during the event.

[MM Stormbird · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know the position a body takes when burnt, how to fool the alarm that goes off when you steal from a department store, how to kill someone using natural ingredients and the details of the OJ Simpson autopsy reports - read this.

[Tricia Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like this book at all. As an avid reader of true crime, this was a jackpot so I thought. It's VERY jumpy in the sense that he talks about cases and then starts talking about another one without finishing the previous. I quit reading it trying to keep them all straight.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a serial killer enthusiast, this book is ok. I was already familiar with most of the killers mentioned in the book. It's more for entertainment, and briefly touches famous American serial killers, arsonists, and thieves. Includes trivia and little fun facts.

[Anna Domańska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Book was below what I expected.

[K.j. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not thoroughly impressed. Author jumps around a lot and some of the writing reads like it was written by a young adult.

[Ally Puri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed book about general types of crimes. Includes some autopsy records at the end which were interesting to read.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, but I feel like it had so many different subjects that it was hard to fit enough detail in it. I am a future forensics student and I find this kind of book very interesting and I am hoping to find one that has more focus to it and isn't all over the place.
It was still good for what it had, which is why I did give it three stars.