Dark Deeds: Serial killers, stakers and domestic homicides, Volume 1

Dark Deeds #1

by Susan Fleet

True crime: 12 chilling case studies. Meet the victims, their killers and the bloody consequences of their deeds.

No one knows how many serial killers are roaming the United States. Some experts believe they murder as many as 180 people each year. Others say the count may be much higher because some serial killers hide the bodies and they're never found. A pretty farm girl fed her victims to the hogs

Stalkers far outnumber serial killers. Each year they threaten 3.4 million people in America. Although stalkers may profess love for the objects of their obsession, many seriously injure or kill their "love object." Eg: You're the one that I want ... to kill.

Domestic homicide is rampant in the US. Women and children rarely kill family members. Men commit the majority of domestic homicides. Some are crimes of passion. Others are carefully calculated. Why bother with a divorce when you can kill your spouse? A cross-dressing doctor murdered his wife to keep his millions.

"In Dark Deeds, Susan Fleet immerses us in the world of serial killers, stalkers, and domestic homicides. Even an inveterate fiction enthusiast like myself found her real-life tales obsessively haunting and educational." -- Arthur Smukler, MD, psychiatrist

Genres: True Crime

108 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2013

About the author

Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that's how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers. Scroll down and check the video trailers.

I survived Katrina, but divide my time between Boston and the Big Easy. On my website I post profiles of women musicians. I also write ebooks about true crime: DARK DEEDS about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

Reviews

[Micki Peluso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Deeds: Serial Killers, Stalkers and Domestic Homicides

By Susan Fleet

Author Susan Fleets writes individual stories that will shock, surprise and hold your attention throughout the book. A dozen stories, each unique, gruesome and haunting, introduce the reader to some of the worst crimes ever committed, giving insight into the motivations or lack thereof, by the senseless slaughter caused by ‘man's inhumanity to man’.

The author takes us into the mind of Belle, who was pretty but weighed 200 pounds, marking her for derision. The people in her life die from a variety of ‘mishaps’. As her many victims die, Belle grows ever richer. The ending of this account is startling. In another case, a 44-year-old woman goes missing, along with several other women. The serial killer eludes police and continues his crime spree. Despite law enforcement profiles, DNA testing and sketches of him, he was always a step ahead —by luck or skill. This particular story was the inspiration for Susan Fleet's award-winning crime thriller, ‘Absolution’.

Another fascinating case addresses the reasons why an intelligent boy raised by a devout Christian woman would practice surgery on small animals and later become a doctor enthralled in criminally dissecting bodies. This is a tale not to be missed, terrifying in the normalcy and attractiveness of the killer. He designs his own ‘Murder Castle’ and is dubbed ‘‘the most dangerous man in the world’‘. Each story in this non-fiction account of hideous crimes is well researched, giving readers an in-depth glimpse into the madness and perhaps pure evil in the minds of men and women who perpetuate some of the worst crimes and murder on record.

In Dark Deeds, Susan Fleet demonstrates both her excellent journalistic and creative writing skills. She also writes a mystery series set in New Orleans, featuring NOPD Detective Frank Renzi. Dark Deeds: Serial Killers, Stalkers, and Domestic Homicide is highly recommended for all readers interested in learning what goes into the making of a killer.

Micki Peluso: writer, journalist, and author of . . . And the Whippoorwill Sang

[Mary Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleet's Dark Deeds is a fascinating account of some of the most horrifying serial killers ever to live. The Boston Strangler was believed to be Albert DeSalvo, but was he the real murderer? Could there have been more than one killer? Then, there are the stalkers or an obsessed fan. I remember the death of Rebecca Schaeffer and how it had affected so many. Rebecca's death brought about changes in stalking laws. Her killer had found her home after hiring a P.I., who walked into a California DMV, and after paying a little over a dollar, was easily given Schaeffer's address. Husbands killing wives. Mothers killing children. Wives killing husbands. The one that made me angriest was the story about Charles and Carole Stuart. How can someone be so cruel, so callous?! And, then there are the survivors of domestic violence, some lucky woman that lived to see another day. She lives but she is brutally scarred both physically and emotionally. Her country of Pakistan does nothing to help her find justice. She is shunned, an embarrassment. Horrific stories. All of them. Tragically, most women murdered know their killer intimately, someone once trusted and loved. It's a story as old as Cain and Abel. Lives taken too soon. Women chosen at random. Killers amongst us. Frightening!!

To learn more about these murders, Susan Fleet, and her other books, please visit her website: http://www.susanfleet.com/darkdeeds-v...

[Darcia Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of true crime stories. There is a good mix of older and modern accounts. Some I was familiar with, others I hadn't heard of.

The writing is clear and precise, with a journalist feel. Each chapter is relatively short, highlighting the specifics of the case without a lot of in-depth detail or commentary. At times the writing felt a little dry and didn't spark as much emotion as the subject matter should have demanded. But it's perfect for those interested in crime facts and/or researching these topics, particularly if you prefer a detached approach.

[Teresa Rollen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was just ok. There were several chapters I liked better than others including the one about The Boston Strangler and the celebrity murders and stalkers. I liked it well enough to read Volume Two which I am going to read next.

[Anne Hawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually stories from a blog and they aren't very long, but they are interesting and well written. The author goes back in history to get some of the stories and they are very interesting.

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh.