John Christie of Rillington Place: Biography of a Serial Killer

by Jonathan Oates

The bestselling criminal history author provides “compelling insight” into the life and crimes of one of England’s most notorious serial killers (Buckinghamshire Life).   Sixty years ago, the discovery of bodies at 10 Rillington Place in Notting Hill, London, led to one of the most sensational, shocking, and controversial serial murder cases in British criminal the case of John Christie. Much has been written about the Christie killings and the fate of Timothy Evans who was executed for murders Christie later confessed to; the story still provokes strong feeling and speculation. However, most of the books on the case have been compiled without the benefit of all the sources that are open to researchers, and they tend to focus on Evans in an attempt to clear him of guilt. In addition, many simply repeat what has been said before. Therefore, a painstaking, scholarly reassessment of the evidence—and of Christie’s life—is overdue, and that is what Jonathan Oates provides in this gripping biography of a serial killer.  

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Biography Memoir

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Jonathan D. Oates is a historian and prolific author on the subject of the Jacobite campaigns from 1689-1746. His focus is on military matters, the British Army and its commanders, and especially the English dimension of the period. This is his seventh book on the topic and he has also written about thirty articles on aspects of Jacobitism, anti-Jacobitism, and the military campaigns. He has also edited three volumes of relevant material; the memoir of a loyalist Scottish officer, the letters of the Duke of Cumberland, as well as a memoir of an eighteenth century Leeds schoolmaster. There are a number of other similar books in the pipeline, including one on sieges of the 'Forty Five. The author studied History at Reading University in 1988-1991, obtaining a First Class degree with a thesis about the 'Fifteen, and then a doctorate from the same place in 2001, covering responses in north eastern England to the two major eighteenth century rebellions. He has been employed as Borough Archivist for the London Borough of Ealing since 1999. He has also had books published about criminal, local, and family history, especially in and around London.

Reviews

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of John Christie of Rillington Place has obviously carried out his research into the life of 'Reg' Christie of 10 Rillington Place. This is to be highly commended and arguably it is useful to have a factual book that extends beyond the big question i.e. was Evans guilty of murdering his wife Beryl, and his daughter Geraldine, or was it in fact Christie who committed these murders. The problem is as much as the author despises us all for concentrating on this episode, as an argument against capital punishment it is a critical one.

I have to say that whilst the content of the book was interesting, the tone was most off-putting with the author getting every more on his high horse regarding other writers and film-makers not faithfully sticking to the facts. This hectoring laughable descends into those writers of fiction such as Ruth Rendell for basing a novel around the case but using different characters. If this hadn't been right at the end, I think I would have given up reading entirely.

In conclusion, I actually agree with the author's stance (up to a point) on the Evans/Christie issue but the author's personality ended up overshadowing the book, and not in a good way.

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Christie of Rillington Place by Jonathan Oates reminded me that I, along with most other members of the public know relatively little about Christie and the murders at that infamous terraced house in Notting Hill. This is a detailed and thorough re-examination of the evidence concerning the deaths of Beryl and Geraldine Evans et al, and the most likely parts played by Christie and Timothy Evans in the murderous drama that occurred during the 1940s and 50s.

Like most other people I had been convinced by Ludovic Kennedy's 10 Rillington Place, and the excellent film adaptation of the book in the early 1970s, that Christie was the perpetrator of the murders. But what Oates does is dismantle the Kennedy theory, and demonstrate that it was but one perspective on what might have happened. For example, I didn't know that although Evans was posthumously pardoned for killing his daughter, there remains very strong circumstantial evidence pointing to him as the murderer of his wife.

Oates writes a in precise and detailed manner and systematically analyses all the known sources, as well as re-examining the numerous (often inaccurate) works regarding these cases. The book challenges the well-embedded theories that Evans was a simple, unwilling victim, who killed nobody and was executed as a result of one of the worse miscarriages of justice in the twentieth century. It's a salutary lesson in using the facts and evidence, as opposed to a never-questioning belief in powerful propaganda.

There are no clear answers, no grandiose final solution to the seventy year old mystery, and no startling revelations, just a forensic re-assessment of the known (and previously forgotten and unknown facts). Oates does a workmanlike job in bringing new slants to the horrors of Rillington Place, although the prose was a bit clunky in places and I got fed up with his misuse of the word 'ironically'. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise excellent read.

© Koplowitz 2015

[Lostaccount · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Christie dun it!" - John Hurt, in a thick welsh accent, 10 Rillington place. :)

Unlike the famous movie 10 Rillington Place (with brilliant and dramatic performances from Attenborough and John Hurt,) which makes the case that Christie was guilty of killing Beryl Evans but left some doubt about Geraldine, the baby, this books makes the case for Timothy Evans as the killer of both and not the serial killer Christie who himself killed about five(?) women in sordid fashion and probably more in that same house.

Nevertheless, there is still a mystery surrounding the murder of both Beryl and the Evans baby. I'm not convinced that Evans was the killer of Beryl and Geraldine. Strangulation was Christie's modus operandi. Even if, as the author asserts, Evans had a violent temper (which generally precludes strangulation with a ligature as a method), Christie was the cold blooded killer capable of premeditating a double murder.

The book contains a lot of "new" evidence, is well researched, if not exactly well written, but suffers in the beginning chapters from being overwhelming, at times a bit of an infodump.

Later chapters are better, once we get into the court trials of both murderers (assuming the author is right and that Evans did murder his wife and child) and the latter parts detailing Christie's life at Rillington Place after Evans is hanged are particularly interesting.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love true crime and am familiar with this case which has always fascinated me.

I found the writing style very hard to get into and enjoy. The author draws on actual testimony in trials, police interviews and other facts. Paints a picture of John Christie before he became a serial killer.

Whilst the book has good content it just doesn’t flow. It reads more like a sort of novel in a way. Unlike other true crime books this just didn’t hook me and I really struggled persisting with it.

It’s a shame as good content is there and the author has done extensive research, however some of it lacked timeline clarity and seemed disjointed. It seemed the author had some bias towards Evans guilt also.

Frustratingly, the writing style and the way it flowed when reading just didn’t work for me. It was a bumpy ride. Really disappointed. I’d hoped for a cracking read.

Thanks so much for reading my review of this book. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book! I love to connect with other readers.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first, this book is well researched and even the tiniest of reference sources is listed by the author - this gives it an automatic star. The inclusion of contemporaneous photographs is a nice touch and many of them have not been reproduced before - this gives it half a star. Unfortunately this means that the text itself, the actual reason the book was purchased only gets 1.5 stars. I was also surprised to note that this book only has 224 pages, it felt substantially longer than that and it was a challenge to get to the end without just giving up.

The first problem I had with it was this is written like an academic book rather than one for mass consumption. I had no issue with the myriad footnotes as these relate to sources to support the information given. What I did take issue with was the constant referencing of dates (particularly birth and death dates), they break the text and prevent absorptive reading. There is no reason why a separate timeline appendix could not have been created to provide all this information and it would have made the textual flow much more digestible. I appreciate dates of particular events are necessary and I did not have issue with this but each and every member of Christie's family (and there are a lot of them) have their birth and death dates listed as do many of the witness accounts for his early life.

Then there is the author's general tone throughout the book. What starts of as merely factual soon degenerates in to him mentioning other people who have written about the intertwined cases of Evans and Christie and stating that they have things oh so very wrong - usually because they have a date out by 24 hours. It quickly becomes a diatribe of "I'm right and they are wrong" and trying to separate the details of reality from the book becomes increasingly difficult - especially once the author brings Ludovic Kennedy and the film reconstruction based on his book in to play.

I also found it very interesting that at no time does he mention Timothy Evans' mental incapacity. I was under the impression that it was fairly well documented that this was a man of relatively low IQ and whilst he does mention potential issues with literacy nothing else is made of it - except to say that he believes he could read perfectly well. For me, I think earlier accounts are more accurate regarding Mr Evans and that he was easily suggestible and fairly child like in his world view; thus making it easy for both Christie and the legal system to manipulate him in to a confession that he may or may not have believed. Interestingly despite all the deep research in to the lives of the victims and Christie, Evans is not paid the same courtesy (beyond his familial connections) and there are no contemporaneous recollections from work colleagues and friends which previous authors have used to show how child like he was.

There is a very definite agenda from the author and this is not merely a recounting of the facts surrounding the case. Rather, it is the author's contention that two murderers lived under the same roof at the same time and that Evans should never have been pardoned. Couple that with the author's bias towards the acknowledged Christie victims as being "the lowest of the low" and his incessant need to prove himself superior to other biographers of the subject it soon becomes a quite turgid mess.

Overall, well researched but heavily affected by personal bias.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my honest opinion, Pen & Sword is at it’s best with their selection of true crime books. I appreciate them a lot because most authors have a tendency to tread the same roads that have been used for decades, whereas Pen & Sword like to go at these topics from fresh perspectives. I, truthfully, am not too knowledgeable about this case, but I am aware that it’s a fairly significant case in UK history spanning film and TV adaptations due to it’s “popularity” or infamy, rather. Whenever something like that starts to happen, you can guarantee that the truth in the history can start to veer into mythology as with any noteworthy American serial killer. In this book, Dr. Jonathan Oates tries to strip away the media circus that erupted due to Christie’s arrest and the fascination the media had with the legal procedures themselves. He tries to look at the man himself, giving a nuanced, well-researched biography on a man that had many opportunities to get on the right path, but let his dark past lead him astray.

“Sixty years ago, the discovery of bodies at 10 Rillington Place in Notting Hill, London, led to one of the most sensational, shocking and controversial serial murder cases in British criminal history – the case of John Christie. Much has been written about the Christie killings and the fate of Timothy Evans who was executed for murders Christie later confessed to – the story still provokes strong feeling and speculation.

But most of the books on the case have been compiled without the benefit of all the sources that are open to researchers, and they tend to focus on Evans in an attempt to clear him of guilt. And many simply repeat what has been said before. Accounts neglect Christie’s early life and crimes and the lives of his victims, and even witness statements about the Christies have been overlooked. So a painstaking, scholarly reassessment of the evidence – and of Christie’s life – is overdue, and that is what Jonathan Oates provides in this gripping biography of a serial killer.”

John Christie was an unfortunate individual. It seemed that most of what drove him to his murderous tendencies started in his youth. The author talks about his possible Oedipus complex, the fact that he loved his mother and hated his father to such a degree it warped his ability to have relationships with women. When he was “of age” to have relationships with girls, it seemed that he was singled out as being slow and being “less endowed” than other boys by a girl he liked, something that was spread around school – it seems this perhaps led to his feelings against women and his need to be with the prostitutes that he would eventually start killing. It’s sad how “messed up” someone can become when their minds are so malleable and weak as that of an adolescent, and it seems Christie was definitely not able to handle a normal life.

All-in-all, I liked this book despite not knowing much about this case. The author does a good job of trying to figure out exactly why Christie did what he did, and how he was able to live with himself when an innocent man was hanged for something he did. A lifelong habitual liar and coward, Christie tried to manipulate others until the very end, and it eventually cost him his life.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

John Christie of Rillington Place is an annotated and comprehensive look at the facts and investigations surrounding the crimes in and around 10 Rillington Place in the 40s and 50s written and presented by Dr. Jonathan Oates. Originally published in 2012, this reformat and re-release due out 28th Feb 2021 from Pen & Sword is 224 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a meticulously researched and annotated history of the occupants of 10 Rillington Place and their fate as well as the fate of the perpetrator(s) of the crimes which occurred there. It's presented in roughly chronological order starting with the family history of John Christie, through his early years, education, brushes with the law, marriage, and crimes. The author has a measured and factual tone throughout which actually helped me maintain some objectivity whilst reading descriptions of otherwise horrific crimes that would have had me running away if they were more explicit.

In addition to the meticulous research and writing, the book is comprehensively annotated with reference chapter notes and documents for further reading. There are also a number of historical photos and facsimiles reproduced from court and historical records which add depth and interest.

I found the author's writing style academic and a bit dry, but I appreciated very much that in contrast to many (most) true-crime offerings, the book was not lurid at all, and I never felt that the author was sensationalising any aspect of the history or the sad stories of the perpetrator(s) and victims.

The facts of the crimes are such that there is discussion of psychosocial and sexual dysfunction and illness, but there is no direct description or discussion which were inappropriate or gruesome (thankfully).

Four stars. Recommended for readers of history, local history, aberrant psychology, and allied subjects; readers of lurid explicit true-crime might not find much here which is titillating.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Ryan Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing our theme of criminal biographies, ‘John Christie of Rillington Place’ by DR Jonathan Oatesis a fascinating insight into the mind and life of the 1950s London based serial killer, and one that is entertaining, macabre, and eerily familiar. This account of John Christie’s life is unlike any other book of the killer that we have read.

Previous true crime books, films, and podcasts tend to concentrate on murders that Christie was never actually charged for and tend to focus largely on his murderous modus operandi. This book differs from others in giving an unbiased historical fact-based account of his life, before the murders. The book gives a factual insight into John Christie’s childhood, sporadic career choices, relationships with the opposite sex, and even his raging hypochondria, which I’d never read about before.

Having previously read’ Inside 10 Rillington Place’ which is a familial account of Beryl Evan’s murder, I was convinced that John Christie had killed Beryl and her daughter, Geraldine. However, having read this book, I doubt this is the case now, and that is what makes a good true crime book.

We all read, listen, and watch true crime content that is subjective or objective, dependent on the creator’s intention. It is rare then (bizarrely) to find content that gives biographical, or even autobiographical (The History Of A Drowning Boy by Dennis Nilsen ) insight into the mind of a serial killer, and this is a fine example of that rare true crime commodity.

For those unfamiliar with the case of John Christie, I would avoid any other films, or books involved with the case and start with this one. It will give any true crime enthusiast good grounding to delve into the case further. Dr Jonathan Oates is a London historian and is academic, however, his narrative is accessible and easy to read. The writer presents the facts, timelines, relating characters, and case notes without sounding pretentious, and on that basis, we read it in a matter of days!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I thought that this was a great book and it gave a great overview of John Christie and his crimes at 10 Rillington Place, a place made infamous due to his activities at the location.

I thought that the book was well researched and you could see the attention to detail that the author put in to the work. They had clearly done a lot of background work.

I thought it was an easy book to read and the later chapters for me were the most interesting. It has a great layout and flow with the chapters being broken down to keep the biography concise too.

The trial and execution of Timothy Evans who took the rap for one, if not two, of Christie’s crimes was one of the main catalysts for changing the legislation on capital punishments in the UK so that was an interesting angle in the book too.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a well written book, it had plenty of detail and even though the subject matter is not an easy in places I did enjoy the book and I thought it was a great true crime biography – highly recommended

[Sheryl Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was sent a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review

I didn’t finish this book. I got to around 35% and was too bored to go any further. I thought it would be an interesting read based on what I know of the case, but the way this is written is incredibly unengaging.

The first few chapters outline the life of Christie, his wife then later on the Evans’. These segments are so longwinded - is it really necessary to tell us about their grandfathers? It has no bearing on the murders. The writing style also makes this into almost a list of people and places, which in turn makes it hard to follow.

Some of the ‘analysis’ given is also inappropriate. There is much made of Christie signing up to serve in WW1 instead of waiting to be enlisted - why did he do that? I imagine, like many others, he wanted to do his bit in the war and felt it might be an adventure. The tone of this and everything mentioned in relation to Christie is presented as if it gives us some great insight into a killers mind - it doesn’t. Most of Christie’s actions outside the murders are common to many people.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book. It was slow and unengaging. It could have been so much better.

[Anna Bergmark · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Dull, sordid, unglamorous, dreary"?

Yep. All of the above I'm afraid. There doesn't seem to be much to say about this serial killer. A large chunk of this book feels like landfill; a lot of names (including maiden ones!) of relatives and neighbors, petty details of little interest, and addresses, addresses, addresses... You're up till your armpits in addresses.

But if I find this uncompelling it's not only the fault of the author. No, a big part of the problem lies in the subject matter itself. It's a case of "the banality of evil" I suppose. There's nothing exciting or titillating about this. You can forget about the Hannibal Lecter effect. Reading this will leave you feeling dirty and depressed. And none the wiser. John Christie continues to be an enigma. A grey boiled cabbage smelling lying weasel amorphous blob of a puzzle. And after 190 pages I can't say I care if it's ever solved. I just want to wash my hands of it. Literally. With some heavily scented soap.

[Maria Pilar Cambra Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Brit and a true crime lover, you will almost certainly know about 10 Rillington Place. Beware; the subject matter of this book is by necessity extremely depressing. The times and milieu in which John Reginald Christie committed his crimes are marked by poverty, squalor and deprivation, that goes not only for his victims but also the murderer himself. This book also very competently sets out the biographical details of all these terribly sad people, and the background to the murders, the trial, the statements taken from Christie and witnesses, the evidence presented against him and finally the brief details of his execution. The author takes a very clear but controversial stance on the case of Timothy John Evans, concluding that Evans himself and Christie was the murderer of his wife and child.

There is much clarity here but little spark, though given how murky this case is, that is hardly surprising,

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at Christie, the murders, the case, and the trial

I didn't know anything about Christie beyond brief mentions in British books. The biography is a well researched, and readable, look at the man. It is very balanced about the him and his crimes.

The controversy about the two Evans' murders is interesting. Oates comes down firmly on the side of those who believe Evans killed his wife and daughter. He makes a good case.

It was all very tawdry, sort of anti-upper crust murders--totally different from the usual British murder mysteries that deal with the rich and titled. And of course, it's all too true. The house on Rivington was squalid, at least in photos. Christie and his wife lived in three rooms. Christie looks like a seedy accountant. Maybe because of that, not in spite of it, the book tells a fascinating tale.

[Sharley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book a few times and still haven’t worked my way through it. I was intrigued as I don’t know much about this serial killer and wanted to know more and understand the history and biography of this man and his victims. What fell short was a lack of engaging dialogue… a little too factual and not really storytelling (which is what I was expecting).
However, I can’t fault the research that has clearly gone into creating this book and the author has made every effort to obtain and reference every detail and fact-check.
I’m not sure if it’s writing style or the subject but I just can’t continue

[Karl Wardlaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a factual account of the serial murderer John Reginald Halliday Christie. This covers his life, his crimes and also examines whether he committed the Evans murders or not which many think should be added to the number of murders for which he was convicted.

It was really interesting, gave a large amount of detail. The author displays in detail Christie and his role or not in the Evans murders. This also gives a good account of any fiction and other non-fiction books about the man. This is worth buying for a good, factual account.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something I really liked about this book is that the author points out from the beginning that any account of Christie’s life, when recounted by Christie himself, should be taken with skepticism. All too often, killers’ information about their lives are treated as statements of fact without being substantiated. Wherever possible, as others have noted, the author uses multiple sources to determine authenticity.

[tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

as much as the facts/story was brilliantly told the writing fell a little flat for me at points (though this may be due to the fact that it was very heavily factual and not fantasised/glamorised). i also appreciated the highlighting of controversies surrounding the evans-christie case (and to an extent capital punishment as a whole) and the somewhat detail as to which this was explored - plus the photos included where a nice touch.

[KBooks - · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest this book didn’t seem interesting until the last 4 chapters!

At some points it feels as though it is researched a little too much in depth. It focused on what other books and people had gotten incorrect rather than stating the factual truth.

However, as I stated I enjoyed the later chapters of this book and learnt a lot of the serial killer Christie.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was probably the best book about John Christie to date. I have read many true crime books over the years and many only mention Christie in passing, highlighting his crimes and capture with a lot of claims. This book tries to weed out the things that are embellished or flat out untrue. Very good book.

[Louise Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly work, this book revisits past evidence and provides an excellent and thorough analysis as to Christie’s guilt or innocence. The theory around Evans’ own guilt is also explored, also backed up by careful analysis of the evidence. A must for true crime fans who like to understand the ins and outs of evidence and criminal justice processes.

[David John Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a person

Thank God we have removed the act of capital punishment this is that unfortunately we seem to drag up every so often it is a very gruesome story that never go away also this book is well written

[Tasmin Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Once again, I experienced that quiet peaceful thrill. I had no regrets’.

Well researched and unbiased. Which always makes for a decent true crime read.

I got a copy from NetGalley for an honest review

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, well written and detailed account of the events at Rillington Place.

[Tyrone Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to the modern day British serial killer it is hard to look past the monstrosities of Denis Nilsen, Fred and Rosemary West or the prolific kill rate of Dr. Harold Shipman but in the mid-20th century the go-to was the subject of this book and what a lurid but well researched account it is - even going at lengths to debunk a long held myth around the case too. John Christie of Rillington Place: Biography of a Serial Killer (2013) by Jonathan Oates does something that previous biographies of this man who was responsible for the murders of at least six women and disposed of them around his flat share accommodation hadn't done before - use all the facts to give a sturdy account of the man's life and crimes. Oates accuses previous books on the subject of attempting to clear Timothy Evans, a man who was executed for the murder of his wife at the same address, a crime that Christie later confessed to. The reason why? To campaign against the death penalty. If the detailing of Christie's life wasn't horrifically engaging enough, Oates' compelling argument to redress the balance certainly is. As a man whose only knowledge of Christie was on the back of the 1971 film '10 Rillington Place' (which leans heavily towards Evans' innocence), this with its more detailed breakdown of his guilt, without wish-thinking, was quite a tonic. This is a fine read for those who like to delve into the misdeeds of real monsters.

[Kasey McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a biography of a serial killer John Christine. The book starts out by talking about his life growing up. Then it explains the crime he committee and tries to explain why he murdered people.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read about a serial killer in the U.K. who isn't talked about often. Easy to read and follow along, though not terribly interesting. Read so I could write a paper on Christie and it was more than enough information to give me what I needed for a good paper.

[Mr G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, full of clarity

Oates trawls the dull parish records and contemporary newspapers to tell a full and intimate story of the man, his history, his lives and those of his victims and associates. Really thoughtful and interesting

[Tom Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read.

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly detailed and researched yet concise too. Not entirely convinced of his theory that Evans was guilty of murdering his wife and child but nor am I certain that he is innocent and Christie did them both either. Really good book on the case.

[Tea Evergreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read about a serial killer in the U.K. who isn't talked about often. Easy to read and follow along, though not terribly interesting. Read so I could write a paper on Christie and it was more than enough information to give me what I needed for a good paper.