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Inside the Mind of Rose West: Wife, Mother, Monster
A devastating account of the depraved crimes of the UK’s most prolific serial killer, Rose West, and an analysis of the psychology that drives someone to abuse and murder.
Rose West was, on the face of it, a typical mother living with her husband, Fred, and their children in a three-storeyed terraced house in Gloucester. But behind the building’s modest facade, 25 Cromwell Street was the scene of truly terrible crimes, an authentic House of Horror.
Inside the family home, the many young female victims lured there and the couple’s own children were subjected to horrific, prolonged sexual violence and torture. It would take decades before the Wests’ dark secrets were finally discovered, but do we know the full story of their depravity yet?
Nine bodies were dug up from beneath their home, but how many victims were buried elsewhere? Fred confessed – as a ‘gift’ to Rose – to having murdered on his own, but did he truly act alone? Or was Rose, in fact, the driving force in their folie à deux, their shared psychosis?
True crime writers Farber and Daniel get to the bottom of these questions and more, including how the killer couple’s psychology and relationship changed over time.
Rose West was, on the face of it, a typical mother living with her husband, Fred, and their children in a three-storeyed terraced house in Gloucester. But behind the building’s modest facade, 25 Cromwell Street was the scene of truly terrible crimes, an authentic House of Horror.
Inside the family home, the many young female victims lured there and the couple’s own children were subjected to horrific, prolonged sexual violence and torture. It would take decades before the Wests’ dark secrets were finally discovered, but do we know the full story of their depravity yet?
Nine bodies were dug up from beneath their home, but how many victims were buried elsewhere? Fred confessed – as a ‘gift’ to Rose – to having murdered on his own, but did he truly act alone? Or was Rose, in fact, the driving force in their folie à deux, their shared psychosis?
True crime writers Farber and Daniel get to the bottom of these questions and more, including how the killer couple’s psychology and relationship changed over time.
- GenresNonfictionTrue Crime
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2025
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126 people want to read
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March 1, 2025
If Only...
INSIDE THE MIND OF ROSE WEST:
Wife, Mother, Monster
by Tanya Farber, Jeremy Daniel
3 stars. Countless lives had been shattered so that her appetite for sadism could be satisfied...
Why does her story fascinate and disgust us in equal measures? Women are supposed to be nurturers...
Rosemary West was a woman of such intense depravity. She killed family members and strangers alike...
She met Fred West at a bus stop in Cheltenham, and the two became partners in the most diabolical protracted torture, murder, and dismemberment...
Then...
Burying their victims in the family garden and home like used up trash...
Young women were brutally tortured, raped, and murdered for their own sexual and sadistic pleasure...
The couple prowled the streets, looking for playthings, often taking their small children along to present a respectable family facade...
Trawling in their safe-looking family car, offering rides to women waiting in the cold night at lonely, unlit bus stops...
Their goal was to use those young girls and women to act out their sadistic fantasies and fetishes...
If only...
Those victims had just gotten on the bus...
This is the fourth book I've read about this evil couple. If this is your first introduction into the True Crime genre, this might be a good starting place because it is very tame (compared to the other three I've read about the Wests) so it leaves much to the imagination rather than giving the gory details, which might cause some people to have nightmares.
"If only" is a recurring theme in this book, and it was overused, IMO, appearing over and over again.
My main problem with this account was the title, which leads one to believe that we'll be delving into the psyche of Rose West. What makes her tick. Well, that never really happened. This was just another retelling of these events with nothing new to add, and the mind of Rose West remains inside her head, and according to the book, she ain't talkin'.
INSIDE THE MIND OF ROSE WEST:
Wife, Mother, Monster
by Tanya Farber, Jeremy Daniel
3 stars. Countless lives had been shattered so that her appetite for sadism could be satisfied...
Why does her story fascinate and disgust us in equal measures? Women are supposed to be nurturers...
Rosemary West was a woman of such intense depravity. She killed family members and strangers alike...
She met Fred West at a bus stop in Cheltenham, and the two became partners in the most diabolical protracted torture, murder, and dismemberment...
Then...
Burying their victims in the family garden and home like used up trash...
Young women were brutally tortured, raped, and murdered for their own sexual and sadistic pleasure...
The couple prowled the streets, looking for playthings, often taking their small children along to present a respectable family facade...
Trawling in their safe-looking family car, offering rides to women waiting in the cold night at lonely, unlit bus stops...
Their goal was to use those young girls and women to act out their sadistic fantasies and fetishes...
If only...
Those victims had just gotten on the bus...
This is the fourth book I've read about this evil couple. If this is your first introduction into the True Crime genre, this might be a good starting place because it is very tame (compared to the other three I've read about the Wests) so it leaves much to the imagination rather than giving the gory details, which might cause some people to have nightmares.
"If only" is a recurring theme in this book, and it was overused, IMO, appearing over and over again.
My main problem with this account was the title, which leads one to believe that we'll be delving into the psyche of Rose West. What makes her tick. Well, that never really happened. This was just another retelling of these events with nothing new to add, and the mind of Rose West remains inside her head, and according to the book, she ain't talkin'.
December 17, 2024
I received a free copy of, Inside the Mind of Rose West, by Jeremy Daniel; Tanya Farber, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is one of the sickest minds out there. Rose West and her husband are pure evil, even killing heir own children/step child. Her husband took the cowards way out, but Rose West, now Jennifer Jones, has been living in prison, thankfully, paying for her many crimes. This was a hard read, a lot of abuse, and crimes.
Read
January 26, 2025Fred and Rose patio specialists. Motorfred, Ace with Spades. Westlife. These phrases and the infamous wedding photo of Fredrick and Rosemary West adorn cheap mugs, t-shirts, pillows and other, unusable, paraphernalia sold primarily through Facebook pages for stag-do’s and novelty gifts. In fact, a cottage industry borne largely from poor puns and human atrocity exists and is populated by the least amusing people you can create in your head. Good work if you can stomach it.
Even now, thirty years on from their arrest, and over fifty years since Fred began to murder, The Wests remain a touchstone reference in the British imagination, appearing in popular culture in comedy as adored as Alan Partridge and as milquetoast as Gavin and Stacy. Now, burying somebody under the patio is a trope, a cliché, a comic reference and while documentaries, podcasts, and museums commemorate the horrors of Cromwell Street and the victims beneath the slabs, even they fail, mostly, to recognise the true darkness of these crimes. The Wests are among the most genuinely depraved individuals these isles have birthed: serial killers who specialised in paedophilia, sexual assault, dismemberment, and decades-long psychological abuses.
It is a shame, then, that this most recent recounting of events, written by Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniels as part of the ‘In the Mind of’ series of true crime books for Gemini Adult Books, is little more than a souped-up Wikipedia page infested with cliché and seemingly devoid of curiosity or insight. “For a family with sordid secrets behind closed doors, but that looked ordinary to everyone else,” they write as so many people have written before, ignoring almost all psychological analysis, and leaving the finer dynamics of this psychotic love affair all but untouched.
In fact, for a book that bears her name alone and that promises to step into the psychology of this most maligned murderer, Rose plays second fiddle to Fred in terms of focus. The text is the story of Fred and Rose West, retold in simple prose and broad generalisations, a far cry from the psychoanalytical re-examination suggested by the title and marketing.
Admittedly, as a brief introduction to these crimes, the book is well-researched, aided no doubt by Farber’s extensive journalistic work, and not entirely without ambition. Farber and Daniels, in the intro to the text, posit their intention to do justice to the victims of this pair, most of whom were vulnerable teenage girls overlooked by the system in life and in death. In all fairness, the book does indeed spend a fair amount of time on each victim, but does so by compiling their stories into a single chapter and turning these individual tragedies into little more than an inventory.
Most unfortunately for Farber and Daniels is the fact that Happy Like Murderers exists. This text, written and researched by Gordon Burns, is potentially the most visceral and upsetting true crime book ever published. It tells the story of The Wests in such grisly, unrepentant detail that it renders most other writing on the subject null and void. Anne-Marie, a West daughter, also penned a biography recounting the events, and the Fred and Rose West Tapes podcast on Spotify does a pretty sufficient job of briefing an audience on the case using a fresh and chronologically distant perspective. Farber and Daniels themselves reference this podcast repeatedly.
Realistically, if this is your first encounter with The Wests and their lives of violence, it will serve just fine as a primer, however there are numerous other sources far more compelling than this.
Thanks to Gemini and Net Galley for the arc.
Even now, thirty years on from their arrest, and over fifty years since Fred began to murder, The Wests remain a touchstone reference in the British imagination, appearing in popular culture in comedy as adored as Alan Partridge and as milquetoast as Gavin and Stacy. Now, burying somebody under the patio is a trope, a cliché, a comic reference and while documentaries, podcasts, and museums commemorate the horrors of Cromwell Street and the victims beneath the slabs, even they fail, mostly, to recognise the true darkness of these crimes. The Wests are among the most genuinely depraved individuals these isles have birthed: serial killers who specialised in paedophilia, sexual assault, dismemberment, and decades-long psychological abuses.
It is a shame, then, that this most recent recounting of events, written by Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniels as part of the ‘In the Mind of’ series of true crime books for Gemini Adult Books, is little more than a souped-up Wikipedia page infested with cliché and seemingly devoid of curiosity or insight. “For a family with sordid secrets behind closed doors, but that looked ordinary to everyone else,” they write as so many people have written before, ignoring almost all psychological analysis, and leaving the finer dynamics of this psychotic love affair all but untouched.
In fact, for a book that bears her name alone and that promises to step into the psychology of this most maligned murderer, Rose plays second fiddle to Fred in terms of focus. The text is the story of Fred and Rose West, retold in simple prose and broad generalisations, a far cry from the psychoanalytical re-examination suggested by the title and marketing.
Admittedly, as a brief introduction to these crimes, the book is well-researched, aided no doubt by Farber’s extensive journalistic work, and not entirely without ambition. Farber and Daniels, in the intro to the text, posit their intention to do justice to the victims of this pair, most of whom were vulnerable teenage girls overlooked by the system in life and in death. In all fairness, the book does indeed spend a fair amount of time on each victim, but does so by compiling their stories into a single chapter and turning these individual tragedies into little more than an inventory.
Most unfortunately for Farber and Daniels is the fact that Happy Like Murderers exists. This text, written and researched by Gordon Burns, is potentially the most visceral and upsetting true crime book ever published. It tells the story of The Wests in such grisly, unrepentant detail that it renders most other writing on the subject null and void. Anne-Marie, a West daughter, also penned a biography recounting the events, and the Fred and Rose West Tapes podcast on Spotify does a pretty sufficient job of briefing an audience on the case using a fresh and chronologically distant perspective. Farber and Daniels themselves reference this podcast repeatedly.
Realistically, if this is your first encounter with The Wests and their lives of violence, it will serve just fine as a primer, however there are numerous other sources far more compelling than this.
Thanks to Gemini and Net Galley for the arc.
March 29, 2025
Fred and Rosemary West are synonymous with the embodiment of the worst of humanity, playing out their evil and unthinkable fantasies, whilst treating their victims as disposable toys. Their depravity and their home, later dubbed the ‘house of horrors’, gripped the world and as each of the couple’s victims were unearthed, nobody could have envisaged just how shocking and unspeakable their acts would be revealed.
What really got to me whilst reading this book was how the victims didn’t get the attention they should have during the Wests reign of terror. The killings and brutality may never have happened, if only the many authorities involved, had taken appropriate notice and the necessary action.
So many times my eyes filled with tears. It’s impossible to imagine just how much the victims suffered before their deaths and it will stay with me forever, the names of the girls, their ages and how their lives were viciously cut short at the sadistic hands of who appeared to them as a normal, working class couple.
I was very curious as to the background stories of Fred and Rose, both coming from similar depraved circumstances and the moment when they met. The dynamics between them that started their terror, intrigued me and I pray that a meeting like this one, never happens again.
It was an ‘interesting’ read learning how the mindset of Fred and Rose changed throughout their relationship and during the final trial. In particular Rose’s mind, which this book is based on and how stoic she remained throughout. The authors have impeccably researched their work using a multitude of sources and I have every confidence that the complete contents of this book are accurate and genuine.
If you have an interest in true crime, this is a must read. It is a very difficult and upsetting read but one I feel the victims deserve to have written. For one of the most heinous of serial killings that has come to light (alongside Brady and Hindley), my heart goes out to the survivors and the victims families, and I pray that although they have some closure, their heartbreaking pain lessens with time.
#InsideTheMindOfRoseWest - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What really got to me whilst reading this book was how the victims didn’t get the attention they should have during the Wests reign of terror. The killings and brutality may never have happened, if only the many authorities involved, had taken appropriate notice and the necessary action.
So many times my eyes filled with tears. It’s impossible to imagine just how much the victims suffered before their deaths and it will stay with me forever, the names of the girls, their ages and how their lives were viciously cut short at the sadistic hands of who appeared to them as a normal, working class couple.
I was very curious as to the background stories of Fred and Rose, both coming from similar depraved circumstances and the moment when they met. The dynamics between them that started their terror, intrigued me and I pray that a meeting like this one, never happens again.
It was an ‘interesting’ read learning how the mindset of Fred and Rose changed throughout their relationship and during the final trial. In particular Rose’s mind, which this book is based on and how stoic she remained throughout. The authors have impeccably researched their work using a multitude of sources and I have every confidence that the complete contents of this book are accurate and genuine.
If you have an interest in true crime, this is a must read. It is a very difficult and upsetting read but one I feel the victims deserve to have written. For one of the most heinous of serial killings that has come to light (alongside Brady and Hindley), my heart goes out to the survivors and the victims families, and I pray that although they have some closure, their heartbreaking pain lessens with time.
#InsideTheMindOfRoseWest - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 29, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 18, 2025
Rose West, and her husband, Fred, assaulted, abused and killed young women over a twenty-year period. For two decades, their crimes went undetected. Both Rose and Fred held jobs and maintained the perfect family façade, even though their own children were victims to their parents’ harsh abuse and mistreatment. Even in 1972, when a young woman managed to escape, the West’s managed to evade capture. It wasn’t until twenty years later that their criminal plot was uncovered, finally giving the victims’ families some solace as more and more bodies were discovered.
“Inside the Mind of Rose West: Wife, Mother, Monster” by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber is the ultimate true crime novel. “Rose” focuses on both Rose and Fred as children, then delves into their dysfunctional and co-dependent relationship that leads to their evil and sadistic crimes and finally concludes with their apprehension. The legal battle is discussed, but only vaguely, sticking to the important details necessary, which made the story easy to read. The authors also identify all the victims by full name and ensure readers know them as human beings first, and West victims last.
I loved the information provided on the upbringing of both Rose and Fred. As children, it was obvious that they did not stand a chance to live a routine, normal life, subjected to the horrors that they eventually made their own children suffer through. When they found each other and began to commit the gruesome crimes, they were a match made in Hell, with both parties finding justification and excitement from being participants in the grisly acts.
The most horrifying aspect of these crimes was how long the West’s got away with it. The police force failed on many levels, even taking into account the technology deficiencies of that time. In fact, some of the members of the force were bought off by Fred, or receiving favours in other ways from Rose or some of the West’s acquaintances. I should not have been surprised at the complete incompetence of the police force, the educators and the social services system, but I was absolutely abhorred all the same.
I was not familiar with the West’s evil crimes, so this was an entirely new true crime story. “Inside the Mind” had some Paul Bernardo/Karla Homolka vibes, although the West’s were responsible for the deaths of more women than the Canadian duo. This is an absolute true crime must read.
Expected publication date: Feb. 18, 2025
Rose West, and her husband, Fred, assaulted, abused and killed young women over a twenty-year period. For two decades, their crimes went undetected. Both Rose and Fred held jobs and maintained the perfect family façade, even though their own children were victims to their parents’ harsh abuse and mistreatment. Even in 1972, when a young woman managed to escape, the West’s managed to evade capture. It wasn’t until twenty years later that their criminal plot was uncovered, finally giving the victims’ families some solace as more and more bodies were discovered.
“Inside the Mind of Rose West: Wife, Mother, Monster” by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber is the ultimate true crime novel. “Rose” focuses on both Rose and Fred as children, then delves into their dysfunctional and co-dependent relationship that leads to their evil and sadistic crimes and finally concludes with their apprehension. The legal battle is discussed, but only vaguely, sticking to the important details necessary, which made the story easy to read. The authors also identify all the victims by full name and ensure readers know them as human beings first, and West victims last.
I loved the information provided on the upbringing of both Rose and Fred. As children, it was obvious that they did not stand a chance to live a routine, normal life, subjected to the horrors that they eventually made their own children suffer through. When they found each other and began to commit the gruesome crimes, they were a match made in Hell, with both parties finding justification and excitement from being participants in the grisly acts.
The most horrifying aspect of these crimes was how long the West’s got away with it. The police force failed on many levels, even taking into account the technology deficiencies of that time. In fact, some of the members of the force were bought off by Fred, or receiving favours in other ways from Rose or some of the West’s acquaintances. I should not have been surprised at the complete incompetence of the police force, the educators and the social services system, but I was absolutely abhorred all the same.
I was not familiar with the West’s evil crimes, so this was an entirely new true crime story. “Inside the Mind” had some Paul Bernardo/Karla Homolka vibes, although the West’s were responsible for the deaths of more women than the Canadian duo. This is an absolute true crime must read.
February 26, 2025
Inside the Mind of Rose West by Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel is a true crime novel.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Gemini Books, and the authors, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Opinions:
This was a horrific tale of sexual abuse, torture, and murder. Fred committed suicide in prison in 1995, and that in itself was tragic, because he left behind so many unanswered questions. He had said there were more bodies, and those poor families may never know what happened to their children. Rose continues to serve her life sentences, and will never get out of jail, but she never admitted any guilt or remorse, even for her own children's tragic lives.
This book really looked at the victim of these terrible crimes, including the children of Rose and Fred West. For even the surviving children struggled with the crimes of their parents, and those still alive still struggle. The author really brought the victims to life, which made the book a little more bearable.
There were so many people that could have changed the situation, could have saved innocent lives. The education system, the police, friends, neighbours....they all could have stepped up, but didn't. Some of the children blamed themselves, but I did not. They were victims.
Overall, this was a very sad, brutal tale. It was very hard to read, as the authors spared no details as to the crimes. We learned a lot about the childhood of Fred and Rose, but personally, no amount of childhood abuse or lack of wealth could ever justify the horrendous acts which this couple perpetrated.
I usually write my own synopsis, because most blurbs don't really provide me with the details I need to remember the book. However, in this case, I'm not sure I will ever forget. If you want more details, you can check out my blog, where I have a rather lengthy synopsis.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
February 11, 2025
The most messed up but interesting story I’ve read in awhile. It’s hard to believe that some people live such crazy lives- the life of monsters but do.
Definitely check the trigger warnings but if you have a love for true crime this will be for you.. and you won’t regret it!
Definitely check the trigger warnings but if you have a love for true crime this will be for you.. and you won’t regret it!
December 29, 2024
Rose was only 15 years old when she met 27 year old Fred West at a local bus station. Rose knew what kind of monster Fred was, but married him anyway because she was also an evil villain. Together they would pick up women, bring them home to abuse them both physically and sexually, then get rid of their bodies. The minds of both Fred and Rosemary were f*cked up which made this book hard to read at times.
Chapter seven and all the chapters that followed were incredibly hard to read. Not only were they sexually abusing the young women they had brought home, but their own young children as well. The chapters describing the forced abuse and the family members that were involved was so heartbreaking. I needed frequent breaks because I was sobbing uncontrollably for these poor children that couldn’t escape the vise of their own parents.
I know it was the 70’s, but why couldn’t police officers connect the dots when so many women went missing for decades and they were ALL last seen around 25 Cromwell Street. Rose and Fred killed 12 women in a reign of terror and nobody investigated their disappearances until 27 years later.
Fred West took the cowards way out of prison time, but Rose is still sitting in prison and rotting for all her disgusting crimes. She’s one of the most calculated and chilling female serial killers in the UK.
I did my own little bit of research and the home on 25 Cromwell Street, where all the horror had taken place has been demolished, but you can still see old photos of what the home used to look like and the monsters that lived there.
Chapter seven and all the chapters that followed were incredibly hard to read. Not only were they sexually abusing the young women they had brought home, but their own young children as well. The chapters describing the forced abuse and the family members that were involved was so heartbreaking. I needed frequent breaks because I was sobbing uncontrollably for these poor children that couldn’t escape the vise of their own parents.
I know it was the 70’s, but why couldn’t police officers connect the dots when so many women went missing for decades and they were ALL last seen around 25 Cromwell Street. Rose and Fred killed 12 women in a reign of terror and nobody investigated their disappearances until 27 years later.
Fred West took the cowards way out of prison time, but Rose is still sitting in prison and rotting for all her disgusting crimes. She’s one of the most calculated and chilling female serial killers in the UK.
I did my own little bit of research and the home on 25 Cromwell Street, where all the horror had taken place has been demolished, but you can still see old photos of what the home used to look like and the monsters that lived there.
May 11, 2025
I was given this book for my birthday from my bother-in-law. It isn't the type of book I would usually read as I prefer autobiographies over biographies written by journalists.
I nearly didn't bother reading it, but once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I was eleven years old in 1994 when the Wests crimes came to light. I can still remember the media frenzy at the time. I knew the Wests were responsible for several murders, I knew they were evil people but I was about to find out just how monstrous they really are...
By reading other reviews I've realised this book is supposedly rather tame, but...if like me you're new to this genre then this is good place to start. The depravity of the Wests is staggering, I feel so sorry for their countless victims and families. The horrors and sexual abuse thier children endured is truly sickening.
The book itself is really well written. It chronicles the early lives of Fred and Rose, giving glimpses of what happened in their childhood, offering suggestions as to what events could have fashioned them into such cold blooded, sexually deviant killers. My only issue with this book is the misleading title...
In my opinion, the book fails to go inside the mind of Rose West. The book is no more about Rose than Fred. It somewhat fails to explain what makes Rose in particular, tick. This book is still a very worthwhile read...and as I've already mentioned above, this is good place to start if you're new to this genre.
I nearly didn't bother reading it, but once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I was eleven years old in 1994 when the Wests crimes came to light. I can still remember the media frenzy at the time. I knew the Wests were responsible for several murders, I knew they were evil people but I was about to find out just how monstrous they really are...
By reading other reviews I've realised this book is supposedly rather tame, but...if like me you're new to this genre then this is good place to start. The depravity of the Wests is staggering, I feel so sorry for their countless victims and families. The horrors and sexual abuse thier children endured is truly sickening.
The book itself is really well written. It chronicles the early lives of Fred and Rose, giving glimpses of what happened in their childhood, offering suggestions as to what events could have fashioned them into such cold blooded, sexually deviant killers. My only issue with this book is the misleading title...
In my opinion, the book fails to go inside the mind of Rose West. The book is no more about Rose than Fred. It somewhat fails to explain what makes Rose in particular, tick. This book is still a very worthwhile read...and as I've already mentioned above, this is good place to start if you're new to this genre.
November 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a sick couple Fred and Rosemary West were! This is a disturbing book about these two very messed up people. It's well written. I can't even imagine how hard it was growing up in this family or being on the jury for Rose's trial.
I recommend this book to true crime fans as it is very interesting.
What a sick couple Fred and Rosemary West were! This is a disturbing book about these two very messed up people. It's well written. I can't even imagine how hard it was growing up in this family or being on the jury for Rose's trial.
I recommend this book to true crime fans as it is very interesting.
March 7, 2025
Very well written with a full review of not only Rose West's life but her husband too. It details all the murders but doesn't go into all the full sadistic and graphic specifics as other books on the subject (which I personally appreciated). The book also informs what happened to their remaining children to present as well as Rose. A good read for any true crime buff. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 22, 2024
Inside the mind of Rose West is a challenging read with triggers, however sad the events are the authors have expertly written the story about the victims and children/women involved and those that escaped the house of horrors.
The authors have set the stage with a lot of interesting facts setting the stage of life in the UK in the 1960’s onwards to understand how different the UK was then without the digital access. Police reports without digital tracking. It helps to understand the decades an excellent depiction of life back then.
Rose West and her husband Fred West were psychopaths and it’s hard to read the torture and abuse they did to victims. The people that survived those years are living today, with memories. Those that were murdered had names and a story of their lives, upto their murder. Inside the mind of Rose West talks about all the women who they murder and focuses on there story. The children of the couple who live on either side their parents who did the worst harm.
News reports and newspapers at the time mentioned names of people. I remember this story and the trial and I throughly enjoyed reading about the women, we always hear a lot about the monsters or psychopaths who commit the crime. People need to hear about the women who were murdered and the ones that survived.
A brilliant 5 star read that could make you shudder and emotional. However a wonderful review of the true crime.
#insidethemindofrosewest #thebookcaseofkay #netgalley
#truecrimereads
The authors have set the stage with a lot of interesting facts setting the stage of life in the UK in the 1960’s onwards to understand how different the UK was then without the digital access. Police reports without digital tracking. It helps to understand the decades an excellent depiction of life back then.
Rose West and her husband Fred West were psychopaths and it’s hard to read the torture and abuse they did to victims. The people that survived those years are living today, with memories. Those that were murdered had names and a story of their lives, upto their murder. Inside the mind of Rose West talks about all the women who they murder and focuses on there story. The children of the couple who live on either side their parents who did the worst harm.
News reports and newspapers at the time mentioned names of people. I remember this story and the trial and I throughly enjoyed reading about the women, we always hear a lot about the monsters or psychopaths who commit the crime. People need to hear about the women who were murdered and the ones that survived.
A brilliant 5 star read that could make you shudder and emotional. However a wonderful review of the true crime.
#insidethemindofrosewest #thebookcaseofkay #netgalley
#truecrimereads
February 21, 2025
This isn’t an easy read.
The deep exploration of the childhood of Rose West, and how she became such a depraved murderer, is graphic. Having said that, it is explored in a way that kept me engaged, with a more holistic perspective on her life, not just her crimes.
This book does detail violent and sexual crimes, which aren’t pleasant to read about.
The deep exploration of the childhood of Rose West, and how she became such a depraved murderer, is graphic. Having said that, it is explored in a way that kept me engaged, with a more holistic perspective on her life, not just her crimes.
This book does detail violent and sexual crimes, which aren’t pleasant to read about.
December 4, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this for my honest review.
Before I read this book I had never heard of Rose West, her husband Fred or any of the atrocities that occurred at 25 Cromwell St in Gloucester.
Fred and Rosemary West (Rose) left a horrendous trail of abuse, incest, rape and murder for over two decades. This book was fully researched and gives so many sad details of the lives they shattered. It was hard to read at times of the relentless abuse that went on in their home.
They left behind a trail of murders that included her own daughter and stepdaughter.
Fred took his own life and she is currently serving her life sentence in West Yorkshire. The title of this "inside the mind of" seems a bit misleading because one can only wonder what truly someone like her is thinking in her very twisted mind.
Before I read this book I had never heard of Rose West, her husband Fred or any of the atrocities that occurred at 25 Cromwell St in Gloucester.
Fred and Rosemary West (Rose) left a horrendous trail of abuse, incest, rape and murder for over two decades. This book was fully researched and gives so many sad details of the lives they shattered. It was hard to read at times of the relentless abuse that went on in their home.
They left behind a trail of murders that included her own daughter and stepdaughter.
Fred took his own life and she is currently serving her life sentence in West Yorkshire. The title of this "inside the mind of" seems a bit misleading because one can only wonder what truly someone like her is thinking in her very twisted mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2025
This is the story behind the headlines. The is the story of nine lives that ended in the hands of Rose and Fred West. Nine murders of young girls and women who just started their lives and thought Rose and Fred West were a nice, helping couple and instead found themselves tied and gagged to be tortured and finally murdered.
Inside the mind of Rose West tries to explain the mind of Rose: the wife, the mother, the monster. It tells the story of Rose meeting Fred at the young age of 15, of Rose as a mother to their children and the choice to kill two of them. A testimony of beating, rape, torture, and evil minds but also about a failed social security system around the West children. So many opportunities for someone to stop the killing spree and save the West children from the cruelty happening behind closed door.
Thank you, @netgalley Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber for an ARC in return of an honest review
Inside the mind of Rose West tries to explain the mind of Rose: the wife, the mother, the monster. It tells the story of Rose meeting Fred at the young age of 15, of Rose as a mother to their children and the choice to kill two of them. A testimony of beating, rape, torture, and evil minds but also about a failed social security system around the West children. So many opportunities for someone to stop the killing spree and save the West children from the cruelty happening behind closed door.
Thank you, @netgalley Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber for an ARC in return of an honest review
February 18, 2025
I’ve read previous books about the Wests but I don’t think you’re ever properly prepared for what you might read about them. This book is open, honest and brutally stark about what they did in a factual, yet gently sympathetic to the victims style. The information is presented in a chronological timeline style which is useful in seeing the escalating violence and the backdrops of Fred and Rosemary’s own childhoods. It’s really chilling reading about how they were both disasters waiting to happen and how the result of them meeting one another was a complete melting pot of evil.
I felt this was a very comprehensive account and it came across as thoroughly researched and inclusive of their children and the shock waves of the aftermath that rippled into their subsequent lives. My only minor criticism is that some pictures would’ve been useful for context and as a connection to the victims. Very immersive thought provoking read, thank you.
I felt this was a very comprehensive account and it came across as thoroughly researched and inclusive of their children and the shock waves of the aftermath that rippled into their subsequent lives. My only minor criticism is that some pictures would’ve been useful for context and as a connection to the victims. Very immersive thought provoking read, thank you.
Read
July 10, 2025#InsideTheMindOfRoseWest – Tanya Farber & Jeremy Daniel
#GeminiBooks
#JonathanBall
According to statistical evidence women make up only five percent of killers, comprising the specific archetypes within this minority group. Rose West, however, had no such blueprint: “A woman of such deep depravity who killed family members and strangers alike seldom comes along…” (5)
Twenty-four hours prior to the birth of Rosemary Pauline Letts in 1953, her mother, Daisy, was subjected to Electro Convulsive Therapy as part of her treatment for depression at a psychiatric clinic. Her father, Bill, was a paranoid schizophrenic suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder in respect of germs. Young Rose was sexually abused by her father from a tender age, and, by the age of thirteen, she was sexually abusing her two younger brothers: “Incest, it appears, had been normalised in her mind…” (15)
She was a shrewd prostitute at the age of fifteen, the same age at which she met the twenty-seven-year-old man she would later marry and at whose side they would become known as the proprietors of “The House of Horrors”. His name was Fred West.
Although there is no evidence to suggest that these events influenced his later choices, Fred had a bad start in life. In 1958 he suffered severe head trauma because of a motorbike accident, and in 1960 he was in a coma for similar injuries again. This time it was no accident; he was smacked by a woman that found his sexual advances annoying and tumbled down a set of stairs.
At the time of his marriage to Rose, he was already a murderer, albeit not known publicly at the time. Rose wasted no time catching up with his uncrowned glory as killer. In respect of the young, Charmaine West, Fred’s eight-year-old stepdaughter, “…the evidence points to Rose having committed the…murder alone.” (52) And when they moved to 25 Cromwell Street, later known as “The House of Horrors”, she allocated a room as belonging to Mandy, the pseudonym she used while acting as a prostitute when advertising her services in a magazine as follows: “Sexy housewife needs it deep and hard from VWE (very well endowed) male, while husband watches…” (57)
The authorities missed several opportunities to uncover the dark secrets of the murderous duo whose victims included babysitters, lodgers, hitchhikers, and their own biological children. Despite one victim-to-be who managed to escape, as well as several reports of female disappearances and indications of child neglect and abuse, pornography and prostitution, the couple were free to proceed with murderous activities, rapes and mutilations for decades before Rose was finally convicted om ten counts of murder in December 1995. Fred escaped the long arms of the law by committing suicide in January 1995.
The title of this book (part of a series that also include probes into the minds of Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and the Yorkshire Ripper) is slightly misleading. Since Rose never admitted guilt, analysis of her mind can be based only on circumstantial evidence. She is regarded as “…one of the most sadistic and notorious serial killers ever born on British soil” (231) but her mind remains a mystery.
#Uitdieperdsebek
#GeminiBooks
#JonathanBall
According to statistical evidence women make up only five percent of killers, comprising the specific archetypes within this minority group. Rose West, however, had no such blueprint: “A woman of such deep depravity who killed family members and strangers alike seldom comes along…” (5)
Twenty-four hours prior to the birth of Rosemary Pauline Letts in 1953, her mother, Daisy, was subjected to Electro Convulsive Therapy as part of her treatment for depression at a psychiatric clinic. Her father, Bill, was a paranoid schizophrenic suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder in respect of germs. Young Rose was sexually abused by her father from a tender age, and, by the age of thirteen, she was sexually abusing her two younger brothers: “Incest, it appears, had been normalised in her mind…” (15)
She was a shrewd prostitute at the age of fifteen, the same age at which she met the twenty-seven-year-old man she would later marry and at whose side they would become known as the proprietors of “The House of Horrors”. His name was Fred West.
Although there is no evidence to suggest that these events influenced his later choices, Fred had a bad start in life. In 1958 he suffered severe head trauma because of a motorbike accident, and in 1960 he was in a coma for similar injuries again. This time it was no accident; he was smacked by a woman that found his sexual advances annoying and tumbled down a set of stairs.
At the time of his marriage to Rose, he was already a murderer, albeit not known publicly at the time. Rose wasted no time catching up with his uncrowned glory as killer. In respect of the young, Charmaine West, Fred’s eight-year-old stepdaughter, “…the evidence points to Rose having committed the…murder alone.” (52) And when they moved to 25 Cromwell Street, later known as “The House of Horrors”, she allocated a room as belonging to Mandy, the pseudonym she used while acting as a prostitute when advertising her services in a magazine as follows: “Sexy housewife needs it deep and hard from VWE (very well endowed) male, while husband watches…” (57)
The authorities missed several opportunities to uncover the dark secrets of the murderous duo whose victims included babysitters, lodgers, hitchhikers, and their own biological children. Despite one victim-to-be who managed to escape, as well as several reports of female disappearances and indications of child neglect and abuse, pornography and prostitution, the couple were free to proceed with murderous activities, rapes and mutilations for decades before Rose was finally convicted om ten counts of murder in December 1995. Fred escaped the long arms of the law by committing suicide in January 1995.
The title of this book (part of a series that also include probes into the minds of Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and the Yorkshire Ripper) is slightly misleading. Since Rose never admitted guilt, analysis of her mind can be based only on circumstantial evidence. She is regarded as “…one of the most sadistic and notorious serial killers ever born on British soil” (231) but her mind remains a mystery.
#Uitdieperdsebek
December 5, 2024
I was given Inside the Mind of Rose West from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This isn't the first time I've read about the troubling, frankly wicked life of the Wests but it has been a long time so I was pleased to see this book available.
I'm giving this book a 5 simply for pure readability. with 18 punchy chapters exploring Fred and Rose West's life and times. It's listed in the title as a book only about Rose West, however, several chapters feature Fred and his criminal lifestyle. In terms of shocking content, it is undoubtedly a story that never has moments of grey. Fred West may have coaxed Rose to become his partner from a young age, but Rose - not mentioned here as dozy Rosie like in other accounts - is fairly happy to never say no to Fred.
As we approach the crimes, the author(s) share a detached, clinical voice. There are times when this reads like an essay, not least because of the self-evident conclusions they reach - that if fate transpired differently, or that if they were stopped, the times when they could have been stopped these girls would now be alive. It goes without saying that although, it's still effective in a tragic, depressing way. Reading this, I felt anger, frustration and a lack of empathy with what both Fred and Rose were going through. In many ways, neither of the authors can understand it as they write in an almost bawdy way how the Wests lived, which is entirely related.
In some ways this could have been longer, perhaps more analytical, but the editing was pretty stellar, taking the reader through this morbid spectacle trying to find shards of logic or reason and realising that these were bad people. Fred, the country bumpkin, with a macabre sense of humour and delusional energy throughout his life (confiding to a police officer that "enjoyment turned to disaster" for the rape, torture and murder that he inflicted on his victims.) Rose who, on the face of it seemed to want to be a mother multiple times over before neglecting, abusing, and allowing her children no safety - you name it, she did it - while also having this fiery, very West Country temper.
Overall I was completely involved and immersed in the story. I was mollified as the author concluded that their luck was in a system that wasn't digitalised and allowed people to 'disappear' so easily. Naturally, the investigation was a complete disgrace and Fred being allowed to get away with suicide was outrageous. I wanted to know if the authors drew any conclusion about Rose being told that her husband had committed suicide but there was sparse commentary. Perhaps because this is so hard to explain just why she turned away from Fred. Likewise, her complete determination to imply that she wasn't involved (bringing about the superb, She Must Have Known title from the '90s). I wanted a slightly more complex description of her life in prison, however, I think she remains an enigma, someone who seems to have sadistic, very uncaring instincts. That's the mind of Rose West, deny, conceal, survive.
Absolutely worth the read and a fascinating profile of sheer wickedness from a most banal couple.
This isn't the first time I've read about the troubling, frankly wicked life of the Wests but it has been a long time so I was pleased to see this book available.
I'm giving this book a 5 simply for pure readability. with 18 punchy chapters exploring Fred and Rose West's life and times. It's listed in the title as a book only about Rose West, however, several chapters feature Fred and his criminal lifestyle. In terms of shocking content, it is undoubtedly a story that never has moments of grey. Fred West may have coaxed Rose to become his partner from a young age, but Rose - not mentioned here as dozy Rosie like in other accounts - is fairly happy to never say no to Fred.
As we approach the crimes, the author(s) share a detached, clinical voice. There are times when this reads like an essay, not least because of the self-evident conclusions they reach - that if fate transpired differently, or that if they were stopped, the times when they could have been stopped these girls would now be alive. It goes without saying that although, it's still effective in a tragic, depressing way. Reading this, I felt anger, frustration and a lack of empathy with what both Fred and Rose were going through. In many ways, neither of the authors can understand it as they write in an almost bawdy way how the Wests lived, which is entirely related.
In some ways this could have been longer, perhaps more analytical, but the editing was pretty stellar, taking the reader through this morbid spectacle trying to find shards of logic or reason and realising that these were bad people. Fred, the country bumpkin, with a macabre sense of humour and delusional energy throughout his life (confiding to a police officer that "enjoyment turned to disaster" for the rape, torture and murder that he inflicted on his victims.) Rose who, on the face of it seemed to want to be a mother multiple times over before neglecting, abusing, and allowing her children no safety - you name it, she did it - while also having this fiery, very West Country temper.
Overall I was completely involved and immersed in the story. I was mollified as the author concluded that their luck was in a system that wasn't digitalised and allowed people to 'disappear' so easily. Naturally, the investigation was a complete disgrace and Fred being allowed to get away with suicide was outrageous. I wanted to know if the authors drew any conclusion about Rose being told that her husband had committed suicide but there was sparse commentary. Perhaps because this is so hard to explain just why she turned away from Fred. Likewise, her complete determination to imply that she wasn't involved (bringing about the superb, She Must Have Known title from the '90s). I wanted a slightly more complex description of her life in prison, however, I think she remains an enigma, someone who seems to have sadistic, very uncaring instincts. That's the mind of Rose West, deny, conceal, survive.
Absolutely worth the read and a fascinating profile of sheer wickedness from a most banal couple.
May 7, 2025
I was kindly gifted and recommended this book by Zoe. I like dipping my toes into true crime, a small break from fictional writing.
This is the story of Fred and Rose West, the most prolific serial killer couple based in the UK, who gripped the world as their historical crimes became uncovered. This novel analyses the psychology that drives someone to abuse and murder. Not only did they lure their victims into their family home, but they repeatedly raped, abused, and tormented their own children from a very young age.
25 Cromwell Street still, to this day, withholds the name "The House of Horrors".
Although I was very young when these two despicable people appeared on the news, I still have some memory of it. However, I don't think I have ever truly understood the harrowing barbarity. After reading this book, I can safely say I do now.
This novel does focus on Rose; however, there is a vast amount of information about Fred and their children too. It provides insights into the type of upbringing Fred and Rose had, how the couple initially met, and their children's torture.
This is the first time I've read anything by this true crime writer, and I am eager to read others now. The story was so descriptive and detailed; it didn't shy away from anything. Horrific as it may be, it's powerful and extremely moving. The writing style was engaging and easy to follow. This is very character rich and initially I found it hard to keep up, but once it got into the swing of things I could follow who was their children, victims and even bystanders. It proves that there was an influx of people who became damaged by this couple. I really struggled to put it down.
It's certainly not for the faint-hearted. This is shocking, gut-wrenching, sickening, toe-curling, and even a tear-jerker. I felt disbelief, wondering how on earth they had got away with it for so long. It's painful trying to imagine what the victims and their families went through. I don't think we will ever know if all the victims were recovered. I'm pleased that Rose continues to reside in prison; however, it is questionable whether this will ever bring relief to those involved.
A disturbing read, an unforgettable moment in history.
This is the story of Fred and Rose West, the most prolific serial killer couple based in the UK, who gripped the world as their historical crimes became uncovered. This novel analyses the psychology that drives someone to abuse and murder. Not only did they lure their victims into their family home, but they repeatedly raped, abused, and tormented their own children from a very young age.
25 Cromwell Street still, to this day, withholds the name "The House of Horrors".
Although I was very young when these two despicable people appeared on the news, I still have some memory of it. However, I don't think I have ever truly understood the harrowing barbarity. After reading this book, I can safely say I do now.
This novel does focus on Rose; however, there is a vast amount of information about Fred and their children too. It provides insights into the type of upbringing Fred and Rose had, how the couple initially met, and their children's torture.
This is the first time I've read anything by this true crime writer, and I am eager to read others now. The story was so descriptive and detailed; it didn't shy away from anything. Horrific as it may be, it's powerful and extremely moving. The writing style was engaging and easy to follow. This is very character rich and initially I found it hard to keep up, but once it got into the swing of things I could follow who was their children, victims and even bystanders. It proves that there was an influx of people who became damaged by this couple. I really struggled to put it down.
It's certainly not for the faint-hearted. This is shocking, gut-wrenching, sickening, toe-curling, and even a tear-jerker. I felt disbelief, wondering how on earth they had got away with it for so long. It's painful trying to imagine what the victims and their families went through. I don't think we will ever know if all the victims were recovered. I'm pleased that Rose continues to reside in prison; however, it is questionable whether this will ever bring relief to those involved.
A disturbing read, an unforgettable moment in history.
February 11, 2025
I’ve read a number of books about the Wests and this is one of the best. I’m interested in true crime; not the gore, but trying to get some insight into what motivates people to commit such appalling crimes. Are they mad or bad? In the rare case of partnership killers, is there a leader? How do they feed off one another. In the mid 1980s, I had a trade stand at a traction engine rally in a field near Ledbury. It was a fine afternoon and I remember an odd family coming to look over my tables. I assumed it was mother, father and a ragbag of kids; he was swarthy, grubby and short. She was wearing an incongruous mix of plaid skirt, short grubby white socks and sandals and large glasses. The kids were all over the place and I was sure they were pilfering whilst the adults tried to engage me small talk. They left but their presence in my memory remained. It wasn’t until years later I realised it was the West family and in a strange way, it’s remained a rather haunting memory.
This book brings the whole family to life. It’s difficult to imagine what it was like to live in a home with psychopathic parents. Their idea of ‘normal’ was one with no moral compass and the surviving children must be badly scarred. That said, as far as I’m aware, they haven’t displayed similar characteristics. Fred was an inveterate liar. Rose was and is a manipulator and by no means a subjugated follower. Their paths crossed and the rest is history.
This is a detailed account of the when and how. The crimes are appalling. Rose West was a victim from an early age, but it’s still difficult to understand how that enabled her to normalise her later approach to life. Some things are beyond understanding but learning about them gives valuable
insight into the human psyche. There’s an extensive bibliography as source reference and ideal for further reading. This is a comprehensive account of the life and times of the West family and those they murdered and abused. It’s uncomfortable reading at times, but it’s not gratuitous. There are new insights and this will interest anyone who likes true crime.
This book brings the whole family to life. It’s difficult to imagine what it was like to live in a home with psychopathic parents. Their idea of ‘normal’ was one with no moral compass and the surviving children must be badly scarred. That said, as far as I’m aware, they haven’t displayed similar characteristics. Fred was an inveterate liar. Rose was and is a manipulator and by no means a subjugated follower. Their paths crossed and the rest is history.
This is a detailed account of the when and how. The crimes are appalling. Rose West was a victim from an early age, but it’s still difficult to understand how that enabled her to normalise her later approach to life. Some things are beyond understanding but learning about them gives valuable
insight into the human psyche. There’s an extensive bibliography as source reference and ideal for further reading. This is a comprehensive account of the life and times of the West family and those they murdered and abused. It’s uncomfortable reading at times, but it’s not gratuitous. There are new insights and this will interest anyone who likes true crime.
December 30, 2024
I’m not usually one for non-fiction, but serial killers are my guilty pleasure. As someone who thought they were well versed in the crimes of Fred and Rose West, this book was a harrowing, eye-opening experience to the details that have been brushed over in the past.
This chronological retelling of the upbringing and crimes committed by two of the most infamous British serial killers provides an insight into the perspective of their children, victims and survivors from the start of Fred and Rose’s tumultuous relationship, all the way through to their incarceration.
It’s a page-turner, in the darkest of ways. Using multiple sources to give an up-to-date explanation of their crimes and illustrates Rose’s part in the murders. Having read numerous books on the couple, this was by far, the clearest representation of their story. Starting from the beginning, it provides an account of the experiences of both Fred and Rose, as well as each of their children and the other victims that unfortunately crossed their paths.
If you’re looking for a gut-wrenching read about the horrific crimes of Fred and Rose West, this is the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Gemini Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
“Sadly, this is not a story of redemption. No heroes arrive at the darkest hour to save the day and right all of the wrongs of the past. There is no moral arc that bends towards justice, and certainly no apologies.”
This chronological retelling of the upbringing and crimes committed by two of the most infamous British serial killers provides an insight into the perspective of their children, victims and survivors from the start of Fred and Rose’s tumultuous relationship, all the way through to their incarceration.
It’s a page-turner, in the darkest of ways. Using multiple sources to give an up-to-date explanation of their crimes and illustrates Rose’s part in the murders. Having read numerous books on the couple, this was by far, the clearest representation of their story. Starting from the beginning, it provides an account of the experiences of both Fred and Rose, as well as each of their children and the other victims that unfortunately crossed their paths.
If you’re looking for a gut-wrenching read about the horrific crimes of Fred and Rose West, this is the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Gemini Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Inside the Mind of Rose West by Jeremy Daniel
Convicted of 10 murders and serving life in prison, Rose West is one of the most sadistic British serial killers of all time. In combination with her husband Fred, they tortured, abused, and killed not only strangers but their own daughters as well.
This book chronicles the life of Rose, from birth through incarceration. It’s unfathomable the abuse that she both received and inflicted upon others. How someone can be so uncaring and cruel to both strangers and her own children is beyond comprehension. The author does a good job at telling the story of Rose. If you are a true crime aficionado, this book may be a bit bland. It fails to go into great detail of the crimes, focusing more on the timeline and the events surrounding the crimes. In the end, as Fred and Rose get caught, do you begin to find out just how tortuous this duo was.
It’s a solid true crime, especially for those who don’t want to read the deep, dark, gruesome details. At times it seemed the author included what he thought the feelings were like, what the victims felt, and what was said as a way to create more story which makes sense but made me question the validity a little bit. Additionally, some parts were repetitive. Neither of these points would keep me from reading the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.
Convicted of 10 murders and serving life in prison, Rose West is one of the most sadistic British serial killers of all time. In combination with her husband Fred, they tortured, abused, and killed not only strangers but their own daughters as well.
This book chronicles the life of Rose, from birth through incarceration. It’s unfathomable the abuse that she both received and inflicted upon others. How someone can be so uncaring and cruel to both strangers and her own children is beyond comprehension. The author does a good job at telling the story of Rose. If you are a true crime aficionado, this book may be a bit bland. It fails to go into great detail of the crimes, focusing more on the timeline and the events surrounding the crimes. In the end, as Fred and Rose get caught, do you begin to find out just how tortuous this duo was.
It’s a solid true crime, especially for those who don’t want to read the deep, dark, gruesome details. At times it seemed the author included what he thought the feelings were like, what the victims felt, and what was said as a way to create more story which makes sense but made me question the validity a little bit. Additionally, some parts were repetitive. Neither of these points would keep me from reading the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.
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December 1, 2024
"Inside the Mind of Rose West" by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber tells the true story of Britain's most notorious serial killer, along with her husband, Frank West. This story dives deep into Rose's life from the beginning, exploring what, how, and when her sadistic tendencies started.
Thank you, NetGalley and Gemini Books Group, for the gifted eARC for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own.
What makes this story so unique is that females are rarely serial killers, and committing these heinous acts with a partner is even more rare. So why? What happened to cause this effect? And how, after so many years, was the couple not caught?
I really applaud the authors for digging deep into the case of Rose West and bringing life to the victims in a respectful manner. Truly, this is a tough case to read about, and even more so is the fact that the system failed these victims and their families. Not only were there murder victims, but the Wests' own severely abused children were also victims.
I think, overall, this is an insightful book and is educational regarding the psychological aspects of these killers. I believe that the more we can learn from these cases, the better we can understand them and potentially reduce the future occurrences of such events.
"Inside The Mind of Rose West" will be widely available February 18th 2025.
Thank you, NetGalley and Gemini Books Group, for the gifted eARC for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own.
What makes this story so unique is that females are rarely serial killers, and committing these heinous acts with a partner is even more rare. So why? What happened to cause this effect? And how, after so many years, was the couple not caught?
I really applaud the authors for digging deep into the case of Rose West and bringing life to the victims in a respectful manner. Truly, this is a tough case to read about, and even more so is the fact that the system failed these victims and their families. Not only were there murder victims, but the Wests' own severely abused children were also victims.
I think, overall, this is an insightful book and is educational regarding the psychological aspects of these killers. I believe that the more we can learn from these cases, the better we can understand them and potentially reduce the future occurrences of such events.
"Inside The Mind of Rose West" will be widely available February 18th 2025.
November 21, 2024
Inside the Mind of Rose West by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber offers a unique and poignant perspective on one of the most infamous criminal cases. This book stands out because it focuses on giving the victims their own voice, rather than merely recounting the horrific crimes committed against them. This approach brings depth and humanity to the narrative, honouring the lives and stories of those affected.
The book also provides new information, for exam0ple adding clarity to some of the evidence that reveals it was from one of the lodgers at 25 Cromwell Street. This additional detail enriches the overall understanding of the case. However, given the extensive coverage of the crimes over the years, it remains incredibly challenging to truly comprehend the mind of Rose West. The authors navigate this complexity with sensitivity, but the enigma of her psyche continues to baffle.
Overall, Inside the Mind of Rose West is a compelling read that offers fresh insights and a respectful tribute to the victims. For those familiar with the case, it provides additional layers of detail and a different perspective, while acknowledging the limitations of fully understanding such a profoundly disturbing mind.
The book also provides new information, for exam0ple adding clarity to some of the evidence that reveals it was from one of the lodgers at 25 Cromwell Street. This additional detail enriches the overall understanding of the case. However, given the extensive coverage of the crimes over the years, it remains incredibly challenging to truly comprehend the mind of Rose West. The authors navigate this complexity with sensitivity, but the enigma of her psyche continues to baffle.
Overall, Inside the Mind of Rose West is a compelling read that offers fresh insights and a respectful tribute to the victims. For those familiar with the case, it provides additional layers of detail and a different perspective, while acknowledging the limitations of fully understanding such a profoundly disturbing mind.
January 26, 2025
Que intenso fue leer este libro porque uno sabe que no esta leyendo ninguna ficción... es todo real, y debe haber sido mucho mas crudo y despiadado en la realidad, pero acá, al menos eso sentí, si bien nos cuentan las cosas que han sucedido muchas otras las dejan de lado. Por respeto, porque no es necesario saber los detalles, pero uno se lo imagina, y sufre.
Creo que este tipo de libros son super necesarios. Personalmente no conocia la historia de ninguna de las personas aquí presentadas. Ni de la pareja despiadada que decidió jugar con la vida de las chicas ni de ellas. Y eso que fue y sigue siendo una historia que resuena bastante fuerte.
No puedo criticar un libro de este estilo, solo me queda agradecer que se escriban, desear que no existiera gente así, y desear que nada de esto vuelva a suceder. Pero las mujeres estamos cada vez mas vulnerables, aunque nos quieran hacer creer lo contrario.
Seguiremos luchando, seguiremos contando nuestra realidad, la realidad de mujeres... y lucharemos. Por nuestra libertad, por nuestra paz. Porque no somos libres. Y estos libros nos muestran eso.
Gracias Gemini Books Group por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Creo que este tipo de libros son super necesarios. Personalmente no conocia la historia de ninguna de las personas aquí presentadas. Ni de la pareja despiadada que decidió jugar con la vida de las chicas ni de ellas. Y eso que fue y sigue siendo una historia que resuena bastante fuerte.
No puedo criticar un libro de este estilo, solo me queda agradecer que se escriban, desear que no existiera gente así, y desear que nada de esto vuelva a suceder. Pero las mujeres estamos cada vez mas vulnerables, aunque nos quieran hacer creer lo contrario.
Seguiremos luchando, seguiremos contando nuestra realidad, la realidad de mujeres... y lucharemos. Por nuestra libertad, por nuestra paz. Porque no somos libres. Y estos libros nos muestran eso.
Gracias Gemini Books Group por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
January 26, 2025
I had never heard of this case so it was all very fresh for me. It did take me a little longer to finish because the details were so horrendous I had to take breaks. I highlighted and made many notes while reading but the one that encompasses the case the best is “when you think it can’t get worse… it does”
“What remains one of the most baffling aspects of the gruesome story is the number of times anyone with half an eye or interest could have figured out what was happening and put a stop to it.”
The frustration I felt while reading this case is unlike any I’ve ever experienced before. The amount of times someone in a place of authority could have made a difference by simply asking more questions is enough to make you scream. I really appreciated the background on the victims (even if there wasn’t much.) I also think it was important to highlight the terrors the West children experienced at the hands of their parents as well.
I do recommend reading this book if you are interested in true crime or this case specifically. I’ve already recommended it to my sister.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Gemini Books Group for a copy of this ARC, in return for an honest review! ✝️🩵
“What remains one of the most baffling aspects of the gruesome story is the number of times anyone with half an eye or interest could have figured out what was happening and put a stop to it.”
The frustration I felt while reading this case is unlike any I’ve ever experienced before. The amount of times someone in a place of authority could have made a difference by simply asking more questions is enough to make you scream. I really appreciated the background on the victims (even if there wasn’t much.) I also think it was important to highlight the terrors the West children experienced at the hands of their parents as well.
I do recommend reading this book if you are interested in true crime or this case specifically. I’ve already recommended it to my sister.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Gemini Books Group for a copy of this ARC, in return for an honest review! ✝️🩵
February 14, 2025
Rose West, Fred West, 25 Cromwell street, the house of horrors. Murders of children and young women spanning two decades. If you tell me you don't know what im talking about then I wont believe you.
This book is a must read for all true crime fans. I literally could not put it down. We are talked through Rose and Fred's childhoods, how they met, how they brutally murdered their victims ( and yes there are gory details), we get to know more about the victims lives, we also hear about the conviction, trial and incarceration which includes a brief friendship with Mira Hindley, reading that just gave me chills. I have so many emotions reading this book, I felt sick, angry and terribly sad, just the fact that they should have been stopped many times over by authorities and the very people and institutions who have a duty of care for these victims and the West children. They were let down terribly and it just breaks my heart.
There are non stop facts here, I thought I knew most of what there was to learn about these evil people and their victims but I was wrong.
This book is a must read for all true crime fans. I literally could not put it down. We are talked through Rose and Fred's childhoods, how they met, how they brutally murdered their victims ( and yes there are gory details), we get to know more about the victims lives, we also hear about the conviction, trial and incarceration which includes a brief friendship with Mira Hindley, reading that just gave me chills. I have so many emotions reading this book, I felt sick, angry and terribly sad, just the fact that they should have been stopped many times over by authorities and the very people and institutions who have a duty of care for these victims and the West children. They were let down terribly and it just breaks my heart.
There are non stop facts here, I thought I knew most of what there was to learn about these evil people and their victims but I was wrong.
February 25, 2025
This book had me going down the rabbit hole of reddit after reading it!
Rose in my eyes was born evil so at 15 when she met and then married 27 years old Fred, Rose knew what kind of monster he was.
Fred and Rose would pick up women, take them home, abuse them physically and sexually and then rid of them after killing them. The farther in the book I got the harder it was at times because Rose and Fred started also abusing their own children. Reading about the horror that the young children were forced into and all the family members involved, disgusted me.
How they got away with it for some long kinda blows my mind, it wasn’t that hard to put 2 and 2 together but, I understand that this was back in the 70s and things were different.
To this day while Fred took his life in prison, Rose is still there, sitting and rotting. In total her and Fred kill 12 women. Also, why and I mean why did it take 27 years for someone to look into this??!!!
December 2, 2024
25 Cromwell Street will forever be a “home” shrouded in pain, torture and the horrors that victims of Rose and Fred West endured. Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel presented a thoroughly researched book while not idolizing the criminals, but instead focused on the victims, their lives and the atrocities they endured. Simultaneously, Farber and Daniel were able to detail the lives of both Rose and Fred, making you question is it nature or nurture. Unlike most true crime books, the accounts of the children and the life inside prison was included.
Overall, this was a very well written and researched book, and I highly recommend it for true crime enthusiasts. Be aware that there are several topics that are very prevalent and disturbing.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book for an unbiased review.
Overall, this was a very well written and researched book, and I highly recommend it for true crime enthusiasts. Be aware that there are several topics that are very prevalent and disturbing.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book for an unbiased review.
December 20, 2024
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the case, the chronology of the book made it very easy to read and know the timeline of what happened. I did find this hard to read finding myself having to take many breaks to digest what I had read about the crimes committed. You could almost picture exactly what was endured during some of the descriptions, especially to the West children. This book really made you think about the failings of various agencies and how if more questions had been asked, so much tragedy could have been prevented perhaps. However, at the same time, it did really well to contextualise 1970s England, and how we can retrospectively be too critical on these agencies as they didn't have access to the technology that we do now, which can prevent us ever seeing something like this happening again.
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