An Evil Love: The Life and Crimes of Fred West

by Geoffrey Wansell

The reverberations from Fred West's crimes continue to this day. The story never dies.

West was perhaps one of Britain's most evil, feared serial killers. His horrifying compulsion to kidnap, rape and torture his victims before murdering them showed a savagery and cruelty that can barely be believed. His 'House of Horrors' at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, became a burial ground for the women who fell into his hands.

This new publication of Geoffrey Wansell's iconic, best-selling true-crime masterpiece comes 30 years after West was arrested, in 1992. Dead by suicide by 1994, he never truly faced justice for the 12 murders he was charged with.

Wansell, chosen as West's official biographer, gained exclusive access to all West's police interviews, prison diaries, papers, solicitor interviews—and his private collection of video tapes, as well as all the interviews given by his wife, Rose West.

Once and for all, he reveals the full story of Fred and Rose West's lives and crimes, in a chilling book that sets the standard for exploring the minds of our most feared serial killers—up close and personal.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Psychology, History, Mystery

Audible Audio

Published June 9, 2022

About the author

Geoffrey Wansell is a London based author and free-lance journalist, who now works principally for the Daily Mail.

He’s published twelve books, including biographies of the movie star Cary Grant, the business tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, and the playwright Sir Terence Rattigan, a book which was short-listed for the Whitbread Prize as book of the year.

Geoffrey Wansell is an experienced true crime author whose past books include The Bus Stop Killer, about the shocking murder of Milly Dowler, and An Evil Love, telling the story of Frederick West through exclusive access to tape recordings.

A member for more than 25 years, he is also the official historian of the Garrick Club in London, one of only four appointed during the Club’s 185 years of existence.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive and very detailed biography of this serial murderer, complete with a thorough analysis of his early life and how this helped to create the monster that he was to become. The book also describes the start of his relationship with Rose West and how her home background contributed to the development of their joint sadistic attacks on young women. Be warned that the descriptions of the attacks and the injuries inflicted by the pair on their victims are quite graphic and may be upsetting to some readers. An uncomfortable yet somehow totally gripping read, providing much interesting information and background to the couple's horrendous crimes, committed over many years before finally being brought to justice - 9/10.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about Fred & Rose west but it was very repetitive. This book was about 100 pages too long.

[Suzanne Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like it. Too many unnecessary graphic details and not enough analysis. Disturbing, even for someone who reads a lot of true crime. It gave me nightmares.

[Vicuña · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a number of books about Fred and Rose West in an effort to understand how and why two people could behave in such a monstrous way for decades. This book by Geoffrey Wansell provides what I believe is the definitive account. I understand he had access to police and other records not previously considered in other books. Many of the explanations are verbatim from those records.

Make no mistake. This book is truly chilling. It’s detailed and although I can usually deal with true crime ( I was once involved in law enforcement so I’ve encountered real life crime), I had to tackle it in a few separate sittings. The book gives the background to both Fred and Rose; their early years and upbringing which stamped their future in ways beyond imagination. Their ‘norm’ was a life of violence, abuse and boundaries pushed way over extreme. There are details here which were new to me and they’re stomach churning. It’s difficult to understand how, in 20th century Britain, two individuals escaped the attention of the authorities. Fred was adept at grooming. Not only young women, but social workers, police, work colleagues and more. Complex and deeply flawed by any moral standards, he was able to abuse and murder for decades. For me, this book clarifies the extent to which Rise was involved. I’ve wondered how far she was involved and manipulated; now I understand she was a driving force.

There are racial terms; in my view to remove or change them is wrong. They reflect the way West spoke and are a verbatim account. It’s disturbing to think that opportunities to curtail his/their activities were missed on numerous occasions. It’s clear that there’s good reason to believe other young women met their end at hands if these two truly evil individuals. It’s dark and sobering, well narrated and I’ve had to read a number of much lighter texts since listening to this. It’s haunting but true.

[Bobby24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, i have read two others on Fred Wests story Howard Sounes book and the one by the Detective all are good in there own right.

Wansells book is the most detailed and researched it is well written but it has two faults one, it repeats a phrase "at the end of his life" sometimes twice a page for most of the book i was close to giving up around a third of the way through but i stuck with it, the second is it perhaps needed an editor, that said it is a worthy book about the worlds worst Serial killer, it is impossible for a man to be any worse than West and the fact that all the books confirm each other makes it a matter of fact.

The Cromwell Street murders are a Genuine epic 40 plus years in the making and doing once you read it you can never forget it and i have read many books on Serial killers. The one question remains is How many did he really kill?

[H H · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels weird giving a book with this subject 5 stars, primarily due to the subject content.
My rating is based mainly on the information given and the accounts. I mean, wow, this is a full on, no holding back account of this evil, evil couple and the things they did, and in their own words as well. Their motives have always been of interest to me having been just a teenager when the discoveries were made not 10 minutes away from my own my home in Gloucester all those years ago, I have memories of lots of press being around in those weeks surround it.
My deepest sympathies will always remain with their victims and their families.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well written book on an awful subject.

I've read quite a few books about the life and crimes of Fred and Rose West, but this one is by far the most informative and also shocking, their crimes truly horrific, and the book doesn't tone down the nature of the crimes. I felt sick at times reading this, but the true nature of what they did and how they got away with it for so long needs to be told

[Leanne Keenoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this on Audible.
A long one at over 17 hours listening time.
Fascinating but gory tale of the serial killers Fred and Rose West
Very descriptive, no details left to the imagination
Not for the faint hearted but if you are interested in true crime and looking into the twisted minds of child abusers and serial killers give it a go.
I was addicted to listening to it

[Deborah Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my true crime fans

Check your mental health is stable before reading this one

This is a biography of Fred West, one half of a serial killer couple

This goes into his life from birth, childhood/family life, marriages, criminal convictions/past to meeting Rose Lets who he would marry have children with and commit crimes with in their home of 25 Cromwell St also known has the house of horrors

[JackThackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough and gruelling breakdown of the Fred and Rose Wests crimes, providing an overview of their lives in a way only a 20hr long read can do. Be warned, this book lays out their crimes in a way I've never seen done before. This book does go into detail.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUDIO BOOK

A dark and disturbing but comprehensive look at the man we all have heard of. Giving a look into the makings of one of the UKs most famous murderers and what led him and his wife to become the monsters they became. This is a hard listen but a fascinating audio.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a interesting but very difficult book to read, it took me a while to get though because of the graphic nature of it. These two really were the worst of the worst. There is also a insight into what there children thought of them towards the end which is eye opening.

[Becky Darrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ A very well researched and detailed book that dives deep into the entire life of both Fred and Rose West. A difficult read at time due to the nature of the crimes. Overall a very good read but was a little repetitive at times.

[Abi Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth look at one of the UKs most well known serial killers.

Fantastic read, if you can stomach it!

[ella💕💓💝💗💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good writing n includes pictures of Fred and Rose West (the victims also). Overall explains all of Fred Wests life.

[Ella Whittaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was quite difficult too read, as it’s very detailed- read with caution.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book and it's definatley not for the faint hearted. Extremely explicitly detailed on each crime which made it an harrowing listen. Hardly believable that such pure evil exists.

[Christine Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely uncomfortable reading but very well written. I listened to the audiobook, and this somehow made it even more immediate. Very explicit in parts.

[Nate H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes!!!

[Lauren Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative bio and I couldn’t put it down. Well written and researched.