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Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley: The Moors Murderer
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 8, 2026
As someone completely new to the history of Myra Hindley, Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley served as an incredibly gripping and accessible introduction to one of Britain’s most infamous true crime cases. Before picking up this book, I had never heard of Hindley or her partner, Ian Brady, but their story left me deeply intrigued by the dark complexities of the human mind.
The book excels at breaking down the horrific crimes they committed against children, but its true value lies in how it forces the reader to confront the ultimate question: nature versus nurture. Hindley’s transformation from an ordinary young woman into a participant in such cruelty raises terrifying questions about human influence. It makes you realize how the people we surround ourselves with can alter our moral compass. When tied into a toxic, manipulative relationship dynamic, ordinary human boundaries can dissolve, leading people to commit extraordinary, unthinkable acts.
Ultimately, this book is a sobering reminder that human psychology is incredibly complex. It shows that under the right—or rather, the wrong—set of circumstances, humans are capable of doing chillingly cruel things to one another. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful, psychological entry point into true crime history.
The book excels at breaking down the horrific crimes they committed against children, but its true value lies in how it forces the reader to confront the ultimate question: nature versus nurture. Hindley’s transformation from an ordinary young woman into a participant in such cruelty raises terrifying questions about human influence. It makes you realize how the people we surround ourselves with can alter our moral compass. When tied into a toxic, manipulative relationship dynamic, ordinary human boundaries can dissolve, leading people to commit extraordinary, unthinkable acts.
Ultimately, this book is a sobering reminder that human psychology is incredibly complex. It shows that under the right—or rather, the wrong—set of circumstances, humans are capable of doing chillingly cruel things to one another. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful, psychological entry point into true crime history.
July 12, 2026
This Case Was So Upsetting On What Had Happened To The Victims And Their Families. But Reading In More Depth On The Insides Of Myra’s Head Was More Sickening. I Found The Court Cases Towards The Ending Was Interesting On What Was Said. It Is Just A Shame On What Winnie Had Gone Through All Those Years Never Knowing Where Keith Was Buried To Bring Home. Winnie Sadly Passed Away Without Knowing. Just Hope They’ve Been Reunited With God 🙏🏽🖤🙏🏽
July 16, 2026
just completely disgusting and devastating. really appreciated how it focused more on the victims and their lives and the injustice to their family's rather than the criminals themselves. slightly dramatised but accurate. will definitely be buying the other ones they have written.
July 7, 2026
Little disappointed as they don’t go into much detail about all the murders and tended to skim over it , also focused a lot on the prison life and not the actual crimes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2026
Thought it was class read
August 11, 2026
Another great insight to why people end up being so disturbed
August 23, 2026
This slim volume falls way short of being "the ultimate examination of the woman who became a brutal child murderer and icon of evil," as stated on its blurb. It certainly doesn’t come close to overshadowing Carol Ann Lee's excellent 'One Of Your Own' or Jean Ritchie's 'Inside the Mind of a Murderess', published as far back as 1988. Instead, it ultimately feels like yet another rehash of one of the most widely discussed cases in true crime history, spanning from Myra Hindley's birth in 1942 to her death in 2002. There is nothing new to be found within its pages, but then again, is there really anything left to be said? (Although I do hope that one day a book will be able to report that the body of Hindley and Ian Brady's victim, Keith Bennett, has been found.) The first murder is written about in detail, but when it comes to dealing with the next two (there were five victims in total, but the last two discussed in detail), the authors write about how they were lured away, but not how they were killed. It's naturally a very distressing case and the details are appalling, but I also think that a book about it should naturally include all of this.
That said, those who have not yet read anything about the case could do worse than to have 'Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley' as their first book. The authors, Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel, have an engaging and often descriptive writing style. What I really liked about this book is the level of detail they dedicated to the victims, painting pictures of who they were and what they were like, along with insights into their families and subsequent guilt. Too often, the focus of such books is on the perpetrators rather than the innocent lives that were so cruelly taken. I commend the authors for highlighting the latter.
However, despite the sheer volume of information that was already out there, the book still has some inaccuracies. For instance, a child whom Hindley knew is referred to as "Mary Muck," when her name was actually Marie Ruck. But by far the most alarming error is that Hindley’s former fiancé later asserted that in a pub, Brady showed him an indecent photograph of a naked girl, and the fiancé, named Ronnie, thought it was Patricia Hodges, who was Brady and Hindley’s neighbour. This claim is entirely false; there was never a photograph of Patricia Hodges. It seems the authors may have confused this with something mentioned in David Marchbank's excellent (though sadly hard to find) contemporary book 'The Moor Murders'.
In that book, another man named Ronnie, not Hindley’s ex, claimed he met Brady in a pub and that Brady showed him such a photo; however, it was not of the couple’s neighbour. In all honestly, I have never encountered this incident in any other report on the case, and Brady and Hindley appear to have never mentioned it. Either way, this was a significant blunder in this book.
If you are looking for a relatively short but well-written overview of the case, 'Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley' is passable, but be aware that there are much better alternatives out there. No photographs are included.
That said, those who have not yet read anything about the case could do worse than to have 'Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley' as their first book. The authors, Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel, have an engaging and often descriptive writing style. What I really liked about this book is the level of detail they dedicated to the victims, painting pictures of who they were and what they were like, along with insights into their families and subsequent guilt. Too often, the focus of such books is on the perpetrators rather than the innocent lives that were so cruelly taken. I commend the authors for highlighting the latter.
However, despite the sheer volume of information that was already out there, the book still has some inaccuracies. For instance, a child whom Hindley knew is referred to as "Mary Muck," when her name was actually Marie Ruck. But by far the most alarming error is that Hindley’s former fiancé later asserted that in a pub, Brady showed him an indecent photograph of a naked girl, and the fiancé, named Ronnie, thought it was Patricia Hodges, who was Brady and Hindley’s neighbour. This claim is entirely false; there was never a photograph of Patricia Hodges. It seems the authors may have confused this with something mentioned in David Marchbank's excellent (though sadly hard to find) contemporary book 'The Moor Murders'.
In that book, another man named Ronnie, not Hindley’s ex, claimed he met Brady in a pub and that Brady showed him such a photo; however, it was not of the couple’s neighbour. In all honestly, I have never encountered this incident in any other report on the case, and Brady and Hindley appear to have never mentioned it. Either way, this was a significant blunder in this book.
If you are looking for a relatively short but well-written overview of the case, 'Inside the Mind of Myra Hindley' is passable, but be aware that there are much better alternatives out there. No photographs are included.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews