Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer

by Katherine Ramsland, Michael Braun (Narrator)

Explore the mind and motivations of a serial killer.

In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had ten victims. He named himself "B.T.K." (bind, torture, kill) and wrote notes that terrorized the city. He remained on the loose for thirty years. No one who knew him guessed his dark secret. He nearly got away with his crimes, but in 2004, he began to play risky games with the police. He made a mistake. When he was arrested, Rader's family, friends, and coworkers were shocked to discover that B.T.K. had been among them, going to work, raising his children, and acting normal.

This case stands out both for the brutal treatment of victims and for the ordinary public face that Rader, a church council president, had shown to the outside world. Through jailhouse visits, telephone calls, and written correspondence, Katherine Ramsland worked with Rader himself to analyze the layers of his psyche. Using his drawings, letters, interviews, and Rader's unique codes, she presents in meticulous detail the childhood roots and development of one man's motivation to stalk, torture, and kill. She reveals aspects of the dark motivations of this most famous of living serial killers that have never before been revealed. In this audiobook Katherine Ramsland presents an intelligent, original, and rare glimpse into the making of a serial killer and the potential darkness that lives next door.

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

Audiobook

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

I've loved books since I was 3, and the library was a highlight of my childhood. I've been fortunate to be able to find great joy in what others have written and sometimes to give this to readers. I follow my own muse, because it leads me on interesting adventures. I began my writing career with "Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice." I had a bestseller with "The Vampire Companion." Since then, I've published 69 books and over 2,500 articles, reviews and short stories. I have also been an executive producer for "Murder House Flip" and "BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer." From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, I have taken on a variety of dark subjects, mostly in crime and forensics. I hold graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, creative writing and philosophy. Currently, I teach forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. My books include "I Scream Man," "How to Catch a Killer", "Confession of a Serial Killer", "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds", "The Mind of a Murderer", "The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation", "Inside the Minds of Serial Killers", "Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators", and "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers". My background in forensic studies positioned me to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, "The Cases that Haunt Us", and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, "The Unknown Darkness", as well as "Spree Killers" with Mark Safarik, "The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist" with Henry C. Lee, and "A Voice for the Dead" with James Starrs. I speak internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Currently, I'm working on a fiction series, The Nut Cracker Investigations, which features a female forensic psychologist who manages a PI agency. "I Scream Man" is the first one.

Reviews

[Book Clubbed · Rating 4 out of 5]

While contemporary true-crime podcasts tend to hide the horrific nature of murder behind gory jokes and slapdash phycology, Ramsland prefers a more direct, unvarnished account. Utilizing verbatim interviews, we "get into the mind" of BTK, a phrase often utilized in this genre, but rarely taken quite this literally.

As other reviews have noted, there is nothing redeeming about BTK and his sexual sadism, and readers might find a more morally complex tale in detective fiction. BTK is no anti-hero, so popular in TV shows or movies. He is a serial killer, a pathetic creature who believes his own unquenchable impulses give him the right to take the life of another human being.

And yet, I did find myself fascinated with his story, in the manner we are fascinated with any extreme behavior that is otherwise completely alien. In is own voice, we can see his repetitive patterns, how he refined his stalking patterns, and the compartmentalization necessary to maintain his exterior life.

BTK is not particularly clever, and the rituals he tries to project onto his killings are rather ham-fisted. He is not Hannibal Lector. However, he is obsessive, and I found his attempts at myth-making rather interesting. How can someone be so devoid of empathy or respect for human life and still be concerned about how his reputation stacks up next to other "minotaurs"? How can such boredom set in that he must poke law authorities after they lose his trail? Even without being tethered to basic human emotions that dictate social norms, base desires like pride, ego, and a cruel impulse to gain attention shine through.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took a while to read as I could only do so in small doses. The subject matter while disturbing was not the biggest issue. The author interviewed the subject by phone, mail and in person. She used his own words misspellings and all. The subject did not have access to all his extensive writings on his crimes at the time. Also, it was hard to tell who was speaking, the author or subject. Perhaps highlighting somehow would have definitely improved the flow. Stars rounded up on this one.

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

‼️TW: murder, violence, obscenities, graphic descriptions ‼️

I picked this book up because I had just read While Idaho Sleeps and it mentions Katherine’s work and this book. BTK has always horrified me and I was intrigued, but this fell a little short for me. It was very repetitive at times and also hard to really tell what is fact and what is fiction since most of it is coming from his perspective. I am sure he portrayed the image of himself that he wanted to be portrayed. He definitely thinks he is smarter than he is by the way he talks about his crimes.

The most fascinating parts were little things that I was not aware of. For instance, how he would use a water glass and then put it back after his crimes, so essentially his DNA was there the whole time at the crime scene. Also, the psychological insights were very interesting. It is baffling to me that he is so sexually deviant, yet he never raped a victim. Also, he admits he is a “little bit pedophilic”, but the cops said he doesn’t fit the criteria. Hard to believe that someone openly admits to that and yet you say they aren’t.

All in all- a horrifying guy that committed atrocious crimes. I haven’t read any other books on BTK, but I suspect there are better ones out there.

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

The human mind is, so complex!
Dennis Rader think he’s a good person, even if he murdered several people.

This book is captivating!
I highly recommend it!

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

I went in to this thinking it was going to be a psychoanalysis of BTK, based on the conversations Ramsland had with him. Unfortunately it presents more like a platform for BTK's voice - his letters to Ramsland are more or less copied to the page. (TW:) Frankly, I'm just not interested in BTK's firsthand account of him torturing and assaulting an 11 yo girl.

I'm a big true crime person and gory details aren't necessarily something I shy from - but letting a killer first-person narrate their own story doesn't feel like a privilege they should be allowed. Especially for someone like BTK who's biggest wish is to be immortalized and remembered.

[Baylee Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

Yet, I'm still giving this book a two star rating. This book wasn't what I was expecting. The first person voice from Dennis Rader threw me off and just made me not want to pick the book up. I think that a lot of people could really get something out of it but every time I picked it up I couldn't stand the voice.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Zoe Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ The last part and the most dangerous, is how we can blend into society with no apparent understanding characteristics. That is what makes a serial killer so dangerous and hard to detect.” The author of this book really did know how to send shivers down your spine. Katherine Ramsland went above and beyond to really give the perspective of what a serial killer wicked twisted mind it’s really about and in this book it came to life. This is a great book to read when you want to know the mind of a twisted psychotic person blending into society seeming like a regular normal person you see on an every day basis but in reality they love killing and the fantasies. In this book I gave every single detail what’s the serial killer was thinking why he liked killing and why he continued, therefore this book is a great book to read if you want to go in the field of criminology and start profiling. The one thing that I didn’t like about this book is that it was a very hard book to read if you’re just starting out to read or you don’t read that much I do recommend other books but overall this was a great book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a relative newcomer to Wichita, I did not know the whole BTK story . . . and this book chilled me to the bone, not least because I know many of the places where Dennis Rader did his stalking and trolling, his "projects". At our bookstore's recent author event, members of the Otero family drove in from New Mexico to attend, as did detectives on the case as well as the prosecuting attorney. Proceeds from this book go to the families' victim fund. Additionally, the families approved Ramsland's book project, presumably so that something might be gained in the way of prevention and detection of this kind of terrifying violent crime. Because what Ramsland does here, very effectively, is let Rader's story unspool in his own words and concepts -- she spent several years corresponding with him while he sits in segregation at El Dorado's correctional facility. While the book can get repetitive (it does not follow a chronological pattern but progresses thematically), you are immersed into the thought patterns and the intrinsically distorted, sometimes bizarre conceptualizations of Rader's disturbed psychopathology. (Ramsland stops short of calling him a psychopath, but I think it's pretty clear from Rader's self-described symptomatology that he likely is). It's not pleasant; however, there is something to be learned here. Serial killers, she suggests, are not cut from the same cloth. They are not necessarily abused as children. They hold jobs, have families, college degrees, and responsibilities (Rader, after all, was president of his church congregation and a Boy Scout leader). And the things that set them apart are enlightening: a heightened ability to fantasize from an early age exacerbated by loneliness or "lone wolf" status, a psychosocial developmental freeze at an immature/adolescent phase, narcissistic personality disorder, genetics (Rader's youngest brother put the family dog in the dryer), possible abnormality of the limbic system/amygdala along with poor impulse control (prefrontal cortex function), possible over-reward of the dopamine system in the brain, maybe even being dropped on the head as a baby, according to Rader. What a stew of nature vs. nurture. The bottom line: there are occasionally monsters among us, and we'd do well to recognize how we are predisposed not to recognize them. Let's shine a light in the way of scientific research and work towards identifying these individuals so as to avoid this kind of anguish, terror, and loss of life.

(*Note: I find this book impossible to rate, as the subject matter is just too inherently not entertaining and even being interested in it seems somehow wrong and morbid. It's a very controversial book here in Wichita. A customer in the bookstore where I work said to me, straight up: "SHAME on YOU." Not knowing what she was referring to, I said, "Shame on WHO?" And she replied, "SHAME on YOU for carrying that book.")

[RhS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katherine Ramsland went above and beyond in her communication with Dennis Rader. The information she compiled contributes to the overall understanding of the serial killer psyche.

Personally, I can't get that deep into Rader's mind. In addition to being a remorseless sexual sadist, he’s a damn fool. His "codes" are ridiculous. His crimes are the equivalent of a kindergarten fingerpainting.

So claps to the author’s patience, but I had to put the book down after just a few pages.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1974, a family of four were stocked then murdered in Wichita, Kansas. Soon after a young woman was murdered then another until there were 10 victims.

Dennis Lynn Rader named himself B. T. K. (Blind torture kill) with notes written to terrorise the city. He remained free for 30 years and no one who knew him would guess his dark secret.

In 2004, he began to play risky games with the police. Eventually he makes a mistake. Friends, family and work colleagues could not believe it and were totally shocked to discover the identity of the B. T. K. serial killer.

I love true life stories and especially what makes people like this turn into monsters.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the University of New England Press/ForeEdge and the author Katherine Ramsland for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone has heard of the BTK Killer who eluded authorities for decades. When I saw this book, I was intrigued right off of the bat. I used to read true crime novels all the time and could never understand what motivated a person to torture and kill another human being.

I found this book hard to read in one sitting. The rationale and reasons for his attacks were hard to stomach at times. The story is told through the author's analysis and observations as well as from the killer himself. Rader is pretty twisted. Some of his passages were a bit slow and I did find myself skimming them at times. What I did find the most disturbing was the way his descriptions of the murders and attacks came across as cold and matter of fact. I never felt emotion coming from him and that gave me chills.

I think true crime readers will enjoy this one. I will admit that I found the Introduction to be a bt confusing. I'm not sure I really understood the "code" that Rader used to communicate with the author. But in reality, I'm not sure you really need that section to understand the rest of the book.

[Jessie Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for one of my classes. Does a good job of showing his psychopathology and narcissism.

[Alex Andrasik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really creepy voyage into the mind of a killer. I'm not sure why, but the things that skeeved me out most about Dennis Rader were a couple of his verbal affectations--the way he calls the catalog models he'd clip out to fantasize with "slick ads," and the way he'd use the adverb "sexually" in contexts where it's grammatical inappropriate, i.e. "It gives me a sexually feeling." Those are just weird little details that feel like gateways into the peculiar way his mind works. He's obviously intelligent and hyper-organized, but there's also something off there--but obviously not enough for anyone in 30 years to take a second look at him and connect him to the string of murders he proved responsible for.

This is an unusual true crime book in that much of it is in the killer's own words. That makes it intriguing and frustrating, as Rader has a way of repeating and contradicting himself in ways that made me wish for slightly firmer authorial intervention, but these elements do contribute to the sense of the way his mind works. When Ramsland does interject, it's always with interesting and helpful context on the history of serial killers, information on the latest relevant psychological research, and slight re-contextualizations on certain of Rader's claims.

There's one thing lacking in this book, but to be fair, it would be really hard to capture without crossing a major moral line: more of the reaction of those closest to Rader, especially his mother, wife, and two kids. I can't imagine what they went through as the facts about Dennis Rader started to come out. While I would be fascinated to hear more from them, I can certainly understand their need to distance themselves from Rader as much as possible, and I applaud the author for not going for that sensational angle.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides unique insight into the mind of a serial killer. Most of the book consists of Dennis Rader's own writings. As a result, much of it is repetitive and written in his own voice and style. His inner fantasy life is horrific, and the fact that he led such a normal life outside of stalking, burglary, and murder makes him even more monstrous. He attributes his ability to juggle it all to 'cubing,' which most other people would call compartmentalizing.

At times he seems almost gleeful when describing 'Factor X,' or that darkness that made him kill. Every time he mentioned it I thought of Dexter and his 'Dark Passenger.' At other times he seemed to fully comprehend that what he did was awful and wished that there had been some sort of help for people like him that wouldn't have resulted in him serving jail time.

This is a good book for anyone who wants or needs to get into the head of a serial killer.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review forthcoming

[Tessa]

Leaving no rating for this book, as it feels extremely weird to give stars to a book written mostly in the direct words of a serial killer.

This novel is a deep dive into the “mind” of serial killer Dennis Rader, written mainly through his own words via writings and phone interviews. It was disgustingly, stomach churning, and psychologically very interesting. This man is obviously sick and describes his crimes and fantasies with such disconnect… it’s very intriguing how he uses dissociation to commit his crimes but lived a dual life with his family and church. I think there is some merit to diving deep into his personal stories and accounts, but ultimately this man is an unreliable narrator and I’m unsure if he should’ve been given a voice for entire novel like this. If the entire point is to more deeply understand criminal psychology, maybe this could be a case study or something? I’m just iffy on the whole concept.

Super glad I’m done reading this and I can put it back on my shelf and barely look at it. In desperate need of a palate cleanser now.

[Rita Constantino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book thinking it would be a psychological analysis of the BTK Killer, based on the extensive correspondence the author exchanged with him. Instead, the author gave this killer a platform, copying almost all of what he wrote to her, giving him the opportunity to psychoanalyze himself. Overall I think the book is highly inappropriate.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally me

[Gio S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But he knew from reading true crime books about mistakes that other killers had made and he was not about to join that club. He finished in time to greet his wife as she came home from work. To her, he acted the same as usual. But he knew he had crossed a significant threshold—the "death path.” When it comes to books about serial killers, I’m a newbie. However, after reading this hair-raising book, I am all for serial killer books. The amount of detail that is put into explaining the murders is incredible. For instance, one of Rader’s first kills was the Otero family, and he explains how he undresses the daughter until she is naked. He then explains how he ties her up by her wrist and ankles and then proceeds to hang her. It even goes deeper into detail and explains how he gets overwhelmed with excitement and proceeds to touch her breasts and begins to masturbate. In addition, I love how it gets deep into a serial killer's mind. For example, Rader has a “little friend” the monster in his brain which is always present and urging him on to kill. Likewise, I admire how Rader isn’t just a typical serial killer. For instance, after killing the Otero family and as the police ran into dead ends into the investigation, Rader watches the news and waits until the newspapers are put in a pile before carefully clipping them to keep. Furthermore, I love how Rader acts like a normal person when he’s not murdering. For example, when he’s with his wife he acts as if he isn’t a psychotic person with a messed up mind. He’s back at home when he has to be and is not suspicious at all. In contrast, I dislike how the book starts off so disturbing. I would rather be eased into it. For instance, the very first chapter explains in detail how each of one of the Otero family members are found dead. In conclusion, this is one of best books I’ve ever read. I recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime and finds how people were murdered interesting.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t normally pick up non-fiction so I probably would never have read this but it was a book club selection. It is not an easy read but it is fascinating. I live in the city where dennis rader (lowercase on purpose) stalked and murdered his victims. Most of the murders took place before we moved to this area and I was not familiar with them. I was a teenager in another state when he started his spree. We did live here in 1991 when he killed his last victim, but I don’t think they tied that to him at the time.

My first recollection was when the 30th anniversary of the first murder was getting attention. There were articles in the newspaper and stories on local news. The killer was an enigma who had disappeared. Most people I knew didn’t think he would ever be caught.

I remember assuming that the killer had stopped and was either dead or had left the area, but I learned in reading this book that was not the case. It had been a long time since he had killed, but he was still trolling and stalking women. He never stopped. And the spotlight of the anniversary of the first case was too much for him to resist. He very soon began to communicate with the police. He wanted people to know he was still here and he loved the notoriety. Thank goodness his need for the spotlight turned out to be his un-doing.

It was strange to read about the things he had done because all of the places are so familiar. He abandoned one victim’s car in the shopping center near where I currently work. One of his early communications was left in the book drop of the main branch of the library downtown. At the time I worked right across the street and regularly walked to the library at lunch time.

I have mixed feelings about books like this. We know rader read about and admired other serial killers. It bothers me that a young troubled person might read what rader has written and take inspiration from it.

[Donna Galanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a chilling study into a serial killer's mind direct from his own thoughts. What makes it captivating is Dr. Ramsland's own lengthy study of Dennis Rader, and his words, from her extensive experience and knowledge. Her close connection with him allowed her to decipher his coded language and give us a deeper, layered perspective into why he committed these gruesome acts. This book should give better insight to law enforcement on how a serial killer operates, yet we also learn that there is no one pattern for serial killers. They may have some markers, but not all, and each killer is unique in their own acts. This true story drives me to peer over my shoulder and question every person around me at any given time. Adding to the horror was learning that dozens of people were marked and hunted but never killed for many reasons - he was in their houses, following them and plotting their death with great lust. Dr. Ramsland's expert commentary leads us through the terrifying mind of the BTK serial killer - and terrifies us with his "cubed" perspective on life that allowed him to be an upstanding citizen in his church and Boy Scouts while secretly living a deviant life leading to murder. Who among us is the same in hiding?

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denis Rader is the personification of pure evil, and is a man who moved easily in society, but we never see the real person. The Author has brought to light, maybe what we don’t want to see, how could such a man be there and we not see.
As he explains his reasons or thoughts, I felt he was enjoying the crimes all over again. He tells the author in a series of letters, but boy does his narcissistic personality come out, and I had no sympathy for that man.
My feelings are very mixed on this book, at times I felt he was enjoying telling his story in the letters he sent the author, way to much, but then it is what he is about. Do I think we should know the intimate detail of his horrific and evil crimes, no I don’t, and felt he is getting to much pleasure out of telling.
I’m not sure we even need to know how he feels, and hope he didn’t get anything out of agreeing to write the author, but I feel he did.
I received this book through Librarything, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Sarah Joint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took me awhile to finish. I kept dropping it to read something else and coming back to it. It's not an easy read at all. Katherine Ramsland and Dennis Rader both lend their voices to the story. Reader's words are always very disturbing and hard to get through. I did find it fascinating to look inside the mind of a serial killer, which is exactly what this book is. It's really hard to wrap your mind around, though Ramsland does a good job of translating Rader's words when necessary, which is often. He uses a lot of code words and acronyms. I somehow doubt I'm going to sleep anytime soon.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and University of England Press/ForEdge in exchange for my honest review, thank you!

[HillbillyMystic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's bad enough our President-elect is a narcissistic, sociopath. I cannot speak to other books in this genre because this was my first and most definitely will be my last. Reality is way too disturbing and sick just knowing real monsters like Donald Trump and Dennis Rader are out there in our midst. I'm going to stick to something light like post apocalyptic fiction and stay busy at grad school for the next four years and pretend none of this horrific stuff is happening around me. That is my New Year's Resolution.

[Lexi Mag · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book gave Rader a platform for his side of the story he should have never been given. I was hoping for an analysis of what he said, a psychological look at Rader himself and was hoping that it would be more than the self aggrandizing rants of a serial killer.

Serial killers are liars. Serial killers want attention. Serial killers have the ability to ingratiate themselves to people and to fool them. To read anything in this book is to set aside those facts and hope for truths that were never presented.

[Videoclimber(AKA)MTsLilSis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to read! Climbing into the mind of a serial killer should not be easy! Ramsland does a good job of pulling us into Rader's world and helping us to understand his twisted mind. An insightful read into a touchy subject.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher, for providing me with a free e-arc-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

[andrew y · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'll never read another book quite like this one.
But Rader's lust for reliving his crimes and self-aggrandizement throughout overpowers even Dr. Ramsland's attempts to transform this into something more.
You probably shouldn't read another book like this one.

[Rachel Buzzotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

My feelings about this book are all over the place, which I guess is fitting for such a horrific, complex story.

Let’s start with Katherine Ramsland, PhD. She did an outstanding job with this book, from corresponding with Rader to analyzing and explaining his story and psychological state, Ramsland captivates the reader from start to finish.

While you are captivated by the breakdown of his twisted mind, reading from his perspective makes it very difficult to read in large doses. I tend to finish books in 48 hours but it took me about a week to read this one. Not only is it horrendous to read him talk about these crimes, but it also infuriated me. With his compulsive lies (one chapter saying he would never do X, Y and Z because he isn’t that bad, next chapter doing X, Y and Z), his deranged views on good vs bad, repetitive words, and his gross ‘god complex’, I just REALLY hated reading his words. This isn’t to discredit the book at all though! Still believe that Ramsland did a great job.

The last two chapters are the most fascinating to me. With the neuro-developmental criminology explanation, Peter Vronsky’s opinion on Rader and trauma as a whole, and the overall psychoanalysis Ramsland concludes is an extremely interesting read.

For those reading this- stick with it and read in small doses!

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up because Ramsland is one of the most shrewd observers in her field. Also, because she’s very good at reading Rader to filth in psych speak without seeming like she needs to spoon feed us that He Is Bad (we know, and I appreciate that she assumes that about us). Minor detract for some of the sidebars to explain the crimes of other serial killers - Ma’am, respectfully, you can assume that someone who is subjecting themselves to Rader’s obnoxious narcissism willfully probably knows about Jack the Ripper. IJS.

My main gripe is with the audiobook - having one male narrator switch between Ramsland’s words and the frequent first person narration from Rader’s grammatically woeful letters makes it hard to determine when that happens if you’re listening to the audiobook and not looking at a page. Different narrators would have been way more helpful.

I read Keri Rader’s book earlier this year and wasn’t impressed, but I think that’s because I was looking more for what Ramsland provides. If you really want the psych exploration of Rader by a pro who actually spoke with him, this one’s for you.

May 2025 be the year that testicular necrosis finally gets Rader in prison.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s intent to stand back and let the killer tell the story from his perspective provides interesting insight into a damaged mind, but it makes for a choppy story. And since we already know the guy is messed in the head, there is an element of unreliability about the overall story. I think I have to read another book about this to get a better context.

The amusing part of this disturbing tale is that despite his horrific crime spree and his textbook development of a serial killer persona including complex clues and signature elements, nobody cared. So frustrating for him to not be recognized as an evil genius leading a double life.