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True Crime by Evil Killers #13
William Heirens: The True Story of The Lipstick Killer
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago was in the midst of a one man crime wave. But this crime wave was unlike any other in Chicago history. It was not perpetrated by a seasoned gangster like Al Capone or sophisticated serial killer like John Wayne the offender in question was an unassuming teenager named William George Heirens. Before Heirens’ crime spree was over, he burglarized over 300 hundred homes and murdered three innocent people. In this true crime murder book you will learn the details of Heirens’ rampage through the city of Chicago and what drove him to become one of the most disturbed psychopaths and sociopaths in the annals of all true crime stories. At first glance, as an American serial killer, Heirens may not appear as formidable as others since he only claimed three victims. He was also much younger the average serial killer and was a nice looking young man when he was arrested. But the truly frightening aspect of Heirens’ story is how a seemingly normal child, with a stable home, can evolve into a petty criminal and eventually to the status of serial killer. A close examination of Heirens’ life will reveal that beneath the façade of normalcy lurked a vicious killer waiting to be unleashed on the hapless citizens of Chicago. This book will at times shock and disturb you, but you will not be able to put it down once you read the first page! Truly, you will see a youth who was well on his way to becoming a killer at an early age. So sit back and prepare to enter the mind of a truly disturbed youth as you read this unique Chicago serial killer’s biography.
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2016
About the author
Jack Rosewood
93 books154 followersI live in one of the most beautiful places in Florida, Jupiter, with my wife, two kids and our golden retriever, Vincent. I've been a full time author for the last 15 years and I wouldn't trade it against anything in the world!
My father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that's where my big interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear my father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as we were out fishing as a kid are some of my best memories.
My father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that's where my big interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear my father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as we were out fishing as a kid are some of my best memories.
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February 9, 2016If you like true crime, you'll enjoy this latest read by Jack Rosewood titled, "The Lipstick Killer". Its about William Heirens who was otherwise known in the Chicago area as The Lipstick Killer. The press apparently named him that after Heirens wrote a cryptic message in lipstick at the scene of one of one of his murders saying:
"For heavens
sake catch me
before I kill more
I cannot control myself"
It was 1945, and Heirens had apparently already murdered twice, leaving the message on a mirror above the bed at the 2nd victim's home in her own lipstick. He was a twisted sick killer, using various ways of dispatching his victims. The first was stabbed and had her throat slit, the next one was shot and after death then stabbed. Perhaps his goriest kill was the 6 year old girl that he kidnapped from her family's apartment then taking her nearby where he strangled then dismembered her. I really enjoyed the book including the later info regarding his very long imprisonment.
"For heavens
sake catch me
before I kill more
I cannot control myself"
It was 1945, and Heirens had apparently already murdered twice, leaving the message on a mirror above the bed at the 2nd victim's home in her own lipstick. He was a twisted sick killer, using various ways of dispatching his victims. The first was stabbed and had her throat slit, the next one was shot and after death then stabbed. Perhaps his goriest kill was the 6 year old girl that he kidnapped from her family's apartment then taking her nearby where he strangled then dismembered her. I really enjoyed the book including the later info regarding his very long imprisonment.
September 13, 2019
William Heirens killed three people in the early 40s - a time when people really didn't know what a serial killer really was. He came from a'good" family and had a decent upbringing. Yet he developed an obsession with and sexual satisfaction from breaking into houses and stealing things - especially women's underwear. He was caught and upon release reoffended. He was convicted and spent the rest of his life in prison where he actually was a model prisoner and did some good. This dichotomy is interesting and explored.
February 7, 2017
Another interesting case I hadn’t heard about before.
I love these short true crime guides, easy to read with clues emerging as the case unfolds. You are continually surprised by shocking and incredible facts-this man spent over 65 years in prison for his crimes. There is a video of an interview with Heirens in prison included at the end of the book. After reading of his shocking crimes it’s eerie that he looks so ‘normal’-just like anyone’s grandad. It just brings it home how you just never know, killers don’t always look like killers, that’s how they get away with such terrible things for so long.
Rosewood is on form with what he does best. This was well-presented and accurate (errors are left in Heirens’ own letters to his family, ransom notes etc. and this keeps everything authentic, as it was, I can see why the author has done this). I like little touches like that there are page numbers in the kindle edition-I know; it doesn’t really matter but it just adds a little to the whole reading experience for me. I’ve read many true crime books and here was another case I’d not already heard about. Interesting and perfect when you want something shorter and easier between more in-depth reads.
I love these short true crime guides, easy to read with clues emerging as the case unfolds. You are continually surprised by shocking and incredible facts-this man spent over 65 years in prison for his crimes. There is a video of an interview with Heirens in prison included at the end of the book. After reading of his shocking crimes it’s eerie that he looks so ‘normal’-just like anyone’s grandad. It just brings it home how you just never know, killers don’t always look like killers, that’s how they get away with such terrible things for so long.
Rosewood is on form with what he does best. This was well-presented and accurate (errors are left in Heirens’ own letters to his family, ransom notes etc. and this keeps everything authentic, as it was, I can see why the author has done this). I like little touches like that there are page numbers in the kindle edition-I know; it doesn’t really matter but it just adds a little to the whole reading experience for me. I’ve read many true crime books and here was another case I’d not already heard about. Interesting and perfect when you want something shorter and easier between more in-depth reads.
December 15, 2018
Awful book
A waste of time and money. The Wikipedia page is better written and provides more information. Save your money and reading time and look elsewhere.
A waste of time and money. The Wikipedia page is better written and provides more information. Save your money and reading time and look elsewhere.
August 10, 2016
William Heirens: The True Story of the Lipstick Killer Review by Jack Rosewood 8/10/16
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago was in the midst of a one man crime wave. But this crime wave was unlike any other in Chicago history. It was not perpetrated by a seasoned gangster like Al Capone or sophisticated serial killer like John Wayne Gacy: the offender in question was an unassuming teenager named William George Heirens. Before Heirens’ crime spree was over, he burglarized over 300 hundred homes and murdered three innocent people. In this true crime murder book you will learn the details of Heirens’ rampage through the city of Chicago and what drove him to become one of the most disturbed psychopaths and sociopaths in the annals of all true crime stories. At first glance, as an American serial killer, Heirens may not appear as formidable as others since he only claimed three victims. He was also much younger the average serial killer and was a nice looking young man when he was arrested. But the truly frightening aspect of Heirens’ story is how a seemingly normal child, with a stable home, can evolve into a petty criminal and eventually to the status of serial killer. A close examination of Heirens’ life will reveal that beneath the façade of normalcy lurked a vicious killer waiting to be unleashed on the hapless citizens of Chicago. This book will at times shock and disturb you, but you will not be able to put it down once you read the first page! Truly, you will see a youth who was well on his way to becoming a killer at an early age. So sit back and prepare to enter the mind of a truly disturbed youth as you read this unique Chicago serial killer’s biography.
What did I like? I really had mixed thoughts about this book; at times it was really interesting as to the methods of arrests, how the press handled everything, the comparisons to that time period and today and the actual interviews with Heirens himself. I grew up in the early 50’s and remember a lot of the methods of police work because several of my relatives were officers. When I compare what they did to what is done today it is like night and day differences. The investigation of the psychopathology of serial killers was fascinating though. The background information about Heirens and comparing him to other serial killers was also quite informative but sort of sick at the same time.
What are you going to like? The author did a Hugh amount research to put this all together and you can really see it in every single page. The details and the comparisons along with all of the background work that the police did is outlined and spelled out to such a degree that it is like reading the actual police reports. The author has a unique writing style that captures the total essence of the killers that he is writing about to such a degree you feel like you know them and that is really scary. Using police methods back then that would be totally illegal today and spelling it out for us in black and white was an eye opener. If you are into true crime, I highly recommend this book as it is the most detailed book that I have come across. I have an unending desire to learn about everything and boy this really quenched my thirst for serial killers. I have no clue as to what makes a person do those things that these guys did and have no desire to learn more up close and personal but this book will definitely spell it out tons of research for you.
“I received this for being an advanced reader for the author. Besides getting all the good books in advance of hitting the market and have the opportunity to share my remarks, I love being part of the team that works with authors as they share each new book that they pen”.
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago was in the midst of a one man crime wave. But this crime wave was unlike any other in Chicago history. It was not perpetrated by a seasoned gangster like Al Capone or sophisticated serial killer like John Wayne Gacy: the offender in question was an unassuming teenager named William George Heirens. Before Heirens’ crime spree was over, he burglarized over 300 hundred homes and murdered three innocent people. In this true crime murder book you will learn the details of Heirens’ rampage through the city of Chicago and what drove him to become one of the most disturbed psychopaths and sociopaths in the annals of all true crime stories. At first glance, as an American serial killer, Heirens may not appear as formidable as others since he only claimed three victims. He was also much younger the average serial killer and was a nice looking young man when he was arrested. But the truly frightening aspect of Heirens’ story is how a seemingly normal child, with a stable home, can evolve into a petty criminal and eventually to the status of serial killer. A close examination of Heirens’ life will reveal that beneath the façade of normalcy lurked a vicious killer waiting to be unleashed on the hapless citizens of Chicago. This book will at times shock and disturb you, but you will not be able to put it down once you read the first page! Truly, you will see a youth who was well on his way to becoming a killer at an early age. So sit back and prepare to enter the mind of a truly disturbed youth as you read this unique Chicago serial killer’s biography.
What did I like? I really had mixed thoughts about this book; at times it was really interesting as to the methods of arrests, how the press handled everything, the comparisons to that time period and today and the actual interviews with Heirens himself. I grew up in the early 50’s and remember a lot of the methods of police work because several of my relatives were officers. When I compare what they did to what is done today it is like night and day differences. The investigation of the psychopathology of serial killers was fascinating though. The background information about Heirens and comparing him to other serial killers was also quite informative but sort of sick at the same time.
What are you going to like? The author did a Hugh amount research to put this all together and you can really see it in every single page. The details and the comparisons along with all of the background work that the police did is outlined and spelled out to such a degree that it is like reading the actual police reports. The author has a unique writing style that captures the total essence of the killers that he is writing about to such a degree you feel like you know them and that is really scary. Using police methods back then that would be totally illegal today and spelling it out for us in black and white was an eye opener. If you are into true crime, I highly recommend this book as it is the most detailed book that I have come across. I have an unending desire to learn about everything and boy this really quenched my thirst for serial killers. I have no clue as to what makes a person do those things that these guys did and have no desire to learn more up close and personal but this book will definitely spell it out tons of research for you.
“I received this for being an advanced reader for the author. Besides getting all the good books in advance of hitting the market and have the opportunity to share my remarks, I love being part of the team that works with authors as they share each new book that they pen”.
February 18, 2016
I love reading Jack Rosewood’s series of book of true crime stories which is why I’m always entering the giveaways he has on LibraryThing which is how I came to receive a mobi.file copy of this book and the following is my honest opinion.
William Heiren’s is unlike any criminal or mass murder Mr. Jackson has written about before. Even though he had been born during the Great Depression, neither he; nor his younger or older brothers ever suffered from want. They always had food to eat, clothes to wear, and had been brought up in a religious manner; knowing what right from wrong, and sex being a dirty word.
Heiren’s major problem growing up is of being a loner who had been unable to connect to anyone even his own parents. All this resulted in a repressed sexual behavior which involved women’s underwear which he routinely would steal from basement laundry rooms, etc. He knew what he was doing was totally wrong but he also knew he just couldn’t stop himself. This is why he cried out for help after having taken the life of his second victim by writing a message on a wall using her lipstick. Further, the victim herself didn’t match the usual profile of other victims, no drug/alcohol use, no sexual involvement with men, in short, she was an All American Girl.
Using methods which by today’s standards would be consider illegal, the Chicago detectives brought Heiren’s reign of terror to a relatively quick conclusion. While the number of victims who died in low in comparison to other serial murderers is low, he only killed three; the total number of burglaries he committed made for a one-man crime wave in Chicago.
Mr. Rosewood also, as usual, gives his readers a thorough psychological picture of Heiren, which when taken with the rest of the book, is the reason I’ve given this book 5 STARS.
William Heiren’s is unlike any criminal or mass murder Mr. Jackson has written about before. Even though he had been born during the Great Depression, neither he; nor his younger or older brothers ever suffered from want. They always had food to eat, clothes to wear, and had been brought up in a religious manner; knowing what right from wrong, and sex being a dirty word.
Heiren’s major problem growing up is of being a loner who had been unable to connect to anyone even his own parents. All this resulted in a repressed sexual behavior which involved women’s underwear which he routinely would steal from basement laundry rooms, etc. He knew what he was doing was totally wrong but he also knew he just couldn’t stop himself. This is why he cried out for help after having taken the life of his second victim by writing a message on a wall using her lipstick. Further, the victim herself didn’t match the usual profile of other victims, no drug/alcohol use, no sexual involvement with men, in short, she was an All American Girl.
Using methods which by today’s standards would be consider illegal, the Chicago detectives brought Heiren’s reign of terror to a relatively quick conclusion. While the number of victims who died in low in comparison to other serial murderers is low, he only killed three; the total number of burglaries he committed made for a one-man crime wave in Chicago.
Mr. Rosewood also, as usual, gives his readers a thorough psychological picture of Heiren, which when taken with the rest of the book, is the reason I’ve given this book 5 STARS.
February 15, 2016
Chicago, IL. William Heirens (aka Lipstick Killer) only killed 3 individuals. They however were very brutal sadistic murders. He attended the University of Chicago, & got a BA from Lewis College.
Quite educated the model prisoner helped others as well as trying to get out of prison himself.
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written true crime book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great true crime movie, college PP presentation, mini TV series or documentary (True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery). Once again no works cited or references. Not quite as exciting to read as the others so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Wiq Media; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Quite educated the model prisoner helped others as well as trying to get out of prison himself.
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written true crime book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great true crime movie, college PP presentation, mini TV series or documentary (True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery). Once again no works cited or references. Not quite as exciting to read as the others so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Wiq Media; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 15, 2017
Excellent!
Well told tale that flowed very nicely and kept me awake to the wee hours. Detailed and well researched offering a trip into the past as if you were one of the concerned citizens of the city that knew terror.
Well told tale that flowed very nicely and kept me awake to the wee hours. Detailed and well researched offering a trip into the past as if you were one of the concerned citizens of the city that knew terror.
January 5, 2017
Another home run.
Jack Rosewood's books are wonderful. His research is meticulous, making you feel as if the killer is someone who might live in your neighborhood.
Jack Rosewood's books are wonderful. His research is meticulous, making you feel as if the killer is someone who might live in your neighborhood.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews