Hunted: The Zodiac Murders - Revised Edition

The Zodiac Serial Killer #1

by Mark Hewitt

The Zodiac serial killer claimed the lives of at least five young victims between 1966 and 1974, and mocked the police with telephone calls, taunting letters, and encrypted messages. Thousands of men have been accused; nearly 2,500 have been investigated. Yet the Zodiac has never been identified.

This painstakingly researched and meticulously detailed compendium to the Zodiac serial killer case by True Crime author Mark Hewitt presents the crimes and their effect on a community, including the various sides of the many disputed issues within the case.

HUNTED: The Zodiac Murders is the true story of America's greatest criminal mystery. This indispensable companion book is accessible to anyone interested in joining the pursuit, exploring a mystery, or witnessing the police response to an appalling crime spree.

Book One, HUNTED: The Zodiac Murders tells the amazing true story of a serial killer on the loose. Book Two, PROFILED, The Zodiac Examined (2017) examines the evidence and offers a careful, detailed profile of the killer based on the case facts. Book Three, EXPOSED: The Zodiac Revealed (2018) narrows down the lengthy list of suspects, and offers startling conclusions.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History

392 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2016

About the author

Dr. Mark G. Hewitt, DBA is a true crime author and award-winning public speaker who travels the world in his quest for intriguing, unanswered questions and enduring mysteries.

With inmate Guillermo Mendez, Doctor Hewitt is the co-author of Charles Manson Behind Bars, the first Manson book from the inside. He has earned a BA in Theology, an M.Div. in ministry, and an MBA and a DBA in Business Administration.

Dr. Hewitt has been interviewed by, and featured through the following: WOR 710 (the largest talk radio station in New York City), Fox 40 in Sacramento, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, LiveSciFi.com, Paranormal Zone TV, and the Globe, among other news outlets.

He resides in Northern California with his son where he researches and writes about the Zodiac serial killer, and other true crime cases. He can be reached for interviews through the following: Facebook “Mark G Hewitt;” email: Radians@live.com; and, phone (707)-548-6479.

Reviews

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen documentaries on the Zodiac killer, so I knew a lot of the basic information about the killings and the investigation, I actually thought I knew quite a lot but this book certainly proved that I didn't. There is so much information that I had never heard before and so many leads which sound incredibly interesting that would have changed my perspective about the whole situation had I heard them before.

This book is incredibly well researched and is very well written, there is no sensationalising of the facts or any particularly biased opinions forced upon the reader. The author very clearly lays out the information and in chronological order which I always think is a bonus.

There were at times what I felt like information dumps, which I can imagine was very hard to prevent with how much information was being presented throughout the book, but there were two occasions I had to stop myself from skimming because I was getting too much information to process in one go. Having only two moments of this though in a long book with a lot of information is actually really good.

Overall a very good and fascinating read and one I will recommend. I am also now looking forward to future books in this series by Mark Hewitt.

Thank you very much to Genius Book Publishing for a copy of Hunted in exchange for an honest review.

To see this and other reviews, check out my blog http://lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk/

[Ivona Kafedjiska · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not your choice for a relaxing read, but it is an excellent choice if you want to learn a lot about the Zodiac killer and the committed crimes. At times, the book is quite hard to read, not because of the cruelty of the crimes, but mostly because it is packed with detailed information and contains names of lot of places and people. This fact did not make the book an easy page-turner for me, but taking my time with it eventually taught me a lot about the Zodiac killer. There is no doubt that the author did an extensive research for this book, bit I think maybe some of the details were redundant and a bit confusing. The good part was that each chapter was dedicated to a separate crime, so that made the reading at least a little bit easier to follow. Additionally, at the end of the book there are four appendices, dedicated to the 1. Zodiac attacks, 2. Zodiac victims, 3. Zodiac Letters, 4. Zodiac Timeline. I realized they were there only as I got to the end of the book, but I think the writing would have been easier to follow if I had read at least some of them beforehand.

There are two points I really liked about this book. The first one is the prologue, where the author gives an analysis of other events at the time that plausibly diminished the interest in the Zodiac killer in the public eye. These events include other crimes (for eg. the Manson family carnage), scientific progress (for eg. the moon landing), the Woodstock experiment, people who still struggled with the consequences of the Vietnam war or the assassination of Kennedy among others. These all lead the author to conclude that “for a killer who desired publicity and infamy, he could scarcely have chosen a more ill- advised time and place to ply his trade than Northern California in the year 1969”. I really loved getting a bigger picture about its time and surrounding circumstances and I would have even enjoyed to read a little bit more about this.

The second point I liked was the fact that the author maintained a neutral narrating voice throughout the whole book; namely he restrained himself from giving personal opinions all the time or “trying to solve the crimes” himself. It is fascinating to read how the investigation into the Zodiac killer was made and to stay away from making a book that would be the written form of a Hollywood blockbuster. I guess it could be easy to get carried away with outlining personal theories, but I was really glad to see that the author did not do so.

In conclusion, I would recommend the book to people interested in fact-to-fact crime and to readers who are willing to put the time and the patience into a book. It will be worth it, I promise.

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found out that I didn't know nearly what I thought I knew about the Zodiac Murders. Like Jack the Ripper, Zodiac has never been captured. This book has an enormous amount of information about the case. It is a fascinating read. I did have to stop several times but it was to absorb the information and examine it. I think, like with Jack the Ripper, there is a desire to find the clues that will unearth the killer. This book is a treasure chest for armchair detectives. The author presents the facts and theories of the case without trying to solve it himself. I applaud him for that! I cannot imagine the difficulty in keeping your personal opinions and guesses to yourself in writing a book such as this.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading true crime. I would also recommend it to anyone not familiar with this case. As it was four decades ago, I imagine there are many who don't know all the details. This book will provide you with them.
I read this book through BookTasters. Thank you to Genius Book Publishing Company for providing me a review copy. No compensation was received nor was a "good" review promised. Regardless of how a book comes to me, all reviews are my honest opinion.

[Simon Zohhadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 5.43 a.m. and I have just finished reading the excellent 'Hunted - The Zodiac Murders', the first book of three relating to the serial murders committed by the so-called Zodiac. Looking forward to Book 2: The Zodiac Examined and Book 3: The Zodiac Revealed. As with the Jack The Rippers murders, the killings attributed to the Zodiac killer remain unsolved. The number of victims are also unknown although officially it is said he was responsible for 5 or 6 murders with 2 surviving his senseless attacks. There can be no doubt the same man was responsible for the violent attacks on 3 couples which led to 4 deaths but links to the Bates and Stine murders are in my opinion questionable. The letters sent to the police and newspapers, although officially attributed to the Zodiac, are again in my view possible red herrings. The Yorkshire police made a monumental error in the Yorkshire Ripper case by concentrating on the contents of letters and tape recordings they believed were sent by the killer; they turned out to be hoaxes. There is a possibility that the FBI and Detectives have made a similar error despite their "certainty" that the correspondence from the Zodiac is genuine. Another interesting point is that there are several strong candidates which also suggests how easy it is to jump to conclusions of a person's guilt. It has to be stated that none of the suspects were ever arrested or charged with the Zodiac killings. If all 6 murders were carried out by the Zodiac then 2 suspects should not be completely discounted: Sullivan (the librarian at Riverside) and Allen. It is, however, likely to be someone who has never been a suspect and could be the work of one of the other notorious serial killers. Fascinating book.



SI?!LA????AF!!!PV!?!CJ!!!CJ2?!?HTIM-1!?!ALRIS!!!NAI - Is this a code ?





P.S. the probable reasons why the cryptic codes were indecipherable is because they were random and not meant to reveal anything.


My rating: 5/5.

[Jennifer Quinones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I listened to this on audio-book and therefore I am hesitant to explain my reasoning for not giving this a higher rating. The "problems" that I had may be down to the narrator/producer/editor of the audio version, and not the written text.

Many dates of incidents or letters were wrong, and even contradicted within the span of a few minutes' listening (what would amount to a few pages).

The author tries very hard to link the Zodiac to Charles Manson and the Manson Family murders, whether it be by stating that the Zodiac was influenced by them or any other way, Charles Manson and the Family are brought up on many occasions. The problem I have with this is that the book brings up facts about the murder, such as words written in blood, but gets it wrong. The author claims that the word 'WAR' was written in the blood of one of the victims at the scene of the Sharon Tate murder. This fact, which was actually a major element in the Manson case, is incorrect. the word written on the door in blood was 'PIG'. The word 'WAR' is part if the Manson case, but not in this context.

Additionally, it really bugged me that the narrator kept saying "similarily" instead or "similarly". Again, that could just be an issue with the narrator, but it definitely affected my overall opinion of the book.

Overall, because of the errors, which are easily researched, it made it hard to believe 100% of the new information on the Zodiac case presented in this book. Which is such a shame, because there was a lot that I hadn't come across before. I'm pretty disappointed about that.

I am interested to see the next book in this "series" though. But I think next time I'll pick up a physical copy.

[R.R. Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the mystery of the Zodiac Killer. No nonsense here, no accusations or wild speculations - just a clean presentation of the facts pertaining to the case. While that could be overly academic and dull, Mr Hewitt never lets it become so. The writing is engaging from start to finish, and whether you are already knowledge on all things Zodiac or new to the case this will make a good, well-rounded read.

[Wouter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly a book about facts concerning the zodiac murders, sometimes goes a bit too deep into setting the scene of the time and at times felt like a information dump. However it kept me interested throughout and I feel like I learned what I could from the information that is available, certainly a good way to learn about one of the most enigmatic serial killers the world has ever seen.

[Prapti Panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Zodiac killer...one of the most notorious serial killers in the history of America, a cunning wordsmith and a man who confessed to killing more than 37 people. Who on earth was he? Each of his victims were grotesquely killed and used to strike terror into the hearts of others. There must be more than a dozen different book on this subject on the internet. What's so great about this one? Well, for starters, the writing is really, really good. The last thing you want is a true crime book to read like fiction. But the author of this book did a perfect job of infusing both formality and creativity into his words. Another thing is, he doesn't make it sound too extravagant. People always tend to slightly exaggerate but this book was so down-to-earth that I don't have to complain about that. One thing that struck me was the clarity of the author- he didn't fumble or try to cover scanty facts. I think he spent a lot of time on his research, but the end result was totally worth it. It felt as though I was actually present when the Zodiac sent his 'Confessions' to the cops and they tried to decipher his codes. I read somewhere that there are two more books coming up in this series and I just can't wait! If you're another armchair investigator (as the author puts it) like me, grab a copy today! You certainly won't be able to stop once you begin.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hunted: Book One – The Zodiac Murders” by Mark Hewitt, DBA is an engrossing and intriguing examination of the serial killer that stalked California in the 1960s and 1970s. Thoroughly documented and chockfull of incredible detail, this lengthy book covers all aspects of the murders and the efforts of law enforcement to capture this methodical murderer. Hewitt has done a good job to recreate the times and describe the relevant social issues in the crosscurrent of California culture at that time. Beginning with the first murder in 1969, he carefully documents the progression of events that often take unusual and bizarre turns as a host of individual lives play out – sometimes tragically – under the glare of media and police scrutiny. Hewitt vividly describes the public’s fear as the brutal murders unfold and the frustration of law enforcement as they try unsuccessfully to capture the man responsible for seven or more deaths in southern and northern California. “Hunted: Book One – The Zodiac Murders” is a masterful assembly of very detailed evidence and often contradictory testimonies of one of the most infamous serial killings in American history. This is the first installment of three volumes. “Profiled: Book Two – The Zodiac Examined” is due out next year and “Exposed: Book Three – The Zodiac Revealed” will be published in 2018. I can’t wait!

[Nikkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having heard of the Zodiac Killer before, but not actually knowing much about the case, the murderer or the victims, I can say that this book has filled in any gaps! I still find it hard to believe the obvious fact that the killer was never found, like Jack the Ripper, if only these crimes had been committed in this day and age.

Such amazing background information on the case, Mark Hewitt has certainly done his research! The passion for this case also shines through when you are reading. Mark has left no stone unturned in his investigation of every victim, the suspects and even the officers who were on this case at the time.

Overall a very good and fascinating read and one I will recommend. I am also now looking forward to future books in this series by Mark Hewitt. I am such a fan of true crime and Mark has done this crime justice!

Thank you to Booktasters and Mark Hewitt for the copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.

[H. Rae Monk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hewitt gives the most miniscule, detailed findings of the case that has been ongoing for nearly fifty years. No stone was overturned in his investigation of every victim, every prevalent suspect, and every officer that made head way in the case. The questions about the investigation are satisfied, even if the questions about culprit are not. Hewitt even gives examples of every forensic technique employed in finding the Zoidac Killer, everything from handwriting analysis to DNA analysis is explored. Even amidst all of the facts that have been piling up for a decade, there is definite notes of horror, anger and sadness throughout the text that befits the tragedy of death the Zodiac has left in his path. A real page-turner, the well structured book was easy to follow and far more interesting than I could have ever anticipated.

[Pamela Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Compendium

I liked the way this author categorized each murder in chronological order and identified the evidence for each case. While there wasn't much new, it was more organized. He went into more detail about the victims backgrounds. The delivery is a bit dry but it is well organized.
The only thing I missed was the suspects and what fit and what didn't for each suspect.
Robert Graysmith's books were a bit confusing at times and the accuracy of some of his information has been questioned.
This book clarifies some of the confusion and there is less conjecture than some of the other books.
I recommend it to anyone who has seen David Fincher's film and would like more information on the case.

[Jordan E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centers around the Zodiac Killer and his gruesome murders along with his taunting of the police.The Zodiac Killer was active in California and was never caught.All he did was just stop and fade away. He took the the lives of 5 confirmed but he has claimed to have killed more.
This book is a great read for those who love mysteries.The book includes some of the coded letters that the Zodiac sent out that you can try to crack.As you can see this book is not for the faint of heart as it does go into great detail about some of the murders, but if you can handle that I'm sure you won't be able to put the book down.My question for you though is why wasn't he caught.

[Daniyela · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started the book I went in only knowing that the Zodiac killer killed a handful of people and and was never captured. It turns out he gruesomely killed more than 37 people. This is truly a good read. You can tell the author really put his time into the book. This book isn't about who the Zodiac killer is or who the author suspects. Its about the murders themselves and everything the police were doing to catch him. I recommend this book to anyone who is just learning about the Zodiac killer and those who like to read true crime.

[Ashlyn L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a courtesy copy of this in return for a honest review. This was a really well researched book about an infamous story. There was ample background history for those who didn’t know much about the murders or the times. The letters from the zodaic killer were analysed in depth and the theories all discussed. The thing I really like about this book was the victims voices were heard. A must read for anyone interested in true crime.

[Lizzy Seitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Lots of information crammed into this book which is a good thing but it felt like I was just reading through pages and pages of police reports so at times it got a bit dry but overall a really good way to learn about this horrific killer

[stuart fogarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong on detail strong on story

Really good read if you know little of the story like me. Heavy on detail and perhaps too heavy but it doesn't get in the way of a good story. Or should I say, a horror story .

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting story. Too bad crime tends to be a very badly written genre - this was certainly not exception.

[Debbie Knauf]

i love this book. Mark Hewitt's account is very precise and he makes it easier to understand. I would recommend Mark Hewitt's books to anyone.

[Dennis Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed yet all about the facts - not about positioning an author’s hypothesis. Refreshingly different than other Zodiac books.

[Chad Montabon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A surprising lack of names. I wanted suspects and there are suspects alluded to, but not named in a twist ... I guess ... of the genre.

I think this is more the notes of a book intended than the final product.

[Mikah Ash]

“Hunted” is the complete story of the well-known serial killer, The Zodiac Killer. It explains how the killer wanted to be remembered, but ultimately failed at his goal. Which is kind of ironic since he managed to succeed in murdering several people, seemingly leaving plenty of condemning evidence, but never got caught. The book is similar to a collection of very detailed police reports. It even presents his actual written ciphers. The amount of detail given for each case is actually astonishing since they “never had enough evidence that would go together.” Hewitt’s style reminds me a bit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but of course without Sherlock Holmes and the mystery remains a mystery.

[Lisa Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible

[Chris Steeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime books can be incredibly detailed to point of being too much and you read without taking anything in at all. To be honest some can be very dull. This is an incredibly well researched and detailed book but written in such a way that it is thoroughly engaging. This is how a true crime book should be written. Superb stuff.

Take a ride through the late 60s and early 70s as we hear about the Zodiac killer’s victims and his communication with the police and newspapers. You get a real sense of the police running around like the keystone cops never getting close to the killer. The public try and be helpful by attempting to figure out the published mysterious cryptographs. They also offer up potential possibilities for the killer which the police end up wasting an extraordinary amount of time looking into. There are also copycat killings and copycat writers. The Zodiac also claims murders that may not be his. What a convoluted web and there is more, so much more.