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The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central
"This upsetting account of a Los Angeles serial killer, written with passion by Christine Pelisek, an investigative crime reporter who spent 10 years working the case, blurts out a hard truth that no one wants to acknowledge . . . [She] tries to restore dignity to some of the victims by drawing sympathetic and carefully detailed life histories for each and every one of them." —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
In 2006, Christine Pelisek broke the story of a terrifying serial killer who went unchecked in Los Angeles for decades. Two years later, in her cover article for L.A. Weekly, Pelisek dubbed him "The Grim Sleeper" for his long break between murders. The killer preyed on a community devastated by crime and drugs and left behind a trail of bodies—all women of color, all murdered in a similar fashion, and all discarded in the alleys of Los Angeles.
The case of the Grim Sleeper is unforgettably singular. But it also tells a wider story about homicide investigations in areas beset by poverty, gang violence, and despair; about how a serial killer could continue his grisly work for two decades in part due to society’s lack of concern for his chosen victims; and about the power and tenacity of those women’s families and the detectives who refused to let the case go cold.
No one knows this story better than Pelisek, the reporter who followed it for more than ten years. Based on extensive interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most startling true crime stories of our generation.
In 2006, Christine Pelisek broke the story of a terrifying serial killer who went unchecked in Los Angeles for decades. Two years later, in her cover article for L.A. Weekly, Pelisek dubbed him "The Grim Sleeper" for his long break between murders. The killer preyed on a community devastated by crime and drugs and left behind a trail of bodies—all women of color, all murdered in a similar fashion, and all discarded in the alleys of Los Angeles.
The case of the Grim Sleeper is unforgettably singular. But it also tells a wider story about homicide investigations in areas beset by poverty, gang violence, and despair; about how a serial killer could continue his grisly work for two decades in part due to society’s lack of concern for his chosen victims; and about the power and tenacity of those women’s families and the detectives who refused to let the case go cold.
No one knows this story better than Pelisek, the reporter who followed it for more than ten years. Based on extensive interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most startling true crime stories of our generation.
325 pages, ebook
First published June 7, 2016
166 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
March 4, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
This is a story about the hunt and capture of The Grim Sleeper, a serial killer preying on East LA during the height of the crack epidemic.
A big problem for the police was that not only was there a crack epidemic at the time, with nearly daily killings, and gang warfare, but there were at least three other serial killers, and a number of serial rapists all operating in the same area at the same time. There were almost too many bodies to even keep track of.
Like most serial killers, this guy was caught mostly by accident. Police have a tough time catching serial killers, even though they seem to be getting better at it.
This is a story about the hunt and capture of The Grim Sleeper, a serial killer preying on East LA during the height of the crack epidemic.
A big problem for the police was that not only was there a crack epidemic at the time, with nearly daily killings, and gang warfare, but there were at least three other serial killers, and a number of serial rapists all operating in the same area at the same time. There were almost too many bodies to even keep track of.
Like most serial killers, this guy was caught mostly by accident. Police have a tough time catching serial killers, even though they seem to be getting better at it.
March 13, 2023
I’d never heard of these murders before which isn’t that surprising given the identities of the victims. I’m glad the author brought this case to light!
December 24, 2021
I can't figure out if I liked this book or was just lukewarm about it.
The author was a reporter who covered the case of the mass murderer, called the Grim Sleeper, who was killing black, drug addicted prostitutes in Los Angeles. The city was rife with serial killers during the early part of the twenty-first century but this one was particularly unusual since he "took a break" from murder for several years and suddenly began again. In these days when DNA was not the deciding factor in bringing killers to justice, the Sleeper left no clues or at least, no clues that the police could identify. His mistake was to begin killing again when DNA took front and center and his days were numbered.
The author's research and facts were unassailable. The only thing that caused me indecision about the rating of this book was that there appeared to be a lot of padding about other killers, which was interesting but not necessary for this story. But I am probably in the minority........again!!
The author was a reporter who covered the case of the mass murderer, called the Grim Sleeper, who was killing black, drug addicted prostitutes in Los Angeles. The city was rife with serial killers during the early part of the twenty-first century but this one was particularly unusual since he "took a break" from murder for several years and suddenly began again. In these days when DNA was not the deciding factor in bringing killers to justice, the Sleeper left no clues or at least, no clues that the police could identify. His mistake was to begin killing again when DNA took front and center and his days were numbered.
The author's research and facts were unassailable. The only thing that caused me indecision about the rating of this book was that there appeared to be a lot of padding about other killers, which was interesting but not necessary for this story. But I am probably in the minority........again!!
March 6, 2018
If you have read Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, you should read this. Pelisek focuses on a segment of society that totally gets disregarded. Her book not only details law enforcement and community problems, but also the lives of the victim.
Princess Berthomieux is a name we should all remember and something that society should do its best to never allow to happen again.
Princess Berthomieux is a name we should all remember and something that society should do its best to never allow to happen again.
June 29, 2021
This is such a terrible, devastating story. Too common, I fear.
I saw one review on here, someone who didn’t finish the book because some of the words used to describe the victims were critical and “dehumanizing.” Shit like that pisses me off. This journalist broke the story of Lonnie Franklin wide open and built legitimate relationships with the families of his victims. But you’re mad because she uses the word “prostitute” instead of “sex worker”? Seriously? This isn’t a story of liberated women controlling their sexuality and finances by virtue of their sexuality; it’s a story of women so in the thrall of drug addiction that they were on the streets using sex to score a rock. Being honest about that isn’t dehumanizing them. It’s just the truth. And this book does a pretty good job of painting these women as the full, complex human beings they were, with hopes and dreams and families and struggles that predated their addictions and deaths. Would I like to know more about them? Absolutely. Are they dehumanized in this book? Not at all.
The Grim Sleeper crimes are horrifying on myriad levels. And we will never know why Lonnie Franklin hated women so much. But this book tells us about how he was brought to justice—and, more importantly, tells us a bit about some of the young women whose lives were cut tragically short at his hands. And I’m sure there are many others we will never hear of.
I would have liked to see a bit more analysis in this book of the way socioeconomic factors and race impacted how LAPD handled these crimes. It’s referenced numerous times but never really delved into. Otherwise, glad this book exists to tell us more about this horrific case and about these women and their families, who absolutely deserved more than what they got.
I saw one review on here, someone who didn’t finish the book because some of the words used to describe the victims were critical and “dehumanizing.” Shit like that pisses me off. This journalist broke the story of Lonnie Franklin wide open and built legitimate relationships with the families of his victims. But you’re mad because she uses the word “prostitute” instead of “sex worker”? Seriously? This isn’t a story of liberated women controlling their sexuality and finances by virtue of their sexuality; it’s a story of women so in the thrall of drug addiction that they were on the streets using sex to score a rock. Being honest about that isn’t dehumanizing them. It’s just the truth. And this book does a pretty good job of painting these women as the full, complex human beings they were, with hopes and dreams and families and struggles that predated their addictions and deaths. Would I like to know more about them? Absolutely. Are they dehumanized in this book? Not at all.
The Grim Sleeper crimes are horrifying on myriad levels. And we will never know why Lonnie Franklin hated women so much. But this book tells us about how he was brought to justice—and, more importantly, tells us a bit about some of the young women whose lives were cut tragically short at his hands. And I’m sure there are many others we will never hear of.
I would have liked to see a bit more analysis in this book of the way socioeconomic factors and race impacted how LAPD handled these crimes. It’s referenced numerous times but never really delved into. Otherwise, glad this book exists to tell us more about this horrific case and about these women and their families, who absolutely deserved more than what they got.
August 19, 2017
At the end of the book, Pelisek laments that we don't know why the Grim Sleeper killed all the women he did--which seems to me to negate the point of writing the book. However--and this is a big however--she brings to light the murders of women who are so marginalized in our society that, without her interest and writing, might never have been solved. Most of the women the Lonnie Davis murdered were prostitutes and drug addicts--sometimes both--and society doesn't tend to care about them. The police didn't like her writing about the murders, but I think this does her a disservice. In the end, she deserves kudos for caring. Most people--let alone most journalists--wouldn't.
July 29, 2017
I'm glad someone took the time to tell the stories of Lonnie Franklin's victims, because too many murders of poor black women go ignored. It was satisfying to see the leads come together to catch Franklin, and the story is good - the writing here left me a little cold, though, due to some odd tics of the writer. (more later)
January 3, 2018
Real life for homicide detectives could not be more different from what we see on TV cop shows. Christine Pelisek's book, The Grim Sleeper, is about black women murdered over more than 20 years in South Central Los Angeles and the detectives who worked for years to find their killer. No gunshots, no explosions, just day after day searching databases, writing reports, interviewing witnesses, going door-to-door doing "knock and talk" -- and then doing it all over again. The author manages to make this process interesting and the arrest and conviction of the man who did it is satisfying.
August 29, 2017
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway, thanks to Counterpoint Press and Goodreads for the opportunity. This was my first true-crime book and it won't be my last. The author provided a comprehensive review of the case from start to finish with a real emphasis on the women and their families. The book also highlighted the long timeframe of this case and the toll it took on everyone involved. Unfortunately the wheels of justice turned quite slowly in the end, but at least it was finally served.
March 29, 2018
I just finished reading an advanced reading copy of this book.
I live in So. California and didn't know diddly about this killer. Not only was this a surprise to me, but I have spent time in the area calling on customers. This is a study of one serial killer while detectives were investigating a number of others in So. Central. This is not only enlightening it scares the hell out of me.
I live in So. California and didn't know diddly about this killer. Not only was this a surprise to me, but I have spent time in the area calling on customers. This is a study of one serial killer while detectives were investigating a number of others in So. Central. This is not only enlightening it scares the hell out of me.
October 19, 2017
I had this on my to-read list for almost a year before it was finally released last month. I was slightly anxious as i had been disappointed with long awaited new releases in the past e.g. Age of Myth but thankfully this wasn't the case.
If i mention the name Lonnie Franklin Jr or the Grim Sleeper to people i can almost guarantee they wont have heard of him. He'll never be mentioned in the same sentence as Bundy, Gacey or Ramirez but his crimes were just as horrific. The only reason I've heard the name is because of Nick Broomfields 2014 documentary Tales of the Grim Sleeper which, like Kurt & Courtney, is a gritty and disjointed film that could have been much better in the hands of a different film maker. The book, however, is in a completely different league to the average film.
The books main focus is the multiple murders in the 1980's of black prostitutes in the South Central area of Los Angeles. Rather then use the serial killer biography method of writing the book from the killers perspective the author writes mainly about the victims and their families. As well as Lonnie Franklin there were several other serial killers operating in the area during this time period and through the various task forces and old newspaper articles we are given an insight into the carnage and mayhem.
The book is well written and researched and i would gladly read anything else Christine Pelisek publishes in the future.
If i mention the name Lonnie Franklin Jr or the Grim Sleeper to people i can almost guarantee they wont have heard of him. He'll never be mentioned in the same sentence as Bundy, Gacey or Ramirez but his crimes were just as horrific. The only reason I've heard the name is because of Nick Broomfields 2014 documentary Tales of the Grim Sleeper which, like Kurt & Courtney, is a gritty and disjointed film that could have been much better in the hands of a different film maker. The book, however, is in a completely different league to the average film.
The books main focus is the multiple murders in the 1980's of black prostitutes in the South Central area of Los Angeles. Rather then use the serial killer biography method of writing the book from the killers perspective the author writes mainly about the victims and their families. As well as Lonnie Franklin there were several other serial killers operating in the area during this time period and through the various task forces and old newspaper articles we are given an insight into the carnage and mayhem.
The book is well written and researched and i would gladly read anything else Christine Pelisek publishes in the future.
August 25, 2017
A very interesting and well written true crime book. I was already wondering why this killer was not big news. Well perhaps in the USA but not in the world I don't think. Looking at the photos of this killer he has such cold eyes and it is obvious he does not feel any empathy.
I was glad to see the author did not just blame the police for not catching this killer only because his victims were black and prostitutes as you hear sometimes. I do think they are partly to blame but also the community as a whole was to blame. That being said it must have been so hard for the victims loved ones. This creep killed them just because it was easy for him to do. He did it by shooting them. Most creeps like him love to have the power of control and see the fear in their victims eyes and a lot also love to touch them. He killed them in a perhaps non personal way but he like the others used them for his own pleasure by .
For people like him I think the punishments dealt with are not strong enough.
He killed so many and I think there are a lot of people not knowing where their loved ones are because he killed them and then duped them as trash.
Some torture or truth serum is something I suggest to use on him so he tells the truth.
I was glad to see the author did not just blame the police for not catching this killer only because his victims were black and prostitutes as you hear sometimes. I do think they are partly to blame but also the community as a whole was to blame. That being said it must have been so hard for the victims loved ones. This creep killed them just because it was easy for him to do. He did it by shooting them. Most creeps like him love to have the power of control and see the fear in their victims eyes and a lot also love to touch them. He killed them in a perhaps non personal way but he like the others used them for his own pleasure by .
For people like him I think the punishments dealt with are not strong enough.
He killed so many and I think there are a lot of people not knowing where their loved ones are because he killed them and then duped them as trash.
Some torture or truth serum is something I suggest to use on him so he tells the truth.
June 14, 2017
This is a must read for true crime aficionados. Pelisek has built on her skillful and wonderfully written newspaper reporting to craft a book which has a lot to teach us about investigations and about how a marginalized community can be ignored. What is heartening is that the relatives and friends of the women who were killed never gave up nor did the detectives who worked the case. Pelisek too persisted and sometimes you can feel her own emotions. Very well done. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
September 3, 2017
Excellent read thus far. I am very familiar with the story of the Grim Sleeper, as I have watched many documentaries on the subject. There is still a lot to learn form this book, which surprised. Pelisek does a great job of humanizing the victims, and connecting their circumstances to more systematic issues such as racism, sexism, and the breakdown of family and community. Some of the victims on the surface could be written off as just prostitutes and drug addicts that fell victim to the streets. Pelisek makes you feel like you know the victims, and the unfortunate circumstances that resulted in their deaths, at times something as simple as a friend stating that they would pick the woman up from work, but then stand her up. The author gives you the background of the victim's upbringing and life at the time of their deaths. A fascinating, yet heartbreaking book. This book would keep me up later at times. I also feel like it raised my understanding of the importance of caring for others, even at times where I am at odds with them. This book increased my empathy. As an African American woman from Detroit, I feel as if in another time, I could have become a victim as well.
December 22, 2020
In The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central , Christine Pelisek writes the shocking and true story of the serial murderer known as the Grim Sleeper. Though he is now considered one of America's most brutal serial killers, the Grim Sleeper went undetected and not pursued for decades during the height of his crime spree. Operating in California, the killer would prey on racialized, impoverished women who were commonly sex workers and/or struggling with addiction. Using interviews, testimonies, reports and her expertise in journalism, author Christine Pelisek recounts the story of the victims, the Grim Sleeper and the deeply rooted systems of inequality that emboldened him.
The Grim Sleeper is a great piece of true crime literature. The story, in itself, which I first heard on a true crime podcast, is harrowing and maddening. In addition to this man's depravity, the criminal justice system failed to protect the most vulnerable women in California South Central at that time. Although I knew of the story, I was engaged with Pelisek's writing the entire time.
The Grim Sleeper is a great piece of true crime literature. The story, in itself, which I first heard on a true crime podcast, is harrowing and maddening. In addition to this man's depravity, the criminal justice system failed to protect the most vulnerable women in California South Central at that time. Although I knew of the story, I was engaged with Pelisek's writing the entire time.
September 3, 2017
I'm glad someone told this story. I wasn't a fan of the author's writing style, but it was very informative.
January 30, 2021
I honestly found this very disappointing. The information about the case seemed thorough and accurate, but it wasn't particularly well organized, both disjointed and repetitive, and there didn't seem to be any fresh or unique insights presented than what a person could find by simply reading the trial transcripts. And, yeah, trial transcripts are exhaustingly boring to read, so for providing an alternative to that I suppose this deserves a star; but the transcript would also not have been so overwhelmingly biased, so perhaps not even that. There's a lot of praising of the victims' rights movement and a favorable view of the death penalty, both of which I disagree with strongly. For a book that presents itself as caring about the lives of the multiply-marginalized victims of a serial killer, the language it uses to talk about many of these women--their addictions and sex work, in particular--as well as the graphic way it describes their dead bodies and the violence done to them, painted a very different picture. Every instance felt exploitative, almost voyeuristic, and certainly lacking in compassion or respect. It also goes out of its way to give what I considered to be wildly undue credence to the police officers "working" these cases in particular, as well as to the police department as a whole. I don't think you should able to evoke the Rampart Scandal with a single throwaway line and then act as though the community's distrust of the police was just an unfair impediment to their ability to solve cases, rather than a reasonable and necessary response to the deep-seated and well-documented racism, corruption, and violence of the LAPD.
I also didn't really buy that the author had any particular involvement in the case that would make her much of an authority here. She describes literally being handed the files by the coroner, then doing nothing with them for a couple of years, then eventually writing an article that ascribed the killer with his catchy nickname; but this wasn't some sort of huge revelation, or holding the police's feet to the fire or anything, since they'd already established a task force to look into these cases and (I think, but I honestly wasn't paying that close of attention so I could be mistaken here and don't care enough to go back in and double check) held a press conference about it. She did appear to have struck up a solid relationship with a survivor and several of the victims' families, which is admirable, and she continued following the case for many years and the lengthy trial afterward; but it all seemed like she mostly just happened to be the person assigned to cover it, not because she had any personal connection or moral crusade. She seems to want readers to believe she really cared about these women, despite a lack of evidence to support that claim--again, I really can't stress enough how dehumanizing and insulting I found much of the language in this book to be with regard to the victims. And, since I read the audiobook, I want to point out that this felt even more disingenuous given that the author is white but the audiobook narrator is Black. To me, a Black woman, it felt like an uncomfortable, auditory form of blackface, an attempt to lend credence where, again, none was due, and even with some of the better passages of the book, it left me with a very sour impression.
I think I've gotten a little spoiled with books like I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer and podcasts like You're Wrong About, lulled by their critical and compassionate stance into believing that true crime is good now, actually. This was a good reminder of why I've long had such an aversion to the genre, and I think it's going to be a while before I try to give it another shot again.
I also didn't really buy that the author had any particular involvement in the case that would make her much of an authority here. She describes literally being handed the files by the coroner, then doing nothing with them for a couple of years, then eventually writing an article that ascribed the killer with his catchy nickname; but this wasn't some sort of huge revelation, or holding the police's feet to the fire or anything, since they'd already established a task force to look into these cases and (I think, but I honestly wasn't paying that close of attention so I could be mistaken here and don't care enough to go back in and double check) held a press conference about it. She did appear to have struck up a solid relationship with a survivor and several of the victims' families, which is admirable, and she continued following the case for many years and the lengthy trial afterward; but it all seemed like she mostly just happened to be the person assigned to cover it, not because she had any personal connection or moral crusade. She seems to want readers to believe she really cared about these women, despite a lack of evidence to support that claim--again, I really can't stress enough how dehumanizing and insulting I found much of the language in this book to be with regard to the victims. And, since I read the audiobook, I want to point out that this felt even more disingenuous given that the author is white but the audiobook narrator is Black. To me, a Black woman, it felt like an uncomfortable, auditory form of blackface, an attempt to lend credence where, again, none was due, and even with some of the better passages of the book, it left me with a very sour impression.
I think I've gotten a little spoiled with books like I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer and podcasts like You're Wrong About, lulled by their critical and compassionate stance into believing that true crime is good now, actually. This was a good reminder of why I've long had such an aversion to the genre, and I think it's going to be a while before I try to give it another shot again.
May 11, 2020
The title of this one well-encapsulates what it's about - a serial killer, but also the women whose lives were tragically taken. And I think that's what I most appreciated about this true crime book: I didn't feel like a voyeur learning gruesome details. Instead I was right there with friends and family, grieving the loss of their loved ones.
The Grim Sleeper targeted women of color, several of whom were prostitutes. This added to my frustration regarding the investigation. Often, reading true crime, I have to stop myself from yelling at the book because it seems like they could have found the murderer so much sooner than they did. But here that frustration was compounded given "society's lack of concern for his chosen victims." That's not to say the book's flawed - as far as I'm aware, it details what actually happened.
I agree w/Kirkus' review, in that I'd have re-shaped how suspects were described, and cut some of the background information about the lawyers involved. Otherwise, The Grim Sleeper is a great book about an awful reality.
The Grim Sleeper targeted women of color, several of whom were prostitutes. This added to my frustration regarding the investigation. Often, reading true crime, I have to stop myself from yelling at the book because it seems like they could have found the murderer so much sooner than they did. But here that frustration was compounded given "society's lack of concern for his chosen victims." That's not to say the book's flawed - as far as I'm aware, it details what actually happened.
I agree w/Kirkus' review, in that I'd have re-shaped how suspects were described, and cut some of the background information about the lawyers involved. Otherwise, The Grim Sleeper is a great book about an awful reality.
January 20, 2022
I loved this book. The emphasis on the victims rather than the serial killer was a nice touch. At this point the FBI (and frankly most people) know the most common psychological, behavioral, and environmental traits of serial killers. No need to obsess over them here. Instead, it was nice to see a book about justice sought for Black women and their families. Honestly we could learn a lot more from this book than other serial killer books: don't glorify the crimes or treat the perpetrator like a celebrity, focus on the people harmed and their families. Don't glorify the police for just doing their job (in some cases, badly).
Of course, the descriptions of the murders are gruesome and not for everyone. This is a heavy book as a result. But if you enjoy true crime books and are curious about serial killers that operated in South Central LA, give this book a read!
Of course, the descriptions of the murders are gruesome and not for everyone. This is a heavy book as a result. But if you enjoy true crime books and are curious about serial killers that operated in South Central LA, give this book a read!
November 13, 2018
A work I wouldn’t normally have selected on my own-thanks Last Bookstore. This not only covers the murders more than adequately, but Pelisek’s work does what all great true crime works do, expanding the discussion into a larger critique of a forty-year relationship between the LAPD and South LA, one characterized by mutual mistrust and racial animosity. We become aware of the disparities between the tremendous public outcry over the Westwood shooting of Karen Toshima in 1988 and the grim silence meeting the deaths of these young women, many of whom were struggling with addiction and highly-unstable living situations.
I’d especially recommend this one to fans of true crime or dedicated LA history aficionados.
I’d especially recommend this one to fans of true crime or dedicated LA history aficionados.
August 10, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I have to admit I love reading about serial killers, the stuff that goes through their minds.
This is a true story of how a serial killer terrorized the streets of Los Angeles for more than two decades. The story is filled with facts about the Grim Sleeper case and other cases in the Los Angeles area. The author includes interviews with members of the investigation team and members of the victims family. These interviews give the reader an inside look at what it was really like for the investigation team and the family.
I have to admit I love reading about serial killers, the stuff that goes through their minds.
This is a true story of how a serial killer terrorized the streets of Los Angeles for more than two decades. The story is filled with facts about the Grim Sleeper case and other cases in the Los Angeles area. The author includes interviews with members of the investigation team and members of the victims family. These interviews give the reader an inside look at what it was really like for the investigation team and the family.
July 8, 2017
This book is about a serial killer who worked in LA over the span of many years, so rather grim subject matter, but a good book. The author at times seemed a little too proud of her role in the proceedings. Other than that, it's a book about dedication and determination, ruined families, loss, and healing.
Book description:
In 2006, Christine Pelisek broke the story of a terrifying serial killer who went unchecked in Los Angeles for decades. Two years later, in her cover article for L.A. Weekly, Pelisek dubbed him "The Grim Sleeper" for his long break between murders. The killer preyed on a community devastated by crime and drugs and left behind a trail of bodies―all women of color, all murdered in a similar fashion, and all discarded in the alleys of Los Angeles.
The case of the Grim Sleeper is unforgettably singular. But it also tells a wider story about homicide investigations in areas beset by poverty, gang violence, and despair; about how a serial killer could continue his grisly work for two decades in part due to society’s lack of concern for his chosen victims; and about the power and tenacity of those women’s families and the detectives who refused to let the case go cold.
No one knows this story better than Pelisek, the reporter who followed it for more than ten years. Based on extensive interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most startling true crime stories of our generation.
Book description:
In 2006, Christine Pelisek broke the story of a terrifying serial killer who went unchecked in Los Angeles for decades. Two years later, in her cover article for L.A. Weekly, Pelisek dubbed him "The Grim Sleeper" for his long break between murders. The killer preyed on a community devastated by crime and drugs and left behind a trail of bodies―all women of color, all murdered in a similar fashion, and all discarded in the alleys of Los Angeles.
The case of the Grim Sleeper is unforgettably singular. But it also tells a wider story about homicide investigations in areas beset by poverty, gang violence, and despair; about how a serial killer could continue his grisly work for two decades in part due to society’s lack of concern for his chosen victims; and about the power and tenacity of those women’s families and the detectives who refused to let the case go cold.
No one knows this story better than Pelisek, the reporter who followed it for more than ten years. Based on extensive interviews, reportage, and information never released to the public, The Grim Sleeper captures the long, bumpy road to justice in one of the most startling true crime stories of our generation.
June 21, 2020
I found I enjoyed this book. It was thrilling in a weird way because you know justice was coming. This book gave a spoiler for the killer half way through without even looking at the photos in the middle of the book. So if you knew nothing about this case, it was disappointing because it points out a major flaw in the police and justice systems. Police and the current justice systems in place are not there for black people / victims and this book definitely depicts that.
September 11, 2020
This book was amazing. It was a very well researched book about The Grim Sleeper. What I really liked about the book was the author took the time to tell you about the victims. They weren’t just nameless faceless people found murdered. They were real people, mothers, sisters, daughters, and loved by their families.
The author made them real again, and told their story. Easily one of my favorite true crime books of the year.
The author made them real again, and told their story. Easily one of my favorite true crime books of the year.
June 13, 2017
Pelisek gives voice to the victims, families, and community rather than the serial killer.
September 21, 2022
This book is a great example of what true crime journalism can accomplish: bringing attention to a case that isn't getting much, and centering the stories of victims and their families.
August 19, 2024
A good overview of the Grim Sleeper killings, the victims, and the subsequent legal proceedings. The writing was a little bit cold, but it was overall easy to read and provided a lot of information that I didn't know about before reading this.
August 19, 2017
For some reason I found myself reading true crime books about multiple murder, first Murder in the Bayou by Ethan Brown, and now this one. I think what I like about both books is that the authors were both heavily invested in the stories, having spent a long time as reporters following the events and trying to find answers.
I'm glad this story was told from its very beginning in the 1980s to the final verdict in 2016. The author clearly cares about the people involved and the circumstances that allowed the murderer to carry out his evil deeds with impunity for 30 years.
Now I need a break from death and drug addiction. A light little romance would go a long way right now.
I'm glad this story was told from its very beginning in the 1980s to the final verdict in 2016. The author clearly cares about the people involved and the circumstances that allowed the murderer to carry out his evil deeds with impunity for 30 years.
Now I need a break from death and drug addiction. A light little romance would go a long way right now.
September 8, 2018
It is clear Pelisek cares about this case - she followed it for a decade, and built relationships with the victims' families. It shows in the book, with the inclusion of the victim impact statements in full. But again and again I was left feeling Pelisek was not the person to write this story.
She paints the animosity between black community and LAPD as one of "bad PR" for cops and that a "lack of trust" in law enforcement is somewhere between inexplicable and naive for African Americans. She is too close to the police to see this from the community's point of view. She describes the white communities of LA as "wanting to see criminals arrested" by black communities too insular to care about stopping violence; she blames them. She is a voyeur on suffering, describing how she isn't 'tough' because she grew up in a white Ottawa where the annual murder count is "less than one". I checked; it's 10+ for the last 40 years. She paints herself as a pure white girl uncovering the grime of black communities without any analysis of how this affects the people she studies. She talks in neutral terms about the Rodney King Riots, and is positive about the police's anti-gang campaign aimed to substantially incarcerate and effectively disenfranchise the poor black community.
She cares, I just wish she'd let someone else write it.
She paints the animosity between black community and LAPD as one of "bad PR" for cops and that a "lack of trust" in law enforcement is somewhere between inexplicable and naive for African Americans. She is too close to the police to see this from the community's point of view. She describes the white communities of LA as "wanting to see criminals arrested" by black communities too insular to care about stopping violence; she blames them. She is a voyeur on suffering, describing how she isn't 'tough' because she grew up in a white Ottawa where the annual murder count is "less than one". I checked; it's 10+ for the last 40 years. She paints herself as a pure white girl uncovering the grime of black communities without any analysis of how this affects the people she studies. She talks in neutral terms about the Rodney King Riots, and is positive about the police's anti-gang campaign aimed to substantially incarcerate and effectively disenfranchise the poor black community.
She cares, I just wish she'd let someone else write it.
March 22, 2018
Journalist Pelisek does a good job of giving voice to victims of this killer. She treats each and everyone of them as people, with likes and dislikes, family and friends that meant a lot to them and to whom they meant much. They aren't faceless people to be ignored. The vast majority of this book is about these people and the police who worked long hours for almost 20 years to bring this man to justice.
Pelisek also does a fine job of situating these crimes among the social conditions that confronted the residents of South Central Los Angeles, the drugs, violence, and gang warfare on a daily basis. While this is a true crime book it is also something of a social history of a city at a particular point in its history.
If you are looking for a deep probing analysis of why the killer did what he did you won't find it. I don't this this book was supposed to be that as it would've distracted from the stories of the victims and their families and the toll these murders took on them. It's also likely the killer may not know what drove his compulsions. Other than to say he didn't know the victims or that he didn't do it the murderer didn't speak much during his trial.
Readers of true crime will find this to be a worthwhile read.
Pelisek also does a fine job of situating these crimes among the social conditions that confronted the residents of South Central Los Angeles, the drugs, violence, and gang warfare on a daily basis. While this is a true crime book it is also something of a social history of a city at a particular point in its history.
If you are looking for a deep probing analysis of why the killer did what he did you won't find it. I don't this this book was supposed to be that as it would've distracted from the stories of the victims and their families and the toll these murders took on them. It's also likely the killer may not know what drove his compulsions. Other than to say he didn't know the victims or that he didn't do it the murderer didn't speak much during his trial.
Readers of true crime will find this to be a worthwhile read.
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