Cannibal Killers

by Moira Martingale

It is a crime that shocks and stuns more than any other. It is the ultimate in criminal depravity. It runs like a blood-red thread through novels like The Silence of the Lambs .

Now, take a grim and terrifying journey into the world of the cannibal killer...

Ed Gein the twisted trophy hunter and role model for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , who liked to keep his victim's lips in a small bowl.

Issei Sagawa a real natural-born killer, celebrated in song by the Rolling Stones and toasted by the Japanese art world afer he killed and ate a Dutch co-ed.

Jeffrey Dahmer the Milwaukee Murderer who kept souvenirs from most of his 17 victims, including three human heads in his refrigerator.

Andrei Chikatilo history's worst cannibal killer who delighted in boiling and eating sawn-off body parts of his victims, often not bothering to kill them before the mutilation began.

A chilling look at history's most repugnant criminals, Cannibal Killers is a horrifying story too shocking to believe-- except that it's true.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Adult

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 30, 1993

Reviews

[Gregory Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesomelly detailed, yet compelling! By the end of the book, you are glad that all of these people were locked up for good!

[Melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this sucker til the binding came loose. Love it. Extremely well-researched and informative, if you are into this sort of topic. Otherwise, it will disturb you.

[Lori aka that blue haired leftist bxtch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly disturbing and insightful. No horror movie or book can compare to the true-life "Rostov Ripper". Shocking & definitely recommended.

[David Veith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Tells many different stories about different people who have killed/eaten others in history. Loved the way the stories were told. Really keeps you interested, even though it is very disturbing. I have read other books on some of the people in this book and it is always fun to get a new side/perspective of them. I also enjoyed a couple of new ones. Overall, really enjoyed this one, which I know may say more about me than the book ha-ha.

[Doug Brunell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Martingale's book is as lurid as it possibly can be while trying to maintain a modicum of respectability. Unfortunately, it treats the "cannibal killer" moniker rather loosely (though my favorite, Gein, is covered) and lumps in your average run-of-the-mill serial killer and those that engage in vampirism in there, too. At the book's conclusion, Martingale turns toward opining on what can be done about such scourges.

Based on my memories, which may be faulty, some of the information covered in here seems inaccurate, yet that doesn't detract because accuracy isn't exactly why you would read this. Sometimes you just want some pulpy true crime. This fits the bill. It's far better than that British book with the same title from some years back, too.

[Christina Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating information about the kind of killers no one wants to talk about.

Thought the last 3 chapters of analysis could've been combined into 1 and shortened.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have ever thrown in the trash. I did so because I don't think anyone needs to read it. I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because the author was perfectly capable of writing and did so clearly. But the subject matter is horrific. After the PROLOGUE, I was ready to be a vegetarian. I then skipped the rest and jumped to serial killer Chikitilo because he was the reason I bought the book. After watching a movie about him, I was interested to learn more. Thankfully, the movie left out the most grisly details of his murders. I've studied criminal justice and abnormal psyche. I love horror movies. I can handle gore but this was sick.

[Emleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, but let's be real, I did not choose this book for its beautiful prose. I wanted the gory, grisly details of cannibal murderers and that's exactly what I got. This book was informative and disturbing, and at times I couldn't put it down.

I would have given four stars except the wrap-up chapters were a bit tedious and redundant, not to mention riddled with rhetorical questions. There were also a few places in which the author seemed to doubt the intellectual capacity of the reader. I know what an oxymoron is, I did not need it defined.

[Dirty Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would say the first half of this book is AMAZING ( like first 100 pages) and then it diverts strangely to talk about cannibals we already discussed and then like a psychology break out.. this was ALMOST a 5 star for me but that strange flip was unneeded here. I seriously was loving this book as it talked about he serial killers and how it told stories about each one and how they got the way they were. Maybe a better transition would have helped this but truly it should have better better introduced or shorter.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gives good inside into this taboo. She focuses on present day cannibalism or anthropophagy, Sawney Bean, Donner group, the plane crash survivors of 1972 in the Andes, their personality, the man who kept dolls (Joachim Kroll), Ed Gein (now featured in a Netflix show), Ed Kemper, Dahmer, the role or heredity, Dr. Brittain's theories, an interest in sadistic porn... many interesting theories and insight to understand this seldom and horrifying phenomenon so often used in horror. Missed a photo section though. Otherwise extremely insightful and exciting. Highly recommended!

[Jess]

DNF on page 67. It was getting better but not enjoying myself. It is a weird balance of being academic and sensational and it doesn't work. I did try to find this as an audiobook before giving up. Maybe I'll try again someday.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ pretty interesting read but obviously outdated/now inaccurate information regarding psychology and women (am i really surprised by a book that pulls quotes from 1800s literature?) good overview of heinous killers though glad i read this one

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story! It is intriguing and detailed. Not for the faint hearted.

[Kimberly Shadle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard to get through. It's a very dry read.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, full of information. Although the actual writing style is a bit different from the text I would expect.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. Murder alone is interesting to listen to the reasons or the phsychology of these serial killers and what not but someone that kills and then consumes the body parts...yes, very intriguing. Most of these guys grow up with twisted childhoods and/or abuse, but the even more interesting ones are the very few who have semi-normal upbringings, like Jeffrey Dahmer. Like one day they just snap or what? Nature vs. nurture, interesting topic especially when it comes to killing, torturing and eating another human being. While I was reading I got pretty excited to read another book that this book referenced. One of the cannibals that is book mentions is Issei Sagawa, who I currently had never heard of, he was not a serial cannibal or anything, he killed and ate one girl. He wrote a book about his experience doing it, which is called "In the Fog." Moved to the top of my "to read" list i frantically searched for this book only to be dismayed to the fact that there are only Japenese versions...that I could find. If anyone came across a translated version..that would make my day..no year. This Issei guy mudered a woman and consumed her, he spend a short period in a mental institue, before being declared sane, he then serves a 15 MONTH jail sentece. He gets out because he has an influential father for MURDER. Not only that, he basically becomes a celebrity in Japan, going on talk-shows, writing books, paiting and selling his art, all the while he is a free man that murdered a woman. Blows my mind.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sérioví vrazi-kanibalové 20. století; popis samotných případů může ze začátku působit jako zajímavá morbidní černá kronika, ale postupem času už je toho nějak moc, a když člověk překročí fáze údivu a zvedání kufru, zůstane jen jakési duševní nepohodlí, asi jako přehazovat uleželou hnojůvku lopatou. Závěr, který se snaží uvažovat o motivech a charakteru jednotlivých lidožravců, působí poněkud pokrytecky tím, jak varuje před mírou fascinace násilím v současné společnosti - v popularizační knize o lidožravých sexuálních sériových vrazích...

[Dolores Pompa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart, or anyone who decides to eat something like a hamburger when they read this. This book gets into the psychology of why these people do this. Do they do it because they crave it? Do they do it because they want to own the person/people they eat? That is the most interesting part. While reading it, you will think a lot, get grossed out, angry, upset, and fascinated all at the same time. This book also gets you a lot of looks when you are reading it.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I enjoyed reading this descent into depravity but it certainly shed some light on what motivates these human monsters. I was fascinated and repelled by how disassociated these blighted individuals were and how casually they could commit the most heinous and nauseating crimes.

[Rosann · Rating 1 out of 5]

ok ok ok .,. so there was nothing really good available on Bookbub. This one I got through a group on FaceBook.
Very short story and they all ended with these psychopaths being let free back into the society cause they were considered no longer mentally unstable.

Geeez what a system

[Aaron the Pink Donut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic. Not too in depth but really fascinating. Each chapter is a different killer-all practiced cannibalism but with slightly different bent. Very graphic and informative.

[Cody Kabisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love it

[Ubik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read, especially for the information on Iseii Sagawa as I previously hadnt found a lot of material on him.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

bam bam bam this is hot how is it more people haven't read this?

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy the mind of killers.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

the story of cannibles thruogh history

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of information here but, unfortunately, all thrown together and stirred up. No pictures, drawings or illustrations of any sort.

[Abaidullah Ahmad]

the history of the impossible murders

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Particularly disturbing but a fascinating read. While not a recent publication, the psychiatry views behind it seem to still be relevant. I would be quite interested in an updated version.

[Marcus Armitage · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very easy to read in one afternoon. There is a lot of very interesting information given about all of the people discussed.