Unhinged: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, The Butcher of Plainfield

by Robert Keller

To the people of Plainfield, Wisconsin, Ed Gein was a lonely old bachelor, mild-mannered by nature, perhaps a little dim, but altogether harmless, a man they could rely on to do odd jobs and to look after their kids. Ed could be a little offbeat, sure, but the stories the local teens told - about the shrunken heads he kept hanging beside his bed, about the ghoulish figure seen dancing in the moonlight at the Gein property - were dismissed with a chuckle and a healthy dollop of skepticism. Then, on a frigid day in 1957, a search for a missing woman brings police officers to Ed Gein’s ramshackle farmhouse. What they find inside will send shockwaves reverberating around the world and introduce America to one of the most depraved killers in its history. This is the true, yet barely believable, story of Ed Gein, a genuine American psycho. Scroll up to grab a copy of The Shocking True Story Of Ed Gein, the Butcher of Plainfield

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

60 pages, Paperback

Published July 9, 2017

Reviews

[Ieva Valentinavičiūtė · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick and concise read on Ed Gein. It covers the key facts about his upbringing and the discovery of his crimes. For how short it is, I think the book is informative and well-written l.

[Siv Haugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy serial killers fascinates me, and this one also touched my heart, in a way, eapecially after watching Charlie Hunnam portrait him on Netflix. He was wrong in a lot of his actions, but he was mentally ill, and probably just needed someone to love him properly. As we all do.

[Nicki Thoirs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and interesting read. Especially after the new netflix series, it's interesting to read a more fact based synopsis of events rather than an adapted and modified account.

[Karisa Sortor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book has only 50 pages. If you are like me and knew absolutely nothing about Ed Gein going into this, you’ll be satisfied with the amount of information you learn about him. It’s short and vague in some areas but it’s a good starter book on his story. I’ll be reading a second, longer biography about him in the near future.

[Sommer Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet

I liked that it wasn't very long but very informative. Very well written. Can't wait to read his other books

[Amanda Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story describing the horrific crimes of Ed Gein also known as the Plainfield Butcher.

It gives a brief summary of his upbringing and then of the crimes themselves.

Ed Gein was a very strange man who had a large influence on fictional characters such as Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, Leatherface and most famously, Norman Bates from the movie & book Psycho.

Police had searched his house as he was the number one suspect of a murder in Plainfield. They did not expect to find what they did in that house of horrors.

There was a decapitated woman hanging upside down from a wooden bar in his house like a deer during hunting season. Four chairs, a lampshade and a waste paper basket all made from human skin. (GROSS)

A belt made from female nipples, a curtain handle made from human lips, a pair of leggings and a top made from human skin which he wore around the house. A box full of female genitalia. A bowl with half a human skull in it which had been partially eaten

All up, body parts of 10 women were found, two of which he killed and the others were robbed from graves!

The court ruled him insane and he stayed in a mental institution for the rest of his life.

I remember reading Gerald’s Game by Stephen King last year and King talked about Ed Gein at the end of the book. That was the first time I’d ever heard of him and the story captivated me (maybe that’s not the right word, does that make me sound like a psycho?). It’s just so out of the ordinary and so interesting that there are people like this in the world.

This was a good, short and easy read of only 56 pages. Great to read if you want to know the basic facts of a true crime without all the wishy washy stuff. I’d definitely like to read more of these books by Robert Keller.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the back of bingeing the new Netflix Monster: The Ed Gein Story - which was so worth the wait - I knew I hadn't finished with Ed Gein just yet. I needed to know more...

I had no idea he was the inspiration for Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs. Did you?

Keller's book may only be a short forty-nine pages but is a concise way of describing Gein and his heinous crimes. He doesn't really go into the gory details, but if you swipe left you can see a series of images showing the products of his sick mind...🚨 BE WARNED these images do contain real body parts.

Keller takes us through Gein's upbringing under the rule of his staunch religious mother, and his alcoholic father. His fascination with Ilse Koch and her use of prisoners to make items including lampshades from human skin (prisoners at Dachau), and his penchant for womens underwear.

Despite his despicable crimes Gein remains a person of fascination.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gruesome Gein

I've read a lot about Ed Gein. As a Horror book / movie fan I was aware that Gein has been the inspiration for several classics. True Crime author Robert Keller speaks about this in his introduction. I learned a few new things about the Gein family and Ed's mental state.

For someone who hasn't read a great deal about Gein this would be a nice introduction to who he was and his crimes. For a more in-depth analysis there are others who wrote about him and went into a deeper psychological understanding of his psychopathology.

It wasn't hard to read. It flowed easily. I've seen books with horrific pictures of Gein's victims and house contents. It was a relief not to see them again.

[Doris Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick, short book that gives a brief look into Ed Gein’s childhood and how he eventually became a serial killer. While it touches on the basics, it leaves out a lot of the disturbing details and major crimes he committed.

Honestly, the Netflix documentary does a much better job explaining everything he did and just how horrific his actions were. If you’re into true crime, serial killers, or crime documentaries, I’d definitely recommend watching the Netflix documentary instead—it’s far more detailed and impactful.

[Lindsey Baird-Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great quick read about Ed, and very informative. You learn alot about Ed. In such a short read

It's great for those who love true crime (obviously) but for those new to the genre or Ed himself it's perfect. He's not for everyone.

I would recommend

[Keith Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was arrested one month before I was born.

The notoriety of the Ed Gein case was truly remarkable. Of course there had never been a bigger deranged whack job up until that point. 🧛‍♂️ Great 💥 Read 🧞‍♀️ 🥴 👮🏻‍♀️👮🏻‍♂️🧖🏻🧖‍♂️

[Stewart Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sadly watched the serial TV version on Netflix and was very disappointed with their depiction of Ed Gein.
This book was a very good read and a more true story of Ed, Highly recommend reading this and avoid the TV series

[Gemma De-lucchi · Rating 1 out of 5]

waste of money. more of a leaflet

[Iain Murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read Wikipedia

No insights to why more like an essay for a history exam and not even a passing grade at that

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, quick read if you want the basics on the Ed Gein case. If you are familiar with the case and are looking for a deep dive, this is not the book for you.

[Rebecca Druce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was informative and (thankfully) lacking in gruesome details.

[Asha Cohen]

Ok

I like how it was a summary and not a long drawn out story. Short and to the point. Not sure how he made it has a soon to be Netflix series? I guess the whole leather face thing.

[Brent Trout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief and Thorough

The read is a little under 60 pages. Content is interesting and can be read in less than a few hours.

[Theresa Mergl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book but I knew this ahead of time, gives the basic info.

[Rhianna Devers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felt very rushed

[Raymond Paterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

bit disappointing in how short this was. didn't read anything I never knew already

[Erin Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Vicki C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very concise story of the serial murderer, Ed Gein. A quick read without all the gory details.

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this short book straight after watching the amazing Netflix drama based on the life of Ed Gein. I'd never heard of Ed Gein and was compelled to read this one. Found this a bizarrely fascinating read, he sure was one unwell, sick man.