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Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells
Ten-Year-Old Krystal Surles Watched In Horror As Her Best Friend Was Murdered At The Hands Of An Intruder.
Then with cold-blooded precision he brought a twelve-inch boning knife to Krystal's throat. With a single, violent slash, he severed her windpipe and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and would lead authorities to the arrest of 35-year-old Tommy Lynn Sells, a former truck driver, carnival worker, and cross-country drifter...
He Aspired To Become "The Worst Serial Killer Of All Time."
With no apparent motive and no common pattern to his inconceivable bloodshed, the elusive Sells had carved his way across the country for two decades slaughtering women, men, transients, entire families, teenagers, and even infants with ghoulish abandon.
Through The Window is more than an investigation into a crime spree that stunned a nation. It's an utterly terrifying plunge into the unfathomable dark mind of a serial killer, and the heart-wrenching story of the brave child who finally brought him to justice.
Then with cold-blooded precision he brought a twelve-inch boning knife to Krystal's throat. With a single, violent slash, he severed her windpipe and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and would lead authorities to the arrest of 35-year-old Tommy Lynn Sells, a former truck driver, carnival worker, and cross-country drifter...
He Aspired To Become "The Worst Serial Killer Of All Time."
With no apparent motive and no common pattern to his inconceivable bloodshed, the elusive Sells had carved his way across the country for two decades slaughtering women, men, transients, entire families, teenagers, and even infants with ghoulish abandon.
Through The Window is more than an investigation into a crime spree that stunned a nation. It's an utterly terrifying plunge into the unfathomable dark mind of a serial killer, and the heart-wrenching story of the brave child who finally brought him to justice.
244 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 14, 2003
224 people are currently reading
1849 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 1, 2021
Tommy Lynn Sells deserves the death penalty. He killed a newborn for cripes sake. I have read a lot of true crime and that crime still has me shocked. There is no telling how many people, including children, that he has killed. He moved state to state with ease. I am sure he left more murders unsolved for nothing more than the fun of it. Tommy was a one man crime spree. He didn't give one damn about anything, but himself. If Mrs. Fanning thinks he truly loved his wife and mother she is sadly mistaken. Tommy Sells is psychopath. He doesn't understand love.
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August 9, 2013
This book literally gave me nightmares. I have read books about Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and many other true crime killing sprees, but this one just turned me cold. I couldn't finish it because I couldn't sleep. Great writing, but you need a tough skin to finish it.
March 23, 2011
It is hard for me to fathom how someone could kill another adult without malice or cause. It is therefore totally beyond my realm of comprehension how anyone could beat a small child to death with a baseball bat or slit one’s throat with a boning knife. However, that is exactly some of the serial acts of murder that were committed by Tommy Lynn Sells.
The book takes you on a journey across the country and into the mind of this man who was able to commit these acts while seeming to be pretty normal. It gives a look at how a man can be so manipulative, how he can take advantage of any opportunity to do harm. It explores his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood looking for clues as to what precipitated his behavior.
What I found interesting about the book is that it shows great sympathy for the victims and their families while maintaining a professional distance in order to evaluate and relate the story of Tommy Lynn Sells. At one point I thought the material presented was a “pitch” for sympathy for Tommy Lynn, but in truth, it was more a reasoned balance in the display of facts. The author did an excellent job of presenting the story of this man’s life and his seemingly anonymous “reign of terror”.
While reading the book, and even now in retrospect, I feel no sympathy for Tommy Lynn Sells. Yes, he had problems as a child and yes he had an illness that may have caused some metal problems. However, he knew enough about right and wrong to readily admit that the things he did were wrong. Therefore, he had a choice. No one “made” him kill the first individual and certainly no one forced him to become a serial killer. It was his choice. One he will live with in both this life and in the life to come.
The book takes you on a journey across the country and into the mind of this man who was able to commit these acts while seeming to be pretty normal. It gives a look at how a man can be so manipulative, how he can take advantage of any opportunity to do harm. It explores his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood looking for clues as to what precipitated his behavior.
What I found interesting about the book is that it shows great sympathy for the victims and their families while maintaining a professional distance in order to evaluate and relate the story of Tommy Lynn Sells. At one point I thought the material presented was a “pitch” for sympathy for Tommy Lynn, but in truth, it was more a reasoned balance in the display of facts. The author did an excellent job of presenting the story of this man’s life and his seemingly anonymous “reign of terror”.
While reading the book, and even now in retrospect, I feel no sympathy for Tommy Lynn Sells. Yes, he had problems as a child and yes he had an illness that may have caused some metal problems. However, he knew enough about right and wrong to readily admit that the things he did were wrong. Therefore, he had a choice. No one “made” him kill the first individual and certainly no one forced him to become a serial killer. It was his choice. One he will live with in both this life and in the life to come.
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June 26, 2024It’s not fair to criticize a true crime book like Dianne Fanning’s Through the Window for describing crimes that did, in fact, truly happen. I quit reading the book because I couldn’t stomach its detailed accounts of gruesome murders, not because of anything wrong with the book itself. I am usually sufficiently well-informed to avoid writers/writing likely to be distressing, but I had never heard of Tommy Lynn Sells and it turned out that the story of his terrible violations was the first true crime book I’ve ever started but was unable to finish.
I can say, however, that Through the Window’s description of Sells’ serving short portions of already-minor sentences and then leaving the area provided a frightening illustration of the difference between the legal messages “stop doing that wrong thing” and “stop doing that wrong thing in our jurisdiction.”
I can say, however, that Through the Window’s description of Sells’ serving short portions of already-minor sentences and then leaving the area provided a frightening illustration of the difference between the legal messages “stop doing that wrong thing” and “stop doing that wrong thing in our jurisdiction.”
October 8, 2022
Tommy Lynn Sells was a violent and truly evil human being and nomad who traveled the country killing an unknown number of men, women and children.
The book opens with one of his crimes, that of a beating and stabbing of a family with only one survivor. The girl miraculously recovered from a severed neck wound and was later able to testify against Tommy Lynn.
Fanning chronicles a staggering number of murders possibly committed by Sells and authorities place the total count at twenty-two and possibly much higher.
The book was published in 2003 and an internet search gave me an updated answer as to what became of the nasty man. The book is an average true crime read.
The book opens with one of his crimes, that of a beating and stabbing of a family with only one survivor. The girl miraculously recovered from a severed neck wound and was later able to testify against Tommy Lynn.
Fanning chronicles a staggering number of murders possibly committed by Sells and authorities place the total count at twenty-two and possibly much higher.
The book was published in 2003 and an internet search gave me an updated answer as to what became of the nasty man. The book is an average true crime read.
June 6, 2012
I had never heard of Tommy Lynn Sells or any of his horrific crimes. Tommy Lynn is a confessed serial killer who has admitted to the deaths of over 40 people. His crimes span across the United States from new Mexico, to Texas and Mississippi.
He is currently serving a death sentence in Texas and was scheduled to be executed sometime in 2007. However, as with most death sentences the execution date has been delayed.
The crimes this man committed were very brutal and heartless. I was angered when reading what he did to all the children he killed and or raped. He is a disgusting individual. One of the things that made this book stand out to me from other true crime books that I have read, is that at the end of the book the author publishes a letter from Tommy Lynn to the readers of the book. It was interesting to read what the killer's point of view was on his crimes and the book written on him. Killer minds is something that will always be intriguing because I don't believe there is one particular thing that just sets someone off to be a killer.
I really do not have any sympathy for this man. He did have a very sad upbringing with a mother who was not very warm hearted- however that doesnt excuse the man he turned out to be. This man even tried to rape his own mother in the shower! My heart does go out to all of the families of the victims of his heinous crimes. My eyes got teary eyed after seeing the picture of little Mary Bea Perez. Such innocense lost and now gone from this world. The author did a great job in describing the crimes and the process during the trial period. & what a brave little girl Krystal was when she was put on that stand. This book is not for the squimish as the crimes Tommy Lynn committed against children are very difficult to read.
He is currently serving a death sentence in Texas and was scheduled to be executed sometime in 2007. However, as with most death sentences the execution date has been delayed.
The crimes this man committed were very brutal and heartless. I was angered when reading what he did to all the children he killed and or raped. He is a disgusting individual. One of the things that made this book stand out to me from other true crime books that I have read, is that at the end of the book the author publishes a letter from Tommy Lynn to the readers of the book. It was interesting to read what the killer's point of view was on his crimes and the book written on him. Killer minds is something that will always be intriguing because I don't believe there is one particular thing that just sets someone off to be a killer.
I really do not have any sympathy for this man. He did have a very sad upbringing with a mother who was not very warm hearted- however that doesnt excuse the man he turned out to be. This man even tried to rape his own mother in the shower! My heart does go out to all of the families of the victims of his heinous crimes. My eyes got teary eyed after seeing the picture of little Mary Bea Perez. Such innocense lost and now gone from this world. The author did a great job in describing the crimes and the process during the trial period. & what a brave little girl Krystal was when she was put on that stand. This book is not for the squimish as the crimes Tommy Lynn committed against children are very difficult to read.
August 9, 2014
On Sunday, November 13, 2005 I wrote:
8 out of 10
Well I met Diane when she became a member of the true crime yahoo book club I was in. She is great by the way. She answered all our questions very patiently and is just a generally nice person to hang out with.
In this book was a scene which was so shocking to me, well and I have read alot of true crime books, but when i read how Sells killed a pregnant woman, I became sick to my stomach.
Book Description
Ten-Year-Old Krystal Surles Watched In Horror
As Her Best Friend Was Murdered At The Hands Of An Intruder.
Then with cold-blooded precision he brought a twelve-inch boning knife to Krystal's throat. With a single, violent slash, he severed her windpipe and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and would lead authorities to the arrest of 35-year-old Tommy Lynn Sells, a former truck driver, carnival worker, and cross-country drifter...
He Aspired To Become "The Worst Serial Killer Of All Time."
With no apparent motive and no common pattern to his inconceivable bloodshed, the elusive Sells had carved his way across the country for two decades slaughtering women, men, transients, entire families, teenagers, and even infants with ghoulish abandon.
Through The Window is more than an investigation into a crime spree that stunned a nation. It's an utterly terrifying plunge into the unfathomable dark mind of a serial killer, and the heart-wrenching story of the brave child who finally brought him to justice.
8 out of 10
Well I met Diane when she became a member of the true crime yahoo book club I was in. She is great by the way. She answered all our questions very patiently and is just a generally nice person to hang out with.
In this book was a scene which was so shocking to me, well and I have read alot of true crime books, but when i read how Sells killed a pregnant woman, I became sick to my stomach.
Book Description
Ten-Year-Old Krystal Surles Watched In Horror
As Her Best Friend Was Murdered At The Hands Of An Intruder.
Then with cold-blooded precision he brought a twelve-inch boning knife to Krystal's throat. With a single, violent slash, he severed her windpipe and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and would lead authorities to the arrest of 35-year-old Tommy Lynn Sells, a former truck driver, carnival worker, and cross-country drifter...
He Aspired To Become "The Worst Serial Killer Of All Time."
With no apparent motive and no common pattern to his inconceivable bloodshed, the elusive Sells had carved his way across the country for two decades slaughtering women, men, transients, entire families, teenagers, and even infants with ghoulish abandon.
Through The Window is more than an investigation into a crime spree that stunned a nation. It's an utterly terrifying plunge into the unfathomable dark mind of a serial killer, and the heart-wrenching story of the brave child who finally brought him to justice.
February 26, 2014
I just finished reading "Through the window" by Dianne Fanning and I LOVED it but I have to say that no book has had me so scared and alert like this one...! I hated the story and of course I could never be happy about events like that happening but I feel that Dianne was very good and telling us all that happened. It will probably take me a while to get over the images that I pictured with every word. I seriously took forever to finish it because I just had to stop at some points but it was so good that I just had to grab it again and keep reading...! Tommy Lynn Sells is one evil man. He raped and killed so many people and never got caught until he attacked little Katy and Krystal. He managed to murder Katy and after slashing Krystal's throat left her for dead but she amazingly survived! Krystal is truly a hero in my eyes, not only did she survive such a horrible thing but she helped to put this serial killer behind bars! Thanks to that many unsolved crimes were uncovered and many more were stopped. Author Dianne Fanning really did and amazing job with this book. I felt as if every chapter was a different story and that helped me because I would stop after each one being that some were so gruesome! The way that she describes each story helped us to know more about all his victims, crimes and with that to know who Tommy Lynn Sells was and specially to know what he was capable of. It was very well written and very detailed. I strongly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in True Crime books.
September 26, 2012
SCARY but hard to put down!
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November 8, 2025Tommy Lee Sells was one of the worst serial killers the United States has seen. Thirty-five when caught, he spent the years before traveling the country and killing men, women and children. He seemed to have no preference although he would sexually assault his female victims. He killed by bludgeoning, shooting or his seeming preference, slitting the throats of those he murdered.
He was caught in Texas. He went through the window of a home during the night. In the home was a woman, her two daughters and her younger daughter's friend who was having a sleepover. He bypassed the adult woman and her elder daughter. He killed the younger daughter in front of her friend, slashing and stabbing her to death. He then used his twelve-inch boning knife to slit the throat of ten year old Krystal Surles. Somehow this little girl found the strength to crawl to the neighbor's house and get help. As soon as they stabilized her in the hospital, she was ready to testify. Although she couldn't speak she wrote what happened that night and helped a portrait artist to make a mugshot. Sellers was arrested and started confessing.
Tommy Sells confessed to more than seventy murders. He was known as the Coast To Coast Killer. His real total is not known as some of the murders he claimed were proven to be committed by others but he did kill across the country. One of the saddest to me was the case where he broke into a house, killed a ten year old boy with a kitchen knife he found there and escaped. He always cleaned the site of his prints and DNA as best he could. The boy's mother was arrested, found guilty and served time until she was finally exonerated after Sell's death.
Diane Fanning is known for her true crime books although these days she has moved on to write mysteries more often. She started in advertising and then worked as an executive director at several nonprofits. She has won numerous awards both for her work and her writing. I've had this book for years but finally found the courage to reading it. I cannot imagine the strength it took for her to sit across a table in prison and look into the eyes of Tommy Lynn Sells as he confessed crime after horrid crime. He was executed in Texas in 2014. This book is recommended for true crime readers.
He was caught in Texas. He went through the window of a home during the night. In the home was a woman, her two daughters and her younger daughter's friend who was having a sleepover. He bypassed the adult woman and her elder daughter. He killed the younger daughter in front of her friend, slashing and stabbing her to death. He then used his twelve-inch boning knife to slit the throat of ten year old Krystal Surles. Somehow this little girl found the strength to crawl to the neighbor's house and get help. As soon as they stabilized her in the hospital, she was ready to testify. Although she couldn't speak she wrote what happened that night and helped a portrait artist to make a mugshot. Sellers was arrested and started confessing.
Tommy Sells confessed to more than seventy murders. He was known as the Coast To Coast Killer. His real total is not known as some of the murders he claimed were proven to be committed by others but he did kill across the country. One of the saddest to me was the case where he broke into a house, killed a ten year old boy with a kitchen knife he found there and escaped. He always cleaned the site of his prints and DNA as best he could. The boy's mother was arrested, found guilty and served time until she was finally exonerated after Sell's death.
Diane Fanning is known for her true crime books although these days she has moved on to write mysteries more often. She started in advertising and then worked as an executive director at several nonprofits. She has won numerous awards both for her work and her writing. I've had this book for years but finally found the courage to reading it. I cannot imagine the strength it took for her to sit across a table in prison and look into the eyes of Tommy Lynn Sells as he confessed crime after horrid crime. He was executed in Texas in 2014. This book is recommended for true crime readers.
December 31, 2025
Through The Window befalls the same tired flaws as a lot of other books in its genre; it favors narrative drama over hard facts and cold truth. This irks me, as the murders and assaults by Sells’ hands needn’t be handled as they were in Through The Window. That is, sensationalized. It comes off as insensitive and demeaning to readers and victims.
March 1, 2012
This is a scary book because it's true. Tommy Lynn Sells kills because he gets mad. If he thinks someone was disrespectful, he kills them and leaves no witnesses, except one. 10-year-old Krystal Surales. He slit her throat in her bed after she watched him kill her friend in their bedroom. She laid in bed until she was sure he was gone and then walked a 1/4 mile with her windpipe severed to a neighbor's house and got help, but she didn't stop there; she was able to give a description which led to Sells' arrest and then testified against him which landed him on death row in Texas.
The book chronicles his years of murdering across the country. Sells' would break into a home and kill the occupants. More often than not, they didn't know him. He didn't break in to steal, he did it to kill.
What's even scarier is the fact that there are so many serial killers roaming across the country. Like Sells' they've honed their skills to the point they don't get caught. Sells' would still be out there if it wasn't for Krystal. He left no prints, no DNA - meticulously cleaning up his crime scene.
The book was interesting until the end. The trial portion of the book dragged and I found myself skimming over parts of it.
By the end, I felt the author wasn't being objective, but then how could she, having spent so much time with Sells'? It was obvious that she doesn't support the death penalty. During the trial, a psychologist basically said Sells' couldn't help himself due to his past abuse, and the fact that he had borderline personality disorder and because of that he couldn't help himself.
Fanning also included a letter from Sells' one in which he said people lied about him. He rambles on and on and makes a lot of racial slurs. I'm not sure that was necessary in the book and didn't add anything in my opinion.
The first 3/4 of the book was good, the last 1/4 I could've skipped.
The book chronicles his years of murdering across the country. Sells' would break into a home and kill the occupants. More often than not, they didn't know him. He didn't break in to steal, he did it to kill.
What's even scarier is the fact that there are so many serial killers roaming across the country. Like Sells' they've honed their skills to the point they don't get caught. Sells' would still be out there if it wasn't for Krystal. He left no prints, no DNA - meticulously cleaning up his crime scene.
The book was interesting until the end. The trial portion of the book dragged and I found myself skimming over parts of it.
By the end, I felt the author wasn't being objective, but then how could she, having spent so much time with Sells'? It was obvious that she doesn't support the death penalty. During the trial, a psychologist basically said Sells' couldn't help himself due to his past abuse, and the fact that he had borderline personality disorder and because of that he couldn't help himself.
Fanning also included a letter from Sells' one in which he said people lied about him. He rambles on and on and makes a lot of racial slurs. I'm not sure that was necessary in the book and didn't add anything in my opinion.
The first 3/4 of the book was good, the last 1/4 I could've skipped.
July 25, 2011
Interesting and Very disturbing...not sure why I even picked up this book to begin with. Makes you wonder how many other people such as this are around and not caught. Given little communication between states, the constant lessening of charges, and the transient nature of this individual he may never had been caught if it hadn't been for a brave little girl who just happened to survive.
April 4, 2013
True crime story of a really evil Tommy Lynn Sells, who committed horrific murders all over the country for 18 years. This is one sick bastard. He deserves to be on death row in Texas. Sure he is bat shit crazy, but the stuff he did? Yeesh.
Good book if you like true crime, serial killer bios and/or horrific accounts of evil men.
Good book if you like true crime, serial killer bios and/or horrific accounts of evil men.
July 29, 2021
This book was tougher to read than most true crime novels for me. I know one of the victims of Tommy Lynn Sells which made reading this an emotional experience at times. He is truly an evil person and even as an avid reader of true crime I found myself shocked by the brutality of several of his crimes. The book was well written and thorough.
April 23, 2016
Show, don't tell. This slim volume contained gruesome lists of murders as we followed serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells on his dizzying killing jaunts around America. Very little insight---just list after list of vicious crimes and no commentary on the perpetrator.
July 25, 2007
Chilling.
If ever there were a justification for a serial killer becoming a serial killer, this is it.
If this book doesn't creep you out, something is wrong with you.
If ever there were a justification for a serial killer becoming a serial killer, this is it.
If this book doesn't creep you out, something is wrong with you.
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March 30, 2009This serial killer had no heart.
May 23, 2020
It's a fast read. I read it in the airport. This book gives a lot of gruesome details about Sells' crimes but in the end did he really commit all those? I am not totally convinced.
February 23, 2022
"Dead men tell no tales."
That's the motto Tommy Lynn Sells chose to live by. For him that meant running all over the United States killing everyone. Literally everyone, man, woman, child....didn't matter.
I became infatuated with finding a copy of Through the Window after I discovered this book actually helped release a woman who was wrongfully convicted of killing her son, a killing that was actually the work of Tommy Lynn Sells. Then a few years later, I grabbed a copy of Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller. The murder, trailer fire, and disappearance of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible sounded oddly similar to another killing he eventually confessed to. After his arrest, he confessed to the Freeman/Bible crime but quickly recanted this statement.
This book was published in 2003 and updated in 2006. So it's safe to say a lot about Tommy Lynn Sells' life of crime was left out of this book. It only goes in depth into a few of his crimes. Specifically, the attack that left Kaylene Harris dead and Krystal Surles with a gaping hole in her throat. It talks about the brutal beatings of entire families. The senseless over the road murders of girls he picked up. The unsuspecting victims who were actually willing to help the down on his luck "homeless" man.
Tommy Lynn Sells was executed in April 2014.
Ultimately, he was only convicted of one murder which resulted in a death sentence. Law enforcement officials confirmed and closed the cases of 22 others but believe there were far more than that.
More true crime reviews on A Reader's Diary!
That's the motto Tommy Lynn Sells chose to live by. For him that meant running all over the United States killing everyone. Literally everyone, man, woman, child....didn't matter.
I became infatuated with finding a copy of Through the Window after I discovered this book actually helped release a woman who was wrongfully convicted of killing her son, a killing that was actually the work of Tommy Lynn Sells. Then a few years later, I grabbed a copy of Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller. The murder, trailer fire, and disappearance of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible sounded oddly similar to another killing he eventually confessed to. After his arrest, he confessed to the Freeman/Bible crime but quickly recanted this statement.
This book was published in 2003 and updated in 2006. So it's safe to say a lot about Tommy Lynn Sells' life of crime was left out of this book. It only goes in depth into a few of his crimes. Specifically, the attack that left Kaylene Harris dead and Krystal Surles with a gaping hole in her throat. It talks about the brutal beatings of entire families. The senseless over the road murders of girls he picked up. The unsuspecting victims who were actually willing to help the down on his luck "homeless" man.
Tommy Lynn Sells was executed in April 2014.
Ultimately, he was only convicted of one murder which resulted in a death sentence. Law enforcement officials confirmed and closed the cases of 22 others but believe there were far more than that.
More true crime reviews on A Reader's Diary!
August 30, 2018
Diane Fanning gets inside the head of one of the most brutal serial killers the US has ever met. Tommy Lynn Sells killed indiscriminately across the country for about two decades. Because he had no established method of killing, murders in different states weren't linked to him until he was caught in South Texas in 1991. When he began confessing, he couldn't stop. He wanted his murders tagged to his name.
Fanning had unprecedented access, securing more than 20 hours in interview rooms. As a result, she presents a terrifying story of a cold-blooded murderer with such a fine touch that his personality fairly leaps off the page.
This book is NOT for the squeamish. Sells' killings are graphically depicted. It is a book that will make you leave your lights on at night, jump at every strange draft, and wonder if the creak on the stairs is Sells coming to visit. The trip into a psychopath's mind is rewarding for its explanation of what the murderer was thinking while on his rampage across the US.
Fanning had unprecedented access, securing more than 20 hours in interview rooms. As a result, she presents a terrifying story of a cold-blooded murderer with such a fine touch that his personality fairly leaps off the page.
This book is NOT for the squeamish. Sells' killings are graphically depicted. It is a book that will make you leave your lights on at night, jump at every strange draft, and wonder if the creak on the stairs is Sells coming to visit. The trip into a psychopath's mind is rewarding for its explanation of what the murderer was thinking while on his rampage across the US.
December 3, 2024
I have never read of a worse predator than this Tommy Sells, whose lust for killing never abated, whilst he evaded capture for two decades.
Almost constantly on the move across the country, murdering without motive wherever he went - throttling, shooting, stabbing or cutting throats. His favourite victims were mothers and children. A true monster, who had no feelings or mercy for any of his many victims - unlike the justice system, which spent years trying to save him. His excuse? Abuse and neglect as a child.
As a fan of true crime, I found the book interesting, even fascinating, but no normal person could find reading such an appalling account "enjoyable." Thankfully, it has not given me nightmares.
Almost constantly on the move across the country, murdering without motive wherever he went - throttling, shooting, stabbing or cutting throats. His favourite victims were mothers and children. A true monster, who had no feelings or mercy for any of his many victims - unlike the justice system, which spent years trying to save him. His excuse? Abuse and neglect as a child.
As a fan of true crime, I found the book interesting, even fascinating, but no normal person could find reading such an appalling account "enjoyable." Thankfully, it has not given me nightmares.
December 28, 2017
Whoa. In the time Tommy Lynn Sells was crossing America murdering so many people, I was growing up. For over twenty years, he spent his life murdering people and not getting caught! His murders were so random that there was no clue that the person who had committed the crimes could possibly be connected to other crimes. Brutal despicable crimes against men, women, and children that are quite difficult to read about. It wasn't until he cut the throat of a little girl who was brave enough to play dead and then escape to safety and describe Tommy perfectly to investigators that he was finally caught.
October 12, 2018
I thought this book was terrible . The subject matter was disgusting Tommy Lynn Sells admits to killing over 50 people men woman and children. He was arrested in year 2000 admitted his guilt for the crime he was arrested for, tried and found guilty of capital murder.
He was finally executed 14 years later. I believe this individual did not deserve to live 1 day after the trial. The book was filled with dates brief description of crimes no insight of the killer. It was a chronicle of an evil individual who did not have my sympathy for his poor childhood. I do not recommend the book I only finished it because I wanted him to be executed.
He was finally executed 14 years later. I believe this individual did not deserve to live 1 day after the trial. The book was filled with dates brief description of crimes no insight of the killer. It was a chronicle of an evil individual who did not have my sympathy for his poor childhood. I do not recommend the book I only finished it because I wanted him to be executed.
May 27, 2023
Over the years, so many became victims to one of the most prolific serial killers, Tommy Lynn Sells. His killing spree came to an end by one of his victims, Krystal Surles, who was left for dead at just 10 years old. Thankfully, Krystal survived and was not only brave enough but smart enough to immediately seek help. By also then being able to identify Sells as she was fighting for her life, she was able to bring him down within days of his last crime. Like many serial killers, there were chances through his entire like that he could have been taken down and the crimes would have stopped. Sadly, this wasn’t the case and so many innocent men, women and children fell victim to this man’s anger resulting in their deaths.
Diane Fanning goes into great detail about his crimes and gives the victims a voice through this book. Through the beginning of the book, each victim almost gets their own chapter. She also goes into his past and how he got to where he was during the height of his killing spree. She pulls back the layers to look into his dark crime and how Surles overcame everything to bring him down.
On the Cat Scale:
😺😺😺😺
Diane Fanning goes into great detail about his crimes and gives the victims a voice through this book. Through the beginning of the book, each victim almost gets their own chapter. She also goes into his past and how he got to where he was during the height of his killing spree. She pulls back the layers to look into his dark crime and how Surles overcame everything to bring him down.
On the Cat Scale:
😺😺😺😺
December 19, 2024
3.5 stars. excellently and thoroughly researched, and narrative while still remaining balanced. lagged in some places where author got too fixated on minute details in making case for / against Sells’ guilt in different cases (these need not be forgotten but could be combined and emphasized).
SPOILER FOR ENDING:
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there are 2 production dates for this book, when it was originally published in 2003, and when it was updated in 2012. the killer, Tommy Lynn Sells, was executed in 2014 by the State of Texas, after its most recent update, which will account for where the book ends re: Tommy’s ongoing suspect status in cases across the country and his incarceration.
SPOILER FOR ENDING:
.
.
.
.
.
there are 2 production dates for this book, when it was originally published in 2003, and when it was updated in 2012. the killer, Tommy Lynn Sells, was executed in 2014 by the State of Texas, after its most recent update, which will account for where the book ends re: Tommy’s ongoing suspect status in cases across the country and his incarceration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
Great novel for true crime lovers
Gripping account of the murders Sells committed. A true page turner. There were times I wanted to turn the book away but simply could not. Well written and composed piece of investigative true crime. I recommend this book to all true lovers of true crime novels; albeit with a solemn warning that this book is not for those who are faint of heart and cannot handle the gruesome nature of the crimes committed.
Gripping account of the murders Sells committed. A true page turner. There were times I wanted to turn the book away but simply could not. Well written and composed piece of investigative true crime. I recommend this book to all true lovers of true crime novels; albeit with a solemn warning that this book is not for those who are faint of heart and cannot handle the gruesome nature of the crimes committed.
October 6, 2020
Horrible
story telling! So disappointed. I was on vacation and never spend more than $10 on a kindle book, but against my better judgement and to treat myself, I did just that. I tried so hard to make excuses for this author, to no avail.
The story was disjointed, all over the place, it was the worst book I've ever read. I gave up, couldn't finish it. I've watched Fanning on Deadly Women and figured she might know what she's doing, she does not! Just awful writing!!
story telling! So disappointed. I was on vacation and never spend more than $10 on a kindle book, but against my better judgement and to treat myself, I did just that. I tried so hard to make excuses for this author, to no avail.
The story was disjointed, all over the place, it was the worst book I've ever read. I gave up, couldn't finish it. I've watched Fanning on Deadly Women and figured she might know what she's doing, she does not! Just awful writing!!
May 15, 2022
A Terrible Horrible Man
Tommy Lynn Sells is probably the most prolific serial killer in the United States. He travel all over the United States and killed people as he traveled. And he was an expert at killing. He never left fingerprints or other evidence and always cleaned up his crime scene. But one night he cut a girl’s throat and she didn’t die. That was the beginning of the end.
Tommy Lynn Sells is probably the most prolific serial killer in the United States. He travel all over the United States and killed people as he traveled. And he was an expert at killing. He never left fingerprints or other evidence and always cleaned up his crime scene. But one night he cut a girl’s throat and she didn’t die. That was the beginning of the end.
May 17, 2022
A good read
Horrific, very disturbing story of a man who did unspeakable things and never had remorse, always only reflecting back on his horrible childhood as to the cause. Ok, so why then did he not just take himself out of this world instead of enacting such violent, merciless tortures on others? That is one question I have yet to see asked when authors have so much time to become very intimate with these "things". Well written and a quick read.
Horrific, very disturbing story of a man who did unspeakable things and never had remorse, always only reflecting back on his horrible childhood as to the cause. Ok, so why then did he not just take himself out of this world instead of enacting such violent, merciless tortures on others? That is one question I have yet to see asked when authors have so much time to become very intimate with these "things". Well written and a quick read.
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