The Faceless Villain: A Collection of the Eeriest Unsolved Murders of the 20th Century: Volume Two

by Jenny Ashford

What is it about these unsolved murders that still fascinates us long after the cases have gone cold? Is it simply that we enjoy being able to come up with our own theories about what happened to the unfortunate victims? Or are we intrigued by the terrifying possibility that the killers are still out there somewhere? The Faceless Volume Two is the second in a three-volume series that explores the most mysterious and disturbing unsolved murders of the twentieth century. This volume is comprised of the years 1960 through 1979, and includes all of the best known cases of the period, as well as many more lesser-known murders, all presented in a compelling chronological narrative that takes the reader on a grisly journey through the blood-soaked avenues of mid-twentieth century crime. The Lake Bodom Murders. Little Miss Nobody. Jack the Stripper. The Zodiac. The Beaumont Children. Bible John. The Good Hart Murders. The Coronation Street Murder. Highway of Tears. Sister Catherine Cesnik. Isdal Woman. The Alphabet Murders. The Lady of the Dunes. The Gypsy Hill Killings. The Seewen Murder Case. The Wanda Beach Murders. The Freeway Phantom. The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders. The Girl Scout Murders. The Lafayette Bar & Grill Murders. Bob Crane. AND MUCH MORE!

Genres: Crime

562 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2018

About the author

Jenny Ashford is a horror, true crime, and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. ​Her most recent books are a three-volume true crime compilation collectively known as The Faceless Villain: A Collection of the Eeriest Unsolved Murders of the Twentieth Century. Volume One was published in 2017, Volume Two in 2018, and Volume Three in 2019.

​Her other books include four paranormal nonfiction books: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena, The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist (with Tom Ross), House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist (both with Steve Mera); as well as three horror novels, Red Menace, Bellwether, and The Five Poisons; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; and a graphic novel, The Tenebrist. A second edition of The Associated Villainies was published in 2019, featuring four new stories, an enhanced print layout, and an audio book version.

Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4. Her horror blog, Goddess of Hellfire, contains writing news, short stories and articles, and her reviews and opinions on horror films and books.

She also co-hosts a podcast with Tom Ross called 13 O'Clock, on which they discuss paranormal weirdness, true crime, unexplained mysteries, and other fun, creepy topics.

Reviews

[Dachokie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd volume of a 3 volume series and with 661 pages of storytelling, the largest of the series. The unsolved murders and disappearances covered in this book range from 1960 through 1979. The cases presented include many well-known murders (like Zodiac), but many more lesser-known tragedies around the world.

What I like about these Jenny Ashford books is that they cover so many unsolved murders and disappearances in structured manner that, while brief, still deliver plenty of details. As a fan of true crime, I find these books a great primer to dig deeper into some of the cases referenced by seeking other books or documentaries on specific cases. For example, my oldest daughter read this and was intrigued by the Sister Cathy Cesnik murder which led her to watch the well-made Netflix documentary series on the case.

I look forward to reading the third volume which covers more contemporary crimes. If you like true crime and want a wide-range of cases to pique your interest, Ashford’s books are worthy reads. I recommend reading the volumes in order as some cases start in one volume and continue into subsequent volumes.

[Miss Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

I really liked it. However, I still don't like the way she sets up her chapters and segues. Also, I guess I find the older crimes from Volume 1 to be more interesting, but that's just my personal preference. Really wish Volume 3 was out already. Spoiler alert: there is going to be a Volume 3, lol.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long but enjoyable book. It can get a bit confusing and hard to remember all of the names and stuff as they are one after the other non stop, and I share the other criticism of it’s a book about unsolved murders, so why do cases end in saying things like this murder is still unsolved? Like obviously. And I found a couple of grammatical errors.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only criticism is that some of the cases end with the writer saying that the case remains unsolved, we know that, it’s a book about unsolved murders.

[SteveL · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime has cases that will intrigue all throughout time. This volume continues where volume one ended. Even though it covers a shorter period of time, this volume is longer as more cases seemed to pop up during the two decades covered.

Just like the previous volume, this book focuses on unsolved murders from the 60s and the 70s. The cases range from the most well-known to more obscure ones. Not every case is gone through is as in-depth, but cover enough to keep readers engaged. It is a great reference for any true crime fan.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

March 2021 Update: I enjoyed (as much as you can "enjoy" a book about murder cases) much more the second time. There were cases that I didn't remember from my first listening. Many cases I'd never heard of, I appreciated the year by year breakdown.

I liked how this book talked about murders I had heard of mixed with ones I'd never heard of. I also liked how the book was broken down year by year, which helped me keep track of what happened.