Manhunt: How I Brought Serial Killer Levi Bellfield To Justice

by Colin Sutton

NOW A MAJOR TV DRAMA STARRING MARTIN CLUNES

What does it take to catch one of Britain's most feared killers? Levi Bellfield is one of the most notorious British serial killers of the last fifty years—his name alone evokes horror and revulsion, after his string of brutal murders in the early 2000s. At 3:07pm on 21st March, 2002, Milly Dowler left her school in Surrey for the last time. Less than an hour later, she was to be abducted and murdered in the cruellest fashion, sparking a missing person investigation that would span months before her body was found. In the two years that followed, two more young women—Marsha McDonnell and then Amélie Delagrange—were murdered in unspeakably brutal attacks. Yet with three murdered women on their hands, and few leads open to them, investigating officers were running out of ideas and options, until SIO Colin Sutton was drafted into the investigation for the murder of Delagrange. Seeing a connection between the three women, and thriving under the pressure of a serial killer hunt, Sutton was finally able to bring their murderer to justice after the case had begun to seem hopeless. Manhunt tells the story of how he led the charge to find a mystery killer, against the clock and against the odds - day by day and lead by lead. At once a gripping police procedural, and an insight into the life of an evil man, this is the story behind what it takes to track down a shockingly violent murderer before he strikes again.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography, History

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2019

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty concise account of the capture and trial of Levi Bellfield, a particularly vile individual who assaulted and murdered a number of young women in the UK. At times thus did feel a bit bogged down in police jargon and the thankless boring tasks needed to bring Levi to justice (there's a lot of data collection and CCTV footage to watch) and although it was useful to see how the investigating officers were thinking outside the box to obtain evidence, it did get a bit dull after a while.

I guess I was expecting something a bit more flashy, a bit more 'American' with detailed behavioural analysis. Clearly I've read too much John Douglas and his extroverted techniques and constant self promotion. Instead we just get the odd bit of police 'banter' that just left me cringing. However, overall I thought it was interesting to see some of the tireless work and thought process behind catching a killer in the UK.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up after watching the ITV series 'Manhunt' which I thought was outstanding. It may well have clouded my judgement of this one. But if you're interested in the police procedural process behind bringing down a serial killer, you couldn't fail to be fascinated by this. The fastidious and methodical approach Colin Sutton and his team took is incredible. It's a job that completely fascinates me, but I'm not entirely sure I could live with the weight of the decisions I was making. Highly recommended.

[ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

why my ACAB believing ass thought a book written by a cop was a good idea I don’t know. I guess the reviews I saw talking about how the police forces wouldn’t like this book made me think it would be a critical look from the inside, but nope, it was full of the self aggrandising and dick stroking you’d expect from a cop trying to tell you what a great job they did lao. that’s not to say putting a serial killer behind bars *isn’t* a good job, and there were parts that gave glimpses into what a group pursuing justice can do well, but it also showed how unfailingly police believe they are always the good guys and illustrates exactly why we need methods of pursuing justice that do not come with the abuses of power and hierarchy seen in the police.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. First I read about Millie and her abduction. Next I read a book about Bellfields crimes and arrest. Then lastly I found this audiobook by the investigator that led to his arrest. I feel like I read full circle. Really learned by reading these three books such heinous crimes. And the funniest thing is bellfield is this huge overweight dude whose speaking voice sounds like a helium sucking mouse. Tough guy right? Such a pig

[Jim JOHNSTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

It was the TV drama that made me buy this book, and as much as I enjoyed the dramatisation, the book is better. It is the inside story of the investigation, written in an engaging way, with pace enough to keep the reader engaged. Mr Sutton has managed to avoid ‘copper speak’ and he is fulsome in the praise of his team. In the end I give thanks that this monster is locked up.

[Angus Hold · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book (written by the lead investigator on the case) clearly comes with its biases towards the police.
The author strives to portray the police as the ‘good guys’, which I guess is hard to argue against when they’re trying to convict a serial killer, serial rapist and paedophile. However, what I’m sure he didn’t intend to do was highlight areas in which the police are both highly ineffectual and corrupt.
An interesting read if you’re into this sort of thing.

[Jo Fishwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really difficult to rate and review a book of this nature. A police procedural of the most vile criminal. Obviously it isn't the most exciting book I've ever read, but I learnt so much about police procedures and the lengths dedicated teams will go to to solve a difficult case. I've given it a four just because it wasn't fast paced And I did find bits dragged. Glad I persevered with it though.

[Kim Ebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading / listening to true crime, and I especially love the "behind the scenes" experiences of the police officers and detectives who work tirelessly to bring these sick and depraved killers to book. This was a really fascinating look into the massive amount of work that went into the convictions of Levi Bellfield. This book doesn't mention the Milly case other than in passing but instead focusses on the police work that went into solving Bellfield's other crimes, the ones that happened before Milly was murdered.

All I can say is, what an amazing man Colin Sutton is. He, and his team, did the most amazing job ever, and because of them, a twisted man and evil killer is off the streets. It gave me happy chills.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I've always been more interested in the case of Levi Bellfield than many serial killers as I was physically closer to it - at the time he was murderering/attacking young women, I was at secondary school just minutes walk from where Amelie was murdered on the green, Marsha's sister was in my year at school and my home town is where Kate Sheedy was run over, so I wanted to read a bit more indepth about how he was brought to justice.
This book is somewhat of a cross between finding/prosecuting a serial killer and a self serving autobiography of a section of the life of the policeman in charge of the investigation. Interesting certainly, but with some filling, irrelevant details which mainly seem to be a 'look at how good I am' bit by Mr Sutton.

[Danielle Moloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was generally a good read although, I found the way Colin Sutton talks in the book a little annoying (like thus, therefore etc). The only way I can describe it was like when you're having to be polite to a client in work. The language was all 'above board'. Saying that, I do really like Colin Sutton. Very interesting guy, the type you'd want to sit down with and talk for hours.

This book will open your eyes to how deceptive and vile Levi is (note Levi is also an anagram of the words EVIL and VILE - how fitting!) and it's a good job he was eventually caught and found guilty.

[Hamza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levi Bellfield gained infamy as a notorious serial killer, responsible for a string of murders in London during the early 2000s. He targeted young women he'd find at bus stops, attacking them over the head with a blunt object.

Colin Sutton, the lead investigator on the Bellfield case, offers a behind-the-scenes look at his three-year pursuit in this book. He walks us through his thinking and reasoning, justifying every decision he made. This book is a prime showcase of what proper, gritty police work can achieve.

My only small gripe with this book is that it assumes the reader has prior knowledge of the policing and legal system. Often, terminology and concepts are used without explanation, so be prepared to do a little extra research.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching the show where Colin Sutton is played by Martin Clunes, I was eager to read the firsthand version and was not disappointed. In an easy but detailed fashion, the reader is taken through the case from beginning to end. The police work into minutiae so that every point could be steadfastly proven was impressive. As a US attorney, I also always find the British justice system interesting as it differs drastically from our own.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 29 of 2022. Format: Audio. Genre: Non-Fiction/True Crime

3.5 stars seems the most appropriate rating for me. While this book was undoubtedly interesting, and satisfying in its conclusion, I wasn’t as gripped as I expected. Perhaps it’s because I already know the story of Levi Bellfield and the trial process, having seen the ITV adaptation of Manhunt already.

[Marmalade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the way the police managed to get this devious man put behind bars.

[Geoff Gobbett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilt by the ego tripping.

[Georgia Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeper insight into the story behind the case. An enjoyable and interesting read.

[Jan Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating background of the investigation.

[Paulinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Kariss Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit self serving but interesting none the less

[Tracy Hollen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although familiar with this case and the investigation into these murders through the media coverage of them, it was really interesting to go behind the scenes and listen to what the police officer who ran the investigation had to say. There is a lot of detail, especially about the victims, their lives and the care that the officers took in dealing with the families. Most impressive was the way that the family of the French girl Amelie was dealt with, and shocking the way the French police would have dealt with them if left to their own devices.

Also knowing some of the issues around the Millie Dowler case and the hacking of her phone and problems that were caused, I was shocked to find out about other ways the media pretty much were a law unto themselves. News of the World is no loss to journalism, they knew about the raid on Belfield before hand and were going to run the story two days before the raid was due to take place. One can only feel revulsion at these people and the mentality they show.

I did find it an interesting commentary on how jury selection works and how the idea that a variety of people from all walks of life are representative on the jury is not accurate because of the things that exclude people. Medical appointments, holidays booked, self employed etc.

The book is not sensationalising this case but is a fairly straight forward recording of the way the investigation went, their success and some of the obstacles they had to deal with.

[Pi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zaczęłam tę książkę czytać wczoraj po południu i skończyłam ją dzisiaj - poszło szybko, bo została napisana bardzo sprawnie i tak, że trudno się od niej oderwać. Dawno nie sięgałam po ten typ "true crime", a musicie wiedzieć, że kiedyś zarówno zaczytywałam się w takiej literaturze, jak i oglądałam wiele dokumentów w tych tematach. Było to w liceum, kiedy myślałam, że sama będę ścigać przestępców i wsadzać ich za kraty. Teraz chciałam się przekonać, czy nadal mnie to ciekawi i okazało się, że tak, choć nie sądzę, że zacznę czytać takie książki w przepastnych ilościach. Raczej od czasu, do czasu.
Jaka jest "OBŁAWA"? Na początku miałam pewne obawy, bo na okładce można przeczytać "w jaki sposób oddałem w ręce sprawiedliwości seryjnego zabójcę Leviego Bellfielda"... No właśnie! Zaraz pomyślałam, że będzie to jakaś autolaurka faceta o przerośniętym EGO - na szczęście moje obawy były niesłuszne, a Colin Sutton okazał się porządnym gościem o wielkim sercu i talencie.
Pierwsze, co rzuca się w oczy, to styl, jakim ta historia została napisana. Czyta się to świetnie, wręcz płynie się od strony do strony. Były detektyw nadkomisarz wciąga lepiej, niż autorzy poczytnych kryminałów, czy thrillerów. Może dlatego, że to prawda, ale trzeba mu oddać, że pisać potrafi i nie jest to pisanie "urzędnicze", ale takie, w którym czytelnik odnajduje prawdziwych ludzi i rozumie ich tragedie.
Lecz największą zaletą tej książki jest jej warstwa poznawcza. Colin Sutton krok po kroku przedstawia nam etapy śledztwa. Nie jest względem siebie bezkrytyczny, odsłania się przed nami i zawsze skupia się na ofiarach i na tym, by ich nie było więcej. Trudności na jakie napotykał z zespołem, niezwykła skrupulatność i ogrom pracy, jaką musieli wykonać - to przytłacza. W takich śledztwach liczy się nawet najdrobniejszy szczegół, bo ten szczegół może okazać się decydujący np. na sali sądowej. Niczego nie można pominąć, a przecież ci detektywi są tylko ludźmi. Oni po wszystkim muszą wrócić do swoich rodzin, do domów i patrzeć na córki, które przecież też mogły być ofiarami zabójcy. To gorzki kawałek chleba, ale ta praca daje satysfakcję - ta praca jest potrzebna, a w życiu dobrze czuć się potrzebnym. Zwycięstwo zespołu, to zwycięstwo sprawiedliwości.
Wcześniej nic nie słyszałam o sprawie Leviego Bellfielda, teraz wiem chyba o niej wszystko. Uważam, że to bardzo dobra książka dla tych, co interesują się, lub planują mieć jakiś związek - zawodowy - z wydziałem śledczym. Mogę spokojnie napisać, że to kopalnia wiedzy i książka wielce użyteczna. Autor oddał nią również cześć pamięci trzem dziewczynom, które powinny żyć i tym życiem się cieszyć. To ważne, by pamiętać o ofiarach - uważam, że powinno się przede wszystkim pamiętać o ofiarach, a mordercę wtrącać za kraty i o nim zapominać - niech gnije.
Muszę wam się przyznać, że okładka mi nie siadła i wolałabym patrzeć na twarze zamordowanych, niż na twarz tego śmiecia... gdy odkładałam książkę na półkę, to zawsze frontem do dołu, by nie widzieć tej mordy. No cóż, nie o okładkę tu jednak chodzi, a o to, że jeśli jesteście zainteresowani taką tematyką, to możecie spokojnie sięgać - będziecie zadowoleni, bo to skarbnica wiedzy napisana przez świetnego detektywa. Ach! Właśnie! To, co mnie ujęło chyba najbardziej, to fakt iż Colin Sutton miał być prawnikiem, lecz szybko zrozumiał, że to zakłamane bagno i wybrał ściganie przestępców - czyli zawód, w którym złego się wsadza za kraty, a nie broni.

bardzo dobra
7/10
Wydawnictwo Zysk i S-ka

[Liz Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This account is written by Colin Sutton, the Detective Chief Inspector, on the group of crimes which Levi Bellfield would eventually be convicted of or held responsible for. These included three murders, several assaults with a hammer, gang rapes, domestic abuse, and much more besides. The crime for which he is most well-known, the murder of Millie Dowler, is something of a side-line in this book, as Sutton passed on information to Surrey police who eventually convicted Bellfield of this heinous crime a few years later. However, this did not detract for me from the fascinating process of finding and convicting a serial killer.

Sutton was not afraid to be brutally candid about some of the inadequacies and politics of the police forces in these investigations, which added a layer of honesty and realness. Similarly, the inclusion of some personal events at key moments (such as family holidays) added a human element and hinted, subtly but not obliquely, at the personal sacrifices that were made by all this team to bring Bellfield to justice. Some readers may find the fact that some crimes were not investigated adequately initially (namely Millie Dowler) and were deprioritised in favour of his most heinous offences a little distasteful, but that is unfortunately the reality of police work I’m sure. It is clear that there were many individuals involved in some crimes (such as the gang rapes) who escaped any kind of retribution, which is upsetting. I also found it extremely interesting, but quite disturbing, that there seems to be some evidence that Bellfield was a confidential informer, which may have aided him in staying off the police radar for so long.

For any true crime fans, this is a great addition to the genre which manages to successfully bring both the victims and investigators to life in a truly human way, whilst avoiding the trap of glorifying Bellfield or any of his acts. Very easy to read, possibly even a little too much so at times, this book can, and probably will, be devoured in one sitting. Curl up with a brew and some jammy dodgers and enjoy!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoirs and autobiographies almost inevitably tilt towards self-promotion or at least self-justification. The reader can usually make it through if the writing is particularly fine or witty, or if the events are of sufficient moment and interest. In this case it's the latter that gets us through. To be fair, Sutton is also unstinting in his praise of his immediate colleagues and all the named members of the extremely large team who worked on what became a massive investigation into three murders.

Where he is less than complimentary (of Surrey Police, who botched the investigation of Milly Dowler's murder that turned out to have been committed by Bellfield, too; of the French police and consular officials, who were incredibly insensitive; of Met Commissioner Sir Iain Blair, briefly mentioned at the end) his reasons and judgement seem very sound. What we get here is some of the best and worse of police detection in the UK today. There are many examples of and comments on doggedness and slackness, competence and incompetence, use and abuse of the Met's overtime policies, the incredibly long hours worked by senior investigators (without overtime!) and much more. The key stories at the heart of the book are never overwhelmed, though, and if the pace sometimes drags or we get slightly lost in detail, that can be explained by the nature of the beast.

Within the confines of a legal system with presumption of innocence, huge leeway given to defence teams, few ways to protect the sensibilities of victims and their families, this was an almost exemplary job. A breathtakingly evil person has been removed permanently from ordinary society and his ability to harm others has been reduced to near-zero. The cost involved (not to mention the tragedy of Bellfield's many, many other "lesser" crimes going unpunished) might push someone to imagine that a rougher, less careful, less rule-bound justice would be preferable, but that would be a dangerous road to tread...

[Wystukanerecenzje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zacznijmy od tego, o czym ta książka jest, co znajdziecie w treści. Levie Bellfield i to jeden z najbardziej znanych i osławionych seryjnych morderców. Zabijał kobiety w bardzo brutalny sposób i co ciekawe, śledczy mieli ogromny problem nawet ze znalezieniem ciał. Na szczęście znalazła się osoba, która tę sprawę rozwiązała, mimo iż wydawała się beznadziejna i niemożliwa do rozwikłania.

Colin Sutton, bo tak nazywa się człowiek, który doprowadził mordercę przed sąd jest osobą, dla której ta sprawa była nie tylko ważna ze względu na kolejne zabijane kobiety, ale także dlatego, że poszlak było niewiele. W zasadzie stała się dla niego wręcz... inspirująca.

No dobrze, ale czy ta książka jest ciekawa? Tak. Jest napisana dość prostym, zrozumiałym językiem, a jednocześnie jest fascynująca. W środku czytelnik znajduje nie tylko informacje o mordercy, ale także smaczki dla każdego miłośnika kryminałów, bo są zamieszczone w niej procedury policyjne i także opisany został moment, kiedy mężczyznę złapano. A był agresywny i nieprzewidywalny. Jednak śledczy chcieli go złapać, zanim znów komuś stanie się krzywda...

Osobiście chętnie zagłębiam się w takie sprawy i dodatkowo, kiedy okazało się, że Sutton jest porządnym facetem, który miał zostać prawnikiem, a jednak łapie morderców, to już w ogóle zapałałam do niego ogromną sympatią. Co innego człowiek, którego zdjęcie widzicie na okładce. Myślę, że to nie na niego powinniśmy patrzeć, a właśnie na śledczego, na ofiary, które były niewinne, a zdjęcia samego mordercy mogłyby się znaleźć wewnątrz książki.

Czy polecam? Tak. To jedna z tych książek, które są oparte na faktach, a więc i bardziej łapią za serce i gardło. Napisana do tego tak ciekawie, że ciężko się od niej oderwać. Dlatego ode mnie 7/10 ostatecznie gwiazdek :)

Wydawnictwu Zysk i S-ka dziękuję za egzemplarz!

[Karen Lee-Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I knew the history of this disgusting monster, the fates of his victims and I watched with interest the ITV show, what I can say is the show is good but the book is BETTER!! This senior detective isn’t Poirot or Luther- he’s better, he’s real! He has self doubt, trouble sleeping due to the horror he has seen but he is tenacious in the pursuit of his quarry and most of all he doesn’t think he did it all by himself! These qualities of dogged determination, emotional intelligence and lack of arrogance isn’t just rare in the police force but also rare in life! It is also in total contrast to the target of the ‘Manhunt’.

This book was read in one open jawed sitting, it reads like a thriller and I had the sense of what if all those little pieces didn’t come together, this thing might never have been caught, or at least more innocents would have come in contact with EVIL! No one part of this made me more frightened than truth that nothing but chance separated this thing from his victims! But for the grace of god go I- also it’s pretty obvious that he is guilty of far more than anyone can imagine!

Therefore this is a book that lays bare the difficulties of not just catching such a person but in keeping him caged for the rest of his natural life! A really interesting and frightening read!

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Truly Gripping Read.
This is a very well written and a fascinating in-depth account of how a real old school policeman led a team to convict a truly despicable and evil individual who is now serving several whole life sentences behind bars. Levi Bellfield is one of the most notorious British serial killers. Bellfield has committed an awful lot of crimes including abuse, rape, and murder and there are plenty of other cases and murders that might be attributed to him.
London was lucky to have Colin Sutton as there SIO and Colin comes across as a real character, and the type of person anybody would have loved to work for. Colin Sutton showed throughout the book that he has genuine sympathy and compassion for Bellfield's victims and their families
I found it very easy to read Sutton comes across as a team player, who appreciated his team and how hard they worked to catch the killer. Very difficult to put down once you start this book and I highly recommend to true crime readers. I am part of the ARC group for Wildblue Press and BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lynn Glencorse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

A must for any true crime fan like myself. Although I knew a lot about the horrific crimes perpetrated by Bellfield prior to reading Manhunt, I still found this book incredibly interesting.

Colin Sutton comes across as an extremely hard working, passionate and dedicated police officer and above all - a team player. He doesn't accept sole credit for catching and convicting Bellfield. He fully acknowledges the role each member of his team played in obtaining justice for the victims and their families which is very admirable. He also shows impressive recall with respect of the descriptions given in terms of how the investigation was carried out.

I found it extremely interesting to gain an insight into how the police investigation was handled, how Sutton and his team gradually pieced the evidence together, which evidence they used, how they went about validating their belief that Bellfield was responsible for the various crimes and, eventually, the way they arrested him and how the evidence was presented such that a conviction was achieved.

[Fiona Warburton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on Kindle after seeing the ITV series with Martin Clunes (I love a well made true crime drama) - it's about the initial investigation into attacks on women around Twickenham in the early 2000s which eventually led to the conviction of Levi Bellfield for the murders of Millie Dowler, Amelie Delagrange and Marsha O'Donnell as well as several attacks on women who survived and ultimately gave evidence against him.
It was a fairly easy read, it is clear that Colin Sutton is a policeman not a great writer, and some of it reads like a police statement, but I found it fascinating. One thing that particularly struck me was the bravery of Bellfield's partner, whose evidence eventually convicted him for the Amelie Delegrange murder. She was obviously and quite understandably terrified of him, but she stood up in court and gave the evidence. As someone who has given evidence in criminal court against my ExH (who is nowhere nearly as scary as Bellfield), I know how scary and overwhelming it is. I hope she is in a good place now.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't particularly remember much about the Milly Dowler case or the other crimes committed by Bellfield but that didn't stop this from being a fascinating read. There were times where the language perhaps felt a bit stilted or the author came across as a bit self-aggrandizing but in general I thought it was really well written. Sutton's admiration for his team and colleagues (as well as his disdain for those he felt crossed lines or didn't do as they should have) was obvious and an important part of the story. I think it's definitely worth a read as it sheds light on what really goes on in a police investigation rather than the quick results you see on TV shows. The time, effort and sacrifices made by those in the investigation is well documented and also important to note. I appreciate that Sutton wasn't afraid to criticise those who he genuinely thought weren't pulling their weight, even if it meant criticising other police officers.