Ted Bundy: America’s Most Evil Serial Killer

by Al Cimino

On first impressions, Ted Bundy seemed like the perfect all-American boy. He was good-looking, fun and very charming; many women found him irresistible...

But deep inside he was an evil monster who used his insider knowledge of law enforcement to evade detection as he terrorized large areas of America, murdering white females, mostly college students aged between 15 and 25. He confessed to 30 killings, but the real figure was probably much higher.

When Bundy died on the electric chair on 24 January 1989, it was party time as a raucous mob celebrated outside the prison gates by singing, dancing, and setting off fireworks. This is the story of a chameleon-like psychopath and necrophile who lured innocent victims to a horrible end.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Biography, Mystery

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 16, 2019

Reviews

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is quite surprising how a book on such an horrific subject can be so compelling. But Al Cimino's 'Ted Bundy' is such a book as it grips the reader from page one.

Initially Cimino puts Bundy across as a smart, intelligent man about town - and Bundy tries later to maintain this front despite what he had done - but it quickly becomes obvious this is not the case. The thing that stands out about this case is how Bundy continued to get away with what he had done across various states of America despite the authorities knowing from an earlier witness that the man was calling himself Ted and they had identikit portraits of him and witness testimony of what he looked like and despite the fact that the police had picked him up a few times, interviewed him and then let him go.

His killing career was horrific and Cimino examines every known case in detail; I mention 'known case' because some believe that what was known was probably just the tip of the iceberg. He had some nerve because often he picked up ladies or girls in full view but still managed to remain undetected. And he escaped twice from custody to continue his killing spree.

Eventually he was captured and went to trial. The trial was something of a farce as he continually interrupted proceedings and argued with his defence team, who he eventually dismissed. They tried to declare him insane but he would have none of it, despite his confessions being ambiguous for as Cimino states, 'He confessed the crimes charged against him while maintaining his innocence.'

Quite rightly he was found guilty and sentenced to two death sentences and then in a trial in another state for another crime, when he defended himself in a most bizarre way, he received another death sentence. So he finally went to the electric chair on 24 January 1989 when a crowd celebrated outside the prison gates by singing, dancing and setting off fireworks.

It is a most disturbing tale but one which, somehow, becomes eminently readable.

[Shayney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Omg this book took me by surprise by how addictive and consuming it ended up being. I was gripped and I didn’t want to put it down, reading this book in just two sittings. It probably would’ve been read in one, but I had to put it down to go into work. Got to make a living.

The way all of the information in the book was gathered and put together made for a very interesting read. The disgust I got from reading certain parts of this book, because some of it was graphic, will stay with me for a while. Disgust from not only what happened to the victims of this serial killer, but also from the police and entire justice system at that time.

I know several people who have also been reading this book, as it’s popular where I work right now, and it’s been a topic we’ve been discussing. It’s probably why I also picked it and bought it to read, because I’ve been hearing what everyone else was saying about it, and how quickly they were getting through it. What he did, how he did it, who he was in prison with and so much more. How someone can do such things and then carry on living a somewhat normal life. Its not a mind I’d like to be inside of.

This book explores Ted Bundy and the murders, going all the way through the many trials, escapes and right up until the end. It’s such an easy and quick book to read, so fast paced, probably because I got so fascinated with everything. It did get a little repetitive in places and that’s why I couldn’t rate it a full 5 stars, plus I think I’d feel bad rating a Ted Bundy book 5 stars. But it was close!

[DancingMarshmallow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite a sensationalist title, this book is a rather matter-of-fact summation of Bundy’s crimes and trials with a few interesting interview details that I hadn’t read before and little fanfare. Light on gory details and light on forensic/psychological assessment, this book reads like one really long encyclopedia article about Bundy.

The writing itself is also serviceable without being remarkable: it’s a good introduction to the facts of the Bundy case without a lot of blood and guts. And that’s about it.

[KBooks - · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint!
I already knew abit about Ted Bundy and the crimes he committed, but this book also enlightened me on the events of the trail and his imprisonment.

I was hooked from the start to finish, I have always been a fan of hearing true crime stories and seeing how the evidence will catch the criminal. 🕵🏼‍♂️

I can not imagine what the families of the victims or the surviving victims went through or even those Ted fooled to thinking he was innocent.

It just goes to show that even the people you never expected could be capable of the most evil doings.😈

[Đinh Anh Phương · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can be considered a considerably comprehensive and adequate overview and details of Ted Bundy's profile as a serial killer, presented in a thorough and subjective manner. There are several things I'd like to note down from the read:

1. My awareness on safety is significantly leveraged. Bundy's killing details are plainly horrendous and shockingly evil, the most awful things you can imagine that's done to a human being. Keep safe and maintain high caution guys and girls, we never know the full background to that friendly colleague sitting across us in the office.

2. You can get married in court with presence of court officials. Bundy proposed to Carole Boone while he was acting as the attorney to himself and questioning Carole on the witness stand.

3. The trail judge Edward Cowart was portrayed as highly fair, unflinching or empathetic when needed. This dialogue when he pronounced the death sentence to Bundy is remarkable:

"'Mr. Bundy, the court is going to sentence the person found guilty of the offense. Your name, sir, was in the verdict form. It is ordered that you be put to death by a current of electricity, that that current be passed through your body until you are dead.'
His duty done, Judge Cowart said softly: 'Take care of yourself, young man.'
'Thank you,' said Bundy.
'I say that to you sincerely; take care of yourself,' Judge Cowart continued. [...] 'You're a bright young man. You'd have made a good lawyer, and I'd have loved to have you practice in front of me. But you went another way, partner. Take care of yourself. I don't have any animosity to you. I want you to know that.'
'Thank you.'
'Take care of yourself.'
'Thank you,' said Bundy, reconciled to his fate."

What an ironic situation to say "take care of yourself", as much as I like the phrase.

[auteaandtales · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, in a morbid sort of way. It was very dark and spoke a lot about Ted Bundy, from his childhood to death row. It really outlined all of his horrific crimes, as well, and showed disgust for all of those who continue to admire him or crush on him even to this day (which of course I find equally disgusting, and I’m glad this book pointed out how gross that is!).

My only real problem with it is that it just...lacked something? It really needed more. I think the chapters could have blended into each more so one event led on to the next, but it was rather jumpy. The writing style was also a little dull, and without personality, almost. It was interesting and hooking enough that it kept me reading until the end, however, I just think it could have had a little more oomph!

[Abigail Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book truly goes into the details of the thought processes behind the murders and his motives.
It’s also very detailed about the court processes. Very interesting and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in these cases.

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and well written. This book goes into a lot more detail on Ted Bundy's final days than most of the other books I've read.

[Parker Myer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read but I liked the way it went through some of the murders but unliked how little info on the victims there were. Not much on their background and what happened after they were murdered. The book also ended right when he got electrocuted so it only followed from when he started killing to when he died. So if I wanted a more throughout book on the later affects of Ted Bundy and more details this would not be the book. But I did like the writing of the author and their research given.

[Natalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book but he was a bad person

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became fascinated with Ted Bundy after watching the film starring Zac Efron. I felt I needed to know more, then I saw this book at work!! It was very detailed and gory, but gave so much insight into what happened.

[Dana Dohr · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a monster 😳

[Ginger Vampyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Warning this review is a rant about a serial killer and the author who wrote about him, content may be triggering for some people***

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I have always heard that Ted Bundy was so smart and suave and good looking and that was how he got away with being a murderer for so long. Yeah, that's bullshit. He wasn't that much smarter than the average person. In fact, he was a chronic underachiever. You lied and used tricks and gimmicks, like fake casts and crutches to get close to women. He didn't outsmart them, they felt bad for him and that was how he got them. And while yes, he did have his groupies, name one death row inmate who doesn't: most people who describe him as good looking are men! When women are asked about him they describe him as average, shy, immature, even a little creepy. He wasn't a mastermind. The real reason he got away with things is because he was a white guy. A white Republican. Seriously, he volunteered for his local party office. And was going (on and off, underachiever) to school to be a lawyer. In fact his long-time girlfriend called the cops on him twice, TWICE, thinking he was responsible for some of the disappearances in the area and was told that, "well, he is a law student with no record, it can't be him." So he continued murdering for years. And after he was caught he told the judge he wanted to be his own lawyer, since he was in law school and he would need access to the library. And it was granted. Unsupervised access to the library. Shocker, he escaped! Managed to get from Michigan to Florida and killed several more women in the months that he was free because well, he is a good ole white boy and no other white man took him for a real threat. Meanwhile he is believed to have killed over 30 women. Good gods. And then the trials. His lawyers so desperately wanted an insanity plea. Ted Bundy was not insane. He was an white boy who felt he could do what ever he wanted and consequences didn't matter to him. He was Trump with less money. There is an epidemic of them in America. Here is a direct quote from one of the doctors who conversed with Bundy about why he did the things he did; " As a boy Bundy had been hurt by girls and felt inferior. He wanted to have a relationship with a girl, but felt he would not be accepted." Yep, they is why he crushed their skulls, raped their corpses, chopped off their heads, and threw them into the woods. He felt inferior. He was an incel before there was a term for it. Reading about his trials and the tantrums he threw was sickening. He acted like a petulant child. He wanted all the attention and when things didn't go his way he actually cried about how it wasn't fair. And psychologists use him as a standard of how serial killers think? Men think they can do whatever they want to women rather than develop social skills, there you go.
And as for the author, Cimino, the word is rape. Bundy did not have sex with their unconscious body. He raped them. He did not take of their clothes and have sex. He RAPED them. You want to write true crime, then stop pussyfooting around and write the damn story. You jumped over half the victims for some bizarre reason and then went into minute details with the rest. Stating each time that they had long, brown hair parted down the middle. Why were the first seven victims not worth mentioning? Why did you feel the need to try and soften his crimes when he raped each and every one of them by making it seem less horrific? Stop catering to the ego of your perpetuator and tell the story. Give the victims their due!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of Bundy and his crimes. They actually cover his Idaho murder of another 12 year old which I can’t recall being discussed in other books.


There’s a handful of “facts” that are inaccurate; a hooded female executioner, that he decapitated 12 (it was only 6; on the tape he says “half a dozen” but interviewer misspeaks and says “approximately 12”) for example.


If you want an overview of Bundys crimes, this is a good book, just don’t treat it as gospel because there’s some inaccuracies.

[Hannah Rooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing revealed I didn’t previously know about him. Ending felt rushed. Very factual and technical, not much else.

[Daniel Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ted Bundy: America’s Most Evil Serial Killer" by Al Cimino provides a concise and straightforward overview of the notorious crimes committed by one of the most infamous figures in American criminal history. While Cimino delivers a comprehensive look at Ted Bundy's life and actions, the book adheres to the conventions of true crime literature without offering a particularly innovative or distinctive perspective.

The strength of Cimino's work lies in its clear narrative and accessibility. The book effectively recounts the sequence of events in Bundy's life, from his early years to the horrifying crimes that made him a household name. The chronological structure allows for a systematic exploration of Bundy's criminal activities and the subsequent investigations.

Cimino skillfully incorporates details about Bundy's modus operandi, the legal proceedings, and the impact of his crimes on the public consciousness. The writing is concise and to the point, making it suitable for readers seeking a quick overview of Bundy's criminal history without delving too deeply into the psychological nuances.

However, the book doesn't offer a unique or nuanced perspective on Bundy's actions or their broader implications. The narrative follows a well-trodden path within the true crime genre, providing factual information without delving into deeper analyses of the societal factors that may have contributed to Bundy's crimes.

The writing style is accessible, but it lacks the gripping or immersive qualities that can elevate true crime narratives. The book primarily serves as an informational resource, delivering facts and timelines without offering a distinctive narrative voice or critical examination.

While the book does touch on Bundy's capture, trial, and ultimate fate, it may leave readers wanting more in terms of exploring the cultural impact of his crimes and the enduring fascination with serial killers. The analysis remains somewhat surface-level, and readers seeking a more profound exploration of the psychological and societal dimensions of Bundy's case may find the book falls short.

In conclusion, "Ted Bundy: America’s Most Evil Serial Killer" is a competent and concise true crime account that efficiently chronicles Bundy's criminal activities. While it fulfills the role of an informative overview, it doesn't break new ground in terms of narrative innovation or critical analysis. True crime enthusiasts looking for a straightforward retelling of Bundy's crimes may find the book to be a satisfactory introduction, but those seeking a deeper exploration of the subject may want to explore more in-depth works.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Yet again, I'm not going to put a spoiler disclaimer, considering Ted Bundy is one of the world's most famous serial killers. If you don't know about him, then I'm jealous of your innocence*

Another example of the VERY random books on my TBR list. But hey, if your country is on lockdown, what better time to sort out your TBR list?

Personally (as have most of the world it seems!) I've always been interested in Ted Bundy, described by some as charismatic and handsome, whilst others extremely wicked, shocking evil and vile. This book is essentially nothing more than an exploration of Ted Bundy's life, work, and his tactics in tracking down and killing his numerous victims, and the lengthy court proceedings that convicted him of his heinous crimes. Thus, nothing really new emerged in this book by Cimino, but the fact I enjoyed it so much is just a testament to how terrifying Bundy was, escaping justice numerous times and tricking his poor victims with his 'all-American charm'.

I'd say more, but there really isn't much to say. If you are familiar with Ted Bundy and what he did, then this book won't be surprise to you. If you want to know more, then his book will be perfect, a simple retelling of the facts a lot of us are familiar with already. Plus, the fact it's barely 250 pages made it a short quick read, perfect for anyone (like me, I'm sad to say) who are in the middle of a book slump.

However, after reading this book, I hope to read a book one day from the point of view of the victims' families, although it's hard to imagine them writing a book about such a sensitive topic. Bundy may be fascinating character, but we must never forgot the 30+ young women (experts think Bundy actually killed hundreds of women that just haven't been proved) who lost their lives because of this devil in human form.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here I go again with my 12th book on Ted Bundy, with the last four being ebooks. I figured out early that Cimino was a Brit, as he uses the word defence repeatedly. It was published in the U.K. In 2019 and it covers much of the well known material from several of the previous books. The highlights are excerpts from letters Bundy wrote to the NY Times, complaining of his unfair treatment at the hands of the law. They are very well written and sometimes unintentionally funny. Carol Boone wrote the killer in 1978 while he was in custody in Florida, calling him, “Bunnykins,” with his return salutation, “Darling Boone.” While on his killing sprees, Ted somehow found the time to juggle two girlfriends in 1975, Liz Kendall and Leslie Knutson. Both had normal relationships with him. In 1978, he told Liz that he had a disease like alcoholism, which he could not control. At the jail, police were informed that “I feel like a vampire” by Theodore. In Florida he turned down a plea deal for information on the crimes but he tore it up at the last minute. Life without parole would have kept him from the chair and two shrinks believed that he was bipolar and insane. In the end it did not matter, as he was executed at the Starke, Florida prison in January of 1989. Cimino is a good writer with a typically British way with words. For Bundy followers, I can recommend this addition to the ever expanding library of books on this enigma.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and concise history of the serial killer Ted Bundy and his infamous crimes. At 251 pages long, there is not the extensive research or probing of Bundy’s history or psyche expected from a much more detailed book such as The Stranger Beside Me; however, Cimino does well with the scope he was given.
The only murder victim pictured is Kimberly Leach and this does a disservice to both the women and girls who died and to the reader. Out of respect, I believe all known victims deserved to be given a face and in a purely practical sense, this would have greatly helped the reader to contextualise the murders. Bundy admitted to thirty killings and it is sadly difficult to remember the circumstances of each death without visual reference points.
Bundy was a highly complex, manipulative and devious man whose version of the truth was the definition of unreliable. No one will ever be certain of his final death toll, what happened to each victim or exactly what motivated his compulsive sexual violence. This biography can only scratch the surface but it does so competently and with Bundy, that’s an achievement in itself.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I was never there, the crime scenes stain my surroundings, and Al Cimino is my guide. This book gives you an inside on the mind of the charming killer Ted Bundy. Though it feels like a crime to say I liked this book, I felt the story telling and gore details captured the fateful nights these poor women had to suffer through. The Al Cimino ventured into the mind of the devil himself, and placed his attractive yet corrupt persona onto a page. The way his immoral soul was portrayed so accurately, as if Al Cimino was Ted's shadow. Over all this book was depicted of clean cut annihilation and disturbing blood bathing that made your stomach twist and make you hide under your covers. I would like to make a disclaimer, though being a teenager in high school I would not recommend this to anyone with a faint heart. But would recommend this to anyone who loves to peek inside the mind of someone who anything but deranged.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was expecting at the start of this book, but something about the way it was written didn't ever really "click" for me. It read very clinical, almost like information had just been copied/pasted from other sources into paragraph format. There was a lot of repetition, such as title and police departments when referring to individuals, as well as descriptions of the victims. Nearly all of them were described as having "long dark hair, parted in the middle". Typically, when things are reiterated like that, they are used to tie something together near the conclusion. That wasn't the case, so it apparently was just to establish that he had a preferred type. But, this also contributed to the sense that the material was pulled from various other sources and just pasted together with some words added to tie everything together. Not a horrible read, just not what I was expecting.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for someone who’s not familiar with the Ted Bundy case. If you’re someone familiar with it, maybe skip this one.

Ted Bundy is one of the serial killers that I find the most intriguing, so having already read a lot about his crimes and listening to different podcasts about him, this gave me nothing that I didn’t already know. It seemed to lacking in comparison to podcasts actually. I would have liked a little more focus on the victims. We quickly glance over all of his victims in the first chapter, but since there were only a quick few sentences about each one, and one right after another, it was really hard to keep track of it as we got further into the dates and locations of everything. Trying to recall who was who was next to impossible.

But if your fairly new to true crime and want to get a understanding of what Ted Bundy did and why he’s one of the most famous serial killers this is a good start.

[Carlos Dragonné · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si algo he leído en los últimos años en el género de no ficción es sobre crimen. Crímenes reales y de todo tipo, desde el político hasta los asesinos seriales. Y aunque siempre Bundy estuvo en mi lista de los más terribles, confieso que nunca me acerqué ni a la serie basada en su vida ni a los documentales de Netflix. Vaya, lo que sabía de él era superficial y meramente referencial. Cuando encontré este libro lo puse en el inmediato "Pronto" por el autor, que ya me ha dado un par de buenos libros de la mafia. Y, joder... Bundy hace ver a Dahmer como un angelito. Pero lo profundo del tema es el aura de admiración que generaba y la facilidad con la que la perversidad se ocultaba en lo que, como dijo el titular del NY Times el día de su primer juicio: "All American Boy to Trial". Recomendado para estómagos fuertes.

[Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the end the end of it, I genuinely felt sorry for the guy.
The way this book was written explained what went on at the time the 30 young women and girls were slaughtered as well as how Bundy went about his life living as though the two versions of him could in no way be played out by the same guy. As well as the time during the crimes, it also explains how the trial went about along with his time on death row. The part where I started feel sorry for him was during his final days as it was explained how he seemed sincere in his apologies and relieved that he didn't have to continue is lie of a life living with mental disorders further proven by the fact that his grandmother on his mothers side of the family suffered from psychotic depression.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

About book :

At first look, Ted Bundy seemed like the perfect All-American boy. Good looking, fun, charming and for many women irresistible.

But deep inside - evil monster, who used his genius mind and knowledge for terrorising and murdering females. At the end he confessed he made 30 killings, but the real figure might be even bigger.

My thoughts:

This was my first read of this type of book. First biography and especially about serial killer.

First of all that I can say - Bundy was impressive person, smart and genius. (At least this is the impression I got after reading the book)

Author had really flowing writing style, that helps to read easily, in his book you can find loads of pictures ( actual pictures of the time) which allows you sense the time more better.

While reading the biography of this Serial Killer, I started thinking what happened that such a smart, good person would go to the other side, who would decide to hurt and do such a horrible things to people, to innocent people, girls and young women between 15-25years old.

If you haven't read any type of book like this, you have to include it in your list !

[Abby Mcnish · Rating 4 out of 5]

To sum up, Ted committed kidnappings and murders and got away with it for many years. Ted went from state to state finding innocent women and killing them to rape them and dump their bodies. He had a significant other and he drove a Volkswagon beetle he had taken the seats from it so he could throw bodies in and clean up was more practical. Ted was odd, and his peers would have never suspected him of being like this. Ted was sneaky and finally, after a few years, the police caught on he went to jail, and then finally they started to have trials they got him to admit so some murders but not all he killed around 30 or so people. Ted was sentenced to the death penalty by the electric chair he refused his last meal and drank water and then was pronounced dead.....

[Samantha Iredale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me with how "matter-of-fact" the style of writing was. Though I knew it would contain a lot of information and resources surrounding Ted Bundy and his crimes, I didn't expect to feel like I was reading some sort of informative transcript of all the recollections.

I enjoyed reading this book as true crime is something that is very interesting to me. However, the grammatical errors were painstakingly obvious to me and distracted me for the majority of the book. If you are very precise about proper grammar, sentence structure, etc., you will have a hard time reading this. The author is a big fan of run-on sentences...

[Vonda Kenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fact that this book just focused on Ted and the route that he followed during his murder spree. It starts in Washington (giving some detail about what was going on in his private life) but mostly sticking with the facts when it came to his victims. It ends with him in Florida where against the advice of EVERYONE he represents himself. I did not know that he had been offered a plea deal where they would take the death penalty off the table if he pleaded guilty. He refused (against the advice of his legal team). Ted Bundy killed Ted Bundy.

[Michelle McCabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books about Bundy. Most of the info in this book is really the same with some small additions. What I could not get past, however, were the glaring typos and language used by the author. I believe Cimino is from the UK, and I read a lot of British authors, but some of the issues were just glaring and confusing. Maybe it’s the edition I read, but there were so many things that just did not make sense language wise, and the ending was so incredibly abrupt that I just stopped and went...wait what? No debrief? Just that Ted Bundy was dead. Well we know that!

[Dia Agrawal]

I dont particularly think that memoirs or non fiction books can be rated as I don not want to be judging the entertainment value of someones life or story. However, for this particular book I loved how it provided such an insight and depth of the Ted Bundy's case. This being the first time I read about Ten Bundy, I was flabbergasted by the ruthlessness with which he killed. It was quite horrendous to read about and I can not even fathom how disturbing and terrifying it must be in real life.