The knick-knack man: Inside the mind of Australia's most deranged serial killer

by Paul B. Kidd

Inside the mind of Australia's most deranged serial killer. During the early 1960's, Sydney was terrorised by a serial killer. William MacDonald's 'calling card' was to cut off each victim's penis and testicles with the skill of a surgeon. the circumstances that led to the MacDonald capture are as bizarre as the murders. the last of the victims was actually buried under the murderer's name and, if it wasn't for a chance sighting of MacDonald by one of his old workmates who had attended his funeral six months earlier, the grisly murders would have continued. Paul B. Kidd is an acknowledged authority on Australia's serial killers. He spent many hours interviewing MacDonald in prison, and probed deep into the murderer's mind to reveal why such unimaginable crimes were committed. Paul B. Kidd has also written Never to be Released, volumes 1 and 2 (volume 3, forthcoming).

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Paul Benjamin Kidd (1945) was an Australian author, journalist, and radio show host. From 2001 until 2020, Kidd was the co-host of the 2UE George and Paul weekend show with George Moore; since 2020, he has co-hosted Weekends with John and Paul with John Stanley on 2GB. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about an Australian serial Killer who heard voiced in his head to kill. It was always men that he killed and when he was done he cut off their penises and threw them away. There are some grisly pictures in this book and it is very graphic so not for the faint of heart. It goes back and forth between the author and his interviews with the killer in his own words, which I thought were believable for the most part. The courtroom proceedings were very brief, which I liked. Very interesting, quick read. I finished in a day.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know much about this serial killer before reading this book, but it was really interesting, a must for any true crime fan :)

[Deb Bodinnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book to read. I hadn't heard much about this crime at all. While I was reading it I saw a TV show on CI about a "Peter Moore" from Wales who was committing similar killings in 1990's, quite a coincidence really, but eerie. Paul Kidd writes so the reader can understand easily and doesn't tend to over complicated things. Have a pile of his books in my True Crime shelves to read.... so must get on with it.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad and utterly creepy story. This killer certainly comes by his rage honestly, and he really appears not to see what he is. And certainly nobody knows what to do with him. Those poor, poor men he killed! How terrified they must have been.

[Libby Sanderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put this book back on the shelf half read - don’t know if I’ll ever finish it..