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A Special Place in Hell: The World's Most Depraved Serial Killers
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
90 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 20, 2021
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 1, 2021 (US), March 4, 2021 (UK)
Christopher Berry- Dee is the ultimate “serial killer” writer in the U.K, having written many books about his face-to-face conversations with some of the most immoral souls on the planet. In his newest novel, “A Special Place in Hell: The World’s Most Depraved Serial Killers”, Berry-Dee identifies, in his opinion, the ten worst serial killers on the planet.
Berry-Dee writes in a very casual way, splicing his story with his acerbic wit and laid-back slang. He does this with the intention of lightening the subject matter, and it definitely has the intended effect. I have read only one other novel by Berry-Dee, “Serial Killers at the Movies: My Intimate Talks with Mass Murderers who Became Stars of the Big Screen”, and his writing style was consistent with that work as well. To be honest, the only reason I haven’t read any of his others is merely because they are difficult to find here in the Great White North!
“Hell” details ten of the vilest souls on the planet, stemming back from the early 20th century to modern day. Many of the evil murderers have already died, yet their deeds live on in infamy (unfortunately). Berry-Dee covers the well-known players such as Bundy and Jim Jones, but he also introduces lesser known (and equally monstrous) serial killers that certainly deserve their special place next to Satan himself.
In a book about serial killers, I did not expect to read so much about Berry-Dee’s hatred of Donald Trump. A biting comment or retort about the ex-President existed in almost every chapter, and it did not seem to fit into the flow of the plot. I’m not sure if Berry-Dee was trying to form allegiances with his readers but any political propaganda of any kind (from either side!) automatically loses points with me. I read to avoid political drama and nonsense, and I am always put off when it hits me square in the face page after page (especially when the book has nothing to do with politics). I would’ve loved this book much more if Berry- Dee had stuck to the subject matter.
Berry-Dee is the kind of serial killer writer that provides me with what I love most about this genre- the who and why of what they are. His interviews with these sadistic monsters certainly bring an element of realism to the plot, and I appreciate his attempts at levity throughout. If I can get my hands on more of his novels, I will definitely be reading each and every one.
Expected publication date: June 1, 2021 (US), March 4, 2021 (UK)
Christopher Berry- Dee is the ultimate “serial killer” writer in the U.K, having written many books about his face-to-face conversations with some of the most immoral souls on the planet. In his newest novel, “A Special Place in Hell: The World’s Most Depraved Serial Killers”, Berry-Dee identifies, in his opinion, the ten worst serial killers on the planet.
Berry-Dee writes in a very casual way, splicing his story with his acerbic wit and laid-back slang. He does this with the intention of lightening the subject matter, and it definitely has the intended effect. I have read only one other novel by Berry-Dee, “Serial Killers at the Movies: My Intimate Talks with Mass Murderers who Became Stars of the Big Screen”, and his writing style was consistent with that work as well. To be honest, the only reason I haven’t read any of his others is merely because they are difficult to find here in the Great White North!
“Hell” details ten of the vilest souls on the planet, stemming back from the early 20th century to modern day. Many of the evil murderers have already died, yet their deeds live on in infamy (unfortunately). Berry-Dee covers the well-known players such as Bundy and Jim Jones, but he also introduces lesser known (and equally monstrous) serial killers that certainly deserve their special place next to Satan himself.
In a book about serial killers, I did not expect to read so much about Berry-Dee’s hatred of Donald Trump. A biting comment or retort about the ex-President existed in almost every chapter, and it did not seem to fit into the flow of the plot. I’m not sure if Berry-Dee was trying to form allegiances with his readers but any political propaganda of any kind (from either side!) automatically loses points with me. I read to avoid political drama and nonsense, and I am always put off when it hits me square in the face page after page (especially when the book has nothing to do with politics). I would’ve loved this book much more if Berry- Dee had stuck to the subject matter.
Berry-Dee is the kind of serial killer writer that provides me with what I love most about this genre- the who and why of what they are. His interviews with these sadistic monsters certainly bring an element of realism to the plot, and I appreciate his attempts at levity throughout. If I can get my hands on more of his novels, I will definitely be reading each and every one.
March 3, 2021
Well this guy certainly doesn’t hold back!
I know of a lot of books of this same genre by this author, so I was worried this would be quite same-y, but he gives comprehensive and well explained reasons for his choosing of, in his opinion, the serial killers who most deserve their place in hell.
It isn’t subtle, it isn’t soft soaped, but for fans of true crime it is a good read.
I know of a lot of books of this same genre by this author, so I was worried this would be quite same-y, but he gives comprehensive and well explained reasons for his choosing of, in his opinion, the serial killers who most deserve their place in hell.
It isn’t subtle, it isn’t soft soaped, but for fans of true crime it is a good read.
February 12, 2021
I had gotten burned out on these compilations at one time a while back and have been giving them a pass. But this one caught my eye, along with this writer, who I am unfamiliar with. So I thought I would check it out and give it a chance. Apparently Berry-Dee has interviewed quite a number of serial killers in prisons far and wide, and has his own take on them after doing so extensively.
I did enjoy Berry-Dee’s stories of going into prisons and meeting with various serial killers to interview them for different reasons. He has an interesting way of interacting with them, at times being a bit snarky in his attitude, which kept things a little amusing, despite the subject matter. He interviews a surprising array of killers, from the more common to the less common. A good read, overall. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Christopher Berry-Dee, and the publisher.
I did enjoy Berry-Dee’s stories of going into prisons and meeting with various serial killers to interview them for different reasons. He has an interesting way of interacting with them, at times being a bit snarky in his attitude, which kept things a little amusing, despite the subject matter. He interviews a surprising array of killers, from the more common to the less common. A good read, overall. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Christopher Berry-Dee, and the publisher.
March 15, 2021
This was honestly a struggle for me to read. Not because it was gruesome but because I felt myself skipping more than I read to try to get to the actual story of the victims and killers and not the droning on of scripture and personal feelings of the author.
This was definitely not what I expected when I read the synopsis of the book.
This was definitely not what I expected when I read the synopsis of the book.
March 19, 2021
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.
Writing : 4*
Information : 3*
Uniqueness : 3*
Concept : 3*
So having read quite a few of this style of book it’s inevitable I was to come across the path of murderers and stories we’ve all heard before (Dahmer, Sutcliffe, Bundy) but I am always pleasantly surprised when I come across the more obscure ones. I really like Berry-Dees writing style, he throws in some humour and informal chat throughout and pretty much says exactly what what were all thinking. I have another of his talking with serial killer book’s on my shelf which I will now read pretty soon.
Writing : 4*
Information : 3*
Uniqueness : 3*
Concept : 3*
So having read quite a few of this style of book it’s inevitable I was to come across the path of murderers and stories we’ve all heard before (Dahmer, Sutcliffe, Bundy) but I am always pleasantly surprised when I come across the more obscure ones. I really like Berry-Dees writing style, he throws in some humour and informal chat throughout and pretty much says exactly what what were all thinking. I have another of his talking with serial killer book’s on my shelf which I will now read pretty soon.
February 23, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Serial killers. They disgust us, enrage us, and yet enrapture us. We want to know what goes on in their minds and what forces drive them to act out such heinous desires. A Special Place in Hell doesn't offer these answers, rather delve deep into the main reasons killers do what they claim they can't control. He uses psychological works from doctors who studied some of these killers and leads the reader to draw their own conclusions on what their true motives were. He give pushes here and there, and even offers up his own theories on what he believes based on actual physical encounters he has had with these men.
I appreciate this book so much, because alot of the times I read books about killers, multiple or single ones, it can feel like the author is trying to humanize or even romanticize them by the end of their segment. Not Christopher; he states plain and simple how many of these men had siblings that went through the same if not worse abuse and didn't end up killers
I really enjoyed this collection of the ninth level of hell residents. I recommend it for anyone 18+(he spares no details!) looking for something different than their normal read or people who love.true crime. Thank you for your list, Christopher. I 100% agree with you in that these people deserve that special place in hell.
Serial killers. They disgust us, enrage us, and yet enrapture us. We want to know what goes on in their minds and what forces drive them to act out such heinous desires. A Special Place in Hell doesn't offer these answers, rather delve deep into the main reasons killers do what they claim they can't control. He uses psychological works from doctors who studied some of these killers and leads the reader to draw their own conclusions on what their true motives were. He give pushes here and there, and even offers up his own theories on what he believes based on actual physical encounters he has had with these men.
I appreciate this book so much, because alot of the times I read books about killers, multiple or single ones, it can feel like the author is trying to humanize or even romanticize them by the end of their segment. Not Christopher; he states plain and simple how many of these men had siblings that went through the same if not worse abuse and didn't end up killers
I really enjoyed this collection of the ninth level of hell residents. I recommend it for anyone 18+(he spares no details!) looking for something different than their normal read or people who love.true crime. Thank you for your list, Christopher. I 100% agree with you in that these people deserve that special place in hell.
February 28, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers for the arc of A Special Place in Hell by Christopher Berry-Dee.
4 Stars- This book goes deep into the main reasons as to why killers do in what they say they can't control, there are psychological works from doctors whom had studied some of the killers, so it makes you draw your own conclusions of what the killers true motives actually were! There are also some of his own theories on this subject. This definitely isn't for the faint hearted as it is graphic in detail so definitely rate this an 18+ to read this, I really love Christopher's books there so detailed and thorough and so interesting the way to just is so unique to other true crime writers with all fact and not fictionize or romanticise them.
Highly recommend
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 Stars- This book goes deep into the main reasons as to why killers do in what they say they can't control, there are psychological works from doctors whom had studied some of the killers, so it makes you draw your own conclusions of what the killers true motives actually were! There are also some of his own theories on this subject. This definitely isn't for the faint hearted as it is graphic in detail so definitely rate this an 18+ to read this, I really love Christopher's books there so detailed and thorough and so interesting the way to just is so unique to other true crime writers with all fact and not fictionize or romanticise them.
Highly recommend
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 6, 2021
Okay, so I'm not going to lie. This book took me MUCH longer to get through than most books do because I just could NOT get into the writer's style, and that's putting it nicely. To put it not so nicely, I HATED his style. It was awful.
The book itself contained a lot of great information that was worth reading. I'm a serial killer buff. I read/watch/research everything I can get my hands on concerning serial killers, and even so, there was one individual in here whom I'd never heard of before, and that is SUPER shocking to me.
So yes, there was definitely some great info to be found in this book, but his writing style is absolutely NOT for me. I really hated it. He made far too many jokes - most of them super corny and not worth reading - and he inserted himself into the book WAAAAAAYYYYY too often. I know there are some authors that do that, and while I never love it, it doesn't ALWAYS bug me so badly, but this time, it REALLY did.
Let me give you a few examples:
"At this point in Haarmann's narrative, I begin to smell a rat and that rat is, of course, young Fritz"
Okay, so this is mildly irritating, but it doesn't bother me so much, and if he had kept his self-insertions along this scale, it would have been fine. He didn't do that, however. Here's another example:
"Well, we humans are all descended from apes - my late mother-in-law certainly was."
Seriously? First of all, ew. Secondly, this totally takes away from the flow of the narrative.
This one was the one that probably bothered me the most. It wasn't just that he inserted himself into the story; it was also the awful stereotypical ridiculousness of what he did here. His claim was that "this sort of stuff goes on every day in courtrooms throughout the US of A with Mr (no period here) Attorney waving his arms around and smiling sympathetically to the jury:"
Then he goes on to present an "invented scenario" (his words). The scenario he "invented" to describe American courtrooms was absolutely, disgustingly ridiculous. Here goes (and I'm only going to quote part of it because it is LONG!):
"'Ya'll hear now, ya good folk when I tell ya'll that Willien Bean here is accused of multiple murders. An' guess what folks? He says he done 'em all. Yes, folks he dun raped an' he dun kilt twenty-six of your neighbourly young gals. An' as God is my witness, Willie is a hardworking man. [.......] But he dun never kilt anyone until he was overtaken by what we call, 'them sudden bouts of temporary insanity'. (Reaching for a Holy Bible and holding it aloft) Willie is a churchgoer. He loves Our Lord. An' ya'll hear that immediately prior to each of his killings he was nice and neighbourly... [......] He raped and bludgeoned Miss Phillips to death with a tyre iron, dug a shallow grave, changed the number plates on his veehickle an' he just dun drove home and cleaned up his yard, burned his clothes and shoes, an' then he, um, read the Bible to his wife in bed.'"
Seriously? I almost stopped reading right there. In fact, if I hadn't agreed to read this and review it for Netgalley, I would have deleted it off my Kindle immediately.
He also had this bad habit of quoting himself, and he would actually point out that he was doing so: (Also note the lack of proper grammar/capitalization/punctuation here)
"But to quote from the cover of Talking with Psychopaths and Savages: A journey into the evil mind, one of my other international bestsellers: '...the author had the chance to interview his subjects' psychiatrists and, in doing so, uncovered a terrible truth: a monster can be hidden behind a friendly face.'
Why did he have to say all that? He didn't. He could have made his point without all that fluff.
That kind of stuff really bothered me.
Furthermore, this book could have seriously benefited from some SERIOUS editing/proofreading/copywriting. It was RIDDLED with errors - punctuation, grammatical, etc. I'm assuming the spelling errors I noticed were simply a matter of UK English versus US English, so those didn't bother me, but the serious lack of commas and overflowing wealth of run-on sentences in this book drove me to want to pull out my hair!
I stopped making note of these errors pretty early on, but suffice it to say, it was BAD.
Finally, not all of his "factual" information was factual, and some of it didn't even make sense.
For example, he claimed that Black Lives Matter started in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. Anyone who knows anything about BLM knows that it started MUCH earlier than that and had nothing to do with George Floyd. Yes, BLM did organize numerous protests and rallies after his death, but they'd been an organization for years before that.
Anyway, I think that's enough to prove my point.
While the information in this book was interesting to read (although I have to wonder how factual it is after seeing so many errors) the style was awful.
I will NOT be checking out anything else by this author again. I'm sorry, but it just was NOT my cup of tea.
The book itself contained a lot of great information that was worth reading. I'm a serial killer buff. I read/watch/research everything I can get my hands on concerning serial killers, and even so, there was one individual in here whom I'd never heard of before, and that is SUPER shocking to me.
So yes, there was definitely some great info to be found in this book, but his writing style is absolutely NOT for me. I really hated it. He made far too many jokes - most of them super corny and not worth reading - and he inserted himself into the book WAAAAAAYYYYY too often. I know there are some authors that do that, and while I never love it, it doesn't ALWAYS bug me so badly, but this time, it REALLY did.
Let me give you a few examples:
"At this point in Haarmann's narrative, I begin to smell a rat and that rat is, of course, young Fritz"
Okay, so this is mildly irritating, but it doesn't bother me so much, and if he had kept his self-insertions along this scale, it would have been fine. He didn't do that, however. Here's another example:
"Well, we humans are all descended from apes - my late mother-in-law certainly was."
Seriously? First of all, ew. Secondly, this totally takes away from the flow of the narrative.
This one was the one that probably bothered me the most. It wasn't just that he inserted himself into the story; it was also the awful stereotypical ridiculousness of what he did here. His claim was that "this sort of stuff goes on every day in courtrooms throughout the US of A with Mr (no period here) Attorney waving his arms around and smiling sympathetically to the jury:"
Then he goes on to present an "invented scenario" (his words). The scenario he "invented" to describe American courtrooms was absolutely, disgustingly ridiculous. Here goes (and I'm only going to quote part of it because it is LONG!):
"'Ya'll hear now, ya good folk when I tell ya'll that Willien Bean here is accused of multiple murders. An' guess what folks? He says he done 'em all. Yes, folks he dun raped an' he dun kilt twenty-six of your neighbourly young gals. An' as God is my witness, Willie is a hardworking man. [.......] But he dun never kilt anyone until he was overtaken by what we call, 'them sudden bouts of temporary insanity'. (Reaching for a Holy Bible and holding it aloft) Willie is a churchgoer. He loves Our Lord. An' ya'll hear that immediately prior to each of his killings he was nice and neighbourly... [......] He raped and bludgeoned Miss Phillips to death with a tyre iron, dug a shallow grave, changed the number plates on his veehickle an' he just dun drove home and cleaned up his yard, burned his clothes and shoes, an' then he, um, read the Bible to his wife in bed.'"
Seriously? I almost stopped reading right there. In fact, if I hadn't agreed to read this and review it for Netgalley, I would have deleted it off my Kindle immediately.
He also had this bad habit of quoting himself, and he would actually point out that he was doing so: (Also note the lack of proper grammar/capitalization/punctuation here)
"But to quote from the cover of Talking with Psychopaths and Savages: A journey into the evil mind, one of my other international bestsellers: '...the author had the chance to interview his subjects' psychiatrists and, in doing so, uncovered a terrible truth: a monster can be hidden behind a friendly face.'
Why did he have to say all that? He didn't. He could have made his point without all that fluff.
That kind of stuff really bothered me.
Furthermore, this book could have seriously benefited from some SERIOUS editing/proofreading/copywriting. It was RIDDLED with errors - punctuation, grammatical, etc. I'm assuming the spelling errors I noticed were simply a matter of UK English versus US English, so those didn't bother me, but the serious lack of commas and overflowing wealth of run-on sentences in this book drove me to want to pull out my hair!
I stopped making note of these errors pretty early on, but suffice it to say, it was BAD.
Finally, not all of his "factual" information was factual, and some of it didn't even make sense.
For example, he claimed that Black Lives Matter started in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. Anyone who knows anything about BLM knows that it started MUCH earlier than that and had nothing to do with George Floyd. Yes, BLM did organize numerous protests and rallies after his death, but they'd been an organization for years before that.
Anyway, I think that's enough to prove my point.
While the information in this book was interesting to read (although I have to wonder how factual it is after seeing so many errors) the style was awful.
I will NOT be checking out anything else by this author again. I'm sorry, but it just was NOT my cup of tea.
May 30, 2021
First one I've read by this author and I didn't care for it. Perhaps it was due to the brief for the book, for the author to decide which killers are most deserving of a place in "Hell", that this is so crassly and crudely written. The explanations given offer little insight and are overly judgmental and opinionated. Never fails to amaze me that those that describe these people as "inhuman monsters" are the first to call for the death penalty and criticize the State for detaining these people as oppose to swinging them from the gallows. Like some other readers I thought the narrative felt forced and the author came across as almost bored. Certainly not the best true crime book I've read.
April 22, 2021
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 240
Publisher - Ad Lib
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons. Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible—to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
My Review
If you have read Berry-Dee before then you know what you are in for, this is his 2nd or 3rd book I have read. He refers back to his previous published works throughout so if you do enjoy it you won't need to go to FantasticFiction to get more titles. There is no denying he has had some interesting encounters and researched some of the most shocking individuals in true crime history.
This book covers a fair few killers, some of the absolute worst, across the decades. Some of the killers you will know, notorious, a few I hadn't heard of.
Not for the faint hearted, we genuinely have had some horrific killers in our world and the book doesn't shy away from some of the worse details. The author also has some commentary and opinions that some readers may find offensive. Otherwise, for true crime buffs I think you will "enjoy" the book for what it is and potentially find one or two new ones, 3/5 for me this time.
Pages - 240
Publisher - Ad Lib
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons. Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible—to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
My Review
If you have read Berry-Dee before then you know what you are in for, this is his 2nd or 3rd book I have read. He refers back to his previous published works throughout so if you do enjoy it you won't need to go to FantasticFiction to get more titles. There is no denying he has had some interesting encounters and researched some of the most shocking individuals in true crime history.
This book covers a fair few killers, some of the absolute worst, across the decades. Some of the killers you will know, notorious, a few I hadn't heard of.
Not for the faint hearted, we genuinely have had some horrific killers in our world and the book doesn't shy away from some of the worse details. The author also has some commentary and opinions that some readers may find offensive. Otherwise, for true crime buffs I think you will "enjoy" the book for what it is and potentially find one or two new ones, 3/5 for me this time.
July 1, 2021
A Special Place in Hell details some of the most horrid humans to have existed. I read and listen to a LOT of true crime, but there were times I had to put this book down and walk away. The horrors that one human will do to another is unimaginable, but even more so when its case after case of it. As I have said before, Berry-Dee is a great writer and he really knows his stuff when it comes to true crime. He also approaches each case with some unique bit to keep it from being "just another true crime story". I can't say I enjoyed the book (because it was filled with horrors) I am so engrossed in true crime and the people who do such horrors to others that this book really appealed. I'm still not sure what that says about me....
October 6, 2024
A weirdly intriguing read if you're interested in true crime. Each chapter focuses on a different person which made it easy to follow. Some parts were pretty graphic and a bit much even for me, but all in all this was interesting. I've actually only heard of 2 of the 10 people covered.
March 4, 2021
An unflinching look at the criminal history of some of the most well known serial killers in history. Christopher Berry-Dee has conducted face to face interviews with these killers as they wait for their punishments to come. The coldly stated crimes unwind as the killers provide information that will definitely cement their "special place". This book is not for the faint of heart and not for those who have vivid nightmares after watching horror movies. This horror show is all too real and all too close for the comfort of anyone. It is for those readers who question how anyone could be able to commit these crimes and continue their everyday lives until the time of their capture. 5 stars because this information needs to be shared and there are few people who could do what Berry-Dee has done.
May 26, 2021
I have read a lot of this author's books and usually they are a fascinating read offering a deep insight in to the mind of these killers.
However this certainly wasn't insightful and far less fascinating.
If I read a book about serial killers by a person who has visited them I expect to read the author's thoughts showing humility and respect. This author comes across as full of arrogance and bravado. Perhaps he should read a book by Robert Ressler to understand the correct approach.
Most importantly I certainly don't want to hear his views on George Floyd. Comparing the policeman involved in his death with men who torture and murder women and children is utterly ridiculous.
There are far better books about serial killers out there. Avoid unless you want to hear Berry-Dee rant about what should happen to murderers and how he uses the bible to justify this.
However this certainly wasn't insightful and far less fascinating.
If I read a book about serial killers by a person who has visited them I expect to read the author's thoughts showing humility and respect. This author comes across as full of arrogance and bravado. Perhaps he should read a book by Robert Ressler to understand the correct approach.
Most importantly I certainly don't want to hear his views on George Floyd. Comparing the policeman involved in his death with men who torture and murder women and children is utterly ridiculous.
There are far better books about serial killers out there. Avoid unless you want to hear Berry-Dee rant about what should happen to murderers and how he uses the bible to justify this.
August 23, 2022
A good read. My favourite author.
March 13, 2021
dnf.
the first true crime book i ever read was by this author. so i’m saddened that i didn’t enjoy this piece of his work.
i just found this piece filled with bad writing, jokes on religion that i didn’t get nor care too, and it just felt like the book was forced out of him.
here’s a contact i’ve signed to write this. i’ve got to write the next 75,000 words. like yeah??? that’s your job. calm down.
not for me, but thanks to NetGalley for giving me an arc!
the first true crime book i ever read was by this author. so i’m saddened that i didn’t enjoy this piece of his work.
i just found this piece filled with bad writing, jokes on religion that i didn’t get nor care too, and it just felt like the book was forced out of him.
here’s a contact i’ve signed to write this. i’ve got to write the next 75,000 words. like yeah??? that’s your job. calm down.
not for me, but thanks to NetGalley for giving me an arc!
August 24, 2021
Thoroughly entertaining
Although not the most informative book on serial killers, this definitely a worthwhile read. Christopher Berry-Dee has a sometimes scathing tongue along with a rapier wit that keeps the book flowing. He is very opinionated, which isn't necessarily bad, and lends enough quirky humor in the pages to allow the reader to learn of the horrendous offenses of these, worst of the worst, without becoming thoroughly sickened.
Although not the most informative book on serial killers, this definitely a worthwhile read. Christopher Berry-Dee has a sometimes scathing tongue along with a rapier wit that keeps the book flowing. He is very opinionated, which isn't necessarily bad, and lends enough quirky humor in the pages to allow the reader to learn of the horrendous offenses of these, worst of the worst, without becoming thoroughly sickened.
December 17, 2021
So disappointed. It's badly written and full of errors and assumptions. Eg p66 1897 Haarman sent to Asylum. 1895 Asylum catches fire. Haarman must have lit fire to escape. Ummm...
Author is supposed to be a criminologist, a person who examines crime through statistics and known factors in an objective manner. This author is so emotive and over the top with his language.
Won't be finishing it.
Author is supposed to be a criminologist, a person who examines crime through statistics and known factors in an objective manner. This author is so emotive and over the top with his language.
Won't be finishing it.
June 28, 2022
This is the first time I’ve read this author and I’m obsessed! He’s so great!!! I can’t wait to start another. I often listen to crime to fall asleep because it’s usually calming for my always working brain. He just made me sit up and listen so therefore no sleep for me, my fault! I knew some of the cases, but he told them in a way I loved and heard on a different level. What an amazing treat!
March 9, 2021
A Special Place in Hell: The World's Most Depraved Serial Killers Kindle Edition
by Christopher Berry-Dee
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
Mr. Berry-Dee begins his book with a forward the feels like Monty Python and Hannibal Lechtor Write a Cook Book. Sly, cheeky British humor begins a book that is very serious, making it easier to make it through the stories. *** Just a note: Hell as a name probably popped up when Vikings decided to make the whole of Europe an episode of the Bachelor: Ted Bundy. It probably popped up from Hel the Goddess of the Dead. And no, Marvel did not make her up.
Mr. Berry-Dee gives us histories of serial killers of the worst kind. While the US was the capitol for serial killers in the 1970s-1990s, we are treated, if you can call it that, to information from all corners of the map. And he spares no details.
Even as gruesome and grim as the biographies of the demons wearing human suits, the writing style is delightfully wicked. The reader feels as if they were at one of the best cocktail party talking to the most interesting person in the room. I would read anything he writes, on any subject. There is just something so delicious as the snark and gallows humor. It is the writing style that makes this very dark book shine brightly.
The killers he picks range from Ted Bundy to Thomas Watt Hamilton. The killers come from six continents and he treats them all equally. Treating their stories with a iron willed empathy for the victims, it is clear that Mr. Berry-Dee gives them no quarter for their behavior, even as, with the story of Richard Speck and his many traumatic brain injuries, he presents small bits of information that may explain the horrors they committed
Mr. Berry-Dee can't seem to help himself. He editorializes on efficacy of various form of execution as well as commenting on the current state of the US government and on Covid-19. Most of the time, these asides are dead on and educational.
This is a book for both seasoned true crime readers and newbies to the genre.
3 ½ stars rounded up to 4 out of 5 stars
https://www.amazon.com/Special-Place-...
by Christopher Berry-Dee
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
Mr. Berry-Dee begins his book with a forward the feels like Monty Python and Hannibal Lechtor Write a Cook Book. Sly, cheeky British humor begins a book that is very serious, making it easier to make it through the stories. *** Just a note: Hell as a name probably popped up when Vikings decided to make the whole of Europe an episode of the Bachelor: Ted Bundy. It probably popped up from Hel the Goddess of the Dead. And no, Marvel did not make her up.
Mr. Berry-Dee gives us histories of serial killers of the worst kind. While the US was the capitol for serial killers in the 1970s-1990s, we are treated, if you can call it that, to information from all corners of the map. And he spares no details.
Even as gruesome and grim as the biographies of the demons wearing human suits, the writing style is delightfully wicked. The reader feels as if they were at one of the best cocktail party talking to the most interesting person in the room. I would read anything he writes, on any subject. There is just something so delicious as the snark and gallows humor. It is the writing style that makes this very dark book shine brightly.
The killers he picks range from Ted Bundy to Thomas Watt Hamilton. The killers come from six continents and he treats them all equally. Treating their stories with a iron willed empathy for the victims, it is clear that Mr. Berry-Dee gives them no quarter for their behavior, even as, with the story of Richard Speck and his many traumatic brain injuries, he presents small bits of information that may explain the horrors they committed
Mr. Berry-Dee can't seem to help himself. He editorializes on efficacy of various form of execution as well as commenting on the current state of the US government and on Covid-19. Most of the time, these asides are dead on and educational.
This is a book for both seasoned true crime readers and newbies to the genre.
3 ½ stars rounded up to 4 out of 5 stars
https://www.amazon.com/Special-Place-...
March 31, 2021
Like lots of people, I have always had a fascination in true crime and what makes people commit some of these heinous acts against other human beings, usually those weaker than themselves. This book gives an insight into how they became killers and as the title suggests most definitely deserve a special place in hell.
I believe from reading reviews of this book that the author Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers and well renowned in the world of true crime for meeting face to face with many of them. It is actually the first book I have read by the author. He definitely does not hold back in his opinions of the crimes committed or the people committing them.
Lets start with the things I liked about the book, there were some people in there I had never heard of like Peter Kürten dubbed the "Vampire of Düsseldorf" and others from European countries. His factual material is great and plentiful and he has obviously done a lot of research on the cases before his meetings with them in some cases or studying the case histories for those that happed in the 1800 and 1900's. What I didn't enjoy is that his personal opinion, for me was just a little too often told and repetitive in places. Throughout the book I was hit by the phrase "in my opinion" and "if I say so myself" whilst I appreciate the author has a vast knowledge in this subject I wanted to know about the killers and their backgrounds or his meetings with them, not what he thought about every act they committed. That being said I did enjoy the book and would read other books by him.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected UK publication: June 1st 2021.
My rating scale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Absolutely loved it! Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling or made me cry. And took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Really liked it. Will read more by the author and other books in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, didn’t move me, but don’t feel like I wasted me time reading it either.
⭐️⭐️ - Didn’t like this book and probably won’t read other in the series.
⭐️ - I did not care for this book at all and feel like I wasted my time reading it
I believe from reading reviews of this book that the author Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers and well renowned in the world of true crime for meeting face to face with many of them. It is actually the first book I have read by the author. He definitely does not hold back in his opinions of the crimes committed or the people committing them.
Lets start with the things I liked about the book, there were some people in there I had never heard of like Peter Kürten dubbed the "Vampire of Düsseldorf" and others from European countries. His factual material is great and plentiful and he has obviously done a lot of research on the cases before his meetings with them in some cases or studying the case histories for those that happed in the 1800 and 1900's. What I didn't enjoy is that his personal opinion, for me was just a little too often told and repetitive in places. Throughout the book I was hit by the phrase "in my opinion" and "if I say so myself" whilst I appreciate the author has a vast knowledge in this subject I wanted to know about the killers and their backgrounds or his meetings with them, not what he thought about every act they committed. That being said I did enjoy the book and would read other books by him.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected UK publication: June 1st 2021.
My rating scale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Absolutely loved it! Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling or made me cry. And took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Really liked it. Will read more by the author and other books in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, didn’t move me, but don’t feel like I wasted me time reading it either.
⭐️⭐️ - Didn’t like this book and probably won’t read other in the series.
⭐️ - I did not care for this book at all and feel like I wasted my time reading it
September 30, 2022
The book covers a wide range of killers, beginning with Peter Kurten, the Vampire of Dusseldorf. Pete drank the blood of his victims and was properly guillotined.
Another German, Fritz Haarmann is next. Young boys vanished at an alarming rate in Hanover and, eventually Fritz was found to have raped and butchered the kiddies and to have made a popular assortment of choice meats for public consumption.
Ted Bundy gets a short chapter with nothing new on the executed rock star.
The Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi was interviewed by the author in order to convince him of his innocence. Not so fast Kenny as he is guilty as sin and in jail.
Berry-Dee profiles his fellow Brit, Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. Pete used a hammer to disable his prey and would then stab them repeatedly with a screwdriver.
Richard Speck killed eight nurses in Chicago in 1966. One of the women survived by hiding under a bed. Speck had lost count of his girls. A born to raise hell tattoo was to be his downfall as the survivor sent him to jail with her excellent memory.
Allen "Tiny" Davis was a three hundred plus pound man who had raped and killed a woman and her young daughters. Old Sparky was to be his fate and the chair malfunctioned, causing a prolonged death. It is the funniest chapter in the book.
Jeffrey Dahmer needs no introduction, as he was given plenty of coverage for his dietary habits. A Dr. Carl Wickland and his belief in demonic possession are here.
Jim Jones finishes up the book and we all are familiar with the phrase, "don't drink the Kool-Aid." It is a frightening and entertaining chapter.
Dee's writes with a darkly humorous style and this is a good read.
Another German, Fritz Haarmann is next. Young boys vanished at an alarming rate in Hanover and, eventually Fritz was found to have raped and butchered the kiddies and to have made a popular assortment of choice meats for public consumption.
Ted Bundy gets a short chapter with nothing new on the executed rock star.
The Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi was interviewed by the author in order to convince him of his innocence. Not so fast Kenny as he is guilty as sin and in jail.
Berry-Dee profiles his fellow Brit, Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. Pete used a hammer to disable his prey and would then stab them repeatedly with a screwdriver.
Richard Speck killed eight nurses in Chicago in 1966. One of the women survived by hiding under a bed. Speck had lost count of his girls. A born to raise hell tattoo was to be his downfall as the survivor sent him to jail with her excellent memory.
Allen "Tiny" Davis was a three hundred plus pound man who had raped and killed a woman and her young daughters. Old Sparky was to be his fate and the chair malfunctioned, causing a prolonged death. It is the funniest chapter in the book.
Jeffrey Dahmer needs no introduction, as he was given plenty of coverage for his dietary habits. A Dr. Carl Wickland and his belief in demonic possession are here.
Jim Jones finishes up the book and we all are familiar with the phrase, "don't drink the Kool-Aid." It is a frightening and entertaining chapter.
Dee's writes with a darkly humorous style and this is a good read.
October 23, 2022
The book didn't really deliver what it promised. The blurb makes it sound like the book is full of collected interviews (some of which are conducted by Berry-Dee himself), but there's a lot more recounting of their life histories (information that could probably be found elsewhere) and surmising.
A book on the histories and crimes of Berry-Dee's chosen 'most depraved' would be fine, if they were recounted without all of the added padding. As other reviews have mentioned, the author has a habit of going off on tangents, and the self-inserts, rhetorical questions and cliche sayings quickly become very tiresome.
In the chapter on Dahmer, he went off on a lengthy tangent about a Swedish-American psychiatrist and his 'psychic' wife, yet later on said, 'We have seen so little of Dahmer's emerging psychopathology in this book simply because my restricted word count doesn't permit it.' Then in the following chapter, about Jim Jones, he spent the entire first page just listing the names of serial killers that weren't actually being discussed in the book. Basically, it often reads like a student's essay when they had to keep waffling in order to reach the word count.
This book could really have done with a brutal editor knocking it into shape.
A book on the histories and crimes of Berry-Dee's chosen 'most depraved' would be fine, if they were recounted without all of the added padding. As other reviews have mentioned, the author has a habit of going off on tangents, and the self-inserts, rhetorical questions and cliche sayings quickly become very tiresome.
In the chapter on Dahmer, he went off on a lengthy tangent about a Swedish-American psychiatrist and his 'psychic' wife, yet later on said, 'We have seen so little of Dahmer's emerging psychopathology in this book simply because my restricted word count doesn't permit it.' Then in the following chapter, about Jim Jones, he spent the entire first page just listing the names of serial killers that weren't actually being discussed in the book. Basically, it often reads like a student's essay when they had to keep waffling in order to reach the word count.
This book could really have done with a brutal editor knocking it into shape.
February 25, 2021
He certainly doesn't hold back.
This is an account of the author's opinion of ten killers he believes should be in hell with a brief description of their lives and the killings they committed to send them there.
Some of the killers are famous and others aren't. It's done in a very blunt style with even a few expletives occasionally thrown in for a good measure. Regularly, throughout the book he tells us what he thinks about such killers. However, he does it too often and it comes across as sounding like a tabloid editorial. It is obvious that the author is experienced as a criminologist and knows the information about the killers. If you didn't know he knew a lot, he will soon tell you at regular intervals too. I am interested in true crime but for me there was too much pandering to the hang them and flog them brigade in the book. I have read books by this author before that were more academic and a lot better than this one.
Interesting if you like true crime but this is only very basic and there are plenty of better options out there.
This is an account of the author's opinion of ten killers he believes should be in hell with a brief description of their lives and the killings they committed to send them there.
Some of the killers are famous and others aren't. It's done in a very blunt style with even a few expletives occasionally thrown in for a good measure. Regularly, throughout the book he tells us what he thinks about such killers. However, he does it too often and it comes across as sounding like a tabloid editorial. It is obvious that the author is experienced as a criminologist and knows the information about the killers. If you didn't know he knew a lot, he will soon tell you at regular intervals too. I am interested in true crime but for me there was too much pandering to the hang them and flog them brigade in the book. I have read books by this author before that were more academic and a lot better than this one.
Interesting if you like true crime but this is only very basic and there are plenty of better options out there.
February 25, 2023
this was promising at first. it had an extremely strong start (if we discount the author's extremely anti-US politics mindset). after the first two pretty fucked up chapters (peter krüken was chapter one), the author promised it would get worse. as a twisted motherfucker myself, i was excited to get to the nitty gritty details of the depraved. chapter three was ted bundy, and i was like Okay. then it just kept getting even more boring. like, give me something new, enough with jeffrey dahmer and jim jones. i wanted something more interesting. another gripe of mine is also the lack of women in this book when there are tons of women serial killers that have done more depraved things than ted fucking bundy. i enjoyed the author's writing style, at least. it was witty without a dash of snarky humor. just found his selections of "most depraved" questionable, and quite frankly boring.
March 3, 2022
I've read a few books by this author now and I love his writing. This is a fascinating read about his own opinions of serial killers/ mass murderers who deserve their own special place in hell, and the reasons for his decisions (completely justified!).
I love how he adds his own little anecdotes and quirks to his stories too.
My only criticism is the focus and dates in the first 2 chapters, that led to a lot of reading of numbers and completely lost me a few times. However, it was interesting to learn of some difgerent horrific names and stories that we don't hear a lot about in most true crime stories.
I love how he adds his own little anecdotes and quirks to his stories too.
My only criticism is the focus and dates in the first 2 chapters, that led to a lot of reading of numbers and completely lost me a few times. However, it was interesting to learn of some difgerent horrific names and stories that we don't hear a lot about in most true crime stories.
May 15, 2022
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I actually put down the book the first time around because I could not get into it. I decided to try it again and I still didn't really enjoy it. I skipped a lot of it because I wanted the stories from the serial killers, and I found too much of the writing was about the author's personal feelings and there was not enough focus on the killers and their victims. When I read books about serial killers, it's usually more about them and less about the author.
The synopsis of the book did not match what I actually read.
I actually put down the book the first time around because I could not get into it. I decided to try it again and I still didn't really enjoy it. I skipped a lot of it because I wanted the stories from the serial killers, and I found too much of the writing was about the author's personal feelings and there was not enough focus on the killers and their victims. When I read books about serial killers, it's usually more about them and less about the author.
The synopsis of the book did not match what I actually read.
January 25, 2022
A series killer book that can make you laugh. It's criminal!
I almost felt guilty laughing at such a subject, but this author has such a style, you can do nothing else but, in some places! It's my first book by him, but I'm well-versed I crime, so if you're looking for a good introduction into the genre, I couldn't recommend this book enough. If you have a weak stomach, it does get quite graphic with some of the acts of depravity. You have been warned!!
I almost felt guilty laughing at such a subject, but this author has such a style, you can do nothing else but, in some places! It's my first book by him, but I'm well-versed I crime, so if you're looking for a good introduction into the genre, I couldn't recommend this book enough. If you have a weak stomach, it does get quite graphic with some of the acts of depravity. You have been warned!!
February 25, 2023
This a very informative book of the extreme beings that have been part of this world. This book has lead me to find out more information about cases I had very little information on. If this is the aim then the author has managed to achieve this.
This isn't the first book I have read by the author. And previously I have felt there an air of smugness. Whilst this book still has some of that air, I enjoyed his writing alot more.
This isn't the first book I have read by the author. And previously I have felt there an air of smugness. Whilst this book still has some of that air, I enjoyed his writing alot more.
April 16, 2024
Before he made his ten selections for the worst murderers (serial killers & mass murderers) his publishers had already picked out the title and he had to find the most horrible killers from around the world.
I was familiar with all the killers but Berry-Dee's writing style which was a combination of black humor and irrelevant trivia that brought a lot to the stories. It was as if he knew that most true crime fans had a familiarity with the 10 murderers he'd selected.
I was familiar with all the killers but Berry-Dee's writing style which was a combination of black humor and irrelevant trivia that brought a lot to the stories. It was as if he knew that most true crime fans had a familiarity with the 10 murderers he'd selected.
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