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Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects
From veteran true crime master Harold Schechter comes a unique look into the history of crime told through the dark objects left behind. The false teeth of a female serial killer from 1908, the cut-and-paste confession of the Black Dahlia killer, the newly cracked cipher of the Zodiac killer, the shotgun used in the Clutter family murders, which were made famous by Truman Capote's true crime classic In Cold Blood —these are more than simple artifacts that once belonged to notorious murderers. They are objets of fascination to the legion of true crime obsessives around the world. And not merely for fleeting dark thrills, but because they represent a way to better understand those who we typically label monsters in lieu of learning how they actually became one.
In Murderabilia, veteran true crime writer Harold Schechter presents 100 murder-related artifacts spanning two centuries (1808–2014), with accompanying stories of various lengths. A visual and literary journey, it presents a history unlike any previously told in the true crime genre, one that speaks to the dark fascination of true crime fans while also presenting a larger historical timeline of how and why we continue to be captivated by the most sensational crimes and killers among us.
In Murderabilia, veteran true crime writer Harold Schechter presents 100 murder-related artifacts spanning two centuries (1808–2014), with accompanying stories of various lengths. A visual and literary journey, it presents a history unlike any previously told in the true crime genre, one that speaks to the dark fascination of true crime fans while also presenting a larger historical timeline of how and why we continue to be captivated by the most sensational crimes and killers among us.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2023
79 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Harold Schechter
79 books1,396 followersAka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
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January 8, 2024True Crime fans will enjoy this compilation of “murderabilia” (artifacts from a variety of crimes) accompanied by 1-3 pages about each criminal and their grisly crimes. The timeline of the murders ranges from 1808 (The Murder of “Omie Wise”) through 2014 (The Slenderman Stabbing) and include crimes in the United States and abroad, including Europe, Australia, and Japan. The author, Harold Schechter, a crime historian, features criminals you’ve likely heard of – John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Lizzie Borden – and many that you may be reading about for the first time.
This was a book I had to read in short bursts, sometimes skipping an entry or two if the details were too graphic or disturbing. As a history of crime, however, it was interesting to see the evolution of murders and the people who commit these heinous crimes.
-Diana F.
This was a book I had to read in short bursts, sometimes skipping an entry or two if the details were too graphic or disturbing. As a history of crime, however, it was interesting to see the evolution of murders and the people who commit these heinous crimes.
-Diana F.
September 1, 2023
Masks, Movies, Music, Manual Typewriters and other Milestones of Murder
My wife and I both are fans of murder mysteries and true crime narratives, so this fascinating new volume by true-crime writer and literary scholar Harold Schechter is right up our (dark) alley. Because of my work as a journalist and critic, Workman sent me an advance copy of this book for an early review. The book officially launches on September 26, 2023.
If you're similarly a fan of mysteries and true crime, then you'll definitely "enjoy" this book, plus you'll learn a whole lot about milestones in American murder investigations. For example, I am aware of the controversial nature of "dental" evidence in murder cases, particularly the way "bite mark" identifications were hotly debated a couple of decades ago. Such evidence had become fairly standard in criminal cases—but studies showed a high degree of false identifications based on this forensic methodology. A number of excellent journalists, including a team from the Chicago Tribune, helped to publicly call such "expert witnesses" into question. However, the identification of human remains, based on dental evidence, continues to be a vital part of forensic work. I did not know that the first trial to use such dental identification of partial remains was an 1848 case in which the killer tried to hide the identity of his victim by cutting up the body. The expert witness in that case was Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep, who also was the founding Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Then, in 1897, in a horrific case of a murderer disposing of a body in Chicago sausage factory, another forensic milestone was reached: Dr. George Dorsey, Harvard's first PhD in anthropology and a curator in anthropology at Chicago's Field Museum, became the first anthropological expert witness in an American murder trial. What did he testify? Well, if you're intrigued by this grisly paragraph, get a copy of the book and you'll find out. I don't want to spoil the suspense.
As the "headline" on my review suggests, the "100 objects" in this book's title vary widely. There are a number of what I would describe as mask-related or face-and-head-related stories in this book. Does that sound ominous? It is! My headline reference to movies and music relate to infamous murder cases in which the movie or music industries cashed in on the public fascination. And the manual typewriter reference? That refers to one of America's most notorious serial killers.
With that summary, I think I've given you enough of the gory details to let you, as friends and readers, sort out whether this book is your cup of tea. For us, it's truly an eye opener to have Schechter lead us chronologically through such a long and tragic series of murderous milestones. Reading this book will help us understand much more about the context of other novels and true-crime books we're reading.
So, you're forewarned here. Order this at the risk of your own sleepless nights.
My wife and I both are fans of murder mysteries and true crime narratives, so this fascinating new volume by true-crime writer and literary scholar Harold Schechter is right up our (dark) alley. Because of my work as a journalist and critic, Workman sent me an advance copy of this book for an early review. The book officially launches on September 26, 2023.
If you're similarly a fan of mysteries and true crime, then you'll definitely "enjoy" this book, plus you'll learn a whole lot about milestones in American murder investigations. For example, I am aware of the controversial nature of "dental" evidence in murder cases, particularly the way "bite mark" identifications were hotly debated a couple of decades ago. Such evidence had become fairly standard in criminal cases—but studies showed a high degree of false identifications based on this forensic methodology. A number of excellent journalists, including a team from the Chicago Tribune, helped to publicly call such "expert witnesses" into question. However, the identification of human remains, based on dental evidence, continues to be a vital part of forensic work. I did not know that the first trial to use such dental identification of partial remains was an 1848 case in which the killer tried to hide the identity of his victim by cutting up the body. The expert witness in that case was Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep, who also was the founding Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Then, in 1897, in a horrific case of a murderer disposing of a body in Chicago sausage factory, another forensic milestone was reached: Dr. George Dorsey, Harvard's first PhD in anthropology and a curator in anthropology at Chicago's Field Museum, became the first anthropological expert witness in an American murder trial. What did he testify? Well, if you're intrigued by this grisly paragraph, get a copy of the book and you'll find out. I don't want to spoil the suspense.
As the "headline" on my review suggests, the "100 objects" in this book's title vary widely. There are a number of what I would describe as mask-related or face-and-head-related stories in this book. Does that sound ominous? It is! My headline reference to movies and music relate to infamous murder cases in which the movie or music industries cashed in on the public fascination. And the manual typewriter reference? That refers to one of America's most notorious serial killers.
With that summary, I think I've given you enough of the gory details to let you, as friends and readers, sort out whether this book is your cup of tea. For us, it's truly an eye opener to have Schechter lead us chronologically through such a long and tragic series of murderous milestones. Reading this book will help us understand much more about the context of other novels and true-crime books we're reading.
So, you're forewarned here. Order this at the risk of your own sleepless nights.
April 8, 2025
This book offers a succinct synopsis of a variety of deadly crimes--some infamous, some largely forgotten--along with archive-like presentations of everyday objects that have some connection with the murder.
Some of the passages focused too much on ghoulish details rather than procedural explanations of how the crime was investigated for my tastes. Overall, however, this was a decent and original true crime title.
Some of the passages focused too much on ghoulish details rather than procedural explanations of how the crime was investigated for my tastes. Overall, however, this was a decent and original true crime title.
October 1, 2025
The author is an award winning writer of True Crime books. He is probably the one writer I find is a must when looking for a well written and researched book on the topic.
His focus is on True Crime stories throughout American history, primarily murder.
This book covers a hundred different crimes and criminals, along with photos and illustrations of objects connected to the crimes or perpetrators. Fascinating.
His focus is on True Crime stories throughout American history, primarily murder.
This book covers a hundred different crimes and criminals, along with photos and illustrations of objects connected to the crimes or perpetrators. Fascinating.
February 15, 2024
Decent, but a little on the superficial side. Some real gems included (Kacyzinsky’s typewriter, the Tsarnaev Brother’s crumpled pressure cooker bomb, Nathan Leopold’s incriminating eyeglasses), but most actual weapons we’ve seen before, like Lizzie Borden’s hatchet, Gacy’s artwork, Zodic’s Cypher. Many of the objects had notes that advised, “A logging chain LIKE THIS ONE was used to drag James Byrd to death,” or “A fake gun LIKE THIS ONE may have been what Dillinger used to break out of jail.”
I think the innocuous items owned by the killers would’ve been more revealing,and would’ve given a more analytical feel to the fare. When you are looking at guns and knives in a murder book, you naturally think the worst; when looking at household items like typewriters and kitchenware and books, you are often amazed at how the mundane can be used to create havoc.
This book is pretty good for what it is (a collection of crime from the past 120 years or so, but it just isn’t all that.
I think the innocuous items owned by the killers would’ve been more revealing,and would’ve given a more analytical feel to the fare. When you are looking at guns and knives in a murder book, you naturally think the worst; when looking at household items like typewriters and kitchenware and books, you are often amazed at how the mundane can be used to create havoc.
This book is pretty good for what it is (a collection of crime from the past 120 years or so, but it just isn’t all that.
October 1, 2023
This was a really interesting book! I learned new information and this book was the perfect length. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys true crime stories. Special Thank You to Harold Schechter, Workman Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2024
I read this book like a devotional: one story every morning. Sometimes more. It was a neat summary of the most horrific crimes whose perpetrators are household names, as well as a few lesser-known cases. My only complaint is that I wish the photos were glossy rather than matte, though I know that’s more expensive.
May 20, 2025
This listicle of a book lacks the quality of Harold Schechter's deeper dives into true crime writing. Even as a listicle book, it doesn't fully live up to its title as the "murderabilia" object that opens each section may or may not be fully described or explicitly referenced. Conceptually an interesting idea for a survey of sensational crimes, but a mediocre execution.
Additionally, the audiobook's reader mispronounces a number of names of places and people that will grate on the ears of anyone familiar with them.
Additionally, the audiobook's reader mispronounces a number of names of places and people that will grate on the ears of anyone familiar with them.
December 28, 2023
"𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬"
My review is for the Hardback version of this book, which is available on Amazon.
Since the Era of the Celtic people-some were cannibalistic murderers that ate children, the Roman Empire, the 19th century Victorian Era in London, people have been bloodthirsty, ghoulish, drawn to, fascinated and obsessed with the macabre, it's part of human nature to be fascinated, interested in gory, gruesome deaths, bloodshed, anything that is dark, disturbing, creepy, macabre, taboo, forbidden, it is dark tourism in the modern world.
I'm not surprised that Murderabilia exists in the modern world, the common folk were entertained by the Gladiators in the Gladiatorial Arenas, the more gory, bloodshed,violence there was, while they fought against other Gladiators and wild exotic animals the more excited they became.
In the 19th century Penny Dreadfuls-gory stories were published weekly in a newspaper to the ghoulish delight of the local people, they couldn't get enough and they were obsessed with gory stories written by Edgar Allan Poe and other authors who existed in the 18th-19th century.
So it's not really surprising to me that dark tourism, collectors of murderabilia, creative people that create serial killer art exist, there is always macabre interest in murderabilia, but people should remember to treat the victims, and their family, friends with respect since obviously real people were murdered.
Various people, including children, babies and animals were harmed, tortured, maimed, murdered, they didn't do anything to deserve what happened to them.
I'm okay with murderabilia as long as people show genuine respect to the victims, instead of a minority of ghoulish people that are disrespectful ghouls that don't care about the victims, they only care about profiting from the pain, suffering, misery that it has caused the victims, their family and friends.
They have no empathy, compassion, or respect for the victims, which I will never understand.
They are akin to graverobbers, they are no better than that, for a minority of people, not everyone that is interested in true crime is like that which is a good thing.
I will always have empathy, compassion, respect for the victims, including animals that were sadistically tortured and horrifically murdered.
Burke & William Hare were originally graverobbers, until they decided to become serial killers, they decided to murder their victims, instead of grave robbery so they could provide fresh corpses to a Anatomist, that would use the corpses for dissection and teach medical students in medical schools during the 18th-19th century and they were paid for providing the fresh corpses.
If you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, then you will be familiar with the mysterious and unexplained murder of Mary Rogers a woman that worked at a Tobacco shop as a "𝐂𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥" she was known for her beauty, but she was sadly found dead in the Hudson River in America.
Edgar Allan Poe attempted to try and solve Mary Roger's unexplained death but it has never been conclusively solved.
My review is for the Hardback version of this book, which is available on Amazon.
Since the Era of the Celtic people-some were cannibalistic murderers that ate children, the Roman Empire, the 19th century Victorian Era in London, people have been bloodthirsty, ghoulish, drawn to, fascinated and obsessed with the macabre, it's part of human nature to be fascinated, interested in gory, gruesome deaths, bloodshed, anything that is dark, disturbing, creepy, macabre, taboo, forbidden, it is dark tourism in the modern world.
I'm not surprised that Murderabilia exists in the modern world, the common folk were entertained by the Gladiators in the Gladiatorial Arenas, the more gory, bloodshed,violence there was, while they fought against other Gladiators and wild exotic animals the more excited they became.
In the 19th century Penny Dreadfuls-gory stories were published weekly in a newspaper to the ghoulish delight of the local people, they couldn't get enough and they were obsessed with gory stories written by Edgar Allan Poe and other authors who existed in the 18th-19th century.
So it's not really surprising to me that dark tourism, collectors of murderabilia, creative people that create serial killer art exist, there is always macabre interest in murderabilia, but people should remember to treat the victims, and their family, friends with respect since obviously real people were murdered.
Various people, including children, babies and animals were harmed, tortured, maimed, murdered, they didn't do anything to deserve what happened to them.
I'm okay with murderabilia as long as people show genuine respect to the victims, instead of a minority of ghoulish people that are disrespectful ghouls that don't care about the victims, they only care about profiting from the pain, suffering, misery that it has caused the victims, their family and friends.
They have no empathy, compassion, or respect for the victims, which I will never understand.
They are akin to graverobbers, they are no better than that, for a minority of people, not everyone that is interested in true crime is like that which is a good thing.
I will always have empathy, compassion, respect for the victims, including animals that were sadistically tortured and horrifically murdered.
Burke & William Hare were originally graverobbers, until they decided to become serial killers, they decided to murder their victims, instead of grave robbery so they could provide fresh corpses to a Anatomist, that would use the corpses for dissection and teach medical students in medical schools during the 18th-19th century and they were paid for providing the fresh corpses.
If you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, then you will be familiar with the mysterious and unexplained murder of Mary Rogers a woman that worked at a Tobacco shop as a "𝐂𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥" she was known for her beauty, but she was sadly found dead in the Hudson River in America.
Edgar Allan Poe attempted to try and solve Mary Roger's unexplained death but it has never been conclusively solved.
Read
August 3, 2023Captivating and disturbing--but in exactly the right amounts? With 100 crimes told "through" a piece of memorabilia each, I went down so many rabbit trails looking up more information on many of the crimes and immediately recognized others from my true crime podcast listenings. Each murder/er has 1-3 "bite size" pages in which the reader can take in the history in little bits (or gorge, if you're into that) and is an excellently formatted pick-up-put-down book, while still being fascinating enough that you want to keep picking it up and finish it quickly. Also appreciated was the correction of common lore of more famous crimes/criminals--[Paul Harvey voice] "And now we know...the REST of the story!"
My thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Group for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
My thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Group for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 5, 2023
I loved this book makes an excellent coffee table or bathroom book for the right company. I reading the cases and there were several I hadn't heard of which makes me want to look into them more. I appreciated that not all the artifacts were gruesome. Lots were normal every day items such as propaganda from the time of the case, glasses, cars etc.it was great mix of well know cases that everyone even non true crime fan are aware of and more obscure.
October 23, 2023
I wanted more from this. The photos of said objects left me wanting more. Also, the background of the objects and the person's involved were only usually a page or two long, to fit 100 objects, so you don't get a lot of info. However, it was still enjoyable, well written, and not too long to read.
February 15, 2024
The general public's fascination with true crime is not a recent phenomenon, even though it seems to have gained great popularity in the last decade or so. In Murderabilia, Harold Schechter gives a chronological encapsulation of 100 crimes that are associated with some sort of memorabilia from the crime or crime scene.
Long before police learned to isolate crime scenes with that magic yellow tape that somehow keeps people from crossing a line, people flocked to crime scenes by the thousands, trampling evidence, and taking it home with them. The first photo in this book is of the scene of Belle Gunness's "murder farm," where "thousands of curiosity-seekers flocked to her burned-down home to gawk at the cellar where her charred corpse and those of her children were found." In one case, when a criminal was hanged, the noose was cut up and sold for "a guinea per inch."
The crimes in this book begin in 1808 with the murder of "Omie Wise" and go, in chronological order, all the way to 2014 and the "Slender Man Stabbing." Many of these crimes I have heard of. Some are well-known by just about anyone; Bonnie and Clyde (featuring the car in which they were killed), H.H. Holmes (featuring a shovel used to bury two of his victims), The Zodiac Killer (featuring the infamous coded note), and of course, Ted Bundy (featuring his modified VW Bug). There are many I have not heard of, and some I know of because of true crime podcasts that I have listened to in recent years. I was pleased to see that he even included the murder of Kitty Genovese, in NYC in 1964, which was the inspiration of Harlan Ellison's short story, "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs." That crime also resulted in our 911 emergency calling system.
There are 100 short chapters (none more than three pages), each one featuring a piece of memorabilia associated with the crime. The book is very well-written and fascinating to read. I mean, if you're into that sort of thing. It does get rather graphic, at times, and I will say that, while there have been perverse people all throughout history, the crimes tend to get more violent and perverse the further forward in time we go. That certainly makes one wonder about the state of humanity in general.
If you're into true crime, this is a very accessible read on the subject.
Long before police learned to isolate crime scenes with that magic yellow tape that somehow keeps people from crossing a line, people flocked to crime scenes by the thousands, trampling evidence, and taking it home with them. The first photo in this book is of the scene of Belle Gunness's "murder farm," where "thousands of curiosity-seekers flocked to her burned-down home to gawk at the cellar where her charred corpse and those of her children were found." In one case, when a criminal was hanged, the noose was cut up and sold for "a guinea per inch."
The crimes in this book begin in 1808 with the murder of "Omie Wise" and go, in chronological order, all the way to 2014 and the "Slender Man Stabbing." Many of these crimes I have heard of. Some are well-known by just about anyone; Bonnie and Clyde (featuring the car in which they were killed), H.H. Holmes (featuring a shovel used to bury two of his victims), The Zodiac Killer (featuring the infamous coded note), and of course, Ted Bundy (featuring his modified VW Bug). There are many I have not heard of, and some I know of because of true crime podcasts that I have listened to in recent years. I was pleased to see that he even included the murder of Kitty Genovese, in NYC in 1964, which was the inspiration of Harlan Ellison's short story, "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs." That crime also resulted in our 911 emergency calling system.
There are 100 short chapters (none more than three pages), each one featuring a piece of memorabilia associated with the crime. The book is very well-written and fascinating to read. I mean, if you're into that sort of thing. It does get rather graphic, at times, and I will say that, while there have been perverse people all throughout history, the crimes tend to get more violent and perverse the further forward in time we go. That certainly makes one wonder about the state of humanity in general.
If you're into true crime, this is a very accessible read on the subject.
March 4, 2024
Overall: 3 stars.
Eh, this is a mixed bag of a book, for sure. I'm a big fan of Harold Schecter's writing in general, so I enjoyed this book as well, and he's clearly done a lot of in-depth research here (covering 100 cases is no small feat). I also think the individual items and cases featured were quite interesting and covered a wide range of crimes and motives (greed, sex crimes, hate crimes, etc) as well as geography. It was interesting to see how the items of "murderablia" morphed over time, moving from murder ballads and broadsheets to pieces of physical evidence hoarded as "trophies."
Where I think the book falls short is that it doesn't really explore the issue of where these items are now, how they came to be there, and what it means if murderablia is in private collectors hands vs a museum vs. police files etc. While the author briefly touches on the issue in his introduction, I think it would have added so much weight and importance to the book if he'd discussed the provenance and current status of the items he's talking about in each chapter.
In general, this book was fun and had a lot of breadth, but very little depth, and I'd recommend it only for hardcore true crime nerds or Schechter fans.
Eh, this is a mixed bag of a book, for sure. I'm a big fan of Harold Schecter's writing in general, so I enjoyed this book as well, and he's clearly done a lot of in-depth research here (covering 100 cases is no small feat). I also think the individual items and cases featured were quite interesting and covered a wide range of crimes and motives (greed, sex crimes, hate crimes, etc) as well as geography. It was interesting to see how the items of "murderablia" morphed over time, moving from murder ballads and broadsheets to pieces of physical evidence hoarded as "trophies."
Where I think the book falls short is that it doesn't really explore the issue of where these items are now, how they came to be there, and what it means if murderablia is in private collectors hands vs a museum vs. police files etc. While the author briefly touches on the issue in his introduction, I think it would have added so much weight and importance to the book if he'd discussed the provenance and current status of the items he's talking about in each chapter.
In general, this book was fun and had a lot of breadth, but very little depth, and I'd recommend it only for hardcore true crime nerds or Schechter fans.
May 7, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book immediately grabbed my interest. The short 1 to 3 page of each of the 100 objects are perfect to read in short spurts.
The criminals in this book range from the not-well-known to the more infamous of the recent past. Some of these are really gritty and very disturbing. All of them are interesting.
Any true crime reader will enjoy this book.
The concept of this book immediately grabbed my interest. The short 1 to 3 page of each of the 100 objects are perfect to read in short spurts.
The criminals in this book range from the not-well-known to the more infamous of the recent past. Some of these are really gritty and very disturbing. All of them are interesting.
Any true crime reader will enjoy this book.
November 17, 2025
I would have given this book five stars if it hadn't been for a certain political detail I noticed. A detail I won't mention.
April 15, 2024
2.5 . A lot of writing which wouldn't be an issue if the fact that some of these aren't actually first-hand murderabilia. I don't want to see images of newspapers.
January 8, 2024
Recommended for true crime readers. Includes well known crimes as well as ones you've likely not heard of. Primarily in the United States, but also includes crimes in Europe, Australia, and Japan to name a few.
-Full review posted on Scottsdale Public Library page: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
-Full review posted on Scottsdale Public Library page: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 18, 2023
Great book. The chapters are short, but on point and informative, the objects to present crimes carefully chosen. One word of warning though: I'm a seasoned true crime reader and still needed to take breaks from the book from time to time, because I felt so flooded and overwhelmed by the cruelty of human nature and the depths of possible depravity.
December 17, 2023
Super interesting stuff in here. More of a flip through book, than a beginning to end read.
September 10, 2023
This book is full of true crime stories and the items that were sold to commemorate the Horror. From the crime that inspired the fugitive to the mad sculpture torture mom and much much more it is full of stories that will delight any True Crime reader. The author has many books from historical True Crime two stories rip from the headlines he is a great writer and one whose books are enjoy this one included. Even if you’re not interested in the items these killers and their crimes left behind if you enjoy the genre the new like this book. I want to thank the author Annette Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
October 30, 2023
If you love coffee table murder books and/or true crime anthologies, this one is for you. It’s good not great though, so I’d recommend only buying it on sale. 😆 I did consider buying it for my precocious 11 year old who loves true crime anthologies like this, with shorter write ups, but it’s extremely graphic text-wise so I figured I’d hold off until high school.
The cases were a good mix of well known and more obscure. The Murderabilia aspect was poorly done imo. We need a re-do. So much more could have been done graphically with this book—such a wasted opportunity. And I don’t care for pictures of bomb shrapnel and soil samples. Let’s find more dynamic items to hone in on.
The cases were a good mix of well known and more obscure. The Murderabilia aspect was poorly done imo. We need a re-do. So much more could have been done graphically with this book—such a wasted opportunity. And I don’t care for pictures of bomb shrapnel and soil samples. Let’s find more dynamic items to hone in on.
October 25, 2023
I'm a true crime fan and have read and enjoyed many of Mr. Schechter's books. I was a little bit disappointed in this one because many of the crimes detailed in Murderabilia are covered in much more depth in Mr. Schechter's other books. That said, this is a great sampling of Mr. Schechter's writing with the crimes discussed in "snack size" summaries. I read the book before bed and each chapter can be finished in just a few minutes. If you enjoy this book, check out Mr. Schechter's other true crime selections.
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November 22, 2023Not going to lie, but the title of the book got me intrigued. This book gives small summaries of different crimes throughout time from 1808. The objects associated with each crime was interesting in the sense that people as far back as this timeline were obsessed with crime and still are.
October 9, 2023
Murderabilia is typically defined as objects relating to a murder, the murderer, or the victim. While the stories in this book were certainly interesting, especially the ones I hadn’t heard of, I’m a little disappointed that some of the objects pictured really had nothing to do with the crimes themselves. All in all I’d give this one two stars.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.
An interesting collection of murderabilia and the fascinating stories attached to them. I was entertained and felt a little disturbed throughout the book , but was impressed by some of the creativity shown by the murderers.
An interesting collection of murderabilia and the fascinating stories attached to them. I was entertained and felt a little disturbed throughout the book , but was impressed by some of the creativity shown by the murderers.
October 4, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for this engaging copy of Murderabilia by Harold Schecter in exchange for a honest review. This is a well written , data filled book that provides a condensed version and memorabilia of 100 true crimes from the past to the present. Perfect for fans of true crime like me.
November 1, 2023
True crime aficionados will like this one. Very short, concise articles about 100 crimes along with pictures of items involved with the crime. Some famous ones, and some that most of us have not heard of. My high school students will love this.
April 9, 2025
As a librarian and a collector, I am always interested in works about collecting. Why do people identify with an object or experience, why do they ‘collect’ what they do? Having worked closely with collections of historical trials, murderabilia is an area that has long fascinated me as a category of collectible. Accordingly, I was excited to see this book – “Murderabilia: a history of crime in 100 objects” – at my local library. I was disappointed though in the coverage, perhaps I should have anticipated that superficiality with a “100 objects….” type book, which seem to be a thing these days in the coffee table / history book market.
To be fair, author Harold Schechter, an experienced historian of crime, does a great job summarizing the individual crimes but as a book about the subject of murderabilia (as the title suggests) it really doesn't engage with the concept of collecting, which lies at the heart of murderabilia as a genre. Schechter provides only a cursory and unfortunately incomplete introduction to this macabre collecting habit. One example, earlier Son of Sam laws that prevented criminals from profiting from their crimes kept a lot of this material underground. This changed with a case heard by the Supreme Court - but how did that case -the Simon and Schuster case (502 US 105 (1991)) - affect the market for these collectibles? Did that change who collected or how these artifacts are shared among collectors? Most notably though, the objects presented here have little physical context and, other than a short list of sources at the end of the book, no bibliographical context. Certainly many of the images are engaging - a picture of a vial of dirt from the “Slender Man” murders presented to introduce the crime – but there is very little about the origins of the images themselves. What is their individual provenance? How, or are, the images actually associated with the crime? Is the vial of dirt from the evidence locker, from a collector, from the family of a victim? Why did the person who saved this object do so? For a book ostensibly about objects, there is a lot about the crimes but practically nothing about the objects in the book.
Read it for the engaging essays about the crimes but readers shouldn't expect to come away with a better understanding of murderabilia as a class of collectibles nor how the particular selected artifacts presented here came to be collected.
February 27, 2025
Harold Schechter, một tác giả kỳ cựu chuyên về thể loại tội phạm thực tế, đã mang đến một góc nhìn độc đáo về tội ác trong 100 Kỳ Vật Tội Ác (Murderabilia). Cuốn sách giới thiệu 100 hiện vật liên quan đến các vụ giết người từ năm 1808 đến 2014, mỗi hiện vật đi kèm với một câu chuyện, có thể ngắn gọn hoặc chi tiết tùy vào mức độ nổi tiếng của vụ án.
【Bố cục và nội dung】
Điểm đặc biệt của cuốn sách là cách nó được trình bày như một "bảo tàng tội ác", nơi người đọc có thể tự do khám phá những hiện vật rùng rợn từ các vụ án khét tiếng hoặc ít được biết đến. Những món đồ này có thể trông bình thường, thậm chí tầm thường, nhưng khi tìm hiểu kỹ, chúng lại chứa đựng những câu chuyện gây ám ảnh. Cuốn sách không chỉ nói về các đồ vật, mà còn cung cấp thông tin về hung thủ, vụ án, và thậm chí cả những ảnh hưởng của nó đến văn hóa đại chúng, như âm nhạc hay phim ảnh được lấy cảm hứng từ các vụ án này.
【Ấn tượng khi đọc】
Mặc dù các chương khá ngắn, chúng vẫn cung cấp đủ thông tin và là điểm khởi đầu tốt để tìm hiểu sâu hơn. Đối với những ai đam mê tội phạm thực tế, cuốn sách này giống như một bộ sưu tập đầy mê hoặc, kết hợp giữa lịch sử, tâm lý học và văn hóa đại chúng. Tuy nhiên, đây không phải là cuốn sách dễ đọc một mạch, bởi sự tàn bạo của những vụ án có thể khiến người đọc cảm thấy nặng nề và cần phải tạm dừng để tiếp thu dần dần.
【Ai nên đọc cuốn sách này?】
Nếu bạn là người yêu thích tội phạm thực tế, thích tìm hiểu về những vụ án nổi tiếng cũng như những khía cạnh độc đáo xung quanh chúng, đây chắc chắn là cuốn sách dành cho bạn. Nó cũng là một lựa chọn thú vị để làm quà tặng cho những ai quan tâm đến chủ đề này hoặc thậm chí là một cuốn sách đặt bàn cà phê cho mùa Halloween.
100 Kỳ Vật Tội Ác không chỉ là một cuốn sách kể chuyện về những vụ án mạng, mà còn là một lời nhắc nhở về sự tò mò không đổi của con người đối với cái ác và những hiện vật gắn liền với nó. Đây là một cuốn sách đáng đọc, nhưng cũng đầy ám ảnh, phù hợp với những ai thực sự yêu thích thể loại tội phạm thực tế.
#100kyvattoiac
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