being from nyc I took a dim view of Arthur Shawcross, killers like Dahmer, Gacy, and Bundy were much more interesting, I thought, than some guy from Rochester and some nowhere town way upstate.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. narrated by the excellent as always Kevin Pierce, the misbegotten son takes on the challenge of telling the story of one of the worst serial killers the Empire State has ever known.
I especially enjoyed how so many big players in the story of the Genesee river killer got to say their piece. with so many rotating characters, success, narratives, and directions, it would’ve been easy to get lost in the shuffle, but Jack Olsen managed to be clear, concise,vs sensitive, and powerful.
I found out a lot about this brutal series of killings, and enjoyed the scientific theories behind why shawcross became the killer he was.
equal parts charming, gruesome, and yes, sad. sad for everyone involved, even shawcross to some extent. it kept my attention. if you like true crime books, then this one is a steal.