A History of British Serial Killing by David Wilson

Anyone who expects the gruesome account of murders that this book’s title and blood-splattered cover jacket suggest is bound to be disappointed. David Wilson presents a level-headed assessment of serial killers operating in Britain over the last 120 years. His aim is to quench the curiosity and intrigue that surrounds them, and give a voice to their victims. However, Wilson soon expands the focus of this laudable goal and the book evolves into a critique, or rather condemnation, of modern British society. Reluctant to place the blame of serial killing solely on ‘evil’ individuals, Wilson is interested in exploring the structure of a society that allows them to kill repeatedly. The book can seem repetitive as every chapter ends with the same conclusion. Nevertheless, the author is clearly very knowledgeable in the field and presents his arguments in an easily read, accessible manner, and at times there is even a sense of wry humour emerging. At the end of the book the reader is encouraged to question why serial killers are made into objects of fascination, and their own expectations in picking up a book about serial killers. And that, it seems, is exactly what Wilson is aiming at. [Mathelinda Nabugodi]