Official Review: Crazy Is As Crazy Does by John H Mudgett

[Anthony__]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Crazy Is As Crazy Does" by John H Mudgett.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever wondered what goes on in the minds of serial killers? What drives them to do the crazy things they do? John H. Mudgett gives the reader an insight into the psychological nature of these people in his book titled Crazy Is As Crazy Does: The Life of a Serial Killer. This book details the behavioral patterns of serial killers, their feelings, and their beliefs.

FBI serial killer profiler, Karla Hack, is abducted with her son during her vacation. She had been a successful profiler for the FBI and had caught most of the worst killers. However, her son, William, expresses a bit of a killer instinct at a young age. He was once seen by John Goodman, snapping a pigeon’s neck. Chris, John Goodman's protégé, goes against his wish to kidnap Karla and her son. As the story unfolds, Karla wakes up and finds out that she is held captive in a room with her captor and a prostitute by John Goodman. John Goodman talks to Karla as if he knows her and tells her his life story. Who is John Goodman? What plans does he have in store for Karla, and what happens to young William? All these questions are answered in this beautiful thriller.

The author mentioned that this is his debut novella, and I must commend him for creating an intensely character-driven story. I was intrigued by John Goodman’s psyche. The author detailed the lifestyle of serial killers in a thought-provoking manner. I researched one or two things about the mind’s psychology, and most things he attributed to serial killers were correct. That shows the book is well-researched. The author expressed the destructive effects of dysfunctional upbringing on children, and the role DNA plays in affecting behavioral patterns.

The one thing I disliked about the book was the way the author switched to different stories when John Goodman was narrating. Although I understood the storyline, I believe amateur readers may find it stressful to keep up with the narrations and may get confused at a certain point. John Goodman tells his life story to Karla, and in the middle of narrating how he met a particular person, another name comes up, and he switches to tell the story of the character that comes up. That is repeated continuously from Chapter 5 till the end of Chapter 15. These confusing narrations even prompted the author to include notes addressed to the reader explaining what was going on.

The book contained many gory details. Some of the scenes were very violent, and the descriptions were explicit. It talked about the thrill serial killers get from murder, maiming, and rape. The book also contains instances of profane languages, so I will advise children and people who find violence and bloodshed offensive to stay clear of this book.

The book was professionally edited because I did not find any grammatical errors. The author’s writing style was incredible, and the flow of the storyline was well-paced. It also contained suspense and surprise elements, so I’m rating Crazy Is As Crazy Does: The Life of a Serial Killer 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers.

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Crazy Is As Crazy Does
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[Raluca_Mihaila]

Interesting, I'll definitely add it to my shelves!

[Nelson Lyric]

Wow, what a thriller! The read is like the key to unlock serial killers thoughts.

Honestly this book sounds unique before I even read it. Thanks for the well detailed Review.

[SamaylaM]

Explicit gory scenes aren't usually my cup of tea but the plot defitinitely sounds very intense and unique! Thank you for an insightful review!

[NetMassimo]

This psychological thriller seems intriguing despite its brutal aspects, and probably contains a number of twists. Thank you for your great review!

[Ada Ling]

Wow, what behind those brutal killers? This is a unique book for a read. Nice review!

[Nichole Kurns]

I love psychological thrillers. I often wonder about how the mind of serial killer works. Great review.

[SAVANISHED1]

Sounds very interesting and intriguing! Enough to pull you in because that is true psychological which makes me more eager to find out more

[Melonline81]

Definitely my kind of read... This is awesome...grimey intelligent and action packed

[biomes23]

I had often wondered about the psychology of serial killers. What them do it. This book is very thrilling and mysterious. The review is well written

[Pearl Akpan]

Wow! This one seems nothing short of thrilling, looking forward to reading this! Thank you for a wonderful review!