Official Review: Killing Women by Rod Sadler
Posted: 14 Dec 2020, 05:25
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Killing Women" by Rod Sadler.]
Killing Women by Rod Sadler is the chilling tale of a serial killer named Don Miller. Based on a true story, the book relies heavily on the accounts of the victims’ families, the law enforcement officers, and the defence and prosecution attorneys involved in the case. Set in the late 70s, it focuses on the murders of four young women, the impact of their deaths on their families, and the unrelenting efforts of the police officers to dig out the truth, no matter the cost.
Even though Killing Women is a true crime novel, it isn’t like other books in the genre. While other writers restrict their focus on the crime and its investigation, Sadler moves beyond that territory and introduces the readers to the legal workings of the case. The story does not end with the apprehension of the killer. There is also the trial, the sentencing, and the scenario of the eventual release of the criminal. Sadler takes us through all these steps, keeping the tension alive throughout the story.
One of the things that caught me off guard about this book was its lack of focus on the criminal. In the wave of true-crime movies, TV shows, podcasts, and novels, the stories are usually focused on the victims, or their families, or often, on the killer itself. Storytellers tend to rely on the horror of the crimes, the thrill of the chase, and the “likeable villain” trope. Sadler, however, depends on clear facts to tell the story as realistically as possible. While he underlines the psychopathy of the killer and sympathises with the victims and their families, he lends more importance to the legal side of it. Most of the action takes place inside the courtroom. Since the story is grounded in reality, it induces the terror and chills all the more effectively.
One of the challenges encountered by writers while putting down a true story on paper is the number of people involved in it. Sadler tackles this problem very well. He adds more depth and dimension to his work with well-placed backstories for all important characters. So, not only do we get to know the victims, their families, the killer and his family, but also we are familiarised with the officers and the attorneys, and other seemingly small characters in the story. Another brilliant thing about the book is that even though we know how it’s going to end for the women, we can’t help but wish for some miracle to swoop in and save the day. Even though we know that they have been dead for decades now, while reading the book, we want them to end up safe and live their best lives. I guess that’s what makes it all the more tragic.
My rating for Killing Women is 3 out of 4 stars. The reason that kept me from giving it a perfect rating is the number of grammatical mistakes I found in it. One more round of editing is needed to smooth over these creases. Another thing that kept me from thoroughly enjoying this book was its repetitiveness. While going over the case, the author kept repeating some details. In the beginning, it allows clarity by removing any room for confusion over the identity of the characters. However, later, when you grow accustomed to the entire case, these repetitions get tiring, and you feel like skipping over some pages and not reading the same thing all over again.
Despite its flaws, I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is especially great for people who are into true crime stories. I wouldn’t recommend it to young readers as some details of the crime can be very upsetting. They will need parental guidance, should they choose to read this book.
******
Killing Women
View: on Bookshelves
Killing Women by Rod Sadler is the chilling tale of a serial killer named Don Miller. Based on a true story, the book relies heavily on the accounts of the victims’ families, the law enforcement officers, and the defence and prosecution attorneys involved in the case. Set in the late 70s, it focuses on the murders of four young women, the impact of their deaths on their families, and the unrelenting efforts of the police officers to dig out the truth, no matter the cost.
Even though Killing Women is a true crime novel, it isn’t like other books in the genre. While other writers restrict their focus on the crime and its investigation, Sadler moves beyond that territory and introduces the readers to the legal workings of the case. The story does not end with the apprehension of the killer. There is also the trial, the sentencing, and the scenario of the eventual release of the criminal. Sadler takes us through all these steps, keeping the tension alive throughout the story.
One of the things that caught me off guard about this book was its lack of focus on the criminal. In the wave of true-crime movies, TV shows, podcasts, and novels, the stories are usually focused on the victims, or their families, or often, on the killer itself. Storytellers tend to rely on the horror of the crimes, the thrill of the chase, and the “likeable villain” trope. Sadler, however, depends on clear facts to tell the story as realistically as possible. While he underlines the psychopathy of the killer and sympathises with the victims and their families, he lends more importance to the legal side of it. Most of the action takes place inside the courtroom. Since the story is grounded in reality, it induces the terror and chills all the more effectively.
One of the challenges encountered by writers while putting down a true story on paper is the number of people involved in it. Sadler tackles this problem very well. He adds more depth and dimension to his work with well-placed backstories for all important characters. So, not only do we get to know the victims, their families, the killer and his family, but also we are familiarised with the officers and the attorneys, and other seemingly small characters in the story. Another brilliant thing about the book is that even though we know how it’s going to end for the women, we can’t help but wish for some miracle to swoop in and save the day. Even though we know that they have been dead for decades now, while reading the book, we want them to end up safe and live their best lives. I guess that’s what makes it all the more tragic.
My rating for Killing Women is 3 out of 4 stars. The reason that kept me from giving it a perfect rating is the number of grammatical mistakes I found in it. One more round of editing is needed to smooth over these creases. Another thing that kept me from thoroughly enjoying this book was its repetitiveness. While going over the case, the author kept repeating some details. In the beginning, it allows clarity by removing any room for confusion over the identity of the characters. However, later, when you grow accustomed to the entire case, these repetitions get tiring, and you feel like skipping over some pages and not reading the same thing all over again.
Despite its flaws, I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is especially great for people who are into true crime stories. I wouldn’t recommend it to young readers as some details of the crime can be very upsetting. They will need parental guidance, should they choose to read this book.
******
Killing Women
View: on Bookshelves