For example, he explains why some cases like Jack the Ripper acquire notoriety and others, like that of the Louisiana-Texas axe murderer in the early 1900s, fade into obscurity: The first one is the clear, concise way in which he turns his research, understanding of serial killers and their psychology, and historical context into passages that pack a lot of information but are incredibly easy to digest.
However, there are a few elements that deserve attention here. It’d be impossible to discuss the plethora of things Vronsky does to pull off the promises made at the beginning of the book. In the introduction, the author promises the book will be tackling the “golden age” epidemic years of serial killers and “describing some of its most consequential cases, the response from law enforcement and the forensic psychiatric communities, and the historical, sociological, and cultural context.” It sounds like a lot, but Vronsky delivers on every single promise made in his introduction. This book contains a collection of gruesome, detailed chronicles of some heinous acts of murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism, but Vronsky is an outstanding researcher whose knowledge of a diversity of topics makes this a nonfiction narrative that goes above and beyond reporting shocking facts. Drawing on a wealth of sources, Vronsky offers readers a sharp look at the relationship the United States has with violence to explore how and why it often leads to serial killing. While the book focuses on serial killers, Vronsky digs deep into the psychology that shapes them, tracing the development of the U.S.’s national identity as well as the effects of WWII, Vietnam, pulp magazines, and other cultural elements that had a huge impact on popular culture and the mental health of the country. Peter Vronsky’s American Serial Killers is a brutal, engaging, meticulously researched account of the start, development, and conclusion of the fifty-year period knows as the “golden age” of serial killers in the United States.
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