Not only the worst true crime book I’ve ever read, but Talking With Psychopaths and Savages is possibly the worst BOOK I’ve ever read.

I get he is trying to tell the reader that if you found this interesting, you might want to read my other book where I mentioned it too but it comes across as repetitive self promotion.The final section based on Carol Bundy is by far the most interesting section, anyway, and ends the book on a high. I find myself siding with a serial killer who described one of Berry-Dee’s previous books as “rubbish”. Also there was a part where he literally copied a chapter from before, which he said in the book was to 'avoid being repetitive' but it was really repetitive and very lazy in my opinion. Z grzeczności (i chęci jak najszybszego rozstania się z tą książką) nie będę się odnosiła do wartości merytorycznej - dość powiedzieć, że rozdział o Pistoriusie nie jest właściwie w żaden sposób wartościowy; autor nigdy z nim nie rozmawiał, nie opiera się również na żadnych dokumentach - odnoszę wrażenie, że nie opiera się nawet na Wikipedii, bo gdyby to zrobił, to wiedziałby, że sędzia wydający wyrok w tej sprawie była kobietą (ale, może to błąd tłumacza? She never bragged about how great she was, never made fun of the Golden State Killer’s victims and her book was clearly proof read before it was published.

He repeatedly alluded to his “restricted word count” in this novel, and constantly referred to the vast number of serial killers and psychopaths he has interviewed over the years. Na każdy rozdział przypadało może cztery/pięć cytatów, które bardzo często w ogóle nie były autorstwa przedstawianego psychopaty. The subject matter itself is quite interesting, but unfortunately, the lack of editing and the overabundance of self-promo quite rightly ruined this book for me. In Talking With Psychopaths and Savages, bestselling author and criminologist Christopher Berry-Dee takes readers deep inside the dark minds of some of the most pitiless and dangerous people alive. This time, however, he combines sections on killers whom he has known, interviewed or corresponded with, with studies of psychopathic serial killers from the past, including Peter Kürten, the ‘Düsseldorf Monster’, John Christie, responsible for the killings at 10 Rillington Place; and Neville Heath, a ladykiller in every sense of the word.

If you thought John Douglas was a tad egotistical while reading Mindhunter, believe me - he ain’t got nothin’ on Berry-Dee. It will not make for a comfortable bedtime read because it is solely intended to put you inside the heads of those killers who thrive on pure evil' - from the author's introduction. a thought, but perhaps if the author didn't use this horrendously tedious sentence every other page he wouldn't have to lament the insufficient word count every four pages. I’m not belittling the work he did, he undoubtedly did a great job and did meaningful work, I just found it a little jarring to read. I loved that this book covered less well-known serial killers; usually, these books just examine the same few famous serial killers.