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Depravity: A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers

Harvey Rosenfeld
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440128479
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebeccasreads.com (02/10)


The word depravity is defined by Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary as “the quality or state of being depraved.”  The word depraved is defined by the same source as “marked by corruption or evil.”  In Harvey Rosenfeld’s book, “Depravity- A Narrative of 16 Serial Killers” he presents portraits of men and women who definitely fit the bill.

In the Introduction of the book, Rosenfeld states, “Depravity introduces a group of serial killers spanning the twentieth century and spanning the globe.  In varying degrees, all were intelligent or crafty in their ability to outsmart others or elude pursuers.  Their development or motivation offers multidimensional looks.” (p. xvi)  The book is then broken down into sections such as “Profiteers and Plunderers,” “Victims of Society,” and “Sado-Sexual Crimes.”

I was surprised when I started reading this book that I was unfamiliar with many of the names and stories that were presented.  I expected more recognizable names like Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer, but instead of the well-known names I found myself reading about people whom I had never heard of before like Fritz Haarmann a.k.a “The Vampire of Hanover” and Lucian Staniak a.k.a “The Red Spider.”  Rosenfeld did a good job of presenting these previously unknown to me stories in a manner that allowed me to completely understand them.  He also provided factors that led these people into the horrific people that they became.

I recommend “Depravity” to those interested in true crime and most particularly the topic of serial killers.  I think you will find the choice of serial killers that Rosenfeld chose to write about interesting and different from the names that you are used to reading about.