Review of Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders
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Michelle Bell 2
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- Latest Review: Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders by Brian E. Forschner
Review of Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders
[Following is a volunteer review of "Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders" by Brian E. Forschner.]
For over a decade, at the start of the 20th century, a series of horrific murders took place in the city of Dayton, Ohio. For most of the young women and girls attacked and murdered, there would never be justice. Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders was written by Brian Forschner, a great-nephew of one of these women, Mary Forschner, so that her life and the lives of the other victims would not be forgotten. Each of the first five chapters covers the last moments of a young woman, the police action and aftereffects of the murders, as well as the reverberations on the community. First, we meet Ada Lantz, 11 years old who disappears during a party at her family home. Six years later, Dona Gillman, aged 19, goes missing on her way home from work. Only 10 months after Dona’s death, 18-year-old Anna Markowitz, is attacked while sitting in a park with her sister and a suitor. The next year, 18-year-old Lizzie Fulhart vanishes while job hunting. A month later, in 1909, Mary Forschner, aged 15, is assaulted on her way to the bank. The suspects are all dealt with in the context of the individual murders, but a picture of the perpetrator soon starts to form across the separate investigations. It takes another attack, where Bessie Stickford escapes with only her life, before the picture coalesces and the likely culprit is exposed.
This is an easy read, even bearing in mind the time period and the horrendous nature of the crimes. The book is extremely well edited, with no errors to distract the reader from the story. The victims are brought to life using imagined dialogue and become more than just crime statistics, but fully fleshed out characters, with whom the reader can bond and identify. The investigators become real too; some as individuals to cheer on and support, and others as incompetent or self-serving sorts the reader will actively dislike.
Occasionally, there are terms used that have gone out of common usage, as well as extracts from journals and newspapers of the time that may seem more difficult to read, but these should not deter the reader, as they serve to bring alive the time period of the stories.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the stories are so well written, that it captivates the reader and is easy to get lost in. The reader will shake their head at what now seem to be slapdash police investigations and blatantly cruel treatment of some of the victims and suspects, but will find themselves pushing on to discover whodunnit.
I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys true crime, historical crime or just the atmosphere of the turn of the century in urban America.
******
Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
For over a decade, at the start of the 20th century, a series of horrific murders took place in the city of Dayton, Ohio. For most of the young women and girls attacked and murdered, there would never be justice. Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders was written by Brian Forschner, a great-nephew of one of these women, Mary Forschner, so that her life and the lives of the other victims would not be forgotten. Each of the first five chapters covers the last moments of a young woman, the police action and aftereffects of the murders, as well as the reverberations on the community. First, we meet Ada Lantz, 11 years old who disappears during a party at her family home. Six years later, Dona Gillman, aged 19, goes missing on her way home from work. Only 10 months after Dona’s death, 18-year-old Anna Markowitz, is attacked while sitting in a park with her sister and a suitor. The next year, 18-year-old Lizzie Fulhart vanishes while job hunting. A month later, in 1909, Mary Forschner, aged 15, is assaulted on her way to the bank. The suspects are all dealt with in the context of the individual murders, but a picture of the perpetrator soon starts to form across the separate investigations. It takes another attack, where Bessie Stickford escapes with only her life, before the picture coalesces and the likely culprit is exposed.
This is an easy read, even bearing in mind the time period and the horrendous nature of the crimes. The book is extremely well edited, with no errors to distract the reader from the story. The victims are brought to life using imagined dialogue and become more than just crime statistics, but fully fleshed out characters, with whom the reader can bond and identify. The investigators become real too; some as individuals to cheer on and support, and others as incompetent or self-serving sorts the reader will actively dislike.
Occasionally, there are terms used that have gone out of common usage, as well as extracts from journals and newspapers of the time that may seem more difficult to read, but these should not deter the reader, as they serve to bring alive the time period of the stories.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the stories are so well written, that it captivates the reader and is easy to get lost in. The reader will shake their head at what now seem to be slapdash police investigations and blatantly cruel treatment of some of the victims and suspects, but will find themselves pushing on to discover whodunnit.
I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys true crime, historical crime or just the atmosphere of the turn of the century in urban America.
******
Cold Serial: The Jack the Strangler Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
