I Am a Killer

July 24, 2023
This thought-provoking true crime collection from the producers of the Netflix series I Am a Killer takes a deeper look at 10 cases from the show’s first two seasons. Through interviews with convicted killers (most on death row or serving life sentences), their families, and law enforcement officials, Tipping and Parker attempt to pin down their subjects’ motives and determine how their crimes did or didn’t change them. Interviewees include David Barnett, who was horrifically abused as a child and killed two innocent relatives of his abuser, and career criminal James Robertson, who strangled his prison cellmate to death in a bid to be executed. While the tone skews lurid, Tipping and Parker are fastidious reporters; they note whenever forensic evidence or witness testimony credibly conflicts with a killer’s own account. Armchair detectives won’t find any real-life whodunits to solve here, but intriguing existential mysteries abound, including questions about which factors in a killer’s life might shoulder partial responsibility for their crimes. Readers with an interest in criminal psychology will wolf this down. Agent: John Mitchell, Pan Macmillan.

September 1, 2023

Based on a Netflix series, this book examines the lives of convicted killers and their victims' family and friends. Transistor Films CEO Tipping and executive producer Parker (host of the podcast Letters from a Killer) interviewed 10 killers, who were either on death row or in prison without the possibility of parole. The killings are described somewhat matter-of-factly and are not excessively graphic but not for the faint of heart either. Some readers may find these accounts distressing, especially descriptions of child abuse. Other readers may find the interviews compelling. Motives for the murders are as individual as the victims and perpetrators themselves. The book indicates that some of the murderers were victims of horrendous abuse too, which may evoke compassion from some readers. Others appear to be manipulative narcissists who feel compassion only for themselves. Frequently, drugs and alcohol were involved. Readers are left to make their own judgments about each case. The authors also interviewed those affected by their crimes and researched trial transcripts, crime scene pictures, police reports, and other documents. VERDICT Fans of true crime and Netflix's I Am a Killer series will enjoy this well-written, well-researched book, but some readers may find portions disturbing.--Gail Eubanks

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