Why We Love Serial Killers cover art

Why We Love Serial Killers

The Curious Appeal of the World's Most Savage Murderers

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

€0.00/month for the first 3 months
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Why We Love Serial Killers

By: Scott Bonn
Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

For decades now, serial killers have taken center stage in the news and entertainment media. The coverage of real-life murderers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer has transformed them into ghoulish celebrities. Similarly, the popularity of fictional characters such as Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter or Dexter demonstrates just how eager the public is to be frightened by these human predators.

But why is this so? Could it be that some of us have a gruesome fascination with serial killers for the same reasons we might morbidly stare at a catastrophic automobile accident? Or it is something more? In Why We Love Serial Killers, criminology professor Dr. Scott Bonn explores our powerful appetite for the macabre, while also providing new and unique insights into the world of the serial killer, including those he has gained from his correspondence with two of the world’s most notorious examples, David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") and Dennis Rader ("Bind, Torture, Kill"). In addition, Bonn examines the criminal profiling techniques used by law enforcement professionals to identify and apprehend serial predators, he discusses the various behaviors - such as the charisma of the sociopath - that manifest themselves in serial killers, and he explains how and why these killers often become popular cultural figures.

Groundbreaking in its approach, Why We Love Serial Killers is a compelling look at how the media, law enforcement agencies, and public perception itself shapes and feeds the "monsters" in our midst.

©2014 Scott Bonn (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Crime Murder Sociology True Crime Mental Health Serial Killers True Crime

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Psychology of Notorious Serial Killers cover art
How to Solve a Cold Case cover art
Criminal Shadows cover art
Brave New World cover art
The Murder Room cover art
In Cold Blood cover art
Sadism and Sociopathy cover art
Without Mercy cover art
How to Analyze Latent Criminals cover art
The Psychology of Superheroes cover art
Hatred cover art
Cannibal Killers cover art
Five Families cover art
Exposed cover art
The Ultimate Serial Killer Trivia Book cover art
The Stranger Beside Me cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
I can't believe this book is free! (when you subscribe to audible). It out performs some of the other true crime books I have paid for by a country mile. The book is well researched and covers topics and issues I haven't come across in any other book (I've read many). The narrator is good but really needs to work on his British accent, bless him! I will absolutely forgive this as the content is so good. Would recommend to anyone interested in true crime, criminal psychology and sociology.

Really insightful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The narrations on point . Not once did I get bored. Very good listen . Love it

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Firstly, do NOT take a shot every time the narrator says "psychopath"!
There are some bold assertions in this book (one being the nature/nurture influence on psychopathy/sociopathy), some narrative errors (not attempting a Scottish accent for Dennis Nilsen) and it's often repetitive (usually signposted by the phrase "stated differently", like he couldn't decide which way to state it and his editor didn't make him choose).
Overall an interesting exploration, particularly of the sociological function of the serial killer identity and worth a listen, if the above doesn't bug you too much!

Not perfect but definitely interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

a fascinating tale of the most prolific serial killers and why we are so curious about them. I couldn't put it down, very well written and narrated!

Why do we ?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

written like a child would write a school essay and barely addresses the question in the title.

not what is says on the cover

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A very interesting vue on why we find serial killers fascinating. If serial killers are something you're interested in I would recommend this for you.

Good listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Was an interesting listen, but got very competitive toward the end. Always comparing and using the same serial killer. The narrator voice was very monotonous and got a bit boring to listen too.

But other then that I would recommend giving it a listen.

Repetitive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This was like listening to an essay written for high school or maybe a first year uni student. I couldn’t even finish it. Lots of ‘in this chapter I will’s’ and ‘in conclusion’ and ‘therefore I believes’. I really wouldn’t bother listening to this if you’re looking for something even vaguely entertaining.

Like a teenager’s essay

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

really I interesting and entertaining I love stuff about serial killers since they really interest me.

kitten

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Great analysis overall. Enjoyed the essay structure but repetition was frustrating. Dreadful, hammy narration.

Refreshingly academic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews