The New Millennium Serial Killer: Examining the Crimes of Christopher Halliwell by Chris Clark and Bethan Trueman
Finished: November 5, 2022
This true crime book explores the brutal murders Christopher Halliwell has been convicted of committing and compares them to other similar crimes that Halliwell may have committed in the UK. The authors have clearly spent a lot of time researching unsolved crimes in the areas Halliwell lived and worked over several decades. The authors also explore how the investigation into Halliwell affected his subsequent trial and getting justice for his victims.
Many of the cases that the author tries to link to Halliwell are based on the same type of loose possible connections. Many of them center around testing items found in a lake near his home, others are based on geography or victim type. I read over and over that if the police would just test the items in the lake, they could likely determine if Halliwell should be investigated further for many of the crimes discussed. The connections between Halliwell and many of the crimes explored seemed very flimsy and while it may be worthwhile for someone to record the information and cross compare it, the way it was organized and described in this book did not work for me.
As someone who takes in a good amount of true crime in book, documentary and podcast form, I do believe it’s important for the public to have access to information on closed cases and I see the value in “armchair detectives” trying to link cases or bring attention to ones that have been cold cases for a long time. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to the level of detail and quality that I’ve come to expect. One thing I did like was the focus on the victims, their lives and their families. The authors made sure to describe the victims as people with full lives before their tragic murders and not focus solely on the perpetrator.
I disagree with many of the other reviews I’ve seen about this book. I found it difficult to read, repetitive, in need of editing and more like a dissertation than a book. I think I could have gotten the point by reading a version that was about a quarter of the length and it could have been a lot more succinct.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Stats
- My Rating: 2 stars
- Genre: True Crime;
- Highlights: Criminal justice system; behind the headlines; British history
- Warnings: Murder; crime;
- Author: Chris Clark, Bethan Trueman
- Publisher: Pen & Sword
- Pub Date: November 11, 2022
- Pub Date in US: February 14, 2023
- Other Books by Author:
- Chris Clark has many other true crime books. The best source for the up to date list seems to be his website or on Goodreads.
- This is Bethan Trueman’s first book.
- Author Website: Chris Clark
- Author Socials: Bethan Trueman Seeing Red podcast
Further Reading
- Summer Reading is Here!
- We Are Halfway Through 2023!
- Monthly Wrap Up: December 2022
- Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2022
- Book Review – The New Millennium Serial Killer