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 enlarge | Author: Philip Carlo
Publisher: Pinnacle
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $3.53
You Save: $3.46 (49%)
New (26) Used (17) from $2.56
Avg. Customer Rating:  64 reviews
Sales Rank: 218622
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4 x 1.9
ISBN: 0786018100
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.1523092
EAN: 9780786018109
ASIN: 0786018100
Publication Date: May 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: GREAT BUY!Brand New From US Distributor! WE ARE A 5 STAR SELLER with OVER 3,500,000 BOOKS SOLD!!! OVER ~ 600,000 FEEDBACKS ~ POSTED!!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Starts strong, grinds to hault midway through January 7, 2008
The detail with which Carlo writes of the murders is impressive, although the calibur of his writing could be better. I found it difficult to put the book down up until the apprehension of Ramirez, which takes place at maybe pg. 300 or so. Thereafter, the narrative becomes somewhat bogged down with superfluous details, such as meticulous but frankly boring recitation of courtroom antics and other minutiae that ultimately has no bearing on the outcome of the case or the story in general. Admittedly, it's tough to achieve the same level of excitement in the second act for obvious reasons; however, if you pick up a copy of Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" you'll find that it's not quite an impossible feat.
 An Incredibly Thorough Book and a Classic in the Genre September 25, 2007
I'll begin with a few words about the author, because it's noteworthy. Philip Carlo is a man who strongly believes in research, and by that, I mean extremely thorough research. He spent over 100 hours with Richard Ramirez, and I cannot imagine how much more he spent studying the case. Carlo also is a man much concerned about the evil in this world and shows tremendous courage in his quest to understand and prevent these terrible things.
The book itself is one enormous piece, about 600 tight pages, and I can't think of anything that is not covered by it. The structure of it is quite interesting as well: you first begin by the crimes commited by Ramirez, and believe me that part is seriously affecting (I am quite used to true crime books involving atrocious acts, but I had never felt so repulsed and shocked), then you move backwards in time to learn about Richard Ramirez's origins and family and life up to when he began murdering people. Then there's the capture, and the final parts are about the trial; probably the most thorough trial prose I've ever read in a true crime book. The quality of Carlo's work is truly outstanding.
In this edition, there's a new chapter containing an interview with Richard Ramirez and some excerpts about females fans of Richard which just about blow one's mind with disturbing revelations about the woman psyche. It is extremely interesting.
I would conclude by saying that if you are curious about Ramirez's case, then this is definitely the book for you, and I cannot imagine that another book covered so much material, with so much insight, as this one. With this book, you have an author who has a strong personality and is driven; and also one who definitely can write with excellence and leave himself out of judgement, however hard that is to do, he did it very professionally. This is one of the most impressive true crime books I ever read. The only other book that is similar in quality, I think, is Richard Lourie's book about Andrei Chikatilo. A must read.
 Book September 22, 2007
This is a strong book that always keeps yo guessing and on the edge of your seat. I think that this author writes some nice pieces of written masterpiece!
Extensive, exhaustive, excruciating. August 1, 2007
Richard Ramirez was different in a lot of ways from 'normal' serial killers in that his victims were not stalked (despite his nickname), not obsessed over, and they did not fit one profile or gender. They were random innocents who never dreamed they'd be so unlucky. Philip Carlo effectively makes us care about the victims instead of treating them as arbitrarily as Ramirez did, although I have to confess I started to lose track of them as the murders piled up. But that serves well to remind the reader of the enormous amount of life that was taken by the Night Stalker. If Ramirez's crimes were a freak show, his trial was a circus. Carlo's work on the trial is as thorough as I've seen such a thing presented, for better or worse. Fully half of the near-600 page book is steeped in court proceedings, so you've been warned. Through no fault of the author's, it slows to a crawl in places. Every motion, hearing, and decision is slavishly detailed. During the trial, Ramirez gained a legion of faithful admirers (mostly women) who followed his every move. Carlo lets them explain why they are so drawn to him, without making value judgments. Do they realize he could have raped or killed them? Of course, some wish he had... I would like to read a book on why so many women are attracted to famous killers; there's probably at least a few out there. Richard Ramirez is an example of a life gone wrong. The book based on his life makes him all the more unforgettable.
A Very Detailed Account of the Night Stalker! May 21, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Philip Carlo's book is well-researched and very thorough. We know more about the Night Stalker also known as Richard Ramirez who terrorized Los Angeles area and San Francisco in 1985 and 1984. He is a self-admitted Satanist who got his kicks and highs from terrorizing even the most vulnerable of victims. He raped, sodomized, tortured, and terrorized not only women but the entire Southern California area lived in fear--changing their locks, getting guns, dogs, etc. anything to make themselves feel safer. They hadn't seen a crime like this since Manson but Ramirez was a one man crime spree who worshipped Satan. His family history provides a better understanding of the man's background and the incidents as well provides some insight into why he became such a terror. To this day, what surprises me is the most is that women fell for him as if he was a desirable catch. One fan even married him in prison while he is on death row which means life in California. The proceedings because Ramirez refused anybody but a Hispanic lawyer to represent him may have hurt his chances. I don't care what race or ethnicity or religion regarding an attorney. The best defense attorneys cost money and they do defend regardless of whether they are Jewish like Robert Shapiro or African American like Johnnie Cochrane. His lawyers were inept to handle the magnitude of such an enormous case and they didn't have the expertise or experience to know how to handle Ramirez's defense. Of course, Ramirez' crimes are just unthinkable and unforgivable especially how he went after mature women in their sixties and eighties. Even though he's on death row, he still gets to get married to one of his fans. He's not that attractive and he's not that nice. There is a diabolical side to him. I think the Satanism, the crimes, and the brutality is enough to disuade any women from being attractive to a man like that knowing what he has done without much remorse or apologies to his family, friends, and others.
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