Guest blogging: Week One - Amanda Pillar (co-editor of The Phantom Queen Awakes)

[markdeniz]

amandapillar writes:

Serial Killers

I have always wanted to write a novel about a serial killer. A real, hardcore book that covers the mental processes involved in someone like that. I know there are some out there. I read - I wouldn’t say ‘enjoy’ -and appreciated American Psycho. So far, I think that’s hit the nail on the head; the best for me, anyway.

As a

Comments

[markdeniz]

If I'm allowed watched I'd say Dexter but I haven't read any of them, yet.

Otherwise Arthur Conan Doyle for crime fiction (not really so much on the serial killer though)

[amandapillar]

Haven't seen it yet. But I'm told it's great.

[markdeniz]

It's fantastic!

[dqg_neal]

The TV series is great. I can only assume that his narration about why he does things comes directly from the books. My wife just picked up the first book after we watched the show. She hasn't had a chance to read it yet.

[editormum]

I've enjoyed the serial killer stories when JD Robb (Nora Roberts) has written them in her In Death series. And Kathy Reichs has done one or two as well I think and she's always good.

If assassins count as serial killers, I just read Brett Weeks' The Way of Shadows, which is the first book of his trilogy, and thought it was pretty good :)

I did read Patricia Cornwell's non-fiction Jack the Ripper book which was good (except for her wild speculations!) but that wasn't fiction - well, mostly.

[amandapillar]

Nice!

And I'm not sure about assassins. I assume they'd have to have a similar socio-pathic personality.

[martyn44]

James Patterson does serial killers reasonably well, although fictional ones never seem to match the relentless banality of the likes of Harold Shipman or Peter Sutcliffe. Probably has something to do with their acts not being dramatic, in fictional terms. After all, fictional serial killers act out a dramatised compulsion, whereas in real death they seem to kill because they can.

[mylefteye]

John Connolly's Every Dead Thing is an absolute must, IMHO.

[sroit]

Exquisite Corpse Poppy Z. Brite.