Killer Clown
by Terry Sullivan
Our Price: $67.96
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.44 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Terry SullivanEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-12-01
ISBN: 0786014229
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Book Reviews of Killer Clown
Book Review: Outstanding book on the Gacy case
Summary: 5 Stars
Recently re-read this book after many years. Terry Sullivan, member of the legal team that prosecuted Gacy and sent him to jail (and ultimately, his execution) has written an excellent and thorough account of the Gacy case. The book begins with the disappearance of Gacy's last victim, which triggered a massive law enforcement investigation and surveillance operation and led to the arrest of Gacy. Sullivan also recounts Gacy's initial confession to police for some of the murders (in later years he completely denied committing all but one murder) and his trial, focusing a great deal on the psychiatric testimony presented to determine Gacy's sanity.
This is an outstanding book that covers all aspects of the case. The lives of several of the victims are given a voice in the book through the accounts of their surviving family members, who recount the last time they saw their sons alive, as well as the frustrating efforts made to try to find them.
The book's flaw, perhaps, is Sullivan's choice to (I feel) overly detail the investigation section of the book and really test the patience of the reader by doing so. Virtually any police officer or detective who had any connection at all with the initial investigation of the case, it seems, is mentioned. I'm guessing Sullivan's intent was to be as thorough as possible in documenting the efforts made to track down and arrest Gacy, as well as provide credit where credit is due to the police officers who made it happen. But so many names are mentioned that it's sometimes difficult to follow. Details are provided that do nothing to advance the story (specific meals ordered in restaurants, coffee purchased that spills during a high speed chase, etc.). Once Gacy is captured, though, and the excavation of the crawlspace begins, the story picks up and holds you from there.
Sullivan's sensitivity in his portrayal of the victims and their surviving families is particularly moving. Beyond the lurid aspects of the crime, the book ultimately leaves you with a feeling of sadness. It conveys the tragedy of young lives lost better than any other book I've read on Gacy.
If you read only one book on Gacy, I would highly recommend "Killer Clown" as it provides the most thorough account of the case. You may have to be patient through the first third or so of the book, but stick with it, as it's a very worthwhile read. It's also less graphic than another outstanding book on the subject, Tim Cahill's "Buried Dreams", which offers an insight into Gacy's evil psyche that is truly frightening, and may be too much for some readers.
Murder & Mayhem Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Murder & Mayhem Books
The Soul of a Copby Paul Ragonese, Berry Stainback
St Martins Mass Market Paper; Published: 1992-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.90
Who Named the Knife: A True Story of Murder and Memoryby Linda Spalding
Anchor; Published: 2008-10-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.58
Price in other shops:
Murder, Inc.: The Story Of The Syndicateby Burton B. Turkus, Sid Feder
Da Capo Press; Published: 2003-07-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.48
Price in other shops:
Protecting Your Life, Home, and Property: A Cop Shows You Howby Robert L. Snow
Plenum Pr; Published: 1995-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.47
Price in other shops:
Victims: THE LDS CHURCH AND THE MARK HOFMANN CASEby Richard E. Turley
University of Illinois Press; Published: 1992-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.46
Price in other shops:
The Serpent's Toothby Christopher P. Andersen
Harpercollins; Published: 1987-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.01
Price in other shops:
American Taboo: A Murder in the Peace Corpsby Philip Weiss
Harper; Published: 2004-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.39
Price in other shops:
The Invention of Murderby Judith Flanders
Harper; Published: 2011; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.26
The Enforcer: Johnny "Pops" Papalia: A Life and Death in the MafiaHarperCollins Publishers; Paperback; Book
Best price: $159.82
Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Executionby James L. Swanson, Daniel Weinberg
William Morrow; Published: 2006-10-31; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.14
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Man Who Killed Boys: The John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Storyby Clifford L. Linedecker
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1993-05-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $71.00
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murdersby Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 2001-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.43
Price in other shops:
The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundyby Stephen G. Michaud, Hugh Aynesworth, Stephen G Michaud
Authorlink; Published: 1999-07-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.14
Price in other shops:
The Stranger Beside Meby Ann Rule
Pocket Books; Published: 2008-12-30; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.34
Price in other shops:
The Night Stalker (Pinnacle True Crime)by Philip Carlo
Pinnacle Books; Published: 2006-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.08
Price in other shops:
Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Doorby Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, Hurst Laviana, L. Kelly
Harper; Published: 2008-05-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.13
Price in other shops:
The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: An American Nightmare (St. Martin's True Crime Library)by Donald A. Davis
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1991-11-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.09
Price in other shops:
Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psychoby Harold Schechter
Gallery Books; Published: 1998-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killerby Jason Moss, Jeffrey Kottler
Grand Central Publishing; Published: 1999-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.50
Price in other shops:
John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monsterby Sam L. Amirante, Danny Broderick
Skyhorse Publishing; Published: 2011-08-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.33
Price in other shops: