Murder Most Rare: The Female Serial Killer

(Hardback)

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Description

While the short, lethal careers of serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Andrew Cunanan terrorize the public and provide morbid inspiration for the entertainment industry, few people realize that it is the female serial killer, seldom heard of, who deserves most to be feared. "Murder Most Rare" provides information about the female serial murderer, who is shown to be far more deadly and determined, difficult to apprehend and complexly motivated than her male counterpart. While serial murder by women is relatively rare, a surprising number of female serial killers are identified by the authors, nearly 100 in this century, with half of them having committed their crimes in America. By examining these women's backgrounds, motives and methods of killing, the book sheds light on dozens of overlooked cases of murder and uncovered callous crimes and passions gone awry. After an exploration of the cultural biases that have caused us historically to dismiss and ignore the criminal potential of women, "Murder Most Rare" divides female serial murders into seven categories: Black Widow, Angel of Death, Sexual Predator, Revenge, Profit or Crime, Team Killer, and Question of Sanity. These seven types vary widely in motivation, choice of victims, weapons and methods. The authors reveal patterns that occur within the types, but stress that the complicated nature of these women's crimes makes personality profiling almost impossible - a fact that causes the jobs of homicide investigators to be difficult, indeed, sometimes impossible.

Reviews

.,."[T]he common perception is that serial killers are invariably white, male, sexual predators. But according to the fascinating (and quite unnerving) new book, Murder Most Rare, female serial killers may be even more lethal and cunning than men."-Atlanta Journal-Constitution
...[T]he common perception is that serial killers are invariably white, male, sexual predators. But according to the fascinating (and quite unnerving) new book, Murder Most Rare, female serial killers may be even more lethal and cunning than men.-Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[T]he book provides new insights about the borderline female mind which can systematically, and easily, calculate cold-blooded murder.-Palo Alto Daily News
[T]he Kellehers...detail each [serial murderer] with a relish and breezy objectivity....The cumulated savagery is what horrifies, as tables rounding up malefactors' motives, methods, and backgrounds abound. This is a fine true-crime entry, tasteful when possible and engrossing as either reference or episodic reading....-Booklist
As the title suggests, Murder Most Rare offers up ripping yarns.-Amazon.com
Michael Kelleher has explored violence and murder in several works...he now offers a rare, mostly clinical overview of the female mass murderer. The book profiles nearly 100 deadly women....The grim succession of murder accounts here...cuts an often shocking swath of feminine terror.-Publishers Weekly
The two Kellehers are the encyclopedistes of female violence. Not only have these diligent authors collected a vast number of gruesome tales; they have also drawn up a taxonomic chart for each killer....In putting together their survey, the Kellehers' principal aim seems to have been thoroughness: they have tracked down and categorized every female serial killer they could get their hands on.-The New Yorker
This book is interesting and useful in that it provides a thought-provoking overview of female serial killers. It will provoke discussion about women's history and about gender issues and invite the reader to discuss, and perhaps reconsider, the roles of women in our society and in the criminal justice system.-Women & Criminal Justice
Undergraduate and graduate students will find this book a worthwhile supplement in courses on homicide, violence, or women and crime. There is little doubt that researchers in these areas will find it to be a handy reference work. For both students and professional criminologists, the strongest feature of the book is the case histories, which can be used to suggest numerous lines of inquiry into issues of gender and violence.-The Great Plains Sociologist
..."The common perception is that serial killers are invariably white, male, sexual predators. But according to the fascinating (and quite unnerving) new book, Murder Most Rare, female serial killers may be even more lethal and cunning than men."-Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"The book provides new insights about the borderline female mind which can systematically, and easily, calculate cold-blooded murder."-Palo Alto Daily News
"The Kellehers...detail each serial murderer with a relish and breezy objectivity....The cumulated savagery is what horrifies, as tables rounding up malefactors' motives, methods, and backgrounds abound. This is a fine true-crime entry, tasteful when possible and engrossing as either reference or episodic reading...."-Booklist
..."[T]he common perception is that serial killers are invariably white, male, sexual predators. But according to the fascinating (and quite unnerving) new book, Murder Most Rare, female serial killers may be even more lethal and cunning than men."-Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"[T]he book provides new insights about the borderline female mind which can systematically, and easily, calculate cold-blooded murder."-Palo Alto Daily News
"[T]he Kellehers...detail each [serial murderer] with a relish and breezy objectivity....The cumulated savagery is what horrifies, as tables rounding up malefactors' motives, methods, and backgrounds abound. This is a fine true-crime entry, tasteful when possible and engrossing as either reference or episodic reading...."-Booklist
"As the title suggests, Murder Most Rare offers up ripping yarns."-Amazon.com
"Michael Kelleher has explored violence and murder in several works...he now offers a rare, mostly clinical overview of the female mass murderer. The book profiles nearly 100 deadly women....The grim succession of murder accounts here...cuts an often shocking swath of feminine terror."-Publishers Weekly
"The two Kellehers are the encyclopedistes of female violence. Not only have these diligent authors collected a vast number of gruesome tales; they have also drawn up a taxonomic chart for each killer....In putting together their survey, the Kellehers' principal aim seems to have been thoroughness: they have tracked down and categorized every female serial killer they could get their hands on."-The New Yorker
"This book is interesting and useful in that it provides a thought-provoking overview of female serial killers. It will provoke discussion about women's history and about gender issues and invite the reader to discuss, and perhaps reconsider, the roles of women in our society and in the criminal justice system."-Women & Criminal Justice
"Undergraduate and graduate students will find this book a worthwhile supplement in courses on homicide, violence, or women and crime. There is little doubt that researchers in these areas will find it to be a handy reference work. For both students and professional criminologists, the strongest feature of the book is the case histories, which can be used to suggest numerous lines of inquiry into issues of gender and violence."-The Great Plains Sociologist

Author Bio

MICHAEL D. KELLEHER, who has written widely on the subject of violence, specializes in threat assessment, strategic management, and human resource management for organizations in the private and public sectors. He is the author of Profiling the Lethal Employee (1997) and New Arenas for Violence (1996), both published by Praeger. C. L. KELLEHER is a volunteer counselor and human rights advocate.