Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
15% off new books on Powells.com!*
Spring Sale
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Butcher
by
Gary C King
Comment on this title
Synopses & Reviews
ISBN13:
9780786019342
ISBN10:
0786019344
All Product Details
View Larger Image
View Larger Images
0.00
Mass Market
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
King presents the terrifying true account of the crimes of Robert Uncle WillyPickton, a monster who savagely murdered 49 women he picked up in Vancouver'sDowntown Eastside. photos.
4
2
What Our Readers Are Saying
Share your thoughts on this title!
Average customer rating 4 (2 comments)
`
Joana Rodriguez
, September 15, 2009
Butcher by Gary C. King ISBN-13: 978-0-7860-1934-2 ISBN-10: 0-7860-1934-4 King's accounts were clear and left no room for hiding facts or twisting the truth. Instead he presented the facts of the story, and a great deal of information as well, and let the readers come to their conclusions. As a result I could finally understand just how a killer like Pickton could hunt in the same grounds for over and decade and continue on with seeming impunity. I found myself becoming disgusted with the obvious disregard that law enforcement viewed the continued disappearances of Pickton's victims and their bumbling attempts at investigation. Their interrogation was truly laughable and the way he was eventually caught was purely luck. Very saddening. Despite enjoying the book there were enough flaws present that kept me from awarding it a four-star rating. The biggest detracting factor was the way the book started off. While I thought it was wonderful that King fleshed out the stories of Pickton's victims, thus making them real and human for readers, the way in which their stories was strung together and presented was initially jarring and confusing. The time line that the author attempts to build during the first ten or so chapters comes off choppy and can make it difficult for the reader to keep everything in focus. Especially since there is some chronological jumping around. While discussing the victims, specifically the older ones that have not yet had charges brought against Pickton for, King makes comments and references facts and later events that those not entirely familiar with the case will find confusing. Given the fact that the Canadian authorities did a spectacularly awful job interviewing and interrogating Pickton, I'm not entirely sure why the author felt the need to dedicate so many chapters to the interrogation. I felt it would have been much better for King to give the readers brief glimpses of the interrogations, for the sole purpose of viewing the authorities poor abilities, and then conveying the information discovered in the author's own words. The authorities' methods and attempts read like a badly written B-movie and there was just no saving that section. As a result it dragged the novel down and detracted from King's otherwise wonderful writing. I must confess that I was also disappointed with the photos included in this book. The book is billed as having "16 pages of disturbing photos" and yet there wasn’t anything truly disturbing about the photos provided. The courtroom sketches of Pickton were haunting, yes, and the photos of some of the victims was saddening, but there was nothing out and out disturbing about them. In fact, they were all photos that could have been safely used on the front cover of a newspaper and probably have been. Not what I would expect to see in a true crime novel that purports to have "disturbing" photos. For the most part, I found King's Butcher to be a well-written account of serial killer Robert "Willie" Pickton that not only chronicled his crimes, the events around and leading up to his capture, the actions of the blundering authorities, but also explained and answered just how and why Pickton was able to continue his heinous acts unchecked for so long. I will likely be adding King’s other true crime novels to my reading list.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
`
crazypsychobooklover
, August 29, 2009
(view all comments by crazypsychobooklover)
Count me among the many fans of Gary C. King. As an author, he meticulously researches the crimes he covers. I know that when I pick up one of his books, I will read more details than I will get anywhere else about the story. If you are a true crime junkie like me, you want to understand what the killer was thinking, and what makes him or her behave the way they do. Not that knowing the background of the killer gives him any excuse, of course; but as a student of psychology, I find it truly fascinating. At any given time in the country, it is believed that there are numerous serial killers at work, many unknown, their crimes yet connected or possibly discovered. The tale of "Butcher" illustrates this point well. The crimes had been occuring for years, and while police felt sure that they were connected, it took quite a while for it all to come together. King makes a point of including much information about the actual court case, photos, transcripts, etc. I feel that I have personally been in court for the cases he covers, and I can always count on one of his books to be the most thorough and detailed for information on the crime. I heartily recommend you add him to your must read list if you appreciate detail and in depth study of the criminal mind, law enforcement techniques, and victimology.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Product Details
ISBN:
9780786019342
Binding:
Mass Market
Publication date:
04/01/2009
Publisher:
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP
Pages:
320
Height:
6.86 in.
Width:
4.18 in.
Thickness:
.98 in.
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
2009
UPC Code:
2800786019344
Author:
Gary C King
Subject:
Murder victims - British Columbia - Vancouver
Subject:
Pickton, Robert William
0.00
Mass Market
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Receive an email when this ISBN is available used.
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##