Buried Dreams

Reading these reviews that sound conflicting, I will try to sum up the difference between Killer Clown and Buried Dreams and it is simply this: Cahill is a writer, Sullivan is not. And although Sullivan had help, his book is still almost coldly factual, even as it flows well, but you will not get much out of it that can't be found on a hundred crime sites, besides his own frustration and dedication during the investigation. I'm not condemning this in any way, and if that is what you want as a reader, then Killer Clown will satisfy your cravings for facts and justice. Cahill, on the other hand, has the same facts of course, but what he does with them is something you won't find anywhere else, something unique. He tells the tale almost from Gacy's point of view, piecing his sick-mindedness and subsequent murders together in a remarkably cohesive and insightful way. Right from the beginning. Some--probably most-- serial killers talk and 'fess up before their executions. Gacy did his confessing early, and then later went for the long shot that somehow he would place doubts in people's minds and save himself from death, by denying what he did. Definitely, he had no remorse. Except for a few slip-ups here and there, he gave no further information on his motivation or how his victims died. Using the facts he had, Cahill filled in these blanks, and answered the tough questions that Sullivan couldn't or wouldn't. Buried Dreams is not just facts. It is not a text-book blanket profiling of collective criminal minds. It is not the investigation, trial and conviction from the detectives and lawyers points of views. It is as close as Cahill could get to showing us Gacy, personally, from the inside and I doubt it's far off the mark. It's consistent with Gacy's personality right up to his lethal injection. Yes, chilling. As it should be.

I don't know how anyone my age or near my age who grew up in Chicago or the outlying suburbs could not remember the Gacy case. I had just turned 14 and was a freshman in high school when news first broke of his crimes. I remember my mother turning off the television for the 5:00 PM local news because of the lurid footage showing the remains being carried out of the house in bags. And I remember the Chicago Tribune running a full page showing individual pictures of all of the identified victims; the yearbook and school pictures of the boys looked like most of my classmates. I first read this book back in 1987. I recently read it again, almost 20 years later, and I still believe it to be the most thorough, comprehensive book on Gacy. Cahill, an excellent journalist, has done an excellent job of presenting a complete picture of the man and his crimes. He managed to "get inside Gacy's head" (an unhealthy place) to give the reader a clear look of Gacy's personality, views on life, attitude towards his victims and reactions to his trial. Along with covering the crimes, investigation, arrest and trial of Gacy, Cahill also delves into Gacy's childhood and early years, including his relationship with his abusive father. The book is detailed, and Cahill writes with the kind of insight that only comes from having a complete understanding of his subject. It's also clear that Cahill researched Gacy thoroughly, and he notes in his introduction that he culled his information from a number of sources. As can be expected, this book is scary stuff, with two chapters in particular being extremely disturbing and frightening to read. Cahill doesn't merely describe, he casts the reader in the role of witness to one of Gacy's murders, showing Gacy's core of pure evil. That said, this is also the type of book that is tough to put down, and also the type that stays with you long after having finished it. I too could not disagree more with the reviewer who accused Cahill of plagiarising "Killer Clown." They are two very different books. And while "Killer Clown" is a good book, written largely from a legal/trial and punishment perspective, the better of the two by far is "Buried Dreams." The best overall book on Gacy.

I read this book years ago and I've never forgotten it. Flawless writing and thorough research puts this book marginally ahead of "Killer Clown:The John Wayne Gacy Murders by Terry Sullivan,Peter T Maiken" and miles ahead of the homophobic "The Man Who Killed Boys:The John Wayne Gacy,Jr. Story by Clifford L. Linedecker which is written with a to the point, cheap, sleazy flair.(like those awful Pinnacle True crime books with their hack writers) What makes this book so much better is it doesn't rely on cheap shocks and sordid discriptions to get it's point across and has a much more thorough account of what took place both before, during and after the murders. I felt at the end I knew more about Mr. Gacy than I ever really wanted to know...Truly Sick and bloodcurdling! If this book interests you try a few of these: The Man with Candy-Jack Olsen, Freed to Kill:The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler-Gera Lind Kolarik,Wayne Klatt, Angel of Darkness-Dennis McDougal they are really good! and really scary! They're about less Known but equally prolific serial killers who targeted the male gender.

I have read many a true crime story and this is the top of the draw. The amount of detail brings to mind IN COLD BLOOD and THE ULTIMATE EVIL. Cahill, instead of rushing to print like Cliff Linedecker, has really placed you inside the sick mind of John Gacy; it will disgust, shock, frighten, and, curiously enough, please you with how well written it is. It will make you feel unclean but you keep on flippin pages. If you can manage to find a copy of this book, get it. I had originally gotten a paperback but had to replace it with a finer hardcover edition. ORDER THIS-NO REGRETS HERE!!!

It seems to be a well researched piece of work. Some of the details are rather unpleasant, not just the discovery of the victims, but the method for obtaining and killing them. It was surpising to see how much of the really twisted stuff did not make the news at the time.