Outcry

This book is an interesting blend of fact and fiction. I recommend it for horror/suspense novel fans. It is well-written, in the same intriguing style as the author's true crime books, and I like the way it combines fact (Ed Gein's story) with fiction. However, if the reader is not already well versed in the true story of Ed Gein, he or she may have trouble knowing where the fact ends and the fiction begins. Still, it is an entertaining story, even if it is a bit far-fetched, as are most novels that try to mimic true crime.

As I cracked open Outcry I figured it would be similar to any scary movie I had seen. Anyone who may be thinking the same thing is in for a surprise. Outcry tells the story of Ed Gein, perhaps the most deranged individual the US, or even the world, has seen. I almost hate to admit that I was fascinated by Gein. Outcry enables the reader to dive right into the mind of the police who happened upon Gein's house of horror. What is surprising was that Gein hid his psychotic tendencies for so long. We could each have an Ed Gein of our own living right next door. If you have a weak stomach definetly stay away from this book. This is no bedtime story...

The fifties is nostalgically looked upon as a quiet time of innocence, a calm before the stormy sixties that led to riots and political assassinations. In the last decade, a new breed of violence has surfaced with the rise of sociopaths like Bundy and Dahmler. However, surprisingly these serial killers are not a new brand of murderers as anyone who lived in Waushcar County, Wisconsin in the fifties can testify. That is where Eddie Gein, the Mad Butcher of Plainfield, did his gruesome work. Before he was caught in 1957, Eddie killed at least two women and dug up the bodies of countless others. He used their body parts as furniture and lamp shades. True crime author Paul Novak made a fortune by writing the biography of Eddie, who served as the inspiration to Hitchcock's classic movie PSYCHO. From the royalties he made from his bestseller SLAUGHHTERHOUSE, Paul moved his family to an affluent Connecticut town. Now, one county over from Gein's home town a new serial killer is on the loose. This culprit kills women and mutilates their corpses. Paul wonders if the rumors that Gein had a son might be true since there is a remarkable similarity between the two sociopaths, almost as if someone is claiming his birthright. Paul must now wonder if his exploiting Gein has placed his own family in danger from an avenging PSYCHO. Harold Schecter is an internationally acclaimed expert on true crime murders by psychopathic serial killers. He changes his medium by scribing a brilliant fictional account of these monsters. What makes OUTCRY different then the common babble of serial killer novels is Mr. Schecter makes the killer seem more understandable and even human, and consequently more frightening. All the characters are terrifyingly real, making the reader believe that they could easily become the next victim of one of these deranged murderers, who appear in public more like Ward Cleaver (right name for a killer?). Serial killer aficionados need to read this thrilling tale that makes most of the sub-genre seem cartoonish in comparison. Harriet Klausner