The Boston Stranglers

I very much enjoyed this extremely well-researched, suspense-filled account of the saga of Albert De Salvo. The writing is marvellous - one forgets that this is non-fiction, as it runs as smoothly as a novel from evidence to evidence and crime to crime. It really reads like a superb piece of detective fiction. I am impressed by the research involved, and by the wealth of detail that never bogs down the reader, but rather keeps us turning pages. The "Update" is particularly interesting, as it combines a suspenseful journey with gruesome detail and real hillarity. This is a standout in the works of true crime.

This updated edition contains the latest evidence in the persistently fascinating tale of the Boston Strangler. Kelly's theory that Albert DeSalvo did not commit these gruesome murders has been proven correct by recent DNA evidence. "The Boston Stranglers" is a true-crime narrative that brings class and dinstinction to the genre. It's well written, meticulously researched--and prophetic. Her writing is sensitive to the victims and exploits neither the tragedies of their deaths nor the pathos of DeSalvos' apparently bogus confessions. Even if you have read the earlier work, it's worth a second read for the new information in this new edition. Susan Kelly is the expert in the study of DeSalvo. She should take on other unsolved mysteries.

I read this book several years ago--and I am shocked to see it is no longer available. This is the definitive examination of the case: author Kelly looks at all the evidence, the sensationalism, and DeSalvo himself, with a scholar's objective eye. Her conclusions are disturbing and cannot be ignored. If you want to have a genuine sense of the terror in Boston from those days, this is the book. Some publisher ought to put this book out and give it the attention it so deserves.

This true crime story truly puts together the pieces of a strange puzzle. Well-written, exciting and fast-paced. Also shows how the criminal justice and legal systems can really turn things around for their own convenience, even if it means sending an innocent man to jail. Anyone interested in reading about how politics and law converge and result in disaster should read this book.