I couldn't decide between 4 and 5 stars for this book, but ultimately, I decided it is worth 5. It's well written and extremely detailed in Sean Vincent Gillis's life, crimes, and his trial. The book also tells about the lives of his victims. Anyone that lives in south Louisiana will be thoroughly terrified after reading this book and realizing how many serial killers were operating in Baton Rouge at the same time. The authors also touch on details of those killers as well as other well-known crimes. All in all, this was a great read, even if reading the gruesome details of this cold-blooded monster's crimes did make my stomach turn more than once when the author described them. ( )

Why are so many true crime books written at a high school freshman level of composition? ( )

For ten years in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the killings went on. Women of slight stature were hunted down, bludgeoned and strangled. And what the killer did with their bodies in the privacy of his car, his home, his kitchen, and his shower-was beyond anything police could imagine.

In 1992 Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida and the Gulf Coast area of Louisiana. About the same time, women in Baton Rouge and the surrounding area were being stalked by a killer as vicious as Andrew. What many didn’t know at the time was there were actually 3 serial killers, each acting independently of each other. This book is about one of them.

When Sean Vincent Gillis was arrested for multiple murders his live-in girlfriend couldn’t believe it. Sean was never violent, of course, there were those websites of naked dead women bookmarked on his computer, that he showed her. One would think, that after his arrest she would think back on that and go “Hmmm, well maybe …..” While Terri was saying he was a nice guy and would never hurt anyone, the officers who listened to his confession came away with a completely different opinion.

This book is well researched and contains excerpts from his confession which could be considered, explicit, not for the faint of heart. Trail coverage is extensive. After reading this book you will know all you ever wanted to know (and some things you might have preferred not knowing) about Sean Vincent Gillis.

A fascinating, well-researched and written account. I recommend this book. ( )

I am still reading it and it is good so far. Well written but I am so shocked. A woman's body is found. She died and is one of the few that was not dismembered by this serial killer but then she's got dismembered by the Lousiana coroner! When they cannot identify bodies they just cut of the head and sent it of to LFU for research purpose. WTF!!! Not that long later (a few months) her family was told she was murdered and had to bury her headless corpse. Crazy!

Update January 31 2011.
Finished it during the night. This is how a true crime book should be written. No spoilers. It starts when they find a body then we go back to the beginning of the killers upbringing. In a very well detailed way Susan Mustafa go's through Sean Gillis his life,the manner in how he murdered and then slaughtered his victims. He did have a relationship with a girl called Terri. I realize that the author needed this woman cause she had lived with hum for many years but what a horrible woman she is. Even though she knew what he had done she still stands by him. Ok fair enough but she is also still calling him a sweetheart and a nice guy!!!. One week after her boyfriend was caught she called her ex (she had not spoken with him for years, largely because he too was in jail) and told him she needed him and she had changed. If she wanted something she had to get it now! So he jumped to her and I think they immediately got it on and he moved in with her. What disgusts me most is that she and him are still living in that house were women were slaughtered and in the book a photo was shown where they proudly showed a place in the house where sometimes a lot of blood comes up to the surface. Crazy!!

Anyway.Sean gets caught after about half of the book, 200 pages but I did think the trial was interesting too.

I am a bit disgusted with the outcome but that is American justice for you. (one name. Casey Anthony)

I also liked how Susan really tried to give life to the women that he murdered and their families. She did a very good job.
Only negative thing I can say about this book is some of the photos were unnecessary. Pictures of the kitchen, the place where someone was murdered does nothing for me. Now what to give this book. I am hesitating between 4 and 5 stars. 4.5 for me.Oh well I am going to give it a 5 cause alas it does not happen as much that a new true crime book is so good. I hope she will write more interesting books. I will keep a look out. ( )