Herb Baumeister was a psychopath who likely started killing in the 70s. He was a closeted gay man who occasionally frequented gay bars (even though he was married), not only for “illicit” sex, but to find victims. He was an odd child, with an odd sense of humour, and he grew up to be an odd man, who often put people off.

This is another in a series of true crime books meant for readers who may not be as strong, and I think some people notice it, but I don’t (I’ve read a few in the series now). It is shorter, though, so things move quickly in the book… It’s an interesting story. Making me wonder if I should pick up another book about this guy. They don’t even know how many people he might have killed – they have confirmed eight and it might be as high as twenty. There is one serial killer dubbed the I-70 killer and I don’t believe that case was ever closed, but some think Herb was the killer there, as well. ( )

I have read a lot of true crime over the years, good and bad. I have read many that go deep into detail, which is great, but can end up being boring. I love that this nook is shorter than many true crime books. It is concise but still had all the details. ( )

The Garden of Evil is another great addition to the True Crime series by Genoveva Ortiz and it offered the introduction to a serial killer I’d never heard of, Herb Baumeister. The son of a doctor, Herb’s strange obsessions and humor left people uncomfortable around him. But as a typical psychopath, he learned to adapt and eventually married, yet he still found a way to engage in his nefarious desires. Deemed the I70 Strangler, Herb killed more than 11 men, though that may not be the full body count. This is a twisted story that keeps you turning the pages with the light on! ( )

I started this with the intention to read two or three chapters and come back later, but once I got started I couldn't stop! The Garden of Evil moves seamlessly from one chapter to the next to keep you hooked on this true crime story. I had not heard of Herb Baumeister before this and it is a fascinating read of a double life and the tragedy of the serial killings.
The length is perfect for anyone who does not like a long read (It can be read in about an hour) so it's a perfect weekend read. Crime podcast listeners would love this book. ( )

True crime is extremely interesting to me and follow some YouTubers and podcasts to hear about stories like these ones. This one sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn't remember a lot of the details.

This book is meant to be short and sweet and it was. It's a very fast read. I thought the beginning part of this book was 5 stars. It gave a good overview of Herb's younger years into adulthood. I got a good feel of his quirks and extremely strange behavior.

The ending lost me a little bit. I understand that there was a lot of murders around that time and they can't be sure of exactly who is attributed to Herb. But many victims were mentioned and short synopsis of when they were last scene or reported. And there were lots of them. By the end when the book confirms the murders that Herb 100% did complete, I forgot who those people even were.

I would still recommend the book as it's really interesting. One of the few serial killers of the world that didn't have a brain injury or absolute terrible childhood (that we know of). ( )