Sons of Cain is the story of real serial killers from the stone age to now.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I contains definitions, Earth’s history and man’s place in it, and psychological diseases that may be causing serial killers to be more frequent now. Part II and III are the meat of the book focusing on pre-Industrial society and from Jack the Ripper forward, respectively.

You can skip Part I and just look up anything for which you need additional information later. It’s written like a textbook—informative but bone dry. In addition, if you are not a fan of Darwin’s evolution, it goes down that rabbit hole for a bit too.

The remaining parts are a mixed bag of pedantic, interesting and fascinating. My favorites were the 1874 Bostonian 14-year-old Jesse Pomeroy, Jack the Ripper and the extensive analysis of why serial killers began to be more prevalent in 1960s to peaking in the 1990s.

Sons of Cain is an interesting true tale of serial killers. It is recommended for readers or viewers of thrillers containing serial killers like Silence of the Lambs and Dexter. It is highly recommended to writers of stories involving serial killers. And, of course, current, past or future serial killers (you know who you are) should pick up this book to avoid making the same mistakes as their predecessors (just kidding). 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Berkeley, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book contained so much information! I was not expecting it to be so complex. The book is broken into 3 different sections; On the Origin of Species: The Evolution of Serial Killers, Serial Killer Chronicles: The Early Forensic History of Monsters and The New Age of Monsters: The Rise of the Modern Serial Killer. This book included information about serial killers that I have never even heard of and went back hundreds and hundreds of years. It is very well researched and the author talked about things I was even familiar with. I was more familiar with infamous serial killers such as Jack the Ripper and individuals in the United States from 1950-2000. This was a really interesting book and I think that anyone who enjoys reading about serial killers and true crime will really enjoy this book. It is fairly dense and contains a great deal of information.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for sending me an ARC of this book.

This is a comprehensive history of serial killers by author Peter Vronsky which discusses killers going way back, and talks about the coining of the term ‘serial killer’ and its use. Lots of research went into the book and it’s very well written. Unfortunately, I had trouble with parts of it due to my sleep disorder, which caused me difficulty getting through it so I’ll likely go back and read it again at a later date when it’s not acting up as much. For those interested in the subject, you may want to give this a look if you want to check out the history of them and how they came into being. A different type of book than the ones about their crimes and the trials, but fascinating in another way, for sure, as an overview. It is impressive with all of the information that went into it. It gives a good understanding of how they likely came into being from the very earliest of times, from the days of Cain and Abel...Adam and Eve.
My thanks for the advance electronic copy provided by Netgalley, author Peter Vronsky, and the publisher, for my fair review.

Berkley Publishing Group
Pub: Aug 14th, 2018

I had no idea what type of book I was getting into before opening this since I have never read anything by this author before. The first few chapters were not interesting at all, seem very dry and clinical with some odd stories interspersed. The book definitely picks up after this, though, when he starts discussing more specific cases

Probably not the first book I would suggest to people who are want to learn more about the subject, but it was an interesting read.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

This is an academic book, so it's a bit drier than your usual true crime book. While the entire book was really interesting, it really soars when the author hones in on one serial killer or reflects on his personal encounters with serial killers. The chapters about werewolf killers and witch hunts were particularly interesting, and I loved the turn it took from werewolf killers to the actual killing of women being genocide. It was a fascinating take on that.

In the beginning half of the book, there were a lot of references to Peter Vronsky's previous books. Obviously he's building on previous research, so it makes sense. But it did get a bit repetitive.

There were a few points I didn't agree with, including the author's claim that the Columbine shooters would be self-radicalized ISIS terrorists if they were teenagers now. I don't agree. There are still a lot of radicalized school shooters, so the argument doesn't hold weight to me.

In this statistic-heavy book, Peter Vronsky researches the presence of serial killers throughout all of human history - from the Stone Age to present day and even the possibility of their proliferation in the not-so-distant future.

Sons of Cain explores our natural survival instinct and its contribution to the killer instinct of those who have confessed to multiple murders. The eras of supposed werewolf/vampire slayings and witch huntings are also discussed. Occurrences of serial murder in historic times is perhaps the most interesting and gruesome part of this book.

Well-researched and meticulously footnoted and annotated, the book still seems to neglect female offenders in this category, although it is very inclusive of little-known male offenders that aren't often included in serial killer discussions.

Sons of Cain was at times captivating (especially Vronsky's personal encounter with a noted serial killer) and at times gruesome and disheartening. There are graphic descriptions of individual crimes and discouraging statistics about the vast numbers of killers and the infinitely varied reasons that they become what they are.

Recommended for readers who, like me, are obsessed with learning about why these psychopathic killers commit their horrific crimes, but don't expect any easy answers.

I read this because I had read Mr. Vronsky's book about female serial killers and very insightful. This book was no different. You can definitely tell that he did his research very throughly. I definitely never would have thought the medieval witch hunts could have been considered serial killings . And when he put his own experiences on meeting serial killers in that, it freaked me out because it enhances the point that serial killers can seem normal and act normal but they are just fooling us into their traps. Who knows if we or our children and families have met serial killers and didn't realize it? If you are interested in the psychology behind serial killers, read this book!! Recieved an ARC on Netgalley for reading and reviewing.

As a lover of horror novels, I have read my fair share of books about serial killers--both fiction and non-fiction. However, this is the first scholarly study that I have ever read about the serial killer phenomenon. I found it well-written, and quite interesting.

Vronsky provides an overview of current thinking about what defines a serial killer, and then brings that categorization to a review of history, describing events throughout human history that can be defined as examples of serial killings. I found his arguments well-expressed and convincing, and since finishing the book, I have continued to think about other historical events and whether they might not also fit within the context that he has outlined as indicating the work of serial killers (the Spanish Inquisition stands out particularly in my mind).

Towards the end of the book, he examines what seems to have been a spike of serial killings that occurred from the 1970s to the early 1990s. He argues that this group of killers was growing up in the years just after World War II, and posits emotional and societal changes that arose out of the experience of that war may have had a strong impact on the children of people who lived through it, and thus indirectly led to the spike occurring when it did.

I found his discussion of the popularity of pulp magazines in the "True Crime Detective" genre particularly interesting, as it reminded me quite a bit of Steven King's references to the influence similar magazines had on his development as a horror author. I wonder whether the dark emotions and desires that Vronsky believes might have played a role in shaping the minds of nascent serial killers might not in some way be related to their role in shaping young King's interest in horror.

I received an advanced reading copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thanks!

This would be a great book for anyone who is just starting to dip their toes into true crime and serial killers. There wasn't anything in this book groundbreaking, definitely nothing I haven't read before in other books, but the information in it was good... if not a little exaggerated in places.

A good exploration of the makeup and characteristics of a serial killer. The book starts a bit slow, but there is plenty of quality information available throughout the book.

“Justice withers, prison corrupts, and society gets the criminal it deserves.”
- Lacassagne

Putting to rest the idea that serial killings were an epidemic of the 20th century, historian Peter Vronsky sets out to explore the ancient and not-so-ancient history of pattern murderers across (mostly Western) societies. What I found most interesting is the argument that these crimes hold a mirror to the society and cultural conflicts of their time.

Murder, necrophilia, or cannibalism may not have been seen as ethical dilemmas until primitive homo sapiens began to develop a fear or reverence of death. But once cultural taboos were in place, the fantasy and delusions of serial murderers manifest as a reflection of their time. For instance in Medieval Europe, these types of murders were often attributed to supernatural causes such as werewolves, vampires or demonic possession. The pathologically cruel were welcomed into the folds of Inquisitions and witch hunts. Then, the Industrial Age and destabilization of the rural workforce incited an slew of murders targeting servants and working girls etc. This book was a fascinating recap of Western History through the observed patterns of serial murder. From World Wars to Civil Rights Movements to technological advancements, each generational wave brings forth new varieties of and new explanations for these human monsters. But the song remains the same...

This book relies heavily on historical research and mountains of statistics. While definitely a strength, it should still be consumed critically. Vronsky is typically forthright in identifying sources and defining variables, but there are times I found myself paging through the References and left feeling a bit misled by the phrasing of his interpretation. This doesn't detract from the entertainment of the book overall, but I'd be cautious before citing a hypotheses as fact. That said, he does a fantastic job of name-dropping other books on the subject giving the reader plenty of opportunity to read up on it themselves!

Sons of Cain was a very informative book of serial killers from the beginning of recorded history to the present, with extensive research also into the investigative tools developed over time that helped capture some of the perpetrators. Most of the statistics were alarming as to how many psychopaths are active at any one time in the world, yet are successful in their respective fields, causing no physical harm to anyone. Triggers are discussed, and how these may be imbedded in the psyche from the age of two or three. There are always the intriguing unsolved cases that haunt detectives and amateur sleuths alike, and the use of DNA to often answer long-dead questions. The book is an incredible read and should be in every library.

This book grabs you and hooks you right away, and keeps you sucked in right until the end. It's a very informative and interesting read, and I highly recommend it to other true crime buffs!

a very interesting read I learned quite a bit from it I would recommend interested in the background of series killers and the minds they live in.