Cover Image: Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy

Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy

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Member Reviews

A chilling exploration of the human psyche, this thriller delves into the darkness within us all, leaving an indelible mark on the reader.

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This book was incredibly interesting. I feel like I learned a lot even though I feel like this space in the book world can be pretty saturated. I loved it.

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This book is released hot on the heels of the world’s increasing fascination of the serial killer and currently there is a lot more interest in Bundy, Dahmer and Gacy himself which makes this book a very timely release.

Hunter delves into the world of John Wayne Gacy but he gives an extra flourish to his disturbing crimes but highlighting the victims and telling their stories. This is quite the achievement because he has done something that very seldom books about killers fail to do and that is to humanise the victims. This gives the book inner depth and as he looks into the mind of John Wayne Gacy, which is a dark grandiose place to be.

Gacy is one of those personalities that thinks he is one of these great people who lives in a small world and as his compass of truth seems to fluctuate at will, Hunter does his best to try to make sense of the man and his crimes. He does explore his upbringing and looks at classic tropes of family situations and physical and mental abuse from alcoholic father etc. which gives a little insight.

Overall, this is a riveting read and well written. If you have a interest in the subject manner and looking for a book that gives a bit more extra and a lot of serious contemplation into the serial killers mind and victims, giving this a must read and highly recommended selection.

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This was interesting and well written. Normally my mind tends to wonder when I read about a crime I know well, but that never happened with this book. My attention stayed focused and I found myself not wanting to sit the book down.

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well written,and presented in a that its both factual and informative and keeps the readers attention engaged and interested.Plus it brings to life this dark and twisted killer.

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Getting in the mind of a serial killer is dangerous. Reading this book is both thrilling and disgusting. Thrilling, because it reads like a thrillerS disgusting, because it’s true.

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Interesting book to read to learn about John Wayne Gacy if you are not already aware of him and his actions. Unfortunately the writing and the flow of the book was difficult for me to get into.

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I picked this book up and put it down on multiple occasions because I had a hard time getting into it. I just don't think the writing was for me and it seemed a little jumbled at times, especially in the beginning. I will say, though, there was some good information about the Gacy case and I liked the way it handled the information about his victims and their families.

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Amazing and insightful…. Gacy lured victims to his home with the promise of work or a warm bed and then duped them into putting on handcuffs, claiming he wanted to show them a magic trick. He would then rape and torture his victims before killing them by suffocating or strangling them. Twenty-six were buried in the crawl space beneath his home; others were buried elsewhere on his property, while a handful were dumped in the Des Plaines River.

Gacy was executed for his crimes in 1994, but many questions remain unanswered. How many victims were there? Did Gacy act alone? And what drove John Wayne Gacy to murder? What caused the seemingly normal Gacy to sexually assault, torture and murder at least thirty-three young men and boys? local Democratic Party circles? Read it!

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At first I thought I knew everything needed to know about John Wayne Gacy (watched documentary series, read other accounts) given I live in Chicago and it's top of mind here. Well I was wrong, the author reveals new information and updated information on stories of the victims and survivors. But also he gives an extensive account of John Wayne Gacy's childhood, marriages, stepchildren, employment, etc. These are supplemented with interviews from neighbors and others who knew him. I never knew this background including that he had a Traumatic Brain Injury when he was a teen and thereafter his personality changed. This book is a must read for true crime lovers. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ad Lib for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Known as the 'Killer Clown' John Wayne Gacy killed indiscriminately. He admitted to ending the lives of thirty-three young men and boys but, as he traveled extensively, there may be many more.

This is a sad tale of a monster, who for many years, just 'got away with it‘. Simply because he was well connected and a local businessman. Plus, many of his victims were considered to be outside of normal society at that time. It's written well making a difficult subject easy to read. I found it very informative and raises comparisons with other serial killers. Well worth a read I feel

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This is a complete book on the life and crimes of John Wayne Gacy. I have read a lot about him before but don't remember to much about his childhood. This book goes into detail about his relationship with his father. Good read.

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I’m fascinated by things like this, as many of us are, and this book was really detailed and so interesting. To think that he was put to death in 1994 yet his case is still on going and his death count still unknown is crazy! What is sad though is how famous he is, practically a household name, yet his victims aren’t talked about, and some still don’t have names. Really good book!

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What a chilling look into one of the worst serial killers in US history. This man was pure evil and he was never sorry or remorseful for his actions. It was horrifying to learn how he was able to get away with his crimes before he was caught. This book is sure to please the true crime fan!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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As a true crime book this is so well researched by the author,the killer,his crimes and importantly his victims are all discussed, one of the most harrowing reigns of terror in modern times the author does not glamourise but gives the reader a true look into this evil man and what he did and who it affected ,the research is very well presented

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What a book! I don’t think the name John Wayne Gacy needs explaining to anyone, especially to true crime enthusiasts but if you need a quick reminder here goes!

John Wayne Gacy hailed from Des Plaines, Illinois and was found guilty of the sexual abuse and murders of 33 young males in 1980. He was executed by lethal injection on 10th May 1994 after numerous appeals against his conviction and sentence. His execution was slightly botched with one of the IVs getting blocked and therefore taking longer than normal. If you are interested his last meal was KFC and his last words were ‘Kiss My Ass’. Nice, but then what else would you expect coming from a serial killer of such depravity.

Anyway onwards to the book! Brad Hunter, you’ve done an excellent job! This book is an excellent example of illustrating the fact that even though you think you know all there is to know about a particular crime/serial killer there are always new facts to discover!

It is well written, well presented, factual and informative and keeps the readers attention engaged and interested. The text flows well from chapter to chapter. There’s no jumping backwards and forwards, it’s is all presented in pretty much a chronological order and contains all newly released material relating to recent television documentaries on Gacy

I have watched the documentary The Clown and the Candyman and if you look at all available information plus Gacys insistence he did not act alone I don’t think this link can be ignored. The very idea of a pedophiles network on the scale of which was uncovered sickens me but it would explain the ease at which these type of individuals found their victims as serial killers of this ilk generally have higher victims counts

All in all a very good book, I was captivated from the start and would have finished it much quicker if I didn’t have to force myself to put the book down and go to work!! Definitely worth a 5 star rating!!

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This is a comprehensive book about one of the US’s most notorious serial killers. It does focus on John, but it does tell the story of his victim’s. Due to the time period and the lack of law enforcement interest, he unfortunately tortured and killed way more than he should. A lot of people ignored the red flags. Hopefully we will be able to identify all his victims as the case is still being investigated even after his death.

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Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy is an in-depth investigation of the life and crimes of a serial killer.

I found this book fascinating. Hunter has meticulously researched this, and written it in a very accessible way. I also liked that the writer gave the victims of Gacy a lot of time, rather than focusing entirely on the criminal.

Definitely a read for anyone who likes True Crime.

Many thanks to Brad Hunter, NetGalley, and Ad Lib Publishers for this copy.

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This was a really I depth look at the crimes of John Wayne Gacy. As a true crime fan I felt I knew this case inside out but this book provided more info I'd never heard before, and the theories in the final chapter blew my mind! Really well researched and respectful attention paid to the victims of the crimes. A really interesting read for true crime fans.

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From the publisher: Brad Hunter has spent over thirty years writing about some of America’s most horrific crimes. In this new book he enters the mind of John Wayne Gacy, the real-life Killer Clown, often said to be the inspiration for Stephen King’s evil Pennywise in It. Drawing on his many years’ experience investigating and interviewing perpetrators of terrible crimes, Hunter seeks to understand what drove Gacy to unleash a reign of terror in suburban Chicago.

Yes, I really am reviewing the second book on John Wayne Gacy in less than year. I was a senior in a suburban Chicago high school when the John Wayne Gacy story broke. I have strong memories of watching the news each night, hearing the body count rise, and then discussing the case with my classmates at school the next day. We were around the same age as many of the victims, and it was chilling. Although I’ve read a number of books about Gacy, I feel compelled to read any new books that are published.

Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy focuses much more on Gacy than did Boys Enter the House by David B. Nelson, which I reviewed in 2021. I didn’t learn anything new, and yet somehow reading about the victims makes me feel at least I can do that much for them. The case is still active since five victims remain unnamed. Three victims have been identified since 2011, including Francis Wayne Alexander in October 2021.

At times this book felt more like an article written for a sensationalistic rag. The author constantly used new terms to describe Gacy. At first I found this odd and distracting but I got used to it. Descriptive terms included “corpulent killer,” “nondescript businessman,” “rotund contractor,” and “apex predator.”

The author makes you understand that Gacy really thought he could get away with his behavior – not just at the beginning, but at the end. Taking teenager Robert Piest from his workplace could have been a plea to get caught, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Gacy really thought his brains and reputation with cops and politicians would get him off the hook once again. Fortunately, he was wrong.

This book will appeal to those who remember the Gacy case and would like to know more about the victims. If you are as fascinated by the case as I am, you will want to read Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy, which will be available for checkout from the Galesburg Public Library.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

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