While I appreciate the the research that went in to "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder," it was quickly apparent it was simply the history of the axe in all its forms. It quickly became dull and I couldn't find myself compelled to continue reading.

**Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Very much a love it or hate it proposition. This chronicles sharp objects-but mostly the ax- used to well, kill people. It's a mix of true crime and historical information that switches up in tone and tempo. There are gems in here but it ultimately wasn't for me because I felt it lost its way and wandered too much. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

In all honesty, I did not finish this book. I enjoy histories that focus on a single item or concert and look at its evolution across time. But too late I realized that this was written by the co-author of The Man From the Train, a poorly-constructed narrative filled with weak or nonexistent suppositions. Sadly, what I read was haphazard and I put it aside when I realized why.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I continue to search for my nonfiction read of 2025 and I was eager to see if Whack Job would be it. Unfortunately, it was not. While it covered topics I did not necessarily anticipate, it just didn't work for me.

While this book has an interesting topic, it didn’t end up being exactly what I expected. When you think of axe murders, you think of people like Lizzie Borden (Ch. 9), the Axeman of New Orleans, or maybe if you are a true crime buff, Elifasi Msomi (The Axe Killer). Instead this book is a collection of killings that are not really axe murders, as we think of them.

This first part of this book, until the chapter about Borden actually, focuses mainly on political executions, early killings that were done with something sharp, and some stories based on myths. I really struggled with the majority of this book and considered DNF many times. I stuck it out hoping it would get better. Instead I found myself skimming most of these stories because the author spends very little time actually talking about axes and axe murders. Borden’s chapter was the first that really felt like it focused wholly on axe murder.

While I know this is the author's personal opinions on axe murders, it would have been nice if she had at least explained how she viewed axe murder to begin with so the reader knew what they were getting into. I wasn’t expecting so much of this book to be about murders that might have involved an axe or other sharp object, or just political beheadings.

Overall, this book wasn’t what I was expecting. I think it was an interesting concept but the author didn’t present the information in a cohesive way that showcases axe murders.

TW: Discussions of murder; violence; gore; racism; pedophilia; graphic child death; homomisa and conversion therapy;

HOW is a book about axe murders boring???
I found the first couple chapters incredibly tiring to get through. They had a central theme but jumped around a LOT. Many of the ideas felt half-baked, and neither high-level enough for us plebs to get into, nor intricate enough for the actual history and weaponry buffs. The cover is SICK though.

A little less true crime-y than I was expecting (from a book with such a spiky, genius title), which Amateur Historian!Taylor honestly didn't mind, but other readers might. WHACK JOB bills itself as "a bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions", which kinda pins down the fundamental problem with this microhistory to end all microhistories: some of the axe murders aren't really axe murders. Which, again, I personally did not have a problem with, but we must acknowledge the misdirection. Setting that aside, I thought this was a pretty fascinating book, albeit a bit tonally confusing, veering between accessible pop culture dialogue (with jokes!) and slightly over-detailed historical analysis. Some of the chapters slapped harder than others, while other murders were conspicuous in their absence from consideration here. All in all, I enjoyed it, but not overly. Definitely needed some parameters.

When I picked up Whack Job, I thought I was signing up for a backstage tour of history’s most infamous axe murders, blood, mystery, maybe a few ghost stories thrown in. Instead, what I got felt more like a “History of Sharp Objects… With Occasional Axe Sightings.”

Don’t get me wrong: Rachel McCarthy James clearly loves her axes. The early chapters are packed with fascinating tidbits about ancient tools and prehistoric whackings. But if you’re expecting nonstop Lizzie Bordens and Axemen of New Orleans? Yeah, you're gonna be waiting a while. Like… nine chapters kind of while.

The tone bounces all over the place too. One minute you’re getting a scholarly breakdown of prehistoric trauma, the next minute the author is cracking jokes about political executions. It’s whiplash, but not in a fun way.

That said, the few vignettes that do stick the landing (looking at you, Lizzie Borden and Taliesin) were super compelling. If you’re a hardcore true crime junkie with a soft spot for deep-dive weirdness, you might find a few gems here.

I wasn't sure if I would actually like this book, whether it would be satirical or serious, light-ish or morbid. I actually enjoyed it! It was part history of the tool and part chronology of true life crimes using the axe as a weapon or advertising tool. The author starts at the origin of the tool and follows its use through time. The amount of detail reflects the amount of research that went into this book. I found the book to be very interesting and have to thank Katie Layton of St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of the book! I learned a lot and was captivated by the details of the crimes (clarified details of some crimes I knew of but was misinformed about). The book is not ghoulish or celebratory of the crimes. It is both factual and fascinating. This is a narrowly focused but comprehensive history book about all things axe told in the most interesting way!

After reading The Man From The Train, I was interested in James’ new work on the history of axe murders. Informative and humorous, Whack Job covers the history of murders that use aces and other bladed weapons. The book pushes towards the case James actually wanted to highlight about the murder of Betty by Candy. Although there is not much to go on with that case, James could have spent more time on that case and less on well-known axe murders. This was obviously a passion project, so I am willing to read what murderer or weapon she explores next!

I REALLY loved this one. If you’re a fan of books that look at history through a new lens, or if you like true crime, or if you resonate with the idea of being fascinated by a specific topic (in this case, it’s axe murder). This was seriously one of the best books I’ve read in 2025 so far, and I think you’ll love it too. Give it a shot! I learned a lot and am definitely putting this one on my list of instant recommendations to friends looking for a good read.

Whack Job by Rachel McCarthy James is a wild, razor-sharp ride through the darker corners of true crime, media obsession, and American absurdity—and I devoured every page. From the title alone, I knew this wasn’t going to be your typical true crime narrative, and thank god for that. It’s bold, biting, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions about how and why we consume these stories.

James has this brilliant way of balancing deep, often disturbing research with a voice that’s witty, clear-eyed, and totally unflinching. The cases themselves are strange, tragic, and sometimes downright surreal, but what stuck with me most was the critique woven through it all. This book isn’t just about the crimes—it’s about the systems and narratives that surround them, the spectacle of justice, and the blurred line between fascination and exploitation.

It made me laugh, it made me uncomfortable, and it made me think—a rare trifecta. I felt like I was being handed the messy guts of the American true crime machine, with James guiding me through the chaos with sharp commentary and zero patience for nonsense.

Short, Accessible Primer On The Field. While a lot of the 2* reviews criticize this book claiming that the author "never defined 'axe murder'" and that the overall narrative "lacks cohesion" and/ or "doesn't show enough murder", I feel like these reviewers are being perhaps too pendantic and/ or legalistic. Instead, the author makes clear - repeatedly - that this book is about the evolution of both the axe and its use as a mechanism of killing humans - regardless of whatever government decrees at the time may or may not excuse certain individuals (particularly those working for said governments) for killing their fellow humans. For those of us who feel that *any* killing of *any* human for *any* reason is murder... this book is absolutely a primer on the history of axe murder, in all of its varying forms over the expanse of human existence.

The book begins with the earliest axes and the among the earliest proto-humans, showing that injuries above the "hat line" of the head are generally considered "intentional acts" (ie, murder) rather than accidental, as that particular region of the head is apparently difficult to injure accidentally, at least according to the text here. There is apparently at least one example of just such an injury in an early protohuman that seems to have been caused by one of the earliest, flint-knapped, hand-held axes, before handles were later added to axes, and this history is the core of the beginning of the book.

The book then goes through the evolution of the axe and its uses as tool for clearing land - and in warfare and government-sanctioned executions, particularly during the reign of Henry VIII of England - all the way up to the 2020s in showing how homeless people will often carry an axe (or its smaller form, a hatchet) as a basic tool of survival in the streets, both for clearing debris and, when needed, for personal defense. And yes, Lizzie Borden is discussed along the way.

Indeed, the one area the book is lacking, the reason for the star deduction - and the reason one *should* be at least somewhat skeptical of the author's perhaps more fantastical claims, including those about modern era homeless people, is that at just 13% documentation, this book falls short of even my more relaxed standards of 15% documentation, much less my older, more stringent need to see at least 20% documentation. Carl Sagan had it right in proclaiming his standard of "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", and sadly, this book is simply lacking - if by not much - in this regard. A more complete bibliography could have landed this in the 5* territory, it simply wasn' present in the Advance Review Copy of the book I read.

Overall this really is a short, well written, approachable and understandable primer on the general topic of humans killing other humans (ie, humans committing murder) with a particular tool (the axe, in all of its various forms) over the course of human evolution. Yes, it is missing many key details and events, but in its brevity it is clear that it is meant to be more a primer of the topic than any extensive discussion thereof, and as a primer it works remarkably well to encourage people to do their own research into the topic, should they be so inclined.

Very much recommended.

I love a good true crime book, particularly historical. I enjoyed this one. Readers of true crime won't be surprised by the entries in this one if you know your murders and murderers well enough.

I would rename this one ‘Whack job : A semi-brief history of axes along with some murder.’
There were decent stretches where an axe wasn’t even mentioned and I could’ve forgotten what I was meant to be reading about. I wish more of the book had been like the Lizzie Borden chapter and onward- but I also acknowledge that this book never really claimed to be solely crime-focused. This is a pretty niche read. Probably for bigger history buffs than I. 2.5 stars.

Whack Job is a well writtena and researched book into the history of the axe ranging from prehistoric times to present.

One of the earliest murders on record with done with an axe and we cant forget Lizzie Borden.

The book is much more than that; it is the detailed and fascinating history in ancient Egypt, the Viking and Tudor eras and of course the Vikings.

I found the book a compelling read that captivated my attention from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the privlege of reading and reviewing Whack Job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I enjoyed learning more about the history of the axe. The authors love for the topic really shone through and was probably my favorite aspect of the story. I appreciate that this book was written, it's a good history of almost like older forms of "true crime." The author also does a careful job of addressing social justice issues and is just overall very thoughtful in her approach to the topic. All in all had a good time reading this.

Whack Job sounded so promising, but the execution feels more like a random collection of stories that don’t have anything in common other than an axe. Each chapter focuses on a different axe murder, but the earliest chapters are vague on whether an axe was even used, making me wonder as to why they were included. Other chapters had a multitude of individuals thrown in with little context, making the narrative hard to follow. Things didn’t begin to feel cohesive until about chapter 6, which was too far into the book, although I did stop skimming and actually got engaged again at that point. The author also occasionally inserts her opinion in a way that feels like she’s breaking the fourth wall, and this disrupts the more formal narrative that had been established. I don’t mind hearing the author’s thoughts on things but only if that tone has been set from the start, which it wasn’t here. Finally, I guess the author was focusing more on the history aspect as she included many ancient incidences rather than some more well-known modern cases such as the Villisca Axe Murders or the Axeman of New Orleans. I would’ve found these more interesting and, although still horrific, less uncomfortable than a child being sexually assaulted and a lecture on 1950s-era denial of child molestation. Whack Job seems like an interesting read, but the title is deceiving and the whole thing isn’t worth the effort.

This book explores how axes were used as a tool and for murders from ancient history to more present day cases. It spent more time on the history of the axe as a tool than I expected from the title. However, this was very well researched with an accessible writing style that pulled me in. The book delved into some lesser known cases in history as well as famous ones like Lizzie Borden. Some of the explored stories were more interesting than others, but I feel like that tends to happen in books that cover a lot of different cases. I wish there'd been some illustrations of some of the axes. I can see this appealing to true crime fans and history buffs alike.

Okay so, the book is interesting. It’s essentially what it claims to be, a history of the axe murder from ancient times to now. However, I feel that the book’s 300 pages are simply not enough for the history to be concise. Previous reviews mention the lack of certain notable crimes like the Axeman of New Orleans. James is a good writer and her style is very accessible (albeit sometimes confusing). BUT I think this is just too short to be really good. I know long true crime is perceived as exhausting but this one needed a lot more meat. Very interesting what information is in the book though.