Talking With Psychopaths and Savages

Beyond Evil

By: Christopher Berry-Dee

Narrated by: Colin Mace

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

"I wrapped duct tape around her mouth and her nose and watched her suffocate to death...then I went back to work." (Former Colonel David Russell Williams of the Royal Canadian Air Force, 2010)

Sunday Times best-selling author Christopher Berry-Dee is back with a companion volume that delves even deeper into the savage world of psychopaths and their hideous crimes. This time, however, he combines sections on killers whom he has known, interviewed or corresponded with, with studies of psychopathic serial killers from the past, including Peter Kürten, the 'Düsseldorf Monster'; John Christie, responsible for the killings at 10 Rillington Place; and Neville Heath, a ladykiller in every sense of the word.

The result is a chilling narrative that sets the forensic examination of killers and their crimes within the context of murder in the 20th and 21st centuries, an examination of the evil mind set against the insoluble problem of identifying psychopaths who kill. 

This is not a book for the squeamish, but it is undeniably fascinating in its portrayal of just what one human being will do to others - while all too often moving among us unnoticed and unhindered. If their crimes seem as incomprehensible as they are horrific, it is undeniably true that the world's most savage killers may be much closer than we think.... 

©2019 Christopher Berry-Dee (P)2019 Bonnier Books Ltd

Rambling and self-congratulatory

Maybe I've been spoiled with quite a few really good true crime books. Regardless, this isn't one of these. To begin with, the book doesn't really get going until Chapter 7. Prior to this, the author rambles around to no point whatsoever. I honestly feel like either the author has no ability to think strategically or just rambles to increase the page count. Once the author gets going on the narrative, he does more or less settle down to tell various stories of serial killers. However, I found a lot of this quite annoying. First, the author repeatedly pats himself on the back for knowing and talking to various serial killers. He's so very proud of his ability to talk to these people and get them to tell him the truth. The author really does see himself as the serial killer whisperer. Throughout, the author has to put in his opinion of why a killer did this or that without much evidence to support his claims. The author comes off as so smug that it gets irritating. I honestly just wanted the stories and not the author's ramblings on why what he believes is correct, or telling me that I need to hang on, because the next part is gruesome. Oh, and as an added note, he plugged his other books many times in each chapter. In the end, I would suggest not wasting your money and time on this.

Very boring

This book promises evil stories about the worst humanity has produced, and a look into what makes them tick. The author talking about how brave he was to be in a the same room as some of these killer got old. Also it was controlled/ prison where he met them. Two hours in and I gave up. I hope audible gives me my credit back.

Off-puttingly misogynistic

I cannot fathom why the author insists on hating female offenders more than male. His language is insulting not the offender for the horrible crimes they've committed, but for the fact that they are female. Bundy (a female killer) is described as a slut, dumb, bugeyed, ugly. Her male counterparts often described as "having a point". They're crimes are bad enough to judge them for that. The misogynistic language adds nothing to it. This book left a very sour taste in my mouth, and for it's description of rape and murder.

waste of money and time.

this is depressing and a waste of my time and money. I signed up for audible because this book looked amazing. will it's not. it's horribad. just. ugh.

Very disappointed

Felt very let down by this book. Have read many books of this Genre and unfortunately, this fell short all around.

save your money

Contrived and self congratulatory. Overly dramatic. Full of tangents on completely unrelated things.

Reader was great.

I love the readers voice

this book was interesting tome, entertaining and informative, a little to much self praise at the start and to big a build up, but over all an experience I relished.

Not for the faint of heart

Narration was flawless, he brought the stories to life. Kept you interested throughout. If you are the least bit squeamish, you may wish to pass. I do wish there were fewer plugs for his other cases/books....

one last.thing, if you are of an overly twisted mind... get help... don't get any ideas.

Loved it!

Best one yet! Love the narration! Gory and a bit funny too! You won't be disappointed!

Great insight

I liked the stories and the order of the cases. There was only a few times I was brought out of my trance of listening when I had to consider the different ways the author’s home names things verses the American name of them.
Nothing to lose interest for though

the definition of 'vanity piece'! dont bother!!

This is absolute drivel and nonsense regurgitated in a less interesting way than previously told in the authors other title ‘talking with serial killers’ which, if you’ve read/listened to this, I’d stop there as that’s all you’re going to get from this author worth entertaining.

This book is the very definition of ‘vanity piece’ and the author comes across here as the real-life Frederick Chilton of ‘silence of the Lambs’ fame (not a compliment!)

Colin Mace is on top form as usual here though!

Terrible...

Awful, sensationalised drivel, with a good handful of populist political ranting on top.

Poorly written, he spends the first 5 chapters telling you 'what the book is going to do' but never actually doing much of it.

The writer/narrators decision to imitate the accent of a member of the Singapore police, beautifully conveyed just how tacky the whole tone is. I persevered for another 10mins after that, shouldn't have bothered.

Spouting right wing tripe any chance he gets

This story is written by an absolute middle aged white man gammon who just wants to push a right wing prison agenda. Calling things “PC” and saying how he wants to hurt the prisoners. Really jarring when the true crime community is mostly more left wing people. Had to turn it off.

A True Psycho

An idiot making a living through interviewing other idiots - separated from his subject matter by the thinnest of lines. A journalistic style somewhere between the ignorance of the Daily Mail and the anti-intellectualism of the The Sun. After-all, the author is making money out of the criminality of others and he hopes you do not notice - end of story.

fantastic

great narrator ,what an interesting book , so insightful, live the different accents ,liked tone and pace good for me

Self-obsessed and sensationalist

As so many others have mentioned, the writer likes promoting his other books, seemingly without giving us any new information.

He also constantly bigs up how many killers he has spoken to and warns at how gory and intense the content of the audiobook is - get on with it! Not only this, but the way in which he talks about horrific acts such as murder is downright disrespectful, not helped at all by Mace's sensationalist narration. The author revels in the knowledge that what he's saying is truly horrific and disgusting, rather than simply presenting the interesting facts. He gives far too much unwarranted, unfair opinion throughout.

It seems ironic to me that someone talking about the fact that these killers have no human empathy, appears to be lacking in this area himself. Whilst I agree that murderers and rapists should not be put on a pedestal, Berry-Dee takes a childish delight in berating them, calling them 'stupid', 'dumb', 'monsters'. And mocking prison officers who show them some level of human decency.

I certainly won't be reading or listening to any other titles by this author, and frankly only got through this one to clear it from my Audible library.

What a crock of shite!

Well that's about 7 hours of my life I wasted listening to this drivel.
This book could have made about 3 hours shorter if he wasn't constantly repeating himself.
I also lost count of the times author plugged his other book's. If I wanted a list of the authors other works I would have simply done a Google search.
Wouldn't bother buying this book, it's no wonder it was in the Audible sale...... Audible should be paying people to listen to it rather than the other way around.

Very good

A very interesting book. Made all the better by the brilliant narrations from Colin Mace.

Disjointed with no coherent flow

This book is just one long wavering drawl from someone who loves the sound of their own voice. No order or flow. Makes absolutely no sense.

Gruesome and fanasanting

Although not a comfortable subject, I was fanasanted with these minds. The conclusion makes you realise we walk among the most dangerous people.