Talk us through it
Predators, Author Amanda Howard's second release in '09, covers those who prey on children and young people, and covers the very bottom of the abyss in terms of the depravity of some of those who walk amongst us. Forget the Vampires and things that go bump in the night Ms Howard is showing something far more chilling, real life ghouls and monsters. There are no sparkling elements found within the pages of this book, the horror is real. In between the covers of Predators you will discover ample room given to people you might have read about before, some you may be vaguely aware of, and I would wager a few you may never have heard of. Ms Howard gives ample space to each and every one, and adds where possible a reason for what happened. Ready to go beyond Innocence Lost and look into the abyss?
Review"You represent the dark in which our women and children fearfully walk." - Justice Vincent. Structurally Predators is broken down into geographic regions, Amanda Howard here is stepping beyond the shores of Australia. So we get four major sections titled naturally enough "Australia", "Asia", "Europe", and "North America". Not content with this Ms Howard also adds a final section, "Predators: Do They Ever Change?", as she courageously tries to define the traits that separate the sexual predators from the rest of us. The central premise of the book is summed up in the final section, you are going to have to wade through a lot of heart breaking stuff to get there. Be prepared to meet characters such as Lindsay Beckett and Leslie Camilleri, John Gacy, and Fred and Rose West. Predators is not a book for the faint at heart but is almost required reading for criminologists, both professional and amateur, and for our purposes, those travelling the hidden paths of the dark genre. Within each geographic section Amanda Howard gives a chapter to each of the predators or pair of predators she wishes to cover. The book is not a chronological study, you don't need to read an earlier chapter to appreciate a later chapter, so it can be attack in what ever way your requirements dictate. I didn't have any particular person I wanted to read up on so opened Predators at page 1 and headed on through to the final page. It's one hell of a ride friends and neighbours, you will feel anger, you will feel sadness, and ultimately you will be left feeling like you have been run over by a fully laden goods train. Amanda Howard is not sparing you any details, as stated not for the faint hearted. The subject matter is difficult, and quite possibly the most explosive area you might wish to cover, Amanda Howard does not pull back from her task at any time, you are getting the full story with this book. For those who have read Amanda Howard's earlier 2009 release, Innocence Lost, and if you haven't I would suggest rushing out and getting a copy right now, there are some Australian cases that are common between the books. Lets just grab a cup of coffee here and wait on half my readership getting back from the bookstore. Really people should learn to use the internet and order online, though I tend to be unable to wait for delivery I must admit. Everyone back? Good lets forge ahead here, no more interruptions please. As I was saying there are some common cases between Ms Howard's 2009 releases but the writer isn't taking the easy way out and simply re-publishing from her earlier work. Each common case between the two books is viewed in a new light with additional theories as to who may have committed at least two unsolved murders. I'm not going to mention individual cases here, *cough*Bega schoolgirls*cough*, just pointing out the common elements aren't rehashes. Actually, and it seems in this paragraph I'm getting right off the reservation, Predators and Innocence Lost make for great companion volumes. Each case is handled in typical Amanda Howard fashion. You get all the pertinent dates, the woman is a stickler for historic accuracy, all the details you could possibly want to poke a stick at, the events leading up to the case, and of course the aftermath of the crime or crimes. Remembering Ms Howard isn't sparing the reader any of the details, that might be quite a bit more information than some readers really want to know. What separates Predators from a number of other true crime books I've read is the Writer's ability to put the reader into the passenger seat, right next to the killer as things take a turn to the chaotic. Predators isn't a dry recital of the facts, it's about being there as the crime happens. As state the book is not an easy read. During the course of Predators Amanda Howard is not making a judgement call and does not tell the reader what he or she should think about any of the crimes presented on an individual basis or collectively as a whole. You are free to make your own mind up about things, Ms Howard is not giving us anything like a didactic call for the return of capital punishment. Likewise the Author is not embarking on any sort of politically correct crusade for leniency towards any of the perpetrators. Predators remains a stark and chilling record of some of the worse crimes committed in the various countries covered. The book offers nothing more and notably nothing less. Amanda Howard's prose style is easy to read, and no where in the book does she become bogged down in detail. Like wise Ms Howard is not given to flights of fancy, so don't worry there's no descriptions of blood splattered floral drapes gentle swaying in the summer breeze. On the contrary the reader gets a flowing narrative that covers all of it's requirements, including the gory bits. I'm not entirely sure if I should say I enjoyed the book, which just between you and me I did, or fess up to re-reading a few of the chapters a second and third time. This site may be all about Down Under horror, but that would be fictional Down Under horror. Amanda Howard is giving us the real thing without apology. If you ever needed a reason to worry that your children haven't got home after the street lights go on, then the Writer is going to gently whisper in your ear that there are real boogy men out there. There's a clear and present danger on our streets, Predators is there to remind us of that fact. You may not enjoy the information that the book gives you, but it's going to knock any complacency you might have developed for six. Given a couple of stories recently in Australian news have centred around paedophile rings, Amanda Howard offers a timely reminded to keep vigilant, to warn of stranger danger, and to watch your kids like a hawk. Does Amanda Howard finally draw the threads together and give the reader a picture of what makes a sexual predator? Well you are going to have to read the book to find out. Predators: Killers Without a Conscience should be available from your local book emporium or should be very close to being available. I picked up a copy at Abbey's Bookshop in Sydney's CBD. Dymocks online would be a good starting point if wanting to save some shoe leather. Naturally since Cruel Summer is a stand alone novella it's been published by the good folk at Tasmaniac Productions. As well as the novella we get an introduction from Joe R. Lansdale, excellent cover and internal illustrations by Daniele Serra, and an outstanding overall package in terms of binding and paper quality. The release is limited to 100 soft cover and 26 lettered hard copies.
ScaryMinds Rates this read as ... Outstanding coverage of the difficult subject matter written in superb fashion.
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