The subject of this book is Graham Young - an obsessive and incredibly disturbed child who wrecked havoc in the lives of those who were unfortunate enough to be in regular contact with him, be it at school, at work or even in his own family.
This was my first time learning about Young and the crimes he committed in post-war Britain. He is a truly terrifying figure and it is astonishing to read about how quickly his morbid obsessions took hold in his young life.
The level of research the author has undertaken is impressive and the book is full of interesting details and incidents which truly give a sense of the world Young inhabited during the different stages of his life. The attitudes of the British mental health and prison services at the time make particularly fascinating reading.
The narrative of the book pulls you in immediately, and has you feverishly chasing from chapter to chapter as more is revealed about the terror that occurred and more questions are asked about who Graham Young was and why he did what he did.
Carol Ann Lee is a fantastic writer who skilfully weaves together all the strands and people in Graham’s life in a strong and coherent account.
My only gripe would be with a few too many repeated quotes in accounts of the police interviews and subsequent trial, which did tend to pull me out a little.
I think this is a great example of the True Crime genre and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author. The subject of this tale is twisted, terrifying and quite frankly astonishing.
This was my first time learning about Young and the crimes he committed in post-war Britain. He is a truly terrifying figure and it is astonishing to read about how quickly his morbid obsessions took hold in his young life.
The level of research the author has undertaken is impressive and the book is full of interesting details and incidents which truly give a sense of the world Young inhabited during the different stages of his life. The attitudes of the British mental health and prison services at the time make particularly fascinating reading.
The narrative of the book pulls you in immediately, and has you feverishly chasing from chapter to chapter as more is revealed about the terror that occurred and more questions are asked about who Graham Young was and why he did what he did.
Carol Ann Lee is a fantastic writer who skilfully weaves together all the strands and people in Graham’s life in a strong and coherent account.
My only gripe would be with a few too many repeated quotes in accounts of the police interviews and subsequent trial, which did tend to pull me out a little.
I think this is a great example of the True Crime genre and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author. The subject of this tale is twisted, terrifying and quite frankly astonishing.