Carol Ann Lee takes her readers on a deep dive into the life and crimes of Graham Young. Her writing style dances between factual and descriptive, but always maintains a strong commitment to the truth. All of her sources are meticulously documented, and it is clear, reading this book, that she has done her research.
Unlike some true crime writers, Lee maintains her distance as a narrator, which means that it is always clear that what she is describing is as close to the truth as it is possible to get, with no embellishments or flights of fancy. Personally, I think that a true crime writer should be impartial, and I am a big fan of the way Lee handles the task of reporting on such a prolific criminal. It would have been easy for her own sentiments and prejudices to come out in this book, but she holds herself back and hence allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the case and Young.
Another aspect of the book which I appreciated was the amount of background and additional research which she included - Lee places Young in the context of the country at the time in a way which greatly enhances her retelling of his crimes. This is the first of Lee's books which I have read, but I will certainly be adding her to the list of authors whose works I greatly enjoy.
Unlike some true crime writers, Lee maintains her distance as a narrator, which means that it is always clear that what she is describing is as close to the truth as it is possible to get, with no embellishments or flights of fancy. Personally, I think that a true crime writer should be impartial, and I am a big fan of the way Lee handles the task of reporting on such a prolific criminal. It would have been easy for her own sentiments and prejudices to come out in this book, but she holds herself back and hence allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the case and Young.
Another aspect of the book which I appreciated was the amount of background and additional research which she included - Lee places Young in the context of the country at the time in a way which greatly enhances her retelling of his crimes. This is the first of Lee's books which I have read, but I will certainly be adding her to the list of authors whose works I greatly enjoy.