All That is Wicked
The 'Victorian Hannibal Lecter' and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Icon Books
Published:6th Oct '22
£14.99
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
'A master-class in bringing history to life, in all its creepy, twisted glory' - Karen Kilgariff, co-host of My Favorite Murder podcast
'Every true crime fan will be riveted by Kate's master story-telling of this unforgettable tale' - Paul Holes, author of Unmasked: Crime Scenes, Cold Cases and My Hunt for the Golden State Killer
The thrilling story of Edward Rulloff - a serial murderer who was called 'too intelligent to be killed' - and the array of 19th-century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind.
Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer - some have called him a 'Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter' - whose crimes spanned decades, but by 1871 he was captured, chained in a cell - a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century 'mindhunters' got to work.
From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyse the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analysed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made?
Expanding on her hit podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, acclaimed crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined - through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.
When it comes to captivating true-crime storytelling, Kate Winkler Dawson reigns supreme. All That Is Wicked is a master-class in bringing history to life, in all its creepy, twisted glory. -- Karen Kilgariff, co-host of My Favorite Murder and author of Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered
Kate Winkler Dawson expertly tells the story of a 19th century psychopath ... The case is chilling and every true crime fan will be riveted by Kate's master story telling of this unforgettable tale. -- Paul Holes, author of Unmasked: Crimes Scenes, Cold Cases and My Hunt for the Golden State Killer
A murderer with a legendary brain, a disparate group of experts clamoring to analyze him, and a fascinating look into the origins of psychological profiling ... Ceaselessly engaging, gorgeously researched, and-true crime fan or not-impossible to put down. Warning: read it with all the lights on. -- Karen Abbott, author of The Ghosts of Eden Park
Dawson raises the intriguing question of what we should do with criminals who are also assets to society ... A true crime tour de force. -- Katherine Ramsland, author of Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer
All That Is Wicked is historical true crime writing at its best....In her engrossing retelling, Winkler Dawson forces the reader to consider the ultimate question, then and now: What makes a murderer? -- Cara Robertson, author of The Trial of Lizzie Borden
Kate Winkler Dawson has produced yet another tour de force that will delight any reader enthralled by crimes of old. With literary flair and page-turning suspense, she paints a portrait of Gilded Age serial killer Edward Ruloff so vivid it will make your skin crawl. But All That is Wicked is also a fascinating dissection of the mind, helping us understand how psychopaths can manipulate everyone from victims and journalists to scholars and shrinks. -- Joe Pompeo, Vanity Fair correspondent and author of Blood & Ink
Deeply researched and riveting ... A chilling, real-life story of a cold-blooded psychopath who weaves his way into one family's world. -- Esther Crain, author of The Gilded Age in New York
Kate Winkler Dawson uses her journalistic skills to great effect ... a thoughtful and analytical approach to true crime. -- Nell Darby, author of Sister Sleuths: Female Detectives in Britain
ISBN: 9781785789496
Dimensions: 216mm x 135mm x 23mm
Weight: 318g
320 pages