Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64045 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

Synopsis
This is a revelatory investigation into the police handling of the Yorkshire Ripper Case which spanned over 14 years. For the first time, the files have been opened, the detectives are talking and the victims are reliving the nightmare. For over twenty years, the dark secrets of the biggest criminal manhunt in British history have remained a closed book. Detectives refused all requests to tell the inside story of the Yorkshire Ripper investigation that logged over two million manhours of police work. The victims who survived maintained a wall of silence. And the detailed forensic evidence, witness statements and autopsy reports have remained locked away. Until now. Award-winning writer Michael Bilton has persuaded the key people to talk. After years of exhaustive research he can finally reveal the extraordinary truth behind the murder enquiry that left Peter Sutcliffe free to kill again and again. With exclusive access to the detectives involved, to pathologist's archives and confidential police reports, the story of the hunt reads as tensely as any thriller.

Its measured analysis of the calamitous investigation is also a shocking and important indictment of the most notorious murder hunt of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece - the only Ripper book worth reading
This book is incredible; it's extremely long but don't let that put you off - it just means you can enjoy it for longer.

Bilton tells the story of the investigation from the eyes of those who experienced it - the officers, the victims, the media and others. He manages to do it without glorifying the sadistic and evil murderer that Sutcliffe is. In fact, one of the things I most appreciated about the book was the respect he shows to the Ripper's victims and their families by not devoting an ounce of time to Sutcliffe's opinions. Sutclife has, after all, been proved to be a pathalogical liar. No, in this book Bilton focuses on the really interesting story: that of how, despite the devotion and commitment of the officers on the Ripper squad, the investigation imploded on itself and failed those who were most desperate for it to succeed. We learn about the devastating impact of the Ripper on the victims, their families and the police officers, many of whose health and lives were destroyed by the relentless demands of the five-year investigation. Bilton manages to tell the story without being judgemental - he almost adopts a 'wide lens' approach to ensure that you, the reader, miss nothing which could enable you to form your own opinions, notwithstanding the benefit of hindsight.
The challenges of the investigation are expertly set in context and the engaging narrative of this book will take you back to those days in the seventies - even if you didn't experience them as an adult the first time around - so you can fully understand the impact of the Ripper on the north of England and, eventually, on the whole country.
'Wicked Beyond Belief' is essential reading for those with any interest in the history of policing as it puts into context the enormous changes which inevitably and necessarily followed the Ripper investigation. The revelations at the end of the story will stay with you and the author has been brave in making them. The officers who opened up to tell their stories for this book should be thanked and Michael Bilton should be applauded for committing them to paper in such style.

Excellent study of this case
Michael Bilton has, in my view, produced the best book yet on the Yorkshire Ripper. Bilton takes you through the entire case and each murder individually, highlighting the evidence and events without sensationalising them at all. He does not just accept the recorded version of events but examines thoroughly any errors or discrepancies he sees before coming to a conclusion about the reality of events. For example, he looks into the possibility that one of the Ripper's victims in Manchester may in fact not have been killed by him at all, and comes up with some pretty convincing arguments. He backs all of this up with detail of Yorkshire life and policing, and portraits of the officers involved in the case to provide a thorough study of how events unfolded.

The book could have been improved by some interview with the Ripper himself. I can understand why Bilton did not want to do this, but I cannot concur that the Ripper could not tell him anything about the crime of use. It is essential that we try to understand these people and their motivations. Unfortunatly this means given them the attention some of them crave, but it is a worthwhile sacrifice if it assists our understanding of such evil people.

Bilton focuses also on the victims and their lives, rather than glossing over them and focusing on the criminal alone as many books of this genre too. He provides a good insight into how the lives of the families and the police officers involved were affected. Whilst undoubtedly the police made mistakes, they are too often turned into the enemy, with little understanding as to the pressure they were under. Bilton looks closely at methods of investigation at the time and the problems this caused in such a massive investigation. A small criticism is that he does tend to be slightly biased towards the police and give them a bit too much benefit of the doubt over their mistakes, which really were far too many whatever the pressure of the investigation.

The book is a very thorough study of the case but one aspect I would have liked a bit more of an examination into is the Wearside Jack issue - who the hoaxer might have been and his motivations. This was a crucial part of the investigation and I felt a bit more detail on this would have been useful to put the hoaxer issue into context. However, overall this really is an excellent and important book and well worth a read for anyone with an interest in true crime.

Gripping Stuff
This is an excellent book. It tells the story of the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, aka Peter Sutcliffe, in a gripping, objective and very real way.

With hindsight the ripper should have been caught several years before he was, and the book highlights in great detail the flaws in the investigation, the various blind alleys that were followed to no avail and most of all how back in the 1970's the lack of the scientific and technologocial processes (DNA and Computers) we take for granted, made this extraordianry manhunt such an onerous endeavour. That being said, some of the decisions made by detectives and the powers that be were woeful and the fact that peter Sutcliffe was actually interviewed 9 times! over the course of his 6 year reign of terror, but nothing was done, beggars belief and highlights the communication flaws and general narrow mindedness/clutching at straws mentality that plagued the investigation.

Although I knew what the outcome was, the book raced through at an exciting pace and left me feeling excited, frightened, appalled, angry and stupified simultaneously.

Not for the faint hearted, but a terrific read all the same.