To be fair, I'm sure that Mr. Sullivan worked assiduously to write "The Bundy Murders." However, I found very few new facts or insights offered about Bundy and his murders. The majority of this book seems to have been written before, especially if one has read the other Bundy books that are already available in wide circulation. Contrary to some reviews, I did not find the victims' lives to be presented any more or less personally and thoroughly than in the other Bundy books.



Unfortunately, I found the author's prose and writing style to be very distracting, especially the rampant use of clichés and the misuse and abuse of semicolons. For $45, I would expect a well-written, 100% error-free book. More proofreading and editing is essential!



I am well aware that Bundy was a sadistic, murderous psychopath, and I didn't constantly need to be reminded of this. Additionally, the author's continually referring to Bundy as "evil," "diabolical," a "madman," and a "monster" takes away from the legitimacy of the book. Not only are these words hackneyed, but also they reduce the complexity of Bundy's psychopathology and personality aberrations to a grade-school level vocabulary and understanding. In chapter 14, the excerpts of dialogue between Bundy and various investigators were not helpful to understanding Bundy or his case. They lack substance, and their inclusion for informational purposes is very questionable.



Lest I sound like a complete curmudgeon, I found a few positive points in this book. Bundy's downward spiral (from the Healy abduction and murder in 1974 to his complete disintegration in Florida by 1978) is well illustrated. In my opinion, Dr. Tanay's psychiatric impressions of Bundy and his personality is the most useful part of the book. Also, it was nice to see a few photos of the Viewmont High Auditorium and the Fashion Place Mall.



All in all, this book was very disappointing. It is not worth the hefty price. Those interested in Bundy would be advised first to check out the best books on Bundy: "The Only Living Witness," "Conversations With a Killer," and "The Riverman." I also strongly recommend visiting Executedtoday.com to follow the 13-monthlong discussion thread (about all things related to Bundy) between Mr. Sullivan and various people. I found this to be much, much more interesting, insightful, and useful than reading "The Bundy Murders."