Lady Killers by Tori Telfer

I'm not usually into nonfiction, but I have to admit that sometimes a title just pulls me in against my will and I have to investigate. That was the case with this book and, let me tell you, I am so glad that I read it.

Tori Telfer's book picks out fourteen women throughout history who just happened to be serial killers. Her driving motivation behind this book? To prove that women can be just as sadistic and twisted as men when it comes to killing despite what the head of the FBI declared in 1998. Telfer chooses women throughout history starting as early as the 17th century and spanning throughout the twentieth century and uses her fantastic storytelling along with a sense of humor to draw the reader in.

The other thing that really drew me into this book, besides the totally bonkers things these women did, was the fact that Telfer uses newspapers and trial transcripts to relay some of the facts she is giving. While she admits some of the documents are probably exaggerated in older cases from the 17th century, they make it so the reader understands just how terrifying these women were to the public. They totally went against everything women were supposed to represent. They weren't demure and gentile women. They were monsters.

While I absolutely loved this book, I do have to admit that it took me a little longer to read it because some of the details were a bit too much for me. I am one that has a weak stomach when it comes to death and tragedy and tend to get a bit emotional. That being said, if you are someone who loves a good true crime story this is definitely one for you. I would consider it the short story version of the true crime story because you don't just get one case, you get fourteen of them all rolled up into one little neat package.