Well researched, excellent read - 5 star

An extremely well researched and excellent account of the notorious serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. What Michael Attwell has attempted to do is look into the lives, minds and childhood of the two killers, looking for clues as to why they became the most hated individuals of the 20th century. Even today, long after their deaths, their crimes are still hotly debated quite simply in an attempt to understand.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Brady was evil incarnate. From a childhood in working class Glasgow he lived a life with no boundaries or rules, thieving, cruelty, and indeed rape (if we believe his account) were all normal to him. He was born out of wedlock and had no one to look up to for guidance…..not that I believe this would have kept him from the path of murder he chose.

Myra Hindley, alternatively, was reared in a tight knit community, had close ties with the working class inhabitants in and around the Manchester suburb of Hyde. She had support and guidance but nevertheless was happy to help her boyfriend in his murderous endeavors. In the years following her incarceration she attempted to distance herself from Hindley but her fate was sealed when the tape recording of the torture of Lesley Anne Downey was exhibited to the jury at the Chester Assizes trial. They were sentenced in May 1966 and narrowly escaped the death penalty which had been suspended at the end of 1965.

An excellent read, many thanks to the publishers for this early review copy.