Ted Bundy: The Terrifying True Crime Story of America’s Most Notorious Serial Killer

My second book by James Richmond and I realise that what I like most about his work is that he doesn’t shy away from the facts or laying them out in a critical way for the reader to see and understand.Moreover, Richmond doesn’t romanticise or try and excuse the actions of notorious murders by their pasts or environments growing up. Instead, he sets out these circumstances and enforces the actions’ accountability on murders like Richard Ramirez and Ted Bundy. Their actions are theirs alone and cannot be excused by anything that had happened previously in their lives. They had a choice, and they choose to commit those crimes.I also like how at the start of each book, Richmond doesn’t introduce our murderer as a child or present their origins and circumstances at first. Instead, like with Ted Bundy The Terrifying True Crime Story, he begins with the crime as it’s being perpetrated and presents the effects and consequences of the crime. I find this incredibly emotive, as when you’re then introduced to Bundy’s origins, you have the crimes he committed to remaining in the forefront of your mind throughout. Not once can you see him as a child or try and figure out what caused him to be the way he was? Simply you recognise him to be the monster.Coming into Ted Bundy, I’ll admit that I’m probably one of the few people who weren’t aware of him and his crimes but had never gone into details or searched out more information on him. It’s strange as I usually enjoy true crime documentaries and novels, so you’d think that I’d be familiar with this case already. However, I wasn’t, so I only knew a brief amount about Bundy and his crimes.I found the entire narrative to be unnerving, which is a true testament to Richmond’s ability to document the life and crimes of Bundy. In fact, I had to put the book down a few times to digest and process what I had just read thoroughly.Richmond’s writing style is very manner of fact, but he is able to convey the multiple sides of Bundy that Bundy himself presented too. From the composed character that he presented to the world to the monster that committed these horrific crimes.I’d recommend this to anyone who prefers their true crime novels to be presented in a factual way but also for those who, like me, knew little about the case before starting this book.

I have always been fascinated by reading books about true crime and serial killers, and I thought I knew quite a lot about Ted Bundy, but James Richmond’s book has opened my eyes to more details that I wasn’t aware of. I knew that his crimes were brutal, but I wasn’t aware quite how horrific they were at times.I also read Richmond’s book on the Night Stalker, and I love his writing style. His books are well-researched and don’t hold back with the gory details. But I want to read the truth about these people – that’s the reason I choose to buy and read this type of book.The true extent of the number of murders that Ted Bundy must have committed is beyond comprehension. His inner rage, capacity to plan and execute heinous crimes, sometimes multiple times in one night, means that there were likely far more innocent victims than have ever been recorded.He was a true master of manipulation. To have such charisma that he could charm the birds from the trees, yet was capable of abhorrent evil acts, fortunately for society, makes him a rare type of offender. His capacity to have ‘loving relationships’ I also find astonishing, but that speaks so highly of his ability to manipulate women.The stories from his childhood fascinate me, with the reports from family members as if he had two personalities. And his self-disclosure of “the entity” that grew inside him. The book has some quotes from Bundy, which give some insight into “the madness”. The most chilling one is about the precise moment when he killed someone, “At that moment, it’s being God.”Richmond puts you into the position of some of the victims and how they must have felt. What a terrifying time it must have been to be a young woman in the 1970s. No one knew where he would strike next – sometimes not even him.I would highly recommend this book – even if you think you know Ted Bundy’s story, I’m sure you will discover some fascinating new details in this book.

This is my second read from James Richmond and it did not disappoint. The narrative style used by the author draws in the reader from the start and keeps them gripped though each and every page turn. Richmond spares no grisly detail in the actions and crimes described, giving the reader and full and frank account – not for the faint hearted!Richmond takes all details into account, taking the reader on a journey through Bundy’s childhood and his horrifying crimes, including points of view from the victims and interview quotes with Bundy himself. I thoroughly recommend this book to fans of thrillers, crime fiction and true crime narratives.