Face to Face With Evil - Dr Chris Cowley

                            no copyright intended

I know as my first post this may seem a tad heavy going but I had very strong opinions about how this book came across.

I bought this book because I believed it would provide some insights into the "Moors Murders" which is an interest of mine. I hoped it would explain more regarding Ian Brady's mental state and provide some insights into the motivations behind the horrendous events. It certainly provided some insight from a psychological and criminological point of view. Dr Chris Cowley covers many serial killers in the book, using them to provide some knowledge to apply to Brady. He also includes conversations he had with Brady regarding some of the other killers he has met in prison. It is very interesting but I did expect more conversations regarding the murders and Brady's reasoning behind them.

As previously stated, there is a considerable amount of psychology and criminology in the book which includes how the investigators use criminal profiling. If this is an interest of yours it is a very good book to read to get a basic understanding of the processes used. However, if you are interested in the "Moors Murders" themselves, the book does not really cover Brady's viewpoint on them which I believe makes the book a little misleading. However, it should be noted that Brady no longer discuss this with anyone as stressed by Dr Cowley at the end of the book. 

Dr Chris Cowley writes in a way which captivates any person interested in this area and incorporates his conversations and communications with Brady in a well thought out manner. It is very easy to understand the message he is trying to present but I feel like it needed something more. 

One of the biggest problems that I found made it hard to enjoy was the constant attempt to portray Ashworth Hospital as an institution that was unacceptable. It felt like Dr Cowley was attempting to provoke pity and feelings of sorry for Brady to be in an institution that was so invasive to its patients. Although Ashworth may have its issues, I found it incredibly hard to feel sorry for Brady after the crimes he has committed which is noted by Cowley later on. I felt annoyed by the way Cowley seemed to be surprised that Brady was under such scrutiny and the security he had to go through to visit him. Ashworth is full of patients who may cause harm to others if in the public society. Therefore it comes with no surprise that the security described by Cowley exists. 

Overall, the book is interesting in regards to the criminological processes and the merits of each one used. Cowley provides readers with a comprehensive overview of each process and delivers extensive analysis regarding the conclusiveness and reliableness of the evidence obtained. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in serial killers or who is studying psychology or criminology. However, there are better books regarding serial killers if you have not read anything on the subject before. I believe it does help to have some understanding of the "Moors Murders" before picking up this book. 

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading my review. 

Next book review: "How to win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie"