May 4, 2019

Book Review: "Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries: The Many Victims of America's Most Infamous Serial Killer" by Kevin Sullivan





New from the author of the WildBlue Press classics The Trail of Ted Bundy and The Bundy Secrets!

Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries is a deep-dive into the archival record of America's most notorious serial killer.  It's a veritable goldmine of information on Bundy, his victims, and this very voluminous case.

Written by the foremost authority on Ted Bundy, this latest examination of this brutal serial killer contains new, revealing, and never-before published interviews with those close to Bundy, close to his victims, and a potential victim who barely escaped his clutches.

Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries brings to light for the first time many heretofore passed-over facts about Bundy and reveals previously hidden aspect of the lives of some of his victims.

     (Summary from Goodreads)



Ted Bundy’s Murderous Mysteries: The Many Victims of America’s Most Infamous Serial Killer is Kevin Sullivan’s fourth work on the devious and deadly Ted Bundy, behind The Bundy Murders, The Trail of Ted Bundy, and The Bundy Secrets.  I have read his three previous books (and really should write reviews because they are that good) and taking all four into account, it’s amazing (at least to me) that it was only a chance conversation that caused him to begin his research on Bundy to begin with.  Fortunately, he did have that conversation because Mr. Sullivan has quickly become a foremost expert on the serial killer.



One thing that stands out in Ted Bundy’s Murderous Mysteries, and the entire Bundy series, is that Mr. Sullivan will ferret out even the most seemingly minor details about the young women and girls Bundy abducted and killed, bringing life to them.  They weren’t just victims; they were daughters, sisters, and friends who had lives with dreams and futures before Bundy snatched them away.  While some true crime books glorify the killer or killers, relegating the victims to supporting status, Mr. Sullivan makes you feel (and hurt) for these precious women and girls that were lost.  He utilizes police reports, talks to persons who knew the lost, as well as to two survivors of Bundy’s attempted abduction and attack, and even shares personal writings.  As such, the victims of Bundy aren’t just Bundy victims.  They are real people and it makes the tragedy of what Bundy did even more heartbreaking.



This book isn’t for the Bundy neophyte; if you’re new to the subject, it’s best to start with Mr. Sullivan’s The Bundy Murders, where he recounts Bundy’s known crimes.  For those of us who have read Mr. Sullivan’s previous books and are up on all things Bundy, this latest offering is another well-researched and well-written book that delves into the fractured psyche of a monster whose depravity still continues to this day to have repercussions. 



How good was this book?  I purchased it on release day and planned on holding on to it for maybe two weeks, to take with me on vacation.  That plan lasted a whopping 48 hours tops before I couldn’t take it anymore and dove in.  I read through the book in under two days, unable to put it down.  I consider myself somewhat of a “Bundy scholar” (something that makes perfect sense to true crime readers) and I continue to learn new, relevant and fascinating information from Kevin Sullivan.



I cannot recommend this book, and the previous three, enough.  Reading them, you will gain insight about the infamous Ted Bundy, as well as the lives that his many victims were leading until they crossed paths with a killer, expertly relayed by the talented hand of Kevin Sullivan.



Ted Bundy’s Murderous Mysteries: The Many Victims of America’s Most Infamous Serial Killer is currently available for purchase in both e-format and paperback.  (Kevin Sullivan’s earlier Bundy books are also available for purchase as e-books, paperbacks, and audio versions.)  Don’t wait - - pick yours up today!



Follow Kevin Sullivan on his Facebook page, Twitter page, and via Wild Blue Press.



FTC Disclosure:  I purchased this book with my own funds.  I was neither paid nor compensated for this review.