Select language, opens an overlay

Comments (11)

Death in the City of Light

the Serial Killer of Nazi-occupied Paris
What did you think about this title?
1 to 11 of 11 items
Sep 03, 2021tuoi rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
The book is at least three times as long as it should be. It made me wonder from where the author obtained all the minute detail. If he really combed through archives etc. to gather them, it seems an incredible waste of effort to me.
Sep 23, 2019samsue rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Incredibly boring. I gave up after just 34 pages. Could have been great but the story begins by telling us what happened, who did it, and then goes on to give far more useless detail than anyone wants or needs.
Jul 07, 2015patcarstensen rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A Law and Order narrative about a serial killer in Occupied Paris, with gangs, Gestapo and bad girls. I liked this book because you don't get sucked into the killer's view of things, but obviously, not everyone agrees.
anniemurray
Dec 04, 2014anniemurray rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Fine detail but dry as a bone. As another reviewer says, none of the characters come to life. Offers very little insight into what made this man a killer. Disappointing.
elbrozzie
Aug 03, 2012
There's an unnamed murderer in this true crime--it's the author, David King, who has managed to bury a chilling tale under a mountain of repetitive, boring detail. With the exception of Commissaire Massu, none of the characters come to…
May 27, 2012richibi rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
gripping amorality, the exhumation of a particularly vile character, Dr. Marcel Petiot, a monster, representative of an inherent aspect of woman, man, our Latent if not Original Sin, when accorded tacit permission to destroy, horrify, a…
May 17, 2012sixtyfive rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
The premise of this true story is quite intriguing but the book is boring beyond belief. The author includes every known item about the case and some that aren't about the case. The story drags until the predictable end. There are no…
Apr 07, 2012
A very interesting story (well-respected doctor who turns out to be a serial killer) set in a fascinating time period (Nazi-occupied Paris). I especially enjoyed how the author would give you glimpses into the people (e.g. Sartre, Camus), …
Feb 01, 2012librarianatlarge rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This is a very good true crime story along the lines of Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City". I found the first part of the book especially interesting as it describes the plight of the detectives trying to identify victims and carry…
Nov 04, 2011bette108 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Well researched and an interesting view of the times, particularly of the style of law in French courts.
Oct 20, 2011
Murder in Nazi-occupied Paris - fascinating.