Customer Reviews
The lifes of Fred and Rose West from small abused children to Murderers and abusers - By: A. J. Pryce, 19 Aug 2008 
When I started to read this book I had a good understanding of the crimes of Fred & Rose West as I had just finished reading Howard Sounes Fred & Rose, so I knew what to basiclly expect. Well I wasn't prepared for the extremely detailed if gorey account of sexual content of their crimes, they were obsessed with sex & pain, & had no regrets or qualms on what they did to their own children & other females. Rose West's crimes have never really been understood & how she was a willing partner if not dominate partyin all the abuse & murder, as for being a women, I did used to wondered if she was being forced by Fred to take part for the love of him, but no this book describes more so Rose's awful appetite for torture, sex & sexuall abuse of others it seems to me that her her evil was deep inside her at an early age. An extremely interesting read. Alsoin part of this book it gives you an insight to the reasons why serial killers may be who they are as to the theory that head injuries & brain damage can be the cause or sexual abused children become abusers themselves. I would recomend this book to any true crime fans but be prepared it is so shockingin parts you cant get your head around how did Fred & Rose slip through the legal net so often & how they got away with it for so many years.
A good introduction to the horrific events at 25 Cromwell St - By: Chris Hall, 09 Jun 2004 
Colin Wilson's detailed account of the life & crimes of Fred & Rosemary West is definetly one of the better books on the rather disturbing subject matter. Wilson has documented the various murders well, with a constant emphasis towards the day to day lifestyle at 25 Cromwell St. Unfortunetly, Wilson hasn't really explored the upbringing of either Fred or Rosein any real detail, particularly towards the incest that occured towards both of them at a young age. Obviously, their upbringing is very important to how their lifestyles have been moulded over time, & I felt that this had been over looked. I did like Wilson's interesting comparisons with other similar serial killer, especially with his theory on damaging the brain. I have read a few books on the life of the West's & have found this one to be a nice introduction, & a good all rounder on the subject. For further, morein depth reading, I would strongly recommend 'An Evil Love - The Life Of Frederick West' by Geoffrey Wansell. Another very interesting book on the subject is 'Inside 25 Cromwell Street' by two of Fred's children - Stephen & Mae West. But allin all, I would say that this is a well written, detailed, well thought through account of the horrific activities that occured from the life of the Wests.
The Corpse Garden - By: leandra, 07 Mar 2004 I have just finished reading this book. When i first read the chapters on the background of these two sadistic people i found myself empathising with their situation. I find it unbelevable that they got away with their grisley crimes for as long as they did. The book is graphicin places & when you have finish you have a true sense of what life was likein Cromwell Street.
I think the book is well written & well researched & a true must for any true crime reader, be prepared not to be able to put it down.
A concise account of Fred & Rose West - By: brothersoflove@hotmail.com, 20 Aug 2001 
The horrific crimes of Fred & Rosemary West have been extensively documented. Their story has been told & re-told from numerous angles. Having read Gordon Burn's (Happy Like Murderers), Geoffrey Wansell's (An Evil Love), Brian Masters (She Must Have Known) & Howard Sounes (Fred & Rose)in addition to the 'first-hand' account from family members, like Anne-Marie West's (Out of the Shadows), 'The Corpse Garden' follows the usual pattern of most of the studies on this subject. There is a detailed account of the macabre & diabolical crimes; a brief history of Fred & Rose; the events which shaped their lives, their upbringing, relationship & the day-to-day routine inside 25 Cromwell Street. Colin Wilson adds to his narrative comparisons between the Wests & other serial killers but I have to confess that I found these inclusions distracting & of little real value. Where Wilson does score isin his analysis & conclusions regarding the major part played by Rose Westin the crimes. In my opinion he does this far more convincingly than any other author I have read on this subject. If you are looking for a fairly concise account of the circumstances surrounding Fred & Rose West & can stomach reading about their truly nauseating crimes, I would recommend 'The Corpse Garden' as a good starting place.
Outrageous, Vital, Important, Unputdownable, Rushed - By: , 12 Apr 2001 
Like most books by Colin Wilson, this book is exceptionally readable, & it is a must for the True Crime shelf. Nevertheless, I have to say that my copy was not well edited & seemed a bit rushed. For example, the spelling & grammatical errors suprised me; but, don't let this put you off - it is a fantastic read & it is literally 'unputdownable'. Colin, inevitably, threadsin his new existentialist concerns, and,in the context of his analysis, it is a relief to read them. No other writer on the subject has so much to say about what is so important. This is what makes Colins work vitally unique. Nauseating subject, important analysis. Shout it.
