BOOK 219: THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN: THE SOLVING OF A CENTURY-OLD SERIAL KILLER MYSTERY: BILL JAMES, RACHEL MCCARTHY JAMES

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Using unprecedented, dramatically compelling sleuthing techniques, legendary statistician and baseball writer Bill James applies his analytical acumen to crack an unsolved century-old mystery surrounding one of the deadliest serial killers in American history.

Between 1898 and 1912, families across the country were bludgeoned in their sleep with the blunt side of an axe. Jewelry and valuables were left in plain sight, bodies were piled together, faces covered with cloth. Some of these cases, like the infamous Villasca, Iowa, murders, received national attention. But few people believed the crimes were related. And fewer still would realize that all of these families lived within walking distance to a train station.

When celebrated baseball statistician and true crime expert Bill James first learned about these horrors, he began to investigate others that might fit the same pattern. Applying the same know-how he brings to his legendary baseball analysis, he empirically determined which crimes were committed by the same person. Then after sifting through thousands of local newspapers, court transcripts, and public records, he and his daughter Rachel made an astonishing discovery: they learned the true identity of this monstrous criminal. In turn, they uncovered one of the deadliest serial killers in America.

Riveting and immersive, with writing as sharp as the cold side of an axe, The Man from the Train paints a vivid, psychologically perceptive portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century, when crime was regarded as a local problem, and opportunistic private detectives exploited a dysfunctional judicial system. James shows how these cultural factors enabled such an unspeakable series of crimes to occur, and his groundbreaking approach to true crime will convince skeptics, amaze aficionados, and change the way we view criminal history.

(From https://www.goodreads.com)

MY VERDICT: The premise of this book really appealed to me. I love true crime and the idea that someone had figured out the answer to a few still famous and very old crimes and that they were all committed by the same guy was fascinating. However, this book was not enjoyable to read. The tone of the book was odd, it was like the author had a chip on his shoulder about the fact that you might not believe his theory – before he’d even given you his theory. The most annoying thing about it is the way it jumps around – he starts to tell you a story and in the middle of some detail says – I will some back to that later – by the time you get there (because this book waffles and is much longer than it needs to be) you’ve forgotten the thread of the story. It’s badly written and badly edited and the authors asides are, to be honest, a little cringeworthy. The idea is a solid one and probably a great book could be written on this subject in a more competent writer’s hands.