Fred \u0026 Rose by Howard Sounes

Fred \u0026 Rose Reviews

• 
  Laurie (barksbooks)

  This is an account of the true life multiple murder and bizarre sex perpetrated by an ordinary looking man named Fred and his frumpy wife Rose. Together they raped, murdered, dismembered and buried at least ten (but likely many more) innocent women who fell into their clutches. Together. {{{shudders}}} Can you imagine finding (and keeping) your soul mate when your obsession is violent, murderous sex? Can you imagine raising a family and keeping up a facade of normalcy while doing so? Well these two managed it. It’s much worse than any horror novel could every try to be because, sadly enough, it’s all true.
  
  The author states the story matter of factly, never getting preachy but just stating the facts ma’am. He starts things off with their childhoods which were a bloody mess of dysfunction. Both suffered their share of trauma, physical and sexual, before the fateful day they found each other, fell into a twisted version of love and began their spree of sexual abuse and murder. They both seem to be barely functioning people and never really had a chance what with their horrid pasts and all. But still it is very difficult to find any sympathy for either of them as their tale unfolds.
  
  This book made me stop and wonder just what the hell was wrong with me. Why on earth did I want to continue reading about these horrible people? Why couldn’t I put it down? Why did I have to keep reading “just one more page”? I guess it’s my terrible curiosity but these stories have some sort of pull on me and once I start them I have to see them through to the awful end even if means wishing I could scrub myself from the inside out to get some of the images out of my mind when I’m done.
  
  It amazed, saddened and sickened me how loyal Fred remained to Rose until the very end. Despite all of the hell the two created together, the countless sex partners and the sick secrets they kept, Fred loved Rose in his twisted way and couldn’t live without her and still thought himself “a nice man”. That’s about the sickest and scariest thing I’ve ever read.
  
  I only recommend this to those with an interest in real life crime sprees and with an iron clad stomach. The content is extremely rough and hard to forget once read.
  
• 
  Diane in Australia

  A very well researched book about the serial killers, Fred and Rose West. These murders took place in/near Gloucester, England. The author, a journalist, broke the first major story about the couple. He goes back to their childhoods, and continues on until the conclusion of the court case. I wanted to like this book more, as it came highly recommended, but somehow it just seems a bit 'flat' to me. Perhaps, being a serious journalist doesn't make it easy to switch to the more engrossing style needed in a true crime book. Ah, well. But if you want the facts, this book has that ... and several pages of photos.
  
  3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
• 
  Kavita

  It is rare to have a husband and wife serial killer team, operating for years altogether without anyone even noticing. This, in spite of friends, family, lodgers, police, people from the child service, and of course, some would-be victims who got away! Fred and Rose happened and survived for so long because people don't care. There is no policy of zero-tolerance to violence in society, so such things are allowed to continue for years.
  
  Fred grew up in a poverty-stricken home, scrounging for every penny and developed into a molester at a very young age. He received his comeuppance quite early when a girl he tried to molest pushed him down the stairs. Yayyy for her! The author claims that this incident and his motorbike accident led his brain to deteriorate. Quite possible, but since he was already raping and molesting women, I would look for the roots elsewhere.
  
  Rose grew up in a crazy and abusive household and was almost definitely sexually abused by her father. Both her parents had deep mental problems, some of which she probably inherited. Her mother underwent shock treatment when pregnant with Rose, which also probably had a bearing on her development. Rose drew the short straw of life before she was even born, and then had the bad luck to meet Fred.
  
  I knew bits and pieces of this story, but the author was pretty thorough in covering all aspects of it. I liked the fact that he went into the family history of both people, because it is always important and relevant when people turn violent. He also consistently emphasised how many people were informed about 'something irregular' in the West household but how they simply preferred to look the other way. I am honestly incensed at the people who refused to believe the child abuse suffered by the kids because 'Fred was such a nice guy'.
  
  I found parts of the book unnecessarily graphic, especially when the author is describing how Fred dismembered the corpses. It was wholly unnecessary and quite gratuitous. Considering we are talking about a dozen corpses here, it was just too much for me.
  
  A detailed look at the case, its background and its eventual resolution. I'd recommend it if you can deal with the utter depravity of poverty, prostitution, child abuse, sexual abuse, murder and subsequent dismemberment. Murder seems the least sleazy crime of these people when you take the entire thing in perspective. Ugh!
• 
  Chris Steeden

  I read this book when it first came out in paperback. It may well be still up in the loft somewhere. This came up on the Kindle Daily Deal and the cover states that is has a new Postscript, so I thought I’d read it again.
  
  The author, Howard Sounes, was employed at the time of the discovery of the buried bodies at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucestershire, UK, as a staff reporter for the ‘Sunday Mirror’ newspaper in London. I am not a ‘Mirror’ reader but I do remember the papers going into amazing detail on this case. It was just so awful. I don’t think people could believe it which made it so fascinating.
  
  He explains that he needs to go further into the past and especially to Fred and Rose’s parents as this provides an insightful portal into how they were and what they would become. It is so utterly revealing. This is very well told non-fiction. Not dry in the slightest. He wants to just provide facts and no opinion until the Epilogue. He really does deliver on the facts. He obviously spent a lot of time researching. I will not go into the details. I don’t have to. I think every adult in England that was around in 1994 knows exactly what happened.
  
  Not surprisingly this is graphic and disturbing. Fred West was an animal. He had an accomplice as well. His wife, Rose but the details are murky when it comes to her involvement in the actual killing. Did she know, did she take part? There are still many unknowns. What is known is that their sexual depravity was off the chart.
  
  After reading this you feel that you need a very hot power shower. You feel dirty. Everything about it is dirty, disgusting, grimy and abhorrent. This is a sign of the strength of the book. The author does make his feelings known about Rose’s involvement like the jury in her trial did.
  
  The Postscript is OK. It goes into more of what happened with the other family members after, and in some cases, their actual involvement with Fred & Rose including the rape and murders. The photos are in black & white but are a very good accompaniment to the text.
• 
  MadameD

  Story 5/5
  Narration 5/5
  
  What an awful True story!!!
  Fred and Rose were evil.
  This True crime story is very interesting and well documented.
  
  I recommend it!
• 
  Ginger

  Fred & Rose is an incredibly dark, true crime account of the serial killers Fred and Rose West, who were active in Gloucestershire, UK, between 1967 and 1987. All trigger warnings are applicable for this book. This is an excellent book if you are a fan of true crime accounts and can stomach the horrible subject matter.
• 
  Christine

  I first heard of the Wests when the Appropriate Adult mini-series/movie came on cable here in the US. It had Dominic West and Emily Watson, so it was good. Therefore, when the eBook version of this book came up for sale, I brought it. After reading a mystery that used the Wests as a plot point, I decided to read this book.
  
  The Wests, Fred and Rose, were murderers and rapists who targeted younger women and buried some of the victims in the yard of their house. One of the murdered victims was their eldest biological daughter, and it seems that they were abusive to all their children.
  
  Sounes covered the story when it first came to light and this book looks not only into the case itself but also the background to both the Wests. There is, also, background on their victims – which included a relative of Kingsley Amis. With a few exceptions, most of the victims of the West faced similar living circumstance – abusive homes, issues with authority, and lower class.
  
  One wonders if this had anything to do with how long the Wests were able to carry on their murders. Because while Sounes explains who the Wests were (he doesn’t really try to argue why they did what they did), he also details the failures one many levels of government systems and policing that contributed to the span of time the Wests were able to enjoy freedom.
  
  Part of the reason has to do with how Britain at the time saw victims of rape. One of the victims of the couple survived and escape, she even pressed charges, but well, the result of the trial was maddening.
  
  When Sounes covers the background of the Wests, he does so with a sense of detachment. He gives details of their past but does so with a lack of sympathy. This does not apply when he is discussing the victims, which, quite clearly and understandably, get his sympathy. His anger at the various institutions who should have done something is also palpable.
  
  At times, it does almost feel like Sounes is making too much of the Wests’ various sexual fetishes. This seems particularly true about Rose, who because of her mental issues and change of behavior in the relationship seems to interest the author more than her husband. The sexual issues are not described in a titillating way, but there is almost a sense of well, since they are deviant in sexual taste than it is almost nature that they became murderers. I don’t think this feeling is intended and it could be just me. Though I did fine myself wondering why if the Wests had such a vast collection of sex toys as noted late in the book, it wasn’t mentioned earlier (at least in terms of acquiring such a collection).
  
  The police who eventually collared the West do not get as much “page” time as the couple or even the victims. This actually works for the best because it does not become the story of the dogged cop who kept to her guns. Instead, the book functions in part as a memorial for all those victims of the couple.
  
• 
  Lady ♥ Belleza

  Three things stand out to me in this book, (1) the utter depravity of Fred and Rose West; (2) the horrible failure of the Gloucestershire Social Services; and (3) the amazing tenacity of one Detective Constable Hazel Norma Savage, without her involvement, the bodies might never have been found.
  
  Fred and Rose were married for about 25 years, but the killing had started before, both had killed on their own, and then together, they knew each others secrets and covered up for each other. In the end, Fred tried to protect Rose, who when she felt he had failed her turned from him. He took his life and there are now questions that will never be answered. Such as, why were finger and toe bones missing, are there more victims and if so where are they buried? Rose maintains her innocence. These are things we may never find out.
  
  Howard Sounes is a journalist, he covered the story when it broke and the trial of Rosemary West, much of the information in this book is from that. There is also extensive background information and he includes speculation on what caused Fred and Rose to become such twisted individuals. He delivers accounts of what probably happened to the victims, based on the condition of the bodies and accounts from other victims that survived. One of the victims that lived is Fred and Rose’s daughters. Two of the victims that were killed were also their daughters.
  
  The facts are laid out explicitly but not sensationally making this an informative, well written, interesting account. I recommend this book.
• 
  Katie

  An interesting read, but was left feeling unsure on where I stood with the authors frequent references to ‘lesbian sex’. One example of this is where Sounes describes Rose as having a ‘penchant for sadistic lesbian sex.’
  
  Rose was not a lesbian. She had sex with men and women alike, and was married to a man. ‘Lesbian’ is a somewhat inaccurate descriptor for Rose’s sex life. Was it necessary at all to state ‘lesbian sex’? Why not ‘sadistic sex,’ or ‘sadistic sex with men and women’?
  
  Negative attitudes towards homosexuals have historically come hand in hand with the depiction of homosexual sex as perverse and abnormal.
  
  Sounes frequently attempts to emphasise Rose’s sexual deviance by employing the phrase ‘lesbian sex’, making his (conscious or unconscious) biases towards the LGBTQ+ community apparent. Would Sounes have written ‘sadistic straight sex’ if Rose West had exclusively had sex with men? I think not. Language matters.
  
  Additionally, his writing style is at times unnecessarily cruel, using harsh physical descriptors of anyone he has a dislike for. Some examples from his description of witnesses in the court room are: ‘ruddy faced,’ ‘grizzled middle aged men with receding hair and lined faces.’
  
  Howard Sounes, who hurt you?
• 
  Cobwebs-Iced-In-Space

  Review of FRED & ROSE by Howard Sounes
  
  A couple of weeks ago, prisoner-for-life Rose West was assaulted by another female inmate, who later stated that as a mother herself she could not tolerate Rose's crimes, nor the attention and approbation she believes Rose receives. So I found it apropos that this superb recounting of the killer couple, Fred West and Rose Leets West, their crimes and personalities, history and ancestry, be published this week (March 14, 2017 release). The author, Howard Sounes, is a journalist and biographer, who actually “broke” some of the news surrounding the discoveries in February-March 1994 of the numerous, even extensive, killings committed by one or both of this evil pair. Yes, I use the term “evil,” because I think any lesser disapprobation applies. Fred and Rose, singularly and coupled, acted far beyond the accepted bounds of human behaviour. Indeed, for these two, no taboos existed. What they desired, they acted upon, no matter how horrendous. Like two infants, they insisted on immediate gratification; they had no code of moral conduct, indeed no morality whatsoever; and their planning extended only to disposing of victims in order to leave no witnesses. Of course, if they had thought in advance, and had not responded to their every passing whim, many young women would not have died agonizingly.
  
  FRED & ROSE is a difficult read for a human who has any emotions or empathy, but it is superbly written and very revealing of how, why, where, and what of the crimes committed by this couple (individually and in concert). It is not reading for the faint of heart; but for readers like myself, who are impelled to read true crime and crime fiction to learn “Why? How could such have happened? Who could act this way?” it's essential reading, offering also the questions “Where were the authorities (law enforcement, medical, social services) when these victims—young adults, adolescents, and children—fell prey to these two “human” monsters?
• 
  What Lynsey Read

  This book only got 2 stars from me not because of the content - that was obviously going to be disturbing - but because I wasn't keen on the writing style. I found it clunky & overly descriptive. The author often seems to go into detail about unnecessary & irrelevant points. For example, did I need to know that the cop in charge - Hazel - wore tortoiseshell glasses and had short brown hair? I think not. There was a photo of her for those with no imagination.
  
  It seemed to take me a while to get through this book. Probably because a)it was over wordy, so I skim read bits of it only to find I'd missed something and b)some of it was so sick and beyond comprehension that I had to read it twice for it to sink in.
  
  I imagine that there is also a fair amount of artistic licence or conjecture in the narrative; no one will ever know the finer details unless Rose decides to share - a situation which seems unlikely. But I suppose that this was necessary to set the scene and give a flowing chain of events.
  
  It was interesting though - I didn't realise that Rose had had so many children for example - and there were so many unanswered question. Why were some of their children spared death whilst others were murdered? Not that they had much of a life. How many more bodies are out there that will never be found?
  
  
• 
  Georgie

  Is it wrong to say that I enjoyed this? I certainly couldn't put it down; and annoyed almost everyone around me by attempting to engage in conversation based on Fred and Rose.
  I think that the book depicts the lives of Fred and Rose West perfectly, however, on occasion the author seems biased towards certain subjects within the book,I felt.
  If you're the type of person (like me) who is interested by the thought provoking nature of people's/ serial killer's actions- especially that of Fred and Rose- I would advise this book.
  Oh, and also readers with an emotional characteristic please don't read this book, it can be slightly upsetting at times.
• 
  Sabrina Rutter

  This was a deep look into the lives of one of the worlds most twisted couples. I wonder how any of their children survived their childhoods.
  If people would have conacted child protective services or reported what they had seen to the police so many lives could have been saved.
  This couple were definantly out of touch with reality and living in some fantasy world full of sadomasochism.
  
• 
  Jane

  Was this an enjoyable read? Absolutely not. I felt physically sick reading many of the passages detailing the Wests’ horrific murder and abuse of women and girls. But this is a crime case I somehow had never heard of before, and the author does a great job explaining how this seemingly innocent couple got away with these inhumane acts for so long. This is a very well researched account, and I found the details of the court case fascinating.
• 
  Michelle

  The most disturbing true crime book I've ever read. Both were so deeply disturbed and they both honestly never thought what they were doing was ever wrong. He took the suicide way out in the end but in my opinion should have done the time. This book could possibly keep you up at night. I know it kept me up.
• 
  Bill reilly

  We’re #1; my country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty and serial killers; Bundy, Kemper, Gacy, etc. And now for something completely different, as we are off to the land of Madam George and roses. Gloucester, G.B. is the setting and a bloody good start it is with dismembered remains found under a garden. It was 1994, and the homeowner, Fred West was charged with murder of his teenage daughter, Heather. Fred was a builder and mom Rose was a hooker. Fred was born in 1941 in a cottage with no electricity or running water. The bathroom was a bucket. Six more kids were born into dire poverty. At sixteen, Fred had a motorcycle accident and was unconscious for several days. At 19, he impregnated a thirteen year-old girl who would not testify at trial against him. His future wife and partner in crime also grew up in horrible circumstances. Her father was schizophrenic and her mother was a manic depressive who received shock treatment; what a family tree! During the ECT treatments, Rose was born. Although her mom and siblings were beaten by dear old dad, Rose was spared, most likely because she was as dumb as a box of rocks. She slept with her 10 year-old brother and at thirteen, she molested him, and incest with her father was also likely. At fifteen, Rose had a sexual affair with a thirty year-old man. In 1964, Fred married Rena Costello, a teen prostitute. Four teen girls disappeared in Glasgow and the place where he lived has been paved over. In 1967, Freddie knocked up a nice teenage Catholic girl, Anna McFall. She was found dead twenty seven years later, but baby daddy was not charged due to a lack of evidence. The stars aligned and romance filled the air at a bus stop as Fred and Rose met for the first time and it was kismet. They shared a mutually sadomasochistic relationship She was fifteen and Fred twenty seven. He pimped her out to coworkers; Goddamn this is depressing. It only gets worse as while Fred was in prison for theft, Rose killed his seven year-old daughter from his first wife. She was buried in their basement. Rose gave birth at sixteen. Fred’s first wife Rena vanished and no one looked for her. She, it later turned out, was also killed and dismembered by Fred. The guy is a veritable Bundy; Ted, of course. Fred married Rose and they rented a house with basement for their bizarre sexual activities. The threesomes with other consenting adults did not bother me, but Fred’s rape and Rose’s molestation of his eight year-old daughter is beyond comprehension. Send them both to Saudi Arabia for a good old fashioned stoning. Several teenage girls went missing in 1974. The killing couple had raped and dismembered them. Lodgers were commonplace in the house, but they were oblivious. Mr. and Mrs. West turned Ann Marie into a prostitute when she was twelve and Fred impregnated her two years later. Rose continued to work as a hooker and had two more kids fathered by Jamaican men. They used cameras to videotape her trysts with both customers and Fred. Some of their fetishes are nauseating. They ran adult ads seeking partners and the number of willing participants is amazing and I am mystified as to why anyone feels the need to be beaten. Finally, after endless years of depravity, a thirteen year-old girl told a friend of being raped by the dynamic duo. Ann Marie was interviewed and told the police of her childhood abuse. The police dept. dug up the yard and found human remains. The pathologist, Bernard Knight, is on my wavelength as an atheist who said, “The human race is pretty rotten.” And “we are a malignancy on the face of the earth.” Nine sets of remains created a jigsaw puzzle of sorts for Knight. Most identifications were virtually impossible since so many transients had stayed at the house. Young runaway hookers were not exactly a priority for cops. The legal machinations were very British, with wigs and Q.C.’s, all very proper. The finish is somewhat surprising and I feel the need for a karmic bath after reading this thoroughly unpleasant story.
• 
  Irene Well Worth A Read

  This factual account of the lives of Fred and Rose West, begins before either of them were born. It begins with their families and the awful conditions they were born into and leads to their subsequent meeting, and the sharing of their proclivities for depravity and debauchery.
  
  I would agree with the description that it was a fascinating tale, however it left me with more questions than answers. I found some of it very difficult to believe. I am not saying I don't believe they were perverted and twisted child molesters and murderers, I just can not understand the actions of some of their adult victims. I don't understand, nor was it explained why Fred's former wife would show up to claim her children but then leave without them.
  
  While I can understand the ease with which they manipulated young girls who had no where else to turn I don't understand how they could have gotten away with murder and torture for so long, or why for instance borders in their home would hear screams and never look into it. Rose is described as fat and dim witted. Fred is described as fat, ugly, vulgar, crude, having the features of a monkey, a smile which showcases his obvious lack of hygiene, and yet he is also described as able to charm people, particularly women. That makes no sense to me. There was at one point a friendly relationship with a neighbor woman who would watch their children while they went out looking to pick up young girls. When they told this woman their young child was not a virgin, when they tried to get this woman to have sex with the both of them, and she was supposedly not interested in such a relationship so I do not understand why she returned to their home almost daily to "have tea" with them even after the point of one time being attacked and handcuffed by Fred. Why did she continue to return to their home and ultimately become another of their victims? It is said they carried on some semblance of normal life and yet they thought nothing of keeping their daughter out of school many times due to her injuries from their physical and sexual torture. There was several hospital visits but nobody ever looked into it further. People in the neighborhood seemed to know the family was not normal yet nobody including police did anything for years even though Fred already had a criminal record.
  Rose and Fred both were terrible liars but it seems no matter how far fetched an excuse they would give, nobody dug any further for years.
  This book left me unsettled, with more questions than answers.
• 
  Love

  I do not even know where to start with this review. It's been a while since I read a TC I hate the court scenes in these type books. However this book was written very differant than others I have read. Liked the writing style in this one. Now onto how I felt about the subject and it's "charactors"....Well after reading the entire book I realize these people were destined to have troubled lives from the get go. You can not put an unborn child through what Rose Letts went through. Ihave always believed that what is done to the mothers body is also felt by that unborn baby. ECT theraphy hurt people, so whats it going to do to a developing baby??? I gather from the contents of the book that Freds parents both under mentally developed. Then his accident causing brain damage...All of this does not make what they did acceptable but I feel it contributes to the extent of their crimes. I also find it hard to believe it took 30 years to descover their crimes. There were so many signs that could have lead people to see something was going wrong in that home. You can bet if my neighbor was up quote "building" at all hours of the night I would be checking into it. It is also mentioned people living in the home heard screaming and not of pleasure well come on?? That would be question wouldn't it?? As much as I hate the crimes these two committed I feel bad for them, for what they had gone through before they did these horrible crimes. I do not think we should feel any less pain for them then we do the people they hurt. I do not think Rose was working with a full deck Fred for that matter either. Now a days we have programs to help this sort of thing to bad this had to happened to make people notice there was smething wrong with the two of them. I would say it is a must read for any true crime reader.
• 
  Melanie Hilton

  I have read 187 pages of this..I feel physically sick. .I can't read anymore of this..It is sick, twisted and vile..Rose should have been tortured and got the electric chair..The pair of them were demented freaks..This book has given me the heebee geebees..How they got away with it for 20 odd years beggars belief !!I wanted to read this book because when all of the gruesome murders came to light I was 14 years old and didn't know much about it..I'm 33 now and I wish I had not let my curiosity get the better of me..All those poor teenage girls and women sexually abused and murdered at the hands of those two perverted animals !! May Fred burn in hell..And may Rose get her just desserts! Not for the faint hearted..I have read a lot of true crime books in the past but this is so bone chilling and harrowing I can't read another page..God bless all the victims and their families x
• 
  regina

  Although people will think you're sick when they see what you're reading, I highly recommend this. Well that is if you're interested in true and a very graphic, detailed look at literal psychopaths.
  
  What made this book so intriguing was that it was 2 serial killers and not just one. What these people did to their victims was gruesome and utterly amazing that it took so long for something to happen.
  
  For true-crime lovers out there, this is a must-read.
• 
  Fishface

  A horrifying account of the Gloucestor House of Horrors, brought to you by the journalist who broke the case. This is more or less the official version of events as understood by most people. Just bear in mind, not everyone believes it happened this way.
• 
  Bettie

  Prof
  Bernard Knight expertise helped solve this case.
  
  Book set free in Murrayfield Hotel
• 
  Helen Leecy

  Fred and Rose by Howard Sounes is a disturbing but eye-opening book that provides a deeper insight into the lives of Fred and Rose West. As someone who was already familiar with their story, I was still shocked by some of the details revealed in this book. Some parts made me feel physically sick, but I couldn't stop reading.
  One thing that struck me was how the children of Fred and Rose still loved their father despite all the horrific things he had done. It's hard to comprehend how someone could still have affection for a person who caused them so much pain and suffering. It really shows how complex and twisted these relationships were.
  I did find myself wondering, however, why the family didn't seem more appalled or shocked by Fred's actions. It's possible that some information was left out or that they simply didn't want to acknowledge the truth, but it's still difficult to understand.
  One thing that stood out to me while reading Fred and Rose was the level of research that Howard Sounes put into this book. It was clear that he had gone to great lengths to gather as much information as possible about the case and had conducted many interviews with people close to the Wests.
  However, at times, I felt that the author over-described certain things. For example, there was an instance where he went into great detail explaining what an ice cream cone was. It was also apparent that he had done a lot of research into the fact that Fred West had lived at three properties with the number 25. However, his research failed to be fruitful, and it was found that this didn’t really mean much, but he still felt the need to show us that he had done this research despite it being irrelevant. While I understand the importance of providing context and setting the scene, some of these descriptions felt unnecessary.
  Despite this minor critique, I still found the book to be an engrossing and informative read. Sounes' dedication to research paid off, as he was able to uncover new details and provide fresh insights into the case. It's clear that a lot of time and effort went into writing this book, which shows in the depth of information presented.
  Overall, Fred and Rose is a well-researched and well-written book that sheds light on one of the most infamous criminal cases in British history. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you're interested in true crime and want to learn more about the Wests, it's definitely worth a read, though it's essential to be prepared for some graphic and disturbing content.
  It has certainly whet my appetite to read more on this case and see things from different perspectives. My friend has said there is a book looking at it from the point of view that Rose is innocent, so that will make for an interesting read. I am certainly not done with this terrible travesty just yet!
• 
  Tim Adams

  
  I’m not a true crime aficionado by any means, but I don’t mind reading about it. From a historical point of view, I find true crime fascinating. This one caught my eye because I remember it happening, I seemed so ridiculously absurd that such a thing *could* happen in our world. Reading it though, was a huge challenge. For the first time ever, I nearly regretted reading a true crime book.
  
  This was very well written and forensic in its detail and objectivity. That is what made it even harder - the fact that nothing disguised or distracted from the sheer horror and insanity of what happened at 25 Cromwell Road. This is a seriously disturbing my book that literally made me Have nightmares and put me off special cuddles on a few occasions.
  
  Insane. The Wests were simply insane.
• 
  Colin Garrow

  Over a period of several years, Fred and Rose West murdered a series of young women, burying many of the bodies under their own house at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester - their victims including one of their own daughters. Other bodies were discovered buried at the Wests’ previous home as well as in open countryside. Following their arrests in 1994, twelve bodies were eventually discovered, though the true number is likely to be many more.
  
  Former journalist Howard Sounes covered the murder trial of Rosemary West and went on to pen this in-depth book recounting not only the murders, but the many rapes and tortures inflicted on Fred and Rosemary’s victims. Charting the couple’s lives from childhood to their arrest, the author doesn’t shy away from the horrific details of their crimes – details that some readers will find disturbing.
  
  The author himself reads this updated version of the audiobook, bringing the gruesome story to life while exploring the reasons Fred and Rose became two of Britain’s most notorious serial killers.
  
• 
  Simon

  This book is a difficult read. The levels of depravity are truly shocking. How could 12 people be killed and chopped up without anybody noticing anything. Why was there a huge gap in the killings when sadistic sex was part of Fred and Rose’s mo. The author eludes to that there is many many more victims of the couple but lack of resources and money won’t launch more site investigation’s. .
  
  A good ready of a difficult subject.
• 
  Lauren Beveridge

  Very brutal and goes into graphic detail. Extremely hard to read at a lot of parts. This was to be expected obviously but still shocked me.
  
  Though the telling was horrific it was very interesting and I learned a lot about the case which I didn't know before.
  
  Just shows how two damaged people can manifest an evil that may not have been if they had not met each other.
• 
  Ryan

  3.5, really interesting and comprehensive look at this chilling case. However a lot of the language and points of view of LGBTQ individuals is really outdated and hard to read. The author also got bogged down in small, meaningless details, which caused it to drag at times. I wanted to keep reading but I often fell asleep.
• 
  Sandra Payne

  A hard read because of subject but written in an interesting factual style. Author addresses the brutality enough to bring you into the event but never Overdoes the narrative as so many authors do in an attempt to shock or horrify the reader.