AMAZING

I couldn’t stop listening. Such a well researched book, I love that we hear the backgrounds on a lot of the people. Very well narrated. I had watched documentaries on this madman before, but this was something else, it just gave you the whole story. A very sad story at that.

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Brilliant

Definitely have to give this book 5 stars all round, Kevin Pierce is a brilliant narrator, Jack Olsen brilliant crime writer. Enjoyed the book thoroughly. There’s nothing at all I didn’t like about. Highly recommended.

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misbegotten son

I could listen to Kevin Pierce all day I have listened to a few books he has narrated. This was a horrible, sad story.

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Great True Crime book

What made the experience of listening to The Misbegotten Son the most enjoyable?

Combination of a terrifically written book and great narrator.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Arthur Shawcross and the confounding psychological case study he represented.

What does Kevin Pierce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I thought he did a great job finding the voice of the myriad characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Hearing about the mother of Shawcross' first (known) victim and the special bond that existed between that mother and the boy.

Any additional comments?

There's a lot of crappy or generic writing in the true crime genre.

This is definitely not the case with this book. Olsen is an excellent writer and brings gravitas, offering an incredibly layered and exhaustive account of all the people involved in the story, from the killer & his family, the investigators involved in tracking and apprehending him, as well as the victims and their families.

There was so much pathos in Olsen's writing that I found it more affecting than your average true crime book.

The book sometimes flits around through different times in the killer's life and writing in the voice of different characters, which some readers might find off-putting. I did not as I found it contributed to the rich mosaic of the world inhabited by these characters.

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2 people found this helpful

Interesting insight into a disturbed mind.

An interesting insight once you get used to the writing style of jumping from one interview to another. Well narrated.

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Brilliant.

Another fascinating work by Mr Olsen, and wonderfully narrated by Kevin Pierce. Some parts difficult to listen to but only because of the sheer vulgarity of the crimes that Shawcross committed. Not for the faint of heart. But that being said, highly recommended for true crime fans!

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One of the best true crime accounts I have read

And I have read a lot! This book presents such detail on the victims, giving them the profile and respect they deserve and ensuring they are remembered as more than just numbers and names on a serial killer’s rap sheet. The author does a great job presenting the history of the murderer and his crimes without the subjectivity and melodrama which other authors bring to their analysis. Balanced at all times, he uses evidence to support his case - that Shawcross is indeed a monster. Whether it is carefully going back to military sources to disprove Shawcross’s claims about his time in Vietnam or even reflecting on his early school report cards to demonstrate a history of disturbance, the author has done his homework. The material is presented in a really engaging way, with different perspectives brought to bear and a fantastic choice of narrator for the audiobook version.

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Highly Recommend

I was very quickly addicted to this book and found myself putting it on every chance I had. Narrator was great.

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Sad, fascinating, brilliantly presented

Again..HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Jack Olsen plus Kevin Pierce what more can you ask for…this incredibly researched story of true crime will have you captivated from start to finish
Can’t fault it any way

Now my problem is what to listen to next that won’t be disappointing after such an incredible listen
Thank you Audible

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Detailed and gripping

Well read and well written. Makes for great listening. Very hard to put down once you start.

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