Title: THE KILLING COUSINS: The True Story of the Slaying Cousins
Series: True Crime by Evil Killers, Book 11
Author: Jack Rosewood
Type of Book: Audiobook- Unabridged
Length: 3 hours and 8 minutes
Narrator: Miles Taylor
Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Publisher: Wiq Media
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ I received a free copy of this book through AudioBookBlast in exchange for an honest review.
Description by Audible.com:
When Killing Cousins David Alan Gore and Fred Waterfield realized as teens that they shared the same sick, twisted sex fantasies of raping helpless, bound women who were completely at their mercy, Florida’s quiet Vero Beach would be never be the same.
DAVID ALAN GORE
Some of the least remorseful of all American serial killers, the deadly duo stalked their victims, often hitchhikes they believed would never be missed, using Gore’s auxiliary deputy badge as a ruse to lure them into their vehicle. After that, they were most likely to be driven to their deaths. Their evil, sadistic story from the annals of Florida history is one that will chill even longtime fans of true crime murder, especially after reading excerpts from the letters Gore wrote from prison, in which he shared deplorable secrets that made him one of the most demented sex criminals of all time. Gore once told a psychologist that “the devil made me do it,” but those who came in contact with Gore – including the law enforcement officials that ultimately put him on Death Row – believed he was the devil due to his depraved levels of cruelty.
Among the psychopaths and sociopaths that have walked the earth, Gore was one of the worst, although those who knew them say that it was Fred Waterfield, the more popular cousin who always played the good guy to Gore’s bad, who was the true brains of the outfit. As it happens, he probably was, because Waterfield almost got away with murder.
MY REVIEW:
Before listening to this audiobook I had never heard of Cousins David Alan Gore and Fred Waterfield which is surprising since their crimes must have garnered a lot of media attention. I assume the reason for my lack of information on the subject is due to geography. I live in Ontario, Canada and the cousins’ crime spree took place in Florida.
I have listened to and read many True Crime books over the years and they all tend to follow a particular pattern. First, you learn about the killer’s childhood and family life; any early signs of psychopathy are outlined. This leads to the telling of the escalation of the killer’s crimes.
In “The Killing Cousins” this formula is only partially used. Other than learning that both David Alan Gore and his cousin, Fred Waterfield both had violent and deviant sexual fantasies during their adolescence, I did not feel that their early histories were adequately examined.
I did find the story interesting, but felt there were a few problems with the way it was presented to the reader/listener.
It was lacking in cohesiveness and the story came across as disjointed. For example, the listener learns that David Alan Gore was executed before they learn the details of his crimes. I believe that the author assumes that his readers will have previous knowledge of this criminal duo, but that is not always the case.
Another issue I had was with the recording quality. In two separate places the narrator repeats himself. I believe is probably when he took a break and went back to it later and a few words ended up being said twice; either that or whoever did the editing made the errors.
I also would have liked to hear more about the victims. While there were a few details given, such as their ages, I felt that not enough details were given for the reader to feel any true empathy for them. They came across as victims in a story, rather than real people.
Based on the comments above, it would seem that I did not enjoy this audiobook, but that is not true. I found it interesting and I have to admit that the psychopathic mind is fascinating to me. What turns seemingly ordinary people into depraved monsters? I guess we will never really know.
If you are looking for a shortened version of the story of David Alan Gore and Fred Waterfield this audiobook is perfect for you.
I rate this audiobook as 3 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you are interested in more information about this crime spree, visit the following links:
THE PALM BEACH POST ARTICLE OUTLINING GORE’S CRIMES:
TAMPA BAY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ABOUT DAVID ALAN GORE’S EXECUTION
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jack Rosewood is the author of many books on True Crime.
Jack lives in Jupiter, Florida with his wife, two kids and their golden retriever, Vincent.
Jack Rosewood has been a full time author for the last 15 years and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!
His father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that’s where Jack’s interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear his father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as they were out fishing when he was a kid are some of his best memories.
Join His Newsletter and get a FREE E-Book and more deals: http://jackrosewood.com
ABOUT THE NARRATOR:
Miles Taylor is a voice actor from Upstate NY. He specializes in adult romance, fantasy, mystery & thrillers.
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