THE BOSTON STRANGLERS

Susan Kelly's thesis is that there was not just one Boston Strangler, but several. She asserts that Albert DeSalvo, already in prison for burglary and sex crimes, confessed to all the murders for the notoriety and the money that would come from a book. There was no physical evidence tying DeSalvo to the killings, and, while there were several other possible suspects, city officials and police were determined to calm a frantic public by quickly naming a killer. Lorna Raver brings an intelligent energy to this nonfiction account. Raver's narration is engrossing as Kelly lays out the gruesome particulars of each of the 13 murders alleged to be the Strangler's. However, as with many true-crime books, too many tedious details detract from the book's forward momentum. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]