The year was 1965. The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and The Righteous Brothers filled the airwaves. Television shows like “The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriett” and “The Andy Griffith Show” mirrored the innocence of life in the dusty city of Tucson, Az. But the sunbaked desert surrounding Tucson was hiding a sinister secret. A psychopath names Charles Schmid, later nicknamed the “Pied Piper of Tucson” by Life Magazine, would steal that innocence away, along with the lives of three beautiful teenage girls.
In this firsthand account written in 1967, Richard Bruns shares the evolution of his friendship with Schmid, the details of getting involved way in over his head, and how he finally summoned the courage to blow the whistle to end the deadly rampage that shocked the nation and changed the city of Tucson forever.
I, a Squealer is a compelling, gritty and intriguing true crime story that will captivate as well as entertain readers for many hours on end. I, a Squealer is a book I knew I had to read and review; as a woman who has studied Psychology and a woman who has been fascinated with serial killers and why killers do what they do, I, a Squealer is a book I knew I would love. I have now finished reading the brilliant I, a Squealer and I can happily write that this book did live up to my expectations and is a book I love and am fascinated by. Readers who enjoy true crime or crime fiction will adore I, a Squealer thanks to its gripping, intriguing and captivating story, so I implore readers who love these genres as well as memoirs to read this fascinating book… you will not regret it!
I, a Squealer has to be one of the most unique crime books I have ever read because this true crime story is written in memoir form by a man who knew the serial killer… yes book lovers, you have read that right. At the heart of the story is a serial killer called Charles Schmid, Schmid was described as a charismatic man however beneath that gleaming exterior he was sinister, and he murdered three innocent teenage girls in the 1960’s in Tuscon, Arizona. Richard Bruns is the author of I, a Squealer and he was also the former friend of Schmid. Bruns in his book will take his reader on the journey of his friendship with Schmid and how he eventually informed the police of Schmid’s horrific crimes. Never before have I encountered such a book so if you are a reader who is fascinated by crime and serial killers and want to know more about their psyche as well as how they interact with people then I, a Squealer is a book you should not miss.
I, a Squealer is a book that is flawlessly written and a book that is executed in the most entertaining of ways. Bruns is a talented author; the reader won’t be able to think anything but this as they begin to read his book. That is because Bruns descriptive prose is sensational and this combined with the extensive but concise details of the crimes and events associated with Schmid and his thoughts and feelings towards them and his former friend make I, a Squealer an unmissable read.
Usually, with true crime stories, I find that the author holds back; the author typically holds back on the gore, the brutality and the more delicate details which will haunt people. However, Bruns is an author who is brazen with his work, and so he holds back on nothing regarding the crimes of Schmid. The outcome of this is an accurate portrayal of a sinister person in criminal history that will fascinate as well as horrify readers.
Bruns is an author I admire for many reasons, one of them being the fact that he does not hold back with regards to the crimes explored throughout the book and the other because of his eloquent prose that captivated me from the very start. I adore the fact that Bruns decided to write an honest book and share his story that does not hold back on gruesome details. This is a crucial factor in a true crime book and a winning factor so this, combined with the fact that Bruns is a talented author who personally knew Schmid ensures that I, a Squealer is one of the best true crime books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Overall I, a Squealer is an intricately detailed, flawless and intriguing story about a haunting person written by somebody close to the killer who shares rare insight and so I have no choice but to award this stellar book five stars so please if you are a reader who loves true crime then you should not miss out on this brilliant book!
Thank you so much for reading book lovers! I appreciate it so much, I love discussing wonderful books with all of you so please comment below and let me know your thoughts on I, a Squealer. Do you see yourself reading this book? Do you love the genre? Please let me know your brilliant thoughts below and I will be sure to comment back. Thank you so much again for reading!
P.S. Here is a preview of the book for all of you lovely readers to enjoy! Please have a read of the preview and if you find that you have loved what you have read then all you need to do is click the Buy on Amazon button and it will take you straight to the book on Amazon U.S.! If you are in the U.K. then below I have attached a link to the book for Amazon U.K..
Below I have attached some links about the author and this wonderful book so if you would like to learn more about the author and the book then please have a browse. Thank you so much again for reading book lovers, I can’t wait to read your thoughts on this book!
Amazon U.S. – Amazon U.K. – Goodreads – Barnes & Noble
