The Chicago Killer: The Hunt For Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy Paperback – February 6, 2012

Tired of the pedophile clown getting all the attention? This account co-written by the detective in charge of all detectives at the Des Plaines police department in 1978 gives you a revealing breakdown of the investigation that led to the arrest of the pedophile clown and eventual recovery of young Robert Piest's body from the Des Plaines river. What I found most interesting was how new investigating serial killers was when Joe Kozenczak took on this case.

I've know read two books by Chief of Detectives Joe Kozenczak and they are extremely compelling. What Mr. Kozenczak and his team accomplished with a dogged fervor was amazing. They protected this animals rights and wanted to be dead sure when it was time that they had their man. Told in a Chicago street talk kind of way that I certainly could relate too. A must read!

I watched the movie "To Catch a Killer" and wanted to learn more about the case. This book is excellent as the story is told by the actual detective who solved the crime. It is well written and easy to read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about real life events.

A great inside look into the investigation. There is no death, just a change of worlds. I'll see you on the other side mate.

Good detail from a detectives perspective.

I own a copy of The Chicago Killer and I just finished listening to the audio narration. This is a must for historians who are into Chicagoland police stories. Told by Kozenczak himself, the story of the capture of killer John Wayne Gacy, truly comes to life. I heard that Chief Kozenczak recently passed and I felt compelled to buy this great story. Written and told by this great cop, it holds your interest and makes you appreciate good policing. Thank you, Des Plaines Police. Thank you, Chief.

Very well written. Suspenseful. I enjoyed it very much.

The story of John Wayne Gacy, America's most prolific serial killer, and the people involved in his downfall. Principally this book revolves around a missing 15 year old Chicago schoolboy Robert Jerome Piest and the Des Plaines detective Joe Kozenczak who was charged with the task of recovering him.From little initial information other than a ten year old sodomy charge, Kozenczak builds a case against Gacy that will reveal he has tortured and killed thirty three young men and boys over an eight year period.The sheer arrogance of Gacy and his vile lifestyle are brought home forcibly with vignettes showing him cruising the streets looking for runaway boys. One graphic rape is described but it is done tastefully without undue salacious detail. The police used psychics to help them in their search for Robert and this proved very instructive. Perhaps the saddest part of the book is the discovery of the body of Robert Piest in the Des Plaines river and the subsequent destruction of the Piest family in their grief, particularly mother. The smiling face of Robert, shown in the photo section, is haunting.I was interested to learn that Kozenczak visits this boys grave every 11th December, a nice human touch.Gacy was a repugnant man, overweight and by all accounts unwashed and slovenly, he was also utterly unrepentant and in the epilogue a short letter parallels the fact that he lived as long on death row as some of his victims lived in their entire lives. That is a disgrace to America and not acceptable. The names of the other boys who were murdered are listed in the book along with those who have never been identified , together with a section on why the police use psychics and when.A good read for those who like crime but more importantly for those who contemplate the human condition.

As an individual who has read a lot about Gacy, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, whether familiar with the case or not.Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book sees things through Kozenczak's eyes, however.

Having read other books about John Wayne Gacy, i, would say this is the best one by miles, especially considering it was written by the lead detective on the case.

It is a fact filled account of a hunt for a serial killerWell written but you can put it down if you know what I mean

great would buy from them again