" I cannot judge him for what he did in his sick moments..." Those are the words spoken to Barbara Jones, author of "Voices from an Evil God", by Mrs.Szurma, mother -in - law of Peter Sutcliffe, also known as The Yorkshire Ripper. And, having read numerous books on this man, I can understand her words. For this was a man who did many evil and unthinkable deeds, yet, at the same time, a man who was obviously severely mentally ill. Hence the title of this opinion, for, as far as Peter Sutcliffe is concerned, I find myself well and truly between a rock and a hard place.While I have every sympathy for his victims and their families, I can also ...  Read the complete review

"It was the eyes they noticed first. The seven survivors of his frenzied attacks had all told police of his 'crazy stare', which had been reproduced in thousands of photo-fit posters during the six-year hunt for the killer they called the Yorkshire Ripper. Now, in Court Number One at the Old Bailey, the full force of that evil stare can be felt by the jury, the lawyers, the court clerks, and the judge himself." And so starts the first chapter of this disturbing book. This is the very paragraph that caught my attention in that cold unfeeling bookshop, being nudged as people tried to pass in the too-narrow isles. I couldn't say why I ...  Read the complete review