This may be an old case, but Ramirez is the ultimate archetype of evil. In some ways, this is the book that other true crime should be compared to. It's thorough, unrelentingly real, which is what makes this so scary. The structure, and detail make this a must read for true crime fans. It starts to feel long about three quarters in, but this is because Carlo doesn't miss anything. He doggedly persists in presenting every single incident in the case, from beginning to end. Only because it felt long, I gave this four stars. As with any classic, from In Cold Blood to my favorite new classic, Monster of Florence, or Drew Peterson Exposed, this belongs on every true crime fan's shelf.

As I am concerned about justice in America, especially in regard to homicide and serial killers, I found Philip Carlo's book completely fascinating in its depth and broad perspective. There were no cardboard
characters in this book; there were only real, human, feeling, people; people who prayed and cried and despaired. Obviously Carlo researched
this story thoroughly. What drama! We hear on TV, or read in the newspapers, that the victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to
survive. But that's not where it ends. Victim Virginia Petersen tells
what happens afterward in her statement when she was given a chance to speak after the sentencing. If you're the type who cries, you weep as
you learn of her family's agonies and the devastation and shambles
and fragmented pieces left of their lives after the attack. Then again,
some object to giving a killer's family any sympathy. But when Carlo
told of the family's deep grief, especially of his mother's and father's
despair over his terrible murders, I felt, these, too, were victims.
This is a book that helps men and women understand the serial killer
and perhaps edge toward learning how to better handle such horrors when they arise.

I've read some complaints here about the fact that this book is too long because the author covers the trial of Richard Ramirez at great length in the second half of this novel. (The first half covers the crimes and the Night Stalker's childhood.) I'll have to disagree with those reviews. Author Philip Carlo is clearly well-researched. He provides a lot of input here not only into the crimes, victims, and the killer. We get to know the key players of this harrowing story of one of the most dangerous and scariest serial killers of the annals of crime. I highly recommend this gripping book. You'll find it hard to put down and even harder to forget.

Philip Carlo has written a very exhaustive book about the Night Stalker. It's hard to imagine a more complete book on the serial killer.

The first portion of the book dealt with the horrible crimes of the Night Stalker.
Following that was a section dealing with Richard Ramirez from birth all the way to his arrival in L.A. from El Paso. His temporal lobe epilepsy of childhood and the influence his cousin Miguel had on Ramirez when he was a pre-teen.
The next section of the book was about his attempts to avoid arrest and his eventual apprehension by citizens.
The last part gave a detailed summary of Ramirez's trial.

What made the Night Stalker so dangerous was that he was a different breed of serial killer, he didn't victimize a certain type of person. He really didn't stalk his victims, he chose his targets at random from an ever-expanding area.

Philip Carlo effectively connected the combinations of influences that fueled Ramirez's criminal drive;sex,drugs,pornography,heavy metal music,and satanism.
He was a dedicated satanist reading books authored by Anton LaVey and even meeting him once.

The strange,surreal actions by the Night Stalker "groupies" and Ramirez himself are reminiscent of the Charles Manson trial from "Helter Skelter".

If you want to learn why the Night Stalker was arguably the most feared killer this is the book to read!

Philip Carlo certainly did his homework when researching the crimes of Richard Ramirez. After reading his unbiased account of what happened, I am now much more critical when selecting a true-crime novel. He tells the story just as it happened and lets you form your own opinions about Ramirez, good or bad. I disagree with the reviews that criticize Carlo for not giving his own opinion of Richard Ramirez; it was not his purpose for this book. I also disagree with the reviews on this website that criticize Carlo's account of the trial; I found it fascinating, well-written, informative, and full of detail. If you are only a voyeur of blood-lust, put the book down when the courtroom drama begins. He systematically divides the book into sections of time and place, allowing the reader to look at Ramirez's crimes from all points of view of all persons involved. He is what every journalist should strive to be: unbiased and only reports the facts. As a pre-criminology major, I found this book very insightful.

The detail with which Carlo writes of the murders is impressive, although the calibur of his writing could be better. I found it difficult to put the book down up until the apprehension of Ramirez, which takes place at maybe pg. 300 or so. Thereafter, the narrative becomes somewhat bogged down with superfluous details, such as meticulous but frankly boring recitation of courtroom antics and other minutiae that ultimately has no bearing on the outcome of the case or the story in general. Admittedly, it's tough to achieve the same level of excitement in the second act for obvious reasons; however, if you pick up a copy of Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" you'll find that it's not quite an impossible feat.

I'll begin with a few words about the author, because it's noteworthy. Philip Carlo is a man who strongly believes in research, and by that, I mean extremely thorough research. He spent over 100 hours with Richard Ramirez, and I cannot imagine how much more he spent studying the case. Carlo also is a man much concerned about the evil in this world and shows tremendous courage in his quest to understand and prevent these terrible things.

The book itself is one enormous piece, about 600 tight pages, and I can't think of anything that is not covered by it. The structure of it is quite interesting as well: you first begin by the crimes commited by Ramirez, and believe me that part is seriously affecting (I am quite used to true crime books involving atrocious acts, but I had never felt so repulsed and shocked), then you move backwards in time to learn about Richard Ramirez's origins and family and life up to when he began murdering people. Then there's the capture, and the final parts are about the trial; probably the most thorough trial prose I've ever read in a true crime book. The quality of Carlo's work is truly outstanding.

In this edition, there's a new chapter containing an interview with Richard Ramirez and some excerpts about females fans of Richard which just about blow one's mind with disturbing revelations about the woman psyche. It is extremely interesting.

I would conclude by saying that if you are curious about Ramirez's case, then this is definitely the book for you, and I cannot imagine that another book covered so much material, with so much insight, as this one. With this book, you have an author who has a strong personality and is driven; and also one who definitely can write with excellence and leave himself out of judgement, however hard that is to do, he did it very professionally. This is one of the most impressive true crime books I ever read. The only other book that is similar in quality, I think, is Richard Lourie's book about Andrei Chikatilo. A must read.

This is a strong book that always keeps yo guessing and on the edge of your seat. I think that this author writes some nice pieces of written masterpiece!

Richard Ramirez was different in a lot of ways from 'normal' serial killers in that his victims were not stalked (despite his nickname), not obsessed over, and they did not fit one profile or gender. They were random innocents who never dreamed they'd be so unlucky. Philip Carlo effectively makes us care about the victims instead of treating them as arbitrarily as Ramirez did, although I have to confess I started to lose track of them as the murders piled up. But that serves well to remind the reader of the enormous amount of life that was taken by the Night Stalker. If Ramirez's crimes were a freak show, his trial was a circus. Carlo's work on the trial is as thorough as I've seen such a thing presented, for better or worse. Fully half of the near-600 page book is steeped in court proceedings, so you've been warned. Through no fault of the author's, it slows to a crawl in places. Every motion, hearing, and decision is slavishly detailed. During the trial, Ramirez gained a legion of faithful admirers (mostly women) who followed his every move. Carlo lets them explain why they are so drawn to him, without making value judgments. Do they realize he could have raped or killed them? Of course, some wish he had... I would like to read a book on why so many women are attracted to famous killers; there's probably at least a few out there. Richard Ramirez is an example of a life gone wrong. The book based on his life makes him all the more unforgettable.

Philip Carlo's book is well-researched and very thorough. We know more about the Night Stalker also known as Richard Ramirez who terrorized Los Angeles area and San Francisco in 1985 and 1984. He is a self-admitted Satanist who got his kicks and highs from terrorizing even the most vulnerable of victims. He raped, sodomized, tortured, and terrorized not only women but the entire Southern California area lived in fear--changing their locks, getting guns, dogs, etc. anything to make themselves feel safer. They hadn't seen a crime like this since Manson but Ramirez was a one man crime spree who worshipped Satan. His family history provides a better understanding of the man's background and the incidents as well provides some insight into why he became such a terror. To this day, what surprises me is the most is that women fell for him as if he was a desirable catch. One fan even married him in prison while he is on death row which means life in California. The proceedings because Ramirez refused anybody but a Hispanic lawyer to represent him may have hurt his chances. I don't care what race or ethnicity or religion regarding an attorney. The best defense attorneys cost money and they do defend regardless of whether they are Jewish like Robert Shapiro or African American like Johnnie Cochrane. His lawyers were inept to handle the magnitude of such an enormous case and they didn't have the expertise or experience to know how to handle Ramirez's defense. Of course, Ramirez' crimes are just unthinkable and unforgivable especially how he went after mature women in their sixties and eighties. Even though he's on death row, he still gets to get married to one of his fans. He's not that attractive and he's not that nice. There is a diabolical side to him. I think the Satanism, the crimes, and the brutality is enough to disuade any women from being attractive to a man like that knowing what he has done without much remorse or apologies to his family, friends, and others.

this book sets of at a terrific pace...the first 100 pages just go like a blink of the eye.the author pulls no punches when describing the horrific and sadistic crimes of ramirez.driven by satanic messages while listening to AC/DC and other heavy rock bands,ramirez steals cars to scour streets in the dead of night...made worse by the fact LOS ANGELES was in the grip of an heatwave,people were told to lock all doors and windows...ramirez managed to get inside the homes of the unlucky ones...real crime lovers will really like this..

this book sets of at a terrific pace...the first 100 pages just go like a blink of the eye.the author pulls no punches when describing the horrific and sadistic crimes of ramirez.driven by satanic messages while listening to AC/DC and other heavy rock bands,ramirez steals cars to scour streets in the dead of night...made worse by the fact LOS ANGELES was in the grip of an heatwave,people were told to lock all doors and windows...ramirez managed to get inside the homes of the unlucky ones...real crime lovers will really like this..

attention to detail. well written. one of the very best in the serial killer genre.

as far as the night stalker himself is concerned: here's what I think: they should have horsewhipped the pathetic punk.

I've read other "true crimes" books before, but The Night Stalker stands out above the crowd for the following reasons:
1. It is actually quite well written, instead of slapped together.
2. Carlo, the author, went beyond an account of a serial killer to explore the female groupies who are attracted to Richard Ramirez. I don't know who's sicker: Ramirez or these women, some of whom actually fantasize being raped by and, in at least one case, being raped while being murdered by Ramirez.
3. At the end of the book, Carlo includes a fairly extensive interview he conducted with Ramirez.
4. Lastly, but not the least, Carlo does not shy away from the Satanic aspect of Ramirez. I just wish in his interviews, he had asked Ramirez more probing questions on this subject, e.g., exactly why Ramirez was and remains attracted to Satan and actually relishes the thought of going to Hell.

I am a slow reader but couldn't put the book down until I had read it to the end, and it didn't take me long. The part that didn't really hold my interest was the section "The Trial". Other than that it was a very good book. After reading a couple of chapters I went through my house and locked every window and all the doors. A very frightening book especially for one who lives alone. I have passed the book on to a friend that loves true crime.

I read this 592 page book in less than two days because it was so in-depth, well written, and just plain interesting.

Richard Ramirez is the most unique serial killer that I have ever read about. Unlike most serial killers who have a "preferred" victim (ie, Blond, Female, and/or young), Ramirez was an equal opportunity rapist/killer. With Carlo's book, readers get inside the mind of Ramirez and are offered an up close view of the crimes. As a result, readers will most likely never sleep with a window open or an unlocked door again...irregardless if they live in the big city or small town.

Fascinating and interesting. From the crimes, to the trial, to the Ramirez "groupies." Definitely a must-read for true crime fans.