The Red Ripper
Inside the Mind of Russia's Most Brutal Serial Killer
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The Red Ripper
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Narrated by:
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Michael Page
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By:
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Peter Conradi
About this listen
By the time he was brought to trial in 1992, Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo had killed more than fifty women and children, often sexually abusing them and leaving their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. Although he was initially arrested in 1984, the police lacked enough evidence to pin the unsolved murders on him and he was able to torture and kill dozens more before his eventual conviction. Compiling exclusive interviews and trial transcripts, journalist and editor at London's Sunday Times Peter Conradi reveals how the grandfather and former teacher carried out a horrific twelve-year killing spree.
Based on extensive research into Chikatilo's past and the elements of Soviet society that allowed his crimes to go unsolved for so long, Conradi delves into the life of one of history's most prolific and disturbing serial killers. Interviews with Moscow police detectives detail the fervent hunt for the man who preyed on young children, prostitutes, and runaways.
A chilling look into the deranged mind of a monster, The Red Ripper is a comprehensive and shocking true crime account of one of the twentieth century's deadliest killers.
Contains mature themes.
©1992 Peter Conradi (P)2023 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Red Ripper
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy
- 24-08-24
True Crime Story But A Bit Different
If you enjoy true crime stories but would like to hear something a little different to the same old 'woman poisons husband' or 'man accused of killing ex-wife' tales, then this book could well be for you. It's an extreme case by the sheer number of victims involved but the setting in the USSR back in the 1980s means the story is quite different. There are cultural differences compared to the West today and these have a significant impact on the story. There are also huge technological differences as well, even compared to Western law-enforcement at the time and this plays a significant part in the story that effectively occurs before computerization, DNA testing and modern communications.
The author does a good job in filling in details of many of the political, cultural, judicial and technological conditions of the time and how these factors, along with others, allowed the killer to get away with his crimes for so long. He also provides respectful but honest accounts of the victims without white-washing them, so it's not like every victim is a genius, pillar of the community, best kid in school or any other favorable portrayal that true-crime podcasts and videos seem to insist on for anyone who gets murdered.
The story has a detailed psychiatric analysis of the serial-killer, providing a theory on how he became the sadistic murderer that tortured and killed so many people from mid-life onwards.
The reader is good, well suited for non-fiction and does a commendable job at pronouncing Russian people and place names, even the apparently unpronounceable ones.
I'm not sure if this is a translation but there are some minor artifacts that may confuse slightly. Of particular interest to me was the author describing an early victim as 'an attractive fifteen-year-old'. Based on how he writes, I think he meant to say that, to the killer, she was an attractive fifteen-year-old but it's not always clear that the author is speaking the words or thoughts of the killer, not expressing his own opinion.
A very interesting story, fascinating and graphic. If you're not ok with talk of sexual violence, including some towards children, then this may not be for you but if you can stomach it, I recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- claire adams
- 22-09-23
An incredible story
A brilliant account of the truly horrendous crimes. The narrator is fantastic, slipping in and out of Russian beautifully. Not a wasted word in the whole book. Fascinating from start to finish.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Nathan
- 15-06-24
rushed
narrator is too fast, not captivating in the slightest and 8t comes across like he wants to finish the story and go home. The author has poor skill too, he often uses words that are grammatically incorrect like saying "on twenty five January Andrei did XXXXXX"
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