Carol Anne Davis - not just a top notch writer of crime fiction and non-fiction but also a Dundonian by birth -- has been gracious enough to speak about writing Couples Who Kill with Crime Scene. Her thoughts on writing the book and on true crime research are also online in this issue, right here.

Comprising of thirteen case studies, Carol Anne Davis’ fourth book of true crime tales (and her seventh crime book overall) presents profiles of criminal duos; people who, together, bring out the worst, most violent tendencies in each other.

The events of Couples Who Kill are violent and frequently disturbing; all the more so considering their reality. It is a credit to Davis that she does not milk the inherent shock-value of her studies. The tone of Couples Who Kill is calm, measured and matter-of-fact, yet never dry and uninteresting. The strength of the facts carries Davis’ investigations along. She does allow herself the easy way out; does not opt for sensationalist hyperbole. This is not to say, of course, that the writing lacks flair. The tone of the book is pitched just right; absorbing, driven and fascinating with an air of respect for her subject that reminds the reader, this is not simply entertainment; these case studies are very real.

Although each case is clearly well researched and always presented with Davis’ addictive yet reassuring prose, certain of the studies – particularly those covered in those chapters which deal with multiple cases – seem frustratingly short and occasionally reliant on background information which the reader may seem be expected to already have. Playing catchup is easy enough, however, and when Davis flies, the book becomes engrossing enough that you’ll want to turn off the phone – or maybe not, as you might feel the need to call for reassuring company – so you can spend some time alone in her authoritative company.

Despite certain cases feeling glossed over, those that merit chapters in their own right are explored in fascinating detail. The chapter on Charles Ng (pronounced “ing” in case you were wondering) and Thomas Lake is followed up by an interview with a journalist who spent time talking to Ng. This interview is fascinating not only for what it presents of Ng himself (who seems to be remarkably self-involved and at time delusional concerning his own degree of complicity in the violent events that led to his eventual arrest) but also of what it shows us as to how we interpret the actions of such a man. Davis’ musings on Ng’s confessions and the journalist’s own thoughts on what he saw and what he was able to interpret during his time with Ng is as illuminating as any detailed examination of the crimes themselves.

The primary strength of the book lies in Davis’ ability to present the criminal psychology. The personal history behind the case is presented strongly and Davis’ musings on the mindset of the killers is illuminating, clearly backed up by the surrounding evidence in each case. Her calm, confident prose adds an air of authority, making what might be otherwise unpalatable material eminently readable without cheapening the air of tragedy that surrounds these terrible events.

Naturally enough, the most interesting cases seem to be the most publicised. Fred and Rose West and the Moors Murderers do not receive undue attention but they do form the basis of the most fascinating chapters of the book. Davis’ profile of Myra Hindley – an extension of her work in Women Who Kill – is poignant in its presentation of a woman who fell under the thrall of a man for whom there was no real hope of redemption. Yet Davis does not excuse Hindley’s involvement in the terrible events for which she and Brady were responsible. More interesting still is the commentary on press reaction to such events; when Davis was interviewed about Hindley, many journalists chose to ignore her commentary because she did not class Hindley as pure evil; an argument she presents here with a large degree of convincing success. Rather than feeling like a cop-out excuse on Hindley’s behalf, Davis’ viewpoint only deepens the tragedy and leaves us to reflect on motivation more deeply than we might otherwise have done.

Couples Who Kill can be an exhausting read. Trying to read from cover to cover, I found myself having to place the book down at regular intervals and take a breath of fresh air. The reality and brutality of the crimes covered can often be shocking. Davis’ exploration of Fred and Rose West’s life is deeply upsetting, something made worse by her exploration of their formative years. The relentless violence of killers like Ng and Lake and latterly Duffy and Mulcahy is often repetitively brutal; the reader can feel their chest squeeze with the inevitability of their horror. But this is the nature of such crimes. Reading the book cover to cover can be an exhausting – but ultimately illuminating – experience. Taking a break between each case, however, seemed to work for me, allowing me to digest each one slowly and fully understand the implications of what I had read.

Ultimately, Couples Who Kill is a brilliantly researched, well-written documentation of the darker aspects of human nature. Davis’ ability to remain a neutral reporter while conveying the human impact of the cases in question is spectacular, and her ability to draw conclusions that feel in no way kneejerk or sensationalist is admirable. Perhaps she could devote larger chunks of space to certain cases, and it is clear that if she wished, she could write a spectacular book on one study alone, but this does nothing to diminish the impact of this literate, affecting and disturbing investigation into the dark shared psyche of these deviant duos.