One of the best - and also scariest - true crimes books I’ve ever read. I knew Gacy was a monster hiding in human flesh, but I had no idea just how evil he truly was.

This book was okay. Of course I enjoyed reading about what Gacy did, but the majority of the book was how the police surveilled Gacy on a day-to-day basis. For over 150 pages, I read about high-speed chases between Gacy and the police, and the police's watch day and night. That disturbed me about this book. However, once Gacy was finally arrested, I got to read the gory details of Gacy's murders and of his trial. The last half of the book is what makes it worth reading. If you can push yourself through 150+ pages of nonsense, it's worth the read.

This book was my very first book on finding out about Gacy and his victims. It was also the only book available at my library about him. Terry Sullivan was there in the process of catching Gacy, investigating, and going against him in court. It really can't get much more in depth than that.

In this book, there are details about Gacy's life and his background, but the main focus here is the events leading up to his arrest, his trial, and subsequent death. Depending on which edition you get, there's some more extra info in the back: about Gacy's victims, the grief they went through, more unidentified victims, etc. The book starts off with Robert Piest's disappearance.

I love this book because of the details that are in it. It is clean cut and straight to the point. It can get boring at times for those who dislike reading about legal matters and all that, but because I am fascinated with the case of Gacy, I found it all very interesting. There is some information you won't find in other books, and it is from a viewpoint that others can't write about.


Sullivan wanted to bring justice to the victims families. He worked to the best of his ability to put Gacy behind bars, and even onto the death sentence. Some of Gacy's victims were murdered before the death sentence was put into place in Illinois, and I found it interesting how only certain ones could be counted towards a death sentence.

Terry Sullivan is a nice guy. I e-mailed him about some victims of Gacy, and he helped me the best he could. I respect him for his involvement in the Gacy case and to me, he is an excellent author. Great book. I recommend it for those who want to read about Gacy.

Surprisingly well-written for a true crime book. I couldn't put it down. And not overly gruesome. Kind of freaks you out how well Gacy blends into society.

Having experienced "Killer Clown" by Terry Sullivan in audiobook format, I found the storytelling to be elevated, offering a more engaging journey through the chilling details of the famous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Interestingly, my appreciation for the book extends beyond the lukewarm reviews it has received on Goodreads, where some readers handed out one or two stars.

The audiobook undoubtedly played a significant role in keeping the narrative flowing. The dynamic narration provided a necessary impetus to the story, making it easier to navigate through what could have otherwise been a dry and procedural account of the police's step-by-step process to apprehend Gacy.

However, the writing style does lean towards the dry side, lacking the emotional depth one might expect when delving into such a grim and disturbing subject. The detached narrative, while informative, makes it challenging to connect with the characters on a more personal level. This absence of emotional resonance is a notable shortcoming.

Despite this, "Killer Clown" manages to offer insights into the investigation process that led to Gacy's arrest, shedding light on the intricate details that unfolded behind the scenes. The book also serves as an eye-opener, teaching me things I hadn't known previously about the infamous case.

One poignant aspect that struck me was the empathy I felt for the victims whose bodies were discovered but never identified. The narrative also touched on the survivors who never came forward to the police, revealing a societal context where fear of judgment and potential legal consequences hindered justice. It became apparent that, under different circumstances, Gacy might have been apprehended sooner if societal attitudes had been more accepting.

In conclusion, "Killer Clown" by Terry Sullivan is a mixed bag of commendable audiobook narration, informative content, and a lack of emotional depth. While it falls short in some areas, it succeeds in providing valuable insights into the Gacy case and the societal challenges that may have contributed to delays in justice. If you can overlook its dry narrative style, there's much to glean from this exploration of a notorious chapter in criminal history.

It was pretty good. There was a lot of the book that focused on the trial and a lot of that was detail given in other parts of the book which made it kind of repetitive at times. Overall, it was really entertaining and eerie.

As a Chicagoan, I naturally know about Gacy. He was the cucuy, the reason your parents gave you several warnings about talking to strangers and weird cars in the neighborhood. But, reading this, there’s just so much I didn’t know.

I can see how people can be bored with this but I was fascinated. I recognized so many of the streets, and the subdivisions. The story is very clinical but I also enjoy the play by play.

If you want to know more about Gacy and his last days the depths of his depravity, this book is worth the read.