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All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind
Kate Winkler Dawson tells the story of Edward Rulloff--a serial murderer who was called "too intelligent to be killed"--and the array of 19th century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind.
Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer--some have called him a "Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter"--whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out.
By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell--a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century mind hunters tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff's brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story--and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology--were just beginning.
Expanded from season one of her podcast on the Exactly Right network, in All That Is Wicked Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer--a century before the term was coined--through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.
Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer--some have called him a "Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter"--whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out.
By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell--a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century mind hunters tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff's brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story--and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology--were just beginning.
Expanded from season one of her podcast on the Exactly Right network, in All That Is Wicked Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer--a century before the term was coined--through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2022
About the author
Kate Winkler Dawson
5 books545 followersKate Winkler Dawson joined the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism as a senior lecturer in 2009. Before then, she was on the faculty of Fordham University's Marymount College for two years. A seasoned documentary producer, news writer and TV news producer, her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, United Press International in London, WCBS News, ABC News Radio, Fox News Channel, “PBS NewsHour” and “Nightline.” She's on the board of the Texas Center for Actual Innocence and lives in Austin, Texas with her family. This is her debut book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
September 12, 2022
I'd already listened to Kate's podcast about this case so I figured it would just be outlining the same stuff but it was even more. Well-written and fascinating true crime.
September 30, 2022
I guess I have to admit that I'm somehow obsessed with murder cases. I watch documentaries on true crimes all the time. I read murder mysteries, true crime books, non fiction about investigations. And I listen to about a bazillion podcasts on the topic. Yikes. If I was ever a suspect in a murder, the FBI would have a field day with my search history. Not a killer -- I'm just interested in investigations of solved and unsolved murders/violent crimes.
When I saw this book available for review, I had to read it. Not only had I not heard of this serial killer, but I hadn't heard of Kate Dawson either. Glad I rectified both issues! I have two other books by this author added to my TBR at the local library, and I'm followed two of her podcasts as well!
This book is intense. Edward Rulloff was an evil, violent, disgusting person. He was a genius and a serial killer in the 19th century before the term "serial killer" even existed. His case was one of the first to become a public spectacle and media frenzy. And, doctors and scientists practically lined up to study Rulloff. In fact, a renowned university still has this killer's brain preserved in a jar.
Awesome book! Dawson definitely did huge amounts of research and tells the tale in a factual, yet interesting way. This book kept my attention from start to finish. I was so curious about the doctors and psychiatrists back then who were just trying to learn about the human brain and criminal behavior. So interesting!
I'm definitely going to read more by this author. I enjoyed reading about a case that I really hadn't heard of before.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin Group. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
When I saw this book available for review, I had to read it. Not only had I not heard of this serial killer, but I hadn't heard of Kate Dawson either. Glad I rectified both issues! I have two other books by this author added to my TBR at the local library, and I'm followed two of her podcasts as well!
This book is intense. Edward Rulloff was an evil, violent, disgusting person. He was a genius and a serial killer in the 19th century before the term "serial killer" even existed. His case was one of the first to become a public spectacle and media frenzy. And, doctors and scientists practically lined up to study Rulloff. In fact, a renowned university still has this killer's brain preserved in a jar.
Awesome book! Dawson definitely did huge amounts of research and tells the tale in a factual, yet interesting way. This book kept my attention from start to finish. I was so curious about the doctors and psychiatrists back then who were just trying to learn about the human brain and criminal behavior. So interesting!
I'm definitely going to read more by this author. I enjoyed reading about a case that I really hadn't heard of before.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin Group. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
October 28, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
The story of a serial killer in the 19 century. He didn't seem to fit the narrative of what the intelligentsia thought a killer should look or act like. His goal was an academic career. To be honest, outside of the murders, he didn't behave all that different than some college professors I have known.
Well done.
The story of a serial killer in the 19 century. He didn't seem to fit the narrative of what the intelligentsia thought a killer should look or act like. His goal was an academic career. To be honest, outside of the murders, he didn't behave all that different than some college professors I have known.
Well done.
October 20, 2022
A murder from upstate New York that still taints the memories of the families impacted over 170 years by Edward Rulloff's Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. A charming, intelligent exterior hid a serial killer. He married a young woman from a local family, had a child, and attempted to manipulate people and circumstances to his own advantage.
Dawson moves the tale along quite smoothly and quickly revealing her research into Rulloff's early years, education, the years between his marriage and up to his execution for murdering his infant daughter (although neither the bodies of daughter Priscilla, nor her mother, Harriet, were ever found) through the people who were able to visit and/or interview Edward Rulloff in his final months.
The local journalist/author as well as another New York City national reporter. A Greek scholar that evaluated Rulloff's intellect and supposed remarkable manuscript on the possible universal origin of language. An evaluation by an educator with expertise in language. An alienist (what would be called today a forensic psychiatrist) to assess and determine if Rulloff was truly insane - he was not. Modern evaluations place him as a high-level psychopath which is a personality disorder, not a mental illness.
Only days before his execution, two doctors offered to buy his body in order to perform phrenological cranial exams to 'determine' character traits - considered sexist and bigoted today. Neurologically, Rulloff's brain was large and heavy and at the time, criminal brains were searched for physical indications and inconsistencies to support the idea that criminal tendencies were physiological.
Chilling and engrossing. And the only negative or suggestion I can make is that a map of the Dryden/Lansing/Ithaca area would have been a nice addition.
2022-223
Dawson moves the tale along quite smoothly and quickly revealing her research into Rulloff's early years, education, the years between his marriage and up to his execution for murdering his infant daughter (although neither the bodies of daughter Priscilla, nor her mother, Harriet, were ever found) through the people who were able to visit and/or interview Edward Rulloff in his final months.
The local journalist/author as well as another New York City national reporter. A Greek scholar that evaluated Rulloff's intellect and supposed remarkable manuscript on the possible universal origin of language. An evaluation by an educator with expertise in language. An alienist (what would be called today a forensic psychiatrist) to assess and determine if Rulloff was truly insane - he was not. Modern evaluations place him as a high-level psychopath which is a personality disorder, not a mental illness.
Only days before his execution, two doctors offered to buy his body in order to perform phrenological cranial exams to 'determine' character traits - considered sexist and bigoted today. Neurologically, Rulloff's brain was large and heavy and at the time, criminal brains were searched for physical indications and inconsistencies to support the idea that criminal tendencies were physiological.
Chilling and engrossing. And the only negative or suggestion I can make is that a map of the Dryden/Lansing/Ithaca area would have been a nice addition.
2022-223
October 20, 2022
I've been fond of Ms. Dawson's work since having read "Death in the Air" in 2019. A fairly interesting book that is brought down by the author's unnecessary commentary on modern American politics in the penultimate chapter. It had nothing to do with the tale of Edward Rulloff nor with Criminology or Psychology.
Unfortunately, it seems more and more authors (regardless of the subject matter on which they write), find it utterly impossible to not comment on modern politics. There is a weird neurosis they seem to have that everyone who wants to read their work also wants to know their personal opinions on the Executive branch or on the Senate. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Unfortunately, it seems more and more authors (regardless of the subject matter on which they write), find it utterly impossible to not comment on modern politics. There is a weird neurosis they seem to have that everyone who wants to read their work also wants to know their personal opinions on the Executive branch or on the Senate. Nothing could be further from the truth.
April 19, 2022
First off I would like to thank NetGalley and Putnam Books for providing me with this ARC. Thanks to this ARC I became familiar with Kate Winkler Dawson. And let me tell you something, I’m so glad that I did. I’m a fan of true crime, but I had never heard of Edward Rulloff before now. He caused extreme fear and behaved in devious ways. Not only was he a murderer, he was also a robber, a writer and a fake expert in theology. He committed horrible acts like killing several members of his family. But while he thought he would get away with all these horrendous crimes, he was ultimately caught. This story is captivating and I was amazed, not in a good way, how he got away with these crimes for so long. True crime fans will love this book. The author did a great job of doing her research and making you feel like you were a part of this book!
October 7, 2022
This is the story of Edward Rulloff; charming, intelligent, erudite, a supreme manipulator, & a killer. Introducing himself to William Schutt as a drifter looking for work, the young Rulloff ingratiated himself into the Schutt family & married one of the daughters, Harriet. Their marriage was reportedly tempestuous & the Schutts had become suspicious of Rulloff's behaviour behind the charming smiles, so when Harriet & their baby, Priscilla, both disappeared never to be heard of or seen again, they suspected foul play.
They were not his only suspected victims but Rulloff's ability to discern what the person in front of him wanted to see & hear, allowed him to talk his way out of most things. When he was finally on trial for murder, he devised his own defence so successfully he was acquitted. He was finally brought down when he accompanied two younger men on a burglary & one of the security clerks was shot dead. The second clerk identified & took the stand against Rulloff & he was faced with execution. Even then, he was not done, granting interviews to journalists & doctors from his jail cell to those that he thought would be helpful in proving his mind was to valuable to kill. It took decades for the Schutt family to finally get any kind of justice.
The information about the nineteenth-century beliefs about criminals is fascinating. Evil was believed to manifest itself physically in a person's looks, just as for someone to be declared insane then, it was believed that they had to 'look insane' - a smartly dressed, well-spoken man was unlikely to be declared insane or evil. The book also looks at the nineteenth-century 'science' of phrenology (reading the shape of the head/brain) & the racist connotations of this, before moving forward into the more recent schools of criminal psychology & neuroscience.
I mostly enjoyed reading this but I didn't get the sense of Rulloff being some criminal mastermind. Whilst he was undoubtedly extremely intelligent, in my view a great deal of Rulloff's 'genius', like Jack the Ripper, was down to the luck of committing his crimes before the advent of forensic science & the widespread use of photography. Furthermore, I know doctors in the nineteenth-century had no concept of the character of psychopaths, but it was maddening to read about person after person falling for his schtick. It also became a little repetitive in places. Overall it was interesting but I was left feeling a little disappointed. 3.5 stars (rounded up).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Icon Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
They were not his only suspected victims but Rulloff's ability to discern what the person in front of him wanted to see & hear, allowed him to talk his way out of most things. When he was finally on trial for murder, he devised his own defence so successfully he was acquitted. He was finally brought down when he accompanied two younger men on a burglary & one of the security clerks was shot dead. The second clerk identified & took the stand against Rulloff & he was faced with execution. Even then, he was not done, granting interviews to journalists & doctors from his jail cell to those that he thought would be helpful in proving his mind was to valuable to kill. It took decades for the Schutt family to finally get any kind of justice.
The information about the nineteenth-century beliefs about criminals is fascinating. Evil was believed to manifest itself physically in a person's looks, just as for someone to be declared insane then, it was believed that they had to 'look insane' - a smartly dressed, well-spoken man was unlikely to be declared insane or evil. The book also looks at the nineteenth-century 'science' of phrenology (reading the shape of the head/brain) & the racist connotations of this, before moving forward into the more recent schools of criminal psychology & neuroscience.
I mostly enjoyed reading this but I didn't get the sense of Rulloff being some criminal mastermind. Whilst he was undoubtedly extremely intelligent, in my view a great deal of Rulloff's 'genius', like Jack the Ripper, was down to the luck of committing his crimes before the advent of forensic science & the widespread use of photography. Furthermore, I know doctors in the nineteenth-century had no concept of the character of psychopaths, but it was maddening to read about person after person falling for his schtick. It also became a little repetitive in places. Overall it was interesting but I was left feeling a little disappointed. 3.5 stars (rounded up).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Icon Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
June 24, 2023
3.5 Stars!
I always enjoy learning about True Crime cases from a long time ago. I'm currently very interested in The Gilded Age which took place from 1877 - 1896. It's now recognized as a time when a great amount of economic, scientific, political and industrial growth took place. Pretty much working life as we know it now was created during this time. While wages rose for most workers so did the cost of living and a little something called inflation. Immigration both legal and "illegal" rose and the rich got richer than ever before in history. Many people believe we are currently living through a new Gilded Age(it seems likely but it's too early to tell).
All That Is Wicked examines the case of Edward Rulloff who is thought to have killed at least 5 people including his wife and infant daughter. While awaiting execution Rulloff was examined by journalists, alienist and neurologist to determine if possibly he should be saved from hanging on the basis that he was too intelligent to be killed. Rulloff thought of himself as a scholar and many people thought that killing him would do a disservice to society.
While I do personally believe in psychology, I do believe that it's a valuable asset in the understanding of crime. Psychology has and continues to be racist which is why I would never seek that treatment, back in the 1800's it was even more racist. Phrenology which is the study of the shape of the brain and bumps on a person's brain/skull, was considered a valid evaluation of sanity and propensity to commit violence. It will surprise no one to learn that Black people as a race were deemed to have a high probability of violence based a Phrenology.
Rulloff a white man would in death help prove that white brains and Black brains looked the same.
All That Is Wicked was fascinating to me but I must admit that it was overall a dry read. I enjoy dry Historical books but I know that for most people that is a No No. So I can't recommend this book to everyone despite my enjoyment of this text. The author Kate Winkler Dawson has another book called American Sherlock and I've added it to my list. I found this book to be captivating and engrossing. It introduced me to several "new" historial figures and it left me with more questions. This book doesn't give you a nice tidy conclusion, it instead leaves you with much contemplate.
If you enjoy Historical True Crime with a side of Sociology than maybe give All That I'd Wicked a try.
I always enjoy learning about True Crime cases from a long time ago. I'm currently very interested in The Gilded Age which took place from 1877 - 1896. It's now recognized as a time when a great amount of economic, scientific, political and industrial growth took place. Pretty much working life as we know it now was created during this time. While wages rose for most workers so did the cost of living and a little something called inflation. Immigration both legal and "illegal" rose and the rich got richer than ever before in history. Many people believe we are currently living through a new Gilded Age(it seems likely but it's too early to tell).
All That Is Wicked examines the case of Edward Rulloff who is thought to have killed at least 5 people including his wife and infant daughter. While awaiting execution Rulloff was examined by journalists, alienist and neurologist to determine if possibly he should be saved from hanging on the basis that he was too intelligent to be killed. Rulloff thought of himself as a scholar and many people thought that killing him would do a disservice to society.
While I do personally believe in psychology, I do believe that it's a valuable asset in the understanding of crime. Psychology has and continues to be racist which is why I would never seek that treatment, back in the 1800's it was even more racist. Phrenology which is the study of the shape of the brain and bumps on a person's brain/skull, was considered a valid evaluation of sanity and propensity to commit violence. It will surprise no one to learn that Black people as a race were deemed to have a high probability of violence based a Phrenology.
Rulloff a white man would in death help prove that white brains and Black brains looked the same.
All That Is Wicked was fascinating to me but I must admit that it was overall a dry read. I enjoy dry Historical books but I know that for most people that is a No No. So I can't recommend this book to everyone despite my enjoyment of this text. The author Kate Winkler Dawson has another book called American Sherlock and I've added it to my list. I found this book to be captivating and engrossing. It introduced me to several "new" historial figures and it left me with more questions. This book doesn't give you a nice tidy conclusion, it instead leaves you with much contemplate.
If you enjoy Historical True Crime with a side of Sociology than maybe give All That I'd Wicked a try.
December 14, 2022
2.5 stars
This book was SUPER repetitive, I don't know if it was from the quotes that were read or why exactly. I think the fact that it was based on a podcast might also be part of it.
Also, I think a different narrator from the author would have been better, as she has a super soothing voice that literally put me to sleep!
Overall, just a meh book. And I love the author's pod with Paul Holes.
This book was SUPER repetitive, I don't know if it was from the quotes that were read or why exactly. I think the fact that it was based on a podcast might also be part of it.
Also, I think a different narrator from the author would have been better, as she has a super soothing voice that literally put me to sleep!
Overall, just a meh book. And I love the author's pod with Paul Holes.
October 8, 2022
Great. Googly. Moogly.
I had never even HEARD of Edward Rulloff, but boy did I know about him [and his sick, twisted ways] now. WOW.
This was an amazing read. Yes, I recognize how weird that sounds when referring to a book about a serial killer, but when stuff like this fascinates a person, a well-written, excellently researched book about a particularly icky person is just what someone like me needs when her last few books have been crap [minus the sweet children's books that often offer a respite as well]. And this was absolutely one of the best. I now have the author's other books to read and I just want to do a deep dive into all of them; in my opinion, that is the BEST review an author can get.
This book was just so fascinating - Edward Rulloff was one creepy, super-smart, killer. He believed he was untouchable and unconvictable [here's a spoiler; he was wrong] and was an accomplished liar and thief. He believed that he could kill when he wanted to and because he was "brilliant" [and because there were, for at least two of the victims, no bodies] he would not be held in judgement [again...he was wrong]. He conned newspaper men, the son and wife of the assistant warden at the first prison he is at [and boy does that end in a crazy way and shows just how much he doesn't care about people unless they are useful to him], and many more people who come into his path [I was shocked to read that he spent time in Meadville PA, which is less than an hour from me and a place I have spent a lot of time in and that he conned the Dean of Allegheny College to be able to teach languages there. SO crazy], all while believing he will both never get caught, and when he does, that nothing will come of it. He will be famous, from his book [that goes nowhere] and people will never forget his name. That didn't really work out that well for him in the end. Until this book, I don't think very many people knew of him and all he did, and now that its been published, the fame he was so desperately seeking will still elude him as people will read this and instead of loving him, will revile him for the monster he was, and that was the way it should be.
If you love true crime and a well-written book, then this one is for you. SO good. I loved every [even the very gross moments] minute of it. Having the author narrate the audiobook is just icing on the cake. I would listen to anything she narrates; she did an excellent job.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Winkler Dawson, and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/G. P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had never even HEARD of Edward Rulloff, but boy did I know about him [and his sick, twisted ways] now. WOW.
This was an amazing read. Yes, I recognize how weird that sounds when referring to a book about a serial killer, but when stuff like this fascinates a person, a well-written, excellently researched book about a particularly icky person is just what someone like me needs when her last few books have been crap [minus the sweet children's books that often offer a respite as well]. And this was absolutely one of the best. I now have the author's other books to read and I just want to do a deep dive into all of them; in my opinion, that is the BEST review an author can get.
This book was just so fascinating - Edward Rulloff was one creepy, super-smart, killer. He believed he was untouchable and unconvictable [here's a spoiler; he was wrong] and was an accomplished liar and thief. He believed that he could kill when he wanted to and because he was "brilliant" [and because there were, for at least two of the victims, no bodies] he would not be held in judgement [again...he was wrong]. He conned newspaper men, the son and wife of the assistant warden at the first prison he is at [and boy does that end in a crazy way and shows just how much he doesn't care about people unless they are useful to him], and many more people who come into his path [I was shocked to read that he spent time in Meadville PA, which is less than an hour from me and a place I have spent a lot of time in and that he conned the Dean of Allegheny College to be able to teach languages there. SO crazy], all while believing he will both never get caught, and when he does, that nothing will come of it. He will be famous, from his book [that goes nowhere] and people will never forget his name. That didn't really work out that well for him in the end. Until this book, I don't think very many people knew of him and all he did, and now that its been published, the fame he was so desperately seeking will still elude him as people will read this and instead of loving him, will revile him for the monster he was, and that was the way it should be.
If you love true crime and a well-written book, then this one is for you. SO good. I loved every [even the very gross moments] minute of it. Having the author narrate the audiobook is just icing on the cake. I would listen to anything she narrates; she did an excellent job.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Winkler Dawson, and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/G. P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2022
It would have been better if the author had left 21st Century "Trump era" politics out of this Gilded Age crime drama.
September 27, 2022
3.5 stars
As much as I love reading (or watching) true crime, I am by no means an expert on the subject. So when I saw that I had never heard of Edward Ruloff, I knew I was going to give this a go. This is the story of a man who was very good at faking it until he made it...and had no issue murdering people for whatever reason he saw fit...and even after he was caught he seemed to be find a sort of rock star status as he was researched to find out how someone so brilliant could commit such heinous acts.
For a book set in a different time, the 1800s, the research and detail is certainly there. The author certainly set the stage and you can tell this was well researched. With that being said I did find some parts a bit dry. I found myself, more than once, kind of having to push past some paragraphs. It's still worth the read and by no means did it stop me from reading the book.
As much as I love reading (or watching) true crime, I am by no means an expert on the subject. So when I saw that I had never heard of Edward Ruloff, I knew I was going to give this a go. This is the story of a man who was very good at faking it until he made it...and had no issue murdering people for whatever reason he saw fit...and even after he was caught he seemed to be find a sort of rock star status as he was researched to find out how someone so brilliant could commit such heinous acts.
For a book set in a different time, the 1800s, the research and detail is certainly there. The author certainly set the stage and you can tell this was well researched. With that being said I did find some parts a bit dry. I found myself, more than once, kind of having to push past some paragraphs. It's still worth the read and by no means did it stop me from reading the book.
January 4, 2023
My second book by this author and I just don't care for her style of writing. Very thorough research but the book is littered with things like " In this book, we'll find out what they uncovered." Like, yeah? That's kinda what books do. Everything just seems to be over explained to the point that all the author's research winds up being more annoying than informative.
August 5, 2023
I truly enjoyed this one.
I started listening to every podcast that Kate Winkler Dawson is involved in, cause I truly like her way of telling us these historical crime stories. The book, especially the audiobook, just felt like a really long podcast episode. I love that she narrated it herself.
The story is super interesting and sparks a lot of questions.
I started listening to every podcast that Kate Winkler Dawson is involved in, cause I truly like her way of telling us these historical crime stories. The book, especially the audiobook, just felt like a really long podcast episode. I love that she narrated it herself.
The story is super interesting and sparks a lot of questions.
July 23, 2022
Until I came across this book on NetGalley, I had never heard of Edward Rulloff, but the Hannibal Lecter hook in the blurb caught my attention and so, while true crime is not a genre I usually read a lot in, I decided to give it a try. Overall, it was an interesting read. Rulloff was certainly an intriguing figure, and it was also fascinating to hear about the ways different 'experts' of the time attempted to explain him, as a precursor to modern forensic psychiatry and profiling. The story was told in an entertaining way, mingling Rulloff's history with the background and thoughts of those who met and tried to assess him, and when I finished I felt a desire to know more about criminal psychology, so I might check out a few of the books in the bibliography. It gets a solid 4 stars for me and I recommend it to both fans of true crime and those interested in criminal psychology.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2022
So I am completely unfamiliar with the author or her podcast. I literally only know what I read in the book summary. But I’ll tell you this – based on what I read here, her podcast must be fascinating and I must be missing out!
While I do like True Crime, I’d never actually heard of Edward Rulloff before – and wow, what terror he wrought!
The writing style is very readable – it manages to be shocking while avoiding descending into tabloid-style scandal – and the research appears to be impeccable.
Very happy I read this and I hope the author brings us more books in the future!
*ARC via Publisher
While I do like True Crime, I’d never actually heard of Edward Rulloff before – and wow, what terror he wrought!
The writing style is very readable – it manages to be shocking while avoiding descending into tabloid-style scandal – and the research appears to be impeccable.
Very happy I read this and I hope the author brings us more books in the future!
*ARC via Publisher
December 20, 2022
Kate Winkler Dawson's voice is perfect for audiobook narration. I listen to some of her podcasts, so I was excited to find that she narrated the book too. The book was an intriguing in-depth look into one killer's crimes and how he impacted criminal justice. A nice blend of science and storytelling kept me invested in the book without feeling inundated with technical language. I definitely recommend this book to fans of true crime, history, and psychology!
January 20, 2023
Meh. Just listen to the podcast.
November 30, 2023
Really fascinating to be introduced to the man who forced scientists of multiple fields to rethink their outdated ideas on mental illness and in general the brain, ultimately leading to the development of what we know as the diagnosis of psychopathy.
October 7, 2022
*I was able to read this book via NetGalley thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons!*
True crime is a tricky genre. On the one hand, it's something people - including myself - have always been drawn to, as long as there have been ways to consume it. But on the other, we're in the middle of a sort of reckoning with the less savory aspects of those stories, particularly the ways that we've long centered the killers rather than the victims and practically valorized the "geniuses" behind the crimes. I saw that same split evident in All That Is Wicked.
Having listened to some of Kate Winkler Dawson's podcast work, I had a sense of what I would be in for with this book. She's a great storyteller, and extremely adept at weaving in primary sources to flesh out her scenes. The writing in this book is clean and smooth, and the depth of research is plainly evident. I also appreciated the attempts to tie this story of the past to more modern scientific techniques (neurology, criminal psychology) and killers (Ted Bundy, BTK, and others), although I think this was somewhat less consistently successful and often resulted in choppy jumps between paragraphs. And to be clear, I feel like Winkler Dawson treated all of the "characters" with equal respect; nothing about this book felt lurid or sensationalized.
But despite the fact that All That Is Wicked is framed as a dive into the history of "mindhunting," it's really a book about one man - Edward Rulloff. And no matter how many times Winkler Dawson emphasized that he was a horrible, psychopathic killer, this book felt like an exploration of him as a pillar of that ever-problematic trope, the genius killer. True, this characterization was the reason why he drew so much attention in his own time, but these days, as we've begun to reckon with the fact that these so-called geniuses are actually more results of police incompetence and strategic victim choices, I couldn't help but feel like the choice to center Rulloff's story was woefully outdated, a relic of an earlier time in true crime. The conversation of crime has evolved into something more complex than "some people are just psychopaths," and yet All That Is Wicked really just doubled down on that idea.
TL;DR This book was well-written and well-researched, but ultimately left me with the troubling sense that it was doing the thing that true crime should be - and has been - moving on from: centering the killer and his supposed genius while his victims fall by the wayside.
3.5/5
True crime is a tricky genre. On the one hand, it's something people - including myself - have always been drawn to, as long as there have been ways to consume it. But on the other, we're in the middle of a sort of reckoning with the less savory aspects of those stories, particularly the ways that we've long centered the killers rather than the victims and practically valorized the "geniuses" behind the crimes. I saw that same split evident in All That Is Wicked.
Having listened to some of Kate Winkler Dawson's podcast work, I had a sense of what I would be in for with this book. She's a great storyteller, and extremely adept at weaving in primary sources to flesh out her scenes. The writing in this book is clean and smooth, and the depth of research is plainly evident. I also appreciated the attempts to tie this story of the past to more modern scientific techniques (neurology, criminal psychology) and killers (Ted Bundy, BTK, and others), although I think this was somewhat less consistently successful and often resulted in choppy jumps between paragraphs. And to be clear, I feel like Winkler Dawson treated all of the "characters" with equal respect; nothing about this book felt lurid or sensationalized.
But despite the fact that All That Is Wicked is framed as a dive into the history of "mindhunting," it's really a book about one man - Edward Rulloff. And no matter how many times Winkler Dawson emphasized that he was a horrible, psychopathic killer, this book felt like an exploration of him as a pillar of that ever-problematic trope, the genius killer. True, this characterization was the reason why he drew so much attention in his own time, but these days, as we've begun to reckon with the fact that these so-called geniuses are actually more results of police incompetence and strategic victim choices, I couldn't help but feel like the choice to center Rulloff's story was woefully outdated, a relic of an earlier time in true crime. The conversation of crime has evolved into something more complex than "some people are just psychopaths," and yet All That Is Wicked really just doubled down on that idea.
TL;DR This book was well-written and well-researched, but ultimately left me with the troubling sense that it was doing the thing that true crime should be - and has been - moving on from: centering the killer and his supposed genius while his victims fall by the wayside.
3.5/5
September 15, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of this book on murder and the fascination and cottage industry that grew up around it at the end of the nineteenth century.
There has always been a sympathy for the devil feeling in people about certain kind of criminals. Especially the smooth talking, good- looking, kind of criminal, the person who seems more likely to be met at a church gathering, not wearing a leather apron waving a chain saw in a dark alley. Familiar not foreign, as most things in America seem to go. Edward Rulloff was one of these. Good looking, with an air about him of both learning and sophistication. A man on the go in this country that loved gumption. Yet would kill people he claimed to love, for a variety of reasons, money, envy, satisfaction. All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind by author and podcaster Kate Winkler Dawson tells of this self- made man, and the journalists and burgeoning criminologists who tried to learn from him, or even more make money from him.
The book begins with a brief summary before setting into the true story. Edward Rulloff was a murder, a liar and a thief, who had the capacity to fake it till he made it. Arriving poor in America after a stint in prison, and with a new name, Rulloff made friends with a man who was impressed by his drive to make something of himself, and his scholarly air. Bringing him home to his small town in New York State, Rulloff ingratiated himself into the family, and began to work as a schoolteacher in a one- room schoolhouse. Soon he married into the family, which was beginning to have doubts about the Rulloff and his lack of past, and which became worse as Rulloff was soon jealous of a wealthy friend of the family, who he thought too liberties with his new bride. Soon members of the family began to die, including Rulloff's wife, and he began a decades long career, rising up in society, and killing those who held him back, or began to question to closely. Until he was captured, and began his second life as a media star, and a new test subject for those who wanted to understand why men, especially such fine upstanding men killed, and how money could be made on it.
A story that I knew very little about, but was fascinated in quite early. Dawson has a very nice writing style, informative, but not dry, and a way of making all the characters, seem as real as the lives they lived, in the smallest. There is no lecturing, just a story that unfolds, sometimes jumping forward and back but making sense and never losing the story. I have read that this is based on a podcast, which I have not listened to, but I wonder if the book reads so well because the writing was done for reading aloud. I found interesting those that gathered around Rulloff, those media types for the stories and revenue they could generate, and the scientists who legitimately thought they could unlock the secrets of evil from him. I think those were my favorites in the book.
For true crime fans without a doubt, and for people who enjoy stories of early detectives and crime this book would also be a treat. Also true crime podcast listeners and creators might get a big thrill out of this. An incredible interesting and very readable history of crime, how society looked at it, and how specialists and experts can be so wrong so many ways.
There has always been a sympathy for the devil feeling in people about certain kind of criminals. Especially the smooth talking, good- looking, kind of criminal, the person who seems more likely to be met at a church gathering, not wearing a leather apron waving a chain saw in a dark alley. Familiar not foreign, as most things in America seem to go. Edward Rulloff was one of these. Good looking, with an air about him of both learning and sophistication. A man on the go in this country that loved gumption. Yet would kill people he claimed to love, for a variety of reasons, money, envy, satisfaction. All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind by author and podcaster Kate Winkler Dawson tells of this self- made man, and the journalists and burgeoning criminologists who tried to learn from him, or even more make money from him.
The book begins with a brief summary before setting into the true story. Edward Rulloff was a murder, a liar and a thief, who had the capacity to fake it till he made it. Arriving poor in America after a stint in prison, and with a new name, Rulloff made friends with a man who was impressed by his drive to make something of himself, and his scholarly air. Bringing him home to his small town in New York State, Rulloff ingratiated himself into the family, and began to work as a schoolteacher in a one- room schoolhouse. Soon he married into the family, which was beginning to have doubts about the Rulloff and his lack of past, and which became worse as Rulloff was soon jealous of a wealthy friend of the family, who he thought too liberties with his new bride. Soon members of the family began to die, including Rulloff's wife, and he began a decades long career, rising up in society, and killing those who held him back, or began to question to closely. Until he was captured, and began his second life as a media star, and a new test subject for those who wanted to understand why men, especially such fine upstanding men killed, and how money could be made on it.
A story that I knew very little about, but was fascinated in quite early. Dawson has a very nice writing style, informative, but not dry, and a way of making all the characters, seem as real as the lives they lived, in the smallest. There is no lecturing, just a story that unfolds, sometimes jumping forward and back but making sense and never losing the story. I have read that this is based on a podcast, which I have not listened to, but I wonder if the book reads so well because the writing was done for reading aloud. I found interesting those that gathered around Rulloff, those media types for the stories and revenue they could generate, and the scientists who legitimately thought they could unlock the secrets of evil from him. I think those were my favorites in the book.
For true crime fans without a doubt, and for people who enjoy stories of early detectives and crime this book would also be a treat. Also true crime podcast listeners and creators might get a big thrill out of this. An incredible interesting and very readable history of crime, how society looked at it, and how specialists and experts can be so wrong so many ways.
January 23, 2023
I was sent an ARC by the publisher and just finally got a chance to get around to it, i wish i had read it sooner! This was so good and interesting to follow the life of a man deemed a psychopath and see how far neuroscience has come since the 1800s
November 21, 2022
I noticed this book on the new non-fiction table at my favorite indie bookstore, and thought it looked really interesting. I’m so glad I requested it from the library.
Dawson has definitely done her research on Edward Rulloff, a Canadian-born man who made his way to New York State after serving time in Canada for theft. He liked to consider himself an academic, though he had little formal schooling, and when he arrived in Dryden, NY, he was able to start a small private school where he met his future wife, Harriet Schutt, as a 16-year-old student. Eventually the Schutt family began to question Rulloff more thoroughly, wondering where he came from and who his people were, but Harriet insisted on marrying him, over her family’s objections. The marriage was not happy; Rulloff was prone to anger, and even hit his wife with a heavy pestle in front of her sister. When she and her young baby went missing, the Schutt family demanded Rulloff tell them where they were, but they remained missing. Rulloff had murdered them in anger, though their bodies were never found. It’s also thought that Rulloff murdered his sister-in-law and niece with poison not long before he killed his wife and child. It wasn’t until a bungled robbery thirty years later, resulting in the death of a security guard, that Rulloff was finally found guilty of murder and hanged for his crime.
This is a very engaging book, reading almost like a novel instead of a non-fiction work. Dawson added the writings of Hamilton Freeman, a journalist that extensively interviewed Rulloff while he awaited execution, which allowed the reader to see how a psychopath like Rulloff can charm those around him even though they believe he is guilty of heinous crimes. It’s also interesting to note the similarities in behavior with modern serial killers, like Ted Bundy. However, I would have liked a little more detail in the last chapter about the founding of neuroscience; I am pleased to learn that Rulloff’s large brain contradicted the idea that white men’s brains were morally and psychologically superior to the brains of people of color, and thereby sounded the death knell for scientific racism (though it still affects people of color to this day).
If you’re interested in true crime, and what a psychopath is like, this should be on your to-read list.
Dawson has definitely done her research on Edward Rulloff, a Canadian-born man who made his way to New York State after serving time in Canada for theft. He liked to consider himself an academic, though he had little formal schooling, and when he arrived in Dryden, NY, he was able to start a small private school where he met his future wife, Harriet Schutt, as a 16-year-old student. Eventually the Schutt family began to question Rulloff more thoroughly, wondering where he came from and who his people were, but Harriet insisted on marrying him, over her family’s objections. The marriage was not happy; Rulloff was prone to anger, and even hit his wife with a heavy pestle in front of her sister. When she and her young baby went missing, the Schutt family demanded Rulloff tell them where they were, but they remained missing. Rulloff had murdered them in anger, though their bodies were never found. It’s also thought that Rulloff murdered his sister-in-law and niece with poison not long before he killed his wife and child. It wasn’t until a bungled robbery thirty years later, resulting in the death of a security guard, that Rulloff was finally found guilty of murder and hanged for his crime.
This is a very engaging book, reading almost like a novel instead of a non-fiction work. Dawson added the writings of Hamilton Freeman, a journalist that extensively interviewed Rulloff while he awaited execution, which allowed the reader to see how a psychopath like Rulloff can charm those around him even though they believe he is guilty of heinous crimes. It’s also interesting to note the similarities in behavior with modern serial killers, like Ted Bundy. However, I would have liked a little more detail in the last chapter about the founding of neuroscience; I am pleased to learn that Rulloff’s large brain contradicted the idea that white men’s brains were morally and psychologically superior to the brains of people of color, and thereby sounded the death knell for scientific racism (though it still affects people of color to this day).
If you’re interested in true crime, and what a psychopath is like, this should be on your to-read list.
January 9, 2023
Actually 2.5
Informative true crime with modern-day parallels.
A slightly condescending tone mars the telling.
Not enough emphasis on the victims.
Read December 2022
Informative true crime with modern-day parallels.
A slightly condescending tone mars the telling.
Not enough emphasis on the victims.
Read December 2022
October 19, 2022
Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer - some have called him a 'Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter' - whose crimes spanned decades, but by 1871 he was captured, chained in a cell - a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century 'mindhunters' got to work.
From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyse the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analysed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made?
Expanding on her hit podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, acclaimed crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined - through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.
I enjoy a good murder mystery as much as the next person but have only just started to read and listen to some true crime. I hadn't heard of Kate Winkler Dawson or the subject of this book Edward Rolloff but I am happy to have discovered both and would definitely read more by this author.
You can clearly see Kate Winkler Dawson did a huge amount of research for this book The story is told in a factual but interesting way that held my attention throughout, I found it very readable and not at all dry.
Edward Rulloff was a vile but intriguing character and it was fascinating to read about how he was studied by the 'experts' of the time as a kind of precursor to what has developed into criminal psychology today.
Definitely recommended for fans of true crime.
From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyse the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analysed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made?
Expanding on her hit podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, acclaimed crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined - through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.
I enjoy a good murder mystery as much as the next person but have only just started to read and listen to some true crime. I hadn't heard of Kate Winkler Dawson or the subject of this book Edward Rolloff but I am happy to have discovered both and would definitely read more by this author.
You can clearly see Kate Winkler Dawson did a huge amount of research for this book The story is told in a factual but interesting way that held my attention throughout, I found it very readable and not at all dry.
Edward Rulloff was a vile but intriguing character and it was fascinating to read about how he was studied by the 'experts' of the time as a kind of precursor to what has developed into criminal psychology today.
Definitely recommended for fans of true crime.
January 5, 2023
I read this via audio and it was an excellent experience. I love Kate Winkler Dawson’s podcasts and this book was well paced, well researched, and fascinating. I sometimes get bored of nonfiction somewhere in the middle but I was engrossed in this story the whole way through. Highly recommend for historians and true crime aficionados alike.
June 19, 2022
I have to admit that i love true-crime, criminal and devious books. The title is interesting and the cover really beckons you to prod your fingers all over it and pick out the best parts. I thought that the content would be shallow, despite the great synopsis. Now imagine my surprise, while slowly going through the story and getting the right feel for the flow, that not only a lot of research went into this, but the whole narrative is so nicely laid out that you just have to walk the baby steps from Edwards' first school homework to his death at the gallows. What fascinated me the most were a lot of things that he got away with. I literally couldn't believe my eyes and the fact that this isn't science fiction and all of those things actually happened left me baffled. It's no wonder that he got famous for not just his crimes but his intelligence too. This was a very well-researched, interesting, and compelling read; if you love true crime, you can't miss out on this. It's like a 'Mindhunter' tv show but set in 19th century, and instead of Netflix we had a lot of journalists, experts, and witnesses to tell the story.
Thank you Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for sending me ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for sending me ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2022
Edward Rulloff was a intellectual who studied languages, committed murder, and is known for having one of the world's largest brain. Most of his life was spent in Gilded Age New York where he would commit multiple murders that ranged from his wife to that of a shop clerk over the course of several decades. People at the time were fascinated by how much brilliant mind could commit such heinous crimes. Dawson takes us through his life and crimes through his interactions with several "mindhunters" who tried to determine why he did what he did. They ranged from alienists (early psychiatrists) to journalists to phrenologists who studied bumps on ones head to determine their character. Dawson does a wonderful job of jumping from 1871, when Rulloff was interviewed by these mindhunters, to the 1850s, when his early crimes were committed, without readers loosing any sense of the timeline. We are shown not only the life of what we would now call a psychopath but also how the fascination with Edward Rulloff played a key role into how criminal psychology is conducted today. A well research and well written story that any true crime buff will enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for an honesty review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for an honesty review.
November 6, 2022
I had never heard of Edward Rulloff before but he was one hell of a psychopath. All That is Wicked is about this nasty piece of work who in the late 1800s just kept killing people left and right. He somehow was both terrible at crime because he kept getting caught, but also very good at crime because he usually found a way out. At least, he usually found a way out until he didn't rather definitely. While trying to escape the death penalty, various people come to talk to him because he is clearly intelligent so therefore he must not be evil. Yes, people used to think that.
The story is a good one but the best part of the book is actually Kate Winkler Dawson's writing style. The true crime genre usually falls into one of two camps. Either the author writes in a very detached, aloof style from the crimes or the author is so informal you feel like they probably didn't do their homework. Dawson is the best of both worlds because she clearly immersed herself deeply in this subject, but she presents it like someone sitting on the couch next to you. This was a really fun read.
(This book was presented as an advance copy from Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam.)
The story is a good one but the best part of the book is actually Kate Winkler Dawson's writing style. The true crime genre usually falls into one of two camps. Either the author writes in a very detached, aloof style from the crimes or the author is so informal you feel like they probably didn't do their homework. Dawson is the best of both worlds because she clearly immersed herself deeply in this subject, but she presents it like someone sitting on the couch next to you. This was a really fun read.
(This book was presented as an advance copy from Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam.)
April 18, 2022
Edward Roeliff was a murderer, a thief an author and pretend theologian and genius. He killed his sister-in-law her baby his wife and even his own daughter, but his downfall was while on the run he concocted a plan to rob a store in the same county that he was tried for murder in and broken out of jail. This is a historical true crime book and that is my favorite genre, but I must say I didn’t like how the author put in her own commentary. Like when she said he stopped to admire his breaking tools and there’s no way she could know that it was more than just that I didn’t like how are the beginning I thought she made herself a part of the story but as it went on I got into it. It had great research and although I thought the book could’ve been shorter I didn’t enjoy it for the most part. That is why I gave it four stars instead of three. If you like historical true crime you would definitely like this story. I was given this book by net galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical or punctuation no errors as I am blind and dictate my review, but all opinions are my own.
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