The Wicked West of Cromwell Street

The Lives of Serial Killers Fred and Rose West

By: Jack Smith

Narrated by: John N Gully

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

What Fred and Rose West did for decades before getting caught in their house on 25 Cromwell Street, nicknamed the "House of Horrors", goes beyond anything anyone could ever imagine....

As a society we are fascinated by murder. It is a constant theme throughout much of our media, and many news outlets will prioritize a murderous story, knowing that it will enthrall audiences. There is something about those who decide to take a life that makes them so incredibly interesting to the rest of us.

While many of the most famous murderers are known across the world, there are those whose crimes are relatively less known. One of the strangest stories involves the married couple Fred and Rose West. Together they killed. Up until the time they were caught, they engaged in a string of murders, each motivated by hate, jealousy, passion, and a fundamental lack of morals.

In this audiobook, we will go in depth and learn about the history of the murderers. We will examine Fred and Rose's early lives, their relationship, and their personalities and will ultimately try to discover what it was that drove them to become two of the most notorious killers in the history of the British Isles. Though their crimes made front-page news at the time, few people outside of the country know the extent of their criminality. In this book we will learn exactly what made their killings so infamous.

For those who are in any way interested in the depths of human morality, the Wests represent some of the most depraved and sadistic murderers ever to have lived. Not only did they prey on unsuspecting young girls, but their attentions were even turned toward their own daughters. In a case involving kidnap, rape, and murder, Fred and Rose went beyond the realms of what many of us consider possible as people. Listen to learn exactly what drove Fred and Rose West to become two of history's greatest monsters.

©2015 Jack Smith (P)2015 Jack Smith and Maplewood Publishing

Strictly factual, no emotion no gory details

Written as though it was the work of a high-school student this book didn't shock, didn't offend, didn't even make me raise an eyebrow. Yes there were details yes there was an explanation for each victim as to the cause of death, but if you're looking for anything more than that look for another listen.

Gruesome True Crime Story.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Wicked West of Cromwell Street to be better than the print version?

I think audio books are almost always better than print, because you can do chores while listening. It is hard to read and complete tasks at the same time. This book is perfect for that at just under two hours.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending in this genre tells the outcome of the case. It is told well and in a matter of fact manner. Obviously, I am disappointed in the lack of justice in the real life tale, but that is not something the author can do anything about. :)

Which character – as performed by John N Gully – was your favorite?

John N. Gully is narrating a true tale. He is not playing characters in this book. He gives a good performance in the style of the old television show "Dragnet."

If you could give The Wicked West of Cromwell Street a new subtitle, what would it be?

More evidence of police incompetence. Witnesses came forward at great personal risk. Yet even with two testimonies and video evidence, it took the police two years to catch these killers. Fred West was prosecuted and jailed for theft for years, and the police didn't figure out that he was torturing and murdering young women. Seriously.

Any additional comments?

Because this is a true crime story, it contains gruesome and graphic descriptions of criminal acts. There is no swearing, just good descriptions of dark and evil actions. This is a solid book, but it seems to contain mostly basic information. Also the conclusions do not always follow the facts as presented. For instance, conclusions about Fred West's childhood background of abuse do not seem to remain consistent in the book. The first part describes an idyllic childhood. The last part of the book seems to assume childhood abuse for no other reason than that he abused his own children. It is a decent book about little known serial killers. It is a fascinating listen. I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

True Crime: not one for the faint hearted

What Fred and Rose West did for decades before getting caught in their house on 25 Cromwell Street, nicknamed the "House of Horrors", goes beyond anything anyone could ever imagine....

As a society we are fascinated by murder. It is a constant theme throughout much of our media, and many news outlets will prioritize a murderous story, knowing that it will enthrall audiences. There is something about those who decide to take a life that makes them so incredibly interesting to the rest of us.

While many of the most famous murderers are known across the world, there are those whose crimes are relatively less known. One of the strangest stories involves the married couple Fred and Rose West. Together they killed. Up until the time they were caught, they engaged in a string of murders, each motivated by hate, jealousy, passion, and a fundamental lack of morals.

In this audiobook, we will go in depth and learn about the history of the murderers. We will examine Fred and Rose's early lives, their relationship, and their personalities and will ultimately try to discover what it was that drove them to become two of the most notorious killers in the history of the British Isles. Though their crimes made front-page news at the time, few people outside of the country know the extent of their criminality. In this book we will learn exactly what made their killings so infamous.

For those who are in any way interested in the depths of human morality, the Wests represent some of the most depraved and sadistic murderers ever to have lived. Not only did they prey on unsuspecting young girls, but their attentions were even turned toward their own daughters. In a case involving kidnap, rape, and murder, Fred and Rose went beyond the realms of what many of us consider possible as people. Listen to learn exactly what drove Fred and Rose West to become two of history's greatest monsters.

©2015 Jack Smith (P)2015 Jack Smith and Maplewood Publishing

My Review

This is True Crime and as such, is a very difficult listen. That two people could inflict such unutterable pain, terror and degradation upon their victims before eventually murdering them is just beyond comprehension.

I well remember the impact this had on people when every day yet another body would be found, every day a new atrocity exposed, it seemed endless.

This is a short account, but I thought the book to be well written, it's a comprehensive review of all the components of the case, the life stories of those two flawed characters, how they met and how their deviant lives developed. Of course, there's nothing new, but how can there be? It's history now, and for those interested, here are all the facts brought together. I appreciate how the author sticks to what has been reported, no amateur psychological profiling, and no embellishments. I'm more accustomed to reading and reviewing fiction, but in my opinion, within its genre, this deserves 5 stars, but be warned, it's not for the faint hearted.

Narrator

John N. Gully narrated this awful story in the only acceptable way, and that is by using a reporter style, It would not be possible to listen to the evil activities and the suffering of real victims if the narration were infused with emotion. Excellent job.
Audiobook provided by narrator in return for an honest review

Interesting from start to finish!

If you could sum up The Wicked West of Cromwell Street in three words, what would they be?

Terrible unexpected crimes

What other book might you compare The Wicked West of Cromwell Street to and why?

There are many crime books out there but this one was some of the most brutal crimes I've ever read.

Which character – as performed by John N Gully – was your favorite?

He didn't do any voices.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When they "punished" their own daughter.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended!

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

nothing new here

Perhaps I've been spoiled by the fact that my first foray into the genre of true crime were several works by Jack Olsen; but I did not enjoy this book. There is even slightly less information than you could obtain from a Dateline episode. It's more or less just a list of victims There are no interviews, no insight into the investigation. no trial synopsis, nothing Gully's narration is fine, but that''s about it. This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com

Lack of detail

I’m not talking about the extent of the crime but rather the details of Fred’s first conviction. Glosses over seriously important details. Mollie Westbrook on YouTube did a much better job.

Too superficial for my taste

This book began as a very interesting read. I thought it would have been deep as it started off so well telling about the background of both Fred and Rose West. But sadly it turned out to be superficial. In my opinion, there would have been a lot to look into and tell about which the author left out

The Wicked West of Cromwell Street

Any additional comments?

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."



The narration was OK,but the story seemed like dry facts.