-Gibson examines 12 cases of serial murder between the 1890s and 1990s that were heavily covered by the mass media. He argues that there is a complex and deep-seated inter-relationship between the two in contemporary American life, and that the American media plays a multi-dimensional and integral role in serial killings and the investigation into them. —Reference & Research Book News

-Gibson organizes his book one case at a time, describing the criminals, crimes, victims, investigations, community reactions, and the role of communication, including rhetoric, journalism, and public relations, in all aspects of these events. The book is clearly written and efficiently organized so that anyone interested just in public relations techniques, for example, can find that information quickly. Taken together, his case studies point to the troubling downside of mass press coverage of these horrific crimes, Media circuses, he argues, have hindered investigations, harmed victims families, and created panic....[G]ibson's case studies and in particular, his conclusions and recommendations could inspire a lively debate among both journalism and public relations students about the role of media in these high-profile crimes and investigations. —Journalism History