I have never listened to this author's podcast or other read their other writing but am somewhat familiar with the Exactly Right network (My Favorite Murder). Maybe that's why I thought that this book would be more "fun" (as if reading about murder and psychopaths can ever really be considered fun), but I found this to be quite dry. Based on the cover and description I expected phrenology to play a much larger part, when it felt like it was only a small section of the whole book. I did appreciate being made aware of Edward Rulloff who was not on my radar before - and I've listened to quite a few true crime podcasts and seen a number of documentaries in my spare time.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
I absolutely loved this book. I love historical crime novels and this did not disappoint.
It was well researched and held my interest the entire time.
Lots of information but interesting along with all of the information. Just an all around great read. Anyone who enjoys historical crime and the history of criminal investigations needs to read this one!

All That Is Wicked is a true crime novel that fans of the genre won't want to miss! It's the story of Edward Rulloff, a 19th century serial killer who was actually the first to have his brain studied in an attempt to understand the criminal mind. Dawson's writing is captivating and thoroughly researched. The story is fascinating with shocking revelations. It interesting to learn about how criminal psychology began. Highly recommended to true crime fans!

Everything that Kate Winkler Dawson produces is engaging, intellectual, and timely. American Sherlock was an excellent read and I desperately wait for each new episode of her podcast, Tenfold More Wicked. I was eager to read this book as an expansion of her podcast season focused on the nefarious but brilliant Edward Rulloff. This book, narrative nonfiction, details the criminal acts of Rulloff while focusing on the developments in forensic psychology that contributed to our conception of the criminal mind today. There’s a lot to come to terms with here, particularly as we grapple with our cultural fascination with true crime. I wonder if some of the theories we accept as true today - such as behavioral analysis by profilers - will be similarly debunked in the future just as the so-called science of phrenology was. I don’t think the book was necessarily less enjoyable because of having listened to the podcast but I did find some of the content repetitive and actually, I missed some of the storytelling feel from the podcast and found myself connecting less to the family members. For readers of true crime seeking a greater understanding of crime in that era, this is a good read. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC for my honest feedback.

This was a very interesting read, I had never heard of this killer before so this book offered a lot of great information.

Wow, this book. I have never heard of this psychopath before this book. I don't know anything about this author or podcast, until this book. She definitely did some deep research as this was very well-informed and detailed. An excellent read for all true crime lovers.

OH my goodness...I was a little skeptical at first, when Ham, the news reporter came into the cell to interview the murderer. I felt it reminded me of Silence of the Lambs.
However, then I really got into the book and I could not put it down. I kept wondering what else there was to uncover of this deranged man.
However, he did have a grasp of Greek.
I was amazed at how many lives this man destroyed from his wife, baby, his inlaws, the Sheriffs son and wife.
He left a path of destruction.
HOwever, the most fascinating thing was the debate over if he was TOO BRILLIANT to have him die or was he insane
I was riveted to the story and it was really well told.
Bravo to the author a great tale.

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!

This is written in a pretty accessible way. I’m a fan of true crime, but I think anyone could get into this. I’ve minimally researched Rulloff in the past, and this compiles information from enough sources that I was still able to find out plenty of new stuff. However, prior of Rulloff is absolutely not a requirement. Rulloff’s story is fascinating. It truly was so bafflingly easy to get away with crimes back in the day.

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.

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 full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 10/4/2022.)

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

All That Is Wicked by Kate Winkler Dawson is a thoroughly researched, well-crafted, engrossing look into the actions and mind of a 19th century serial killer. Dawson deftly puts the reader in the mind of the killer and then weaves in modern serial killers in an enlightening way. It is a book you won’t want to put down. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book. #AllThatIsWicked #NetGalley