While interesting and engaging, I feel like this fell a little flat. For one thing, it feels like it could have used another once or twice over by an editor. There were a few times that I had to reread paragraphs to understand who did what with what implications due to clunky language. The intro seemed longer than most chapters. The epilogue probably could have just been chapter 13, as it wasn't structurally much different than the regular chapters. Finally, the latter half of the chapters didn't feel as historically or symbolically impactful as the first. We start with ancient times were not only was the axe a weapon and tool, but James discussed the symbolism and socio-economic impact. As we move forward in history it felt more like random stories of axe murders without much beyond, "it was interesting they chose an axe because that had better options." Like idk, these chapters lacked depth.

When I first read the title and description of this book it sounded like a really fun read (me being who I am, I had visions of Jason Voorhees and So I Married and Axe Murderer dancing through my head. While both we mentioned and briefly discussed in the book, this was not that type of book. Which isn't a bad thing. I actually really liked the book and its' historical examination of the axe throughout history. Each chapter was its own story, with the common thread being the axe (or a hatchet). I also learned a lot, having never read the stories about George Washington and Frank Lloyd Wright. Lizzie Borden I had heard of, but had never read that type of detail about her story. This book was well written, easy to read, and clearly researched in great depth. I will definitely recommend it to my friends.

I received a free copy of, Whack Job, by Rachel McCarthy James, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the story about the axe. People all over the world, through the centuries have used an axe. Probably the famous user of an axe is Lizzie Borden. This was an interesting read, on the axe.

So I kind of have to start this off with an apology. Back in 2018 (which feels so long ago, you guys) I wrote a Medium piece about THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN, which was a book written by Bill James, the noted baseball savant, and Rachel McCarthy James. And I started it off kind of pooh-poohing Rachel McCarthy James. What it seemed like, at the time, was that Bill was the author and Rachel was the behind-the-scenes researcher. If you read, say, POPULAR CRIME, and then read THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN, the voices are the same.

I read WHACK JOB, and the one thing I came away with was the idea that Rachel McCarthy James was not only a gifted researcher, but that she could write as well. So maybe she wrote more of THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN than I thought at the time, so I apologize.

WHACK JOB is about axe murder, but leaves out the murders that the Jameses reckoned were committed by the murderer in the previous book, which is a good idea. (I would argue that this book should have left out Lizzie Borden, because--oh, dear God--there are just so, so many books about poor Lizzie Borden--including what Bill James wrote about it in POPULAR CRIME--and WHACK JOB does next to nothing to advance the conversation, but I also don't know how you write a book about axe murder without Lizzie Borden.) And it goes through the entirety of human history, starting with a Neanderthal-era murder victim and going all the way to the present day.

Because THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN was also about an axe murderer, there's a suspicion that WHACK JOB is sort of a crazy-quilt compendium of facts that were salvaged from the cutting floor of the first book. I tend to think that's not the case, more that it's inspired by the sorts of books about salt and cod and other unlikely things that became best-sellers. To that extent, it works just fine and is not nearly as bloody and gruesome as you might expect. It's a perfectly pleasant read about something that's shocking and brutal.

Ms. James makes the point that axe murders are going out out style because axes aren't quite so much in common use as they once were, which I think is overall a good thing. For that matter, not that many people are killed with maces or morningstars or halberds anymore, for which we can count our blessings. WHACK JOB has only one problem, and that it is kind of anticlimactic, which I suppose is a good thing.

Whack Job is an interesting book, but it isn't at all what the title and description promise it to be.
Given its name, I thought this would be a collection of accounts of murders committed with an axe, and some explanations or view of the axe's place compared to other murder weapons. Instead, it is much more a series of snippets of biographies that end up mentioning axes at some point, but the axe isn't the main point in most of those stories and rather, just one aspect of them.
Each chapter follows a different person or few persons in a different era of human history and for a few chapters I felt a bit lost, as the book delved into politics and history and relationships that seemed fully unrelated to the topic. Every paragraph I was waiting for the axe to come into it or become central to the storytelling, which hurt my enjoyment of this book. Then, the chapter would include one or two pages talking about axes (sometimes only maybe) being important in that person's life, but still, the focus would be on the people and on their own importance rather than the axe.

So, if you go in knowing this book is much more a collection of small historic stories of violence instead of the history of axe murders, you'll enjoy it more. In this sense, I would recommend this book! I was taken aback but once I stopped caring about the axe itself and instead just learned about Chinese and Greek history and pre-Neanderthals and Tudor London, I liked it more.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book comes out on May 13th, 2025.

has become amusing in contrast to the weapons people have available to them now to inflict violence. But in many of these stories, especially the more recent ones not reliant on interpretation of physical remains, there’s nothing funny about the way people were killed. It can be quite easy to shoot someone with a gun and be cold blooded about it. These people were victims of tremendous rage or utter insanity. There were parts of this book that were very interesting, but the tone felt inconsistent, and relies heavily on mixing hearsay and speculation with fact to provide the narrative. I may have been missing the point of the tone McCarthy James was trying to set, but I feel like this would have been a better book if it was either all factual about the ax and what it was used for, or geared more as a true crime story centered around the people and the acts of violence that were committed. I do love the title, though! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whack job follows a chronological examples of axe murders and axes from pre-history to the 2010s. I greatly enjoy history, so I found this book to be a quick read and I learned a bit, especially about the pit from half a millennia ago and ancient Egypt. I appreciated that the author chose less well known murders as examples, Lizzy Borden's chapter notwithstanding.

However, I found the tonal changes occasionally jarring. The tone is often lighthearted, even snarky, in the same chapters that describe a brutal murder. It sometimes felt like a strange conglomeration of a podcast about true crime and an academic delve into the anthropological history of axes. I'd recommend this to someone looking for an overview of the topic, but not for someone looking too much into the science or psychology behind axe murders.

I read this as an ARC from Netgalley.com

Rachel McCarthy James’s Whack Job is a deeply researched book, but the title is a bit misleading. Rather than a deep dive into axe murders, it’s more of a history of the axe itself—starting in prehistoric times and working its way through ancient civilizations before even touching on true crime. If you’re expecting a gripping, grisly account of infamous axe murderers, this isn’t that book.

Lizzie Borden, the name most associated with axe murders, doesn’t even appear until chapter nine. The notorious Axeman of New Orleans? Not here at all. Instead, the book covers a mix of violent incidents—some involving axes, others stretching the definition. Political executions, early human conflicts with sharp tools, and even mythological tales and films (The Shining) take up much of the narrative.

Tone-wise, Whack Job is a bit inconsistent. James shifts between an almost casual, flippant style and scholarly analysis, making it feel like two different books merged together. That said, the depth of research is impressive, and the book offers an interesting, if unexpected, look at how axes have been used throughout history. Just don’t go in expecting a sensational true crime read—this is more of an academic exploration than a page-turning thriller.

Okay so for starters, this book wins for catchiest title. That aside, it’s a good book, too. This book is a walk through history. The beginning is farthest back and as the book goes on it gets closer to current day. Each chapter looks at a different era, specifically a different axe and axe murderer. I found it extremely interesting to learn about the evolution of axes based on what was happening in the world at each given time period and what other inventions had occurred. It was also interesting to learn about the uses the axes served (ya know, besides murdering) over the years. I feel like I learned a lot of history from this book, and it wasn’t just about axe murder. The only thing I would’ve liked more of was a deeper dive into the psyche behind “why the axe.” There was some discussion about it being convenient or lightweight yet sharp, but I wanted more of a psychological review. Otherwise, this book was great!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I really tried to get into this one, but I struggled immensely.
I am still really thankful to Rachel McCarthy James, Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press for granting me advanced reader access to this before it hits shelves on May 13, 2025.

This was an absolutely fascinating look at the history of axes and murder that spans from BCE times to modern times. I didn’t expect the book to take on such a wide-ranging topic, but I think it was better for having done so.

The author’s wit was on display several times, which was lovely. There were a few throwaway comments I don’t ascribe to, but to each their own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Whack Job is a well researched and fascinating look at the history of one of the craziest ways to die: Axe Murder. Rachel McCarthy James delivers a tour de force similar to History of the World in 6 Glasses diving into the popular stories of Axe Murders and the overall history of the sometimes tool and sometimes weapon.

Whack Job by Rachel McCarthy James is exceptionally well-researched, offering a deep dive into the history of axes and axe murders. I learned more about the topic than I ever expected, and the level of detail is impressive. While the content itself can be a little boring at times, the author’s passion for the subject and the thorough research make it a fascinating read. It’s clear that James poured a lot of dedication into this book, and that effort shines through, making it a unique and insightful experience for readers interested in this niche subject.

Whack Job is about the history of axe murder, or at least, that's what it purports to be. The author fails to provide a definition of "axe murder," which results in a lack of structure and clarity. For many, "axe murder" encompasses interpersonal violence, in which an individual yields an axe to end the life of another. It's personal, it's individual. The word "murder" itself has a strict definition, especially in a legal sense. McCarthy James not only includes such instances of interpersonal violence in her book, but also state executions, war deaths, and even unknown deaths. To me, a state execution sanctioned by the King of England is not the same as Lizzie Borden or an unknown assailiant killing two people with an axe in the home. McCarthy James can include anything she wants in her book, but the lack of definition and the varying stories under vastly different circumstances result in an disjointed narrative. It also means the title is quite misleading. I feel the book is more about death by axe, rather than strictly "axe murders."

Additionally, there are a few glaring omissions in Whack Job. The Axeman of New Orleans is not covered, nor is Karla Faye Tucker. McCarthy James also briefly mentions the Villisca Axe Murders, but I felt she could've expanded on them more. I am aware she wrote an entire book on the subject, but I, and perhaps many others, have not read that book. I don't necessarily want to read a whole other book on the subject, when it could be summarized in a book that is supposed to be about axe murder.

Another issue I found is there is no overarching thesis. The chapters are seemingly cobbled together without a cohesive throughline. In the introduction, McCarthy James talks a great deal about how axe murder became comedic, but doesn't flesh it out further. She also says the axe was such a commonplace item, not at all special because it was so ubiquitious. But then she discusses examples where the axe was proudly displayed in royal courts as shows of power and that certain axes are indeed unique. So, which is it? Is she arguing that they're commonplace or special? Or both? Again, it's not clear or fleshed out.

Finally, I am not a fan of the writing style. I felt the sentences were clunky and long-winded. I think an editor needs to pass through this another time for both grammatically errors (I found a few) and to tighten up the writing.

There were a couple of positive elements of Whack Job. I appreciate McCarthy James' extensive research into the history of axes and deaths by axe. I also enjoyed the last few chapters of the book, which featured axe murders (interpersonal violence) between individuals that I had not been aware of. They were fascinating stories and I am pleased she included them. Overall, I wish the book was more like the last few chapters, because that is what I initially expected from the title, description, and front cover.

Halfway through the introduction to Whack Job I thought, "Man...this author knows a LOT about axes." Then I started to worry that maybe she knew too much about axes, you know? Like when you go to a party and compliment someone's sweater and then it turns out they made it themselves and you spend the next half hour hearing about it. Just me? Anyway, my worry was unfounded. Yes, Rachel McCarthy James knows A LOT about axes; no, it wasn't too much and I was riveted throughout the book.

Billed as a history of axe murder, Whack Job reminds me of those "history of the X in 20 objects" books only here all of the objects are axes. We learn about axes used by cavemen, in ancient Egypt and Greece, by Vikings, during Henry VIII's tyrannical reign, and on and on. There's a chapter for Lizzie Borden, as one would expect, and the author neatly sums up exactly why the case is weird and impossible to solve for sure (even though Lizzie probably did it).

I learned a lot about axes, yes, but also about people through the ages and the fact that axes, once a crucial part of everyday life for everyday people, have pretty much died out as far as household tools go. Some people have one lying around, and if you burn wood or go camping regularly you're more likely to use one, but for most of us Target shoppers and suburbia dwellers we can go our entire adult lives without hefting one.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in true crime, axes, or general history. There are a ton of interesting anecdotes here that I'll do my best to keep to myself so I don't talk about them constantly and freak people out. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I went into this book with the wrong expectations and I think that influenced my reading experience. That being said this does dig in deep to a topic and I learned things but I’m not sure this was the topic for me.

Wow! I didn’t know i needed a history of axes, but here we are. This was so entertaining and informative.

I was drawn to this book because I hoped it would be a fairly concise and quick overview of an interesting topic. I wouldn't call myself a true crime fan, but I do like reading books on the topic from time to time, so this seemed like a good choice for me.

Unfortunately, this book is only kind of what it claims to be. The summary says Whack Job is "[a] brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture", but the subtitle of the book specifically says it's a "history of axe murder". I feel like the summary gives a more accurate idea of the contents of this book. Rather than being about "axe murder" (a term the author never really defines), I thought this book was more about axes in general. Some chapters barely even feature axe-related violence. Around halfway through when we get to the chapter on Lizzie Borden, the book truly becomes a look at axe murders, but before that it's a very unorganized collection of historical anecdotes that might happen to involve an axe.

The first half of the book also felt very surface-level in its analysis of both the historical events and the importance of the axe in that specific historic and cultural moment. If everything leading up to Henry XIII's chapter had been condensed into one chapter just running through the history and significance of axes in various cultures with some anecdotes thrown in, I don't think much would be lost.

(The chapter on Henry VIII straddles the line between "tangentially axe-related" and "actual axe murder". I would say that a state-sanctioned execution is murder, but I wouldn't classify a beheading as "axe murder". Which goes back to the problem of the author not clearly defining her parameters for what is and isn't an axe murder.)

As for the structure of the book, I didn't really like the way the chapters were set up. The first part of each chapter (i.e., the largest/main part) is about a specific incident of "axe murder". The very end of each chapter is a short introduction to specific type of axe. The axe introduced at the end of one chapter tells you where the next chapter will take place (e.g., the second chapter ends with a description of the yue, a type of Chinese axe, and the third chapter talks about China). I personally didn't like that. I would've preferred a shorter paragraph about the axe as an epigraph at the beginning of the axe's relevant chapter.

Also, the author's writing style just didn't work for me. She is trying to inject some humor into the narrative to make a pretty grim topic a bit more bearable. But the jokes just didn't land for me personally.

While the second half of this book was quite enjoyable, that doesn't cancel out my many problems with the first half. There was a major lack of focus throughout and some pretty lackluster writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow I really loved this! I went in already expecting to like it just based on the fact that I love a niche deep dive, but the author really surpassed my expectations.

The story was linear, easy to follow, engaging and struck just the right balance between thoughtful, respectful and humorous.

Would absolutely recommend this one

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me a copy of this book.
I really wanted to love this book, given my affinity for both true crime and history, but I think I expected something somewhat different, and that's on me. There are a lot of facts, clearly a lot of research happening, and also some opinions thrown in. There newer information and on (and I'm talking about Henry VIII, so that gives you an idea of how far back the researched information goes) is more relatable, as it is more familiar. I have to say that up until that point it wasn't as gripping. Loved the second half/two-thirds of the book.