"The release of Silence of the Lambs in 1991, which swept the major Academy Awards categories, legitimized the serial killer movie, a genre that dates back as far as the silent era. From Absence of the Good to Zodiac Killer, this reference work covers over 500 feature films and select television movies featuring serial killers.".

"Through this comprehensive coverage, the book offers a detailed study of the development of the serial killer film as a distinct genre with its own character types, narrative patterns and styles. An introduction outlines the historical evolution of this film genre and covers the whole range of cinematic interpretations.".

"Each entry contains a listing of the film's main credits, a synopsis of the film, a summary of the film's respective merits and a discussion of how they fit into the themes and structures outlined in the introduction."--BOOK JACKET.