This book is an interesting look at Rose West, who along with her husband Fred committed numerous acts of sexual assault, torture, and murder against young women, including their own daughter Heather. The authors go into Rose's past in great detail, and it does a lot to explain how she became so twisted (and vulnerable to someone like Fred's "charms") but---and this is crucial---it does NOT excuse her. You can feel terrible for the traumas someone underwent without excusing the traumas they then inflicted upon others. A good addition to any true crime library.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Before I read this book I had never heard of Rose West, her husband Fred or any of the atrocities that occurred at 25 Cromwell St in Gloucester.
Fred and Rosemary West (Rose) left a horrendous trail of abuse, incest, rape and murder over two decades. This book was fully researched and gives so many sad details of the lives they shattered. It was hard to read at times of the relentless abuse that went on in their home.
They left behind a trail of murders that included her own daughter and stepdaughter. Fred took his own life and she is currently serving a life sentence in West Yorkshire. The title of this "inside the mind of" is a bit misleading because one can only wonder what someone like her is truly thinking.

Rose West was, on the face of it, a mother living with her family in a semi in Gloucester. But behind closed doors, she was a monstrous killer who, with husband Fred, killed at least a dozen women and girls, including her own daughter Heather, sixteen, and stepdaughter, Charmaine, eight.

Inside the Mind of Rose West was not a comfortable read, but it was very well done. Well researched and explored the wider impacts - the victims, near victims, her own family and the families of her victims. It was educational, chilling and extremely interesting to find out more about a female serial killer and one who was working as a team. At times it is unsettling, however the authors have done well to balance this out with facts, without dumping the horror on the reader. The crimes were so much worse than the brief news articles i'd read prior lead me to believe.

Very well put together and a great (but difficult) read for true crime fans.

25 Cromwell Street will forever be a “home” shrouded in pain, torture and the horrors that victims of Rose and Fred West endured. Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel presented a thoroughly researched book while not idolizing the criminals, but instead focused on the victims, their lives and the atrocities they endured. Simultaneously, Farber and Daniel were able to detail the lives of both Rose and Fred, making you question is it nature or nurture. Unlike most true crime books, the accounts of the children and the life inside prison was included.

Overall, this was a very well written and researched book, and I highly recommend it for true crime enthusiasts. Be aware that there are several topics that are very prevalent and disturbing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book for an unbiased review.

Rose and Fred West the UK's most prolific serial killers. Rose looked like a typical mother and wife to the outside world living with her husband Fred and children in their terraced house in Gloucester. But 25 Cromwell Street will always be known as the House of Horrors after what both her and her husband have done.
A chilling read.

This is a very thorough book on Rosemary West. I liked how it tells what happened with her living children in later years. It tells about her life from early years, and meeting the fiend Fred who would become her husband. From the books I’ve read on the pair, they were both twisted sexual pervs who had a taste for killing. No one was off limits, including family. There is also more about Rose’s life after her conviction.

"Inside the Mind of Rose West" by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber tells the true story of Britain's most notorious serial killer, along with her husband, Frank West. This story dives deep into Rose's life from the beginning, exploring what, how, and when her sadistic tendencies started.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gemini Books Group, for the gifted eARC for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own.

What makes this story so unique is that females are rarely serial killers, and committing these heinous acts with a partner is even more rare. So why? What happened to cause this effect? And how, after so many years, was the couple not caught?

I really applaud the authors for digging deep into the case of Rose West and bringing life to the victims in a respectful manner. Truly, this is a tough case to read about, and even more so is the fact that the system failed these victims and their families. Not only were there murder victims, but the Wests' own severely abused children were also victims.

I think, overall, this is an insightful book and is educational regarding the psychological aspects of these killers. I believe that the more we can learn from these cases, the better we can understand them and potentially reduce the future occurrences of such events.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Inside the Mind of Rose West is a chilling exploration of one of the most notorious criminal partnerships in modern history. Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel take readers deep into the depraved lives of Rose and Fred West, offering a disturbing yet compelling account of the unimaginable horrors that took place at 25 Cromwell Street.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. Farber and Daniel present an unflinching look at the atrocities committed by the Wests, shedding light on the psyche of two deeply disturbed individuals. The narrative is deeply unsettling, yet the authors’ meticulous research and sensitive approach to the victims’ stories add an essential layer of humanity to the text. While the details are harrowing, the book is incredibly well-written, balancing the grim subject matter with a commitment to clarity and respect for the lives lost.

One of the book’s strengths lies in its focus on the victims. The authors strive to ensure that the individuals who suffered at the hands of the Wests are not reduced to mere statistics. Their lives, personalities, and the circumstances leading to their tragic fates are given a voice, adding depth and context to the narrative.

Farber and Daniel also delve into the psychological dynamics between Rose and Fred, exploring questions that continue to haunt true crime enthusiasts. Was Rose a passive accomplice or the dominant force in their shared madness? The authors provide thought-provoking insights, though they wisely leave room for readers to draw their own conclusions.

This is a challenging read due to the sheer brutality of the crimes discussed, but for true crime fans, it is a gripping and essential addition to the genre. Farber and Daniel do not sensationalize the horrors but instead seek to understand and convey the depth of the tragedy.

I highly recommend Inside the Mind of Rose West to those interested in true crime, psychology, or criminology. It’s a difficult but necessary read that adds clarity and compassion to a dark chapter in history.

Excellent book on Rose and Fred West. Many details I hadn’t read before. One of the most horrifying and tragic cases in British true crime history. The children of the couple were victims as well, and it was good to see that highlighted in this book. Highly recommended.

I cannot think anyone has not heard of Fred and Rosemary West. Their crimes shocked and sickened and this book is an insightful view into the couple as people and criminals.

It is well written and factual. If you think you have heard and read everything about these two then this book fills in the gaps.

It is a disturbing read and one that will, despite knowing the story, will once again shock and horrify the reader..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a sick couple Fred and Rosemary West were! This is a disturbing book about these two very messed up people. It's well written. I can't even imagine how hard it was growing up in this family or being on the jury for Rose's trial.
I recommend this book to true crime fans as it is very interesting.

Inside the mind of rose west, as challenging as all the books about the infamous wests, it really is a great insight into this horrific story, so very sad, so many let down by so many authorities; and it angered me as I’m sure it did many others of her later life in prison

This book provides a detailed and well-researched account of this horrendous case, showcasing the author’s dedication to uncovering facts and presenting multiple perspectives. The depth of research is impressive, and the storytelling has moments of real engagement.

However, I found the pacing a bit uneven sometimes; certain sections felt unnecessarily drawn out while others skimmed over key details.

Overall, it’s a solid read for die-hard true crime enthusiasts, but casual readers might struggle with its heavy prose. I respect the effort and expertise that went into the book, but expectedly, I recommend it only with all the trigger warnings you can think of. The crimes of R.W. are truly sickening and almost too much to even read about.

this was a fantastic nonfiction book, it had that true crime element that I was looking for and went deep on this case. Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber were able to write a strongly research book and thought it was respectful to the topic.

This is a really good read! I knew the story of Fred and Rose from newspapers and stuff but this book pulled it all together and I felt was very respectful to their victims.

This is a strong true crime offering with detailed examination of the victims and the crimes themselves, as well as information on the perpetrators themselves. That said. I would not say it explores the mind of Rose West. More, it covers the crimes themselves with a dual focus on both Fred and Rosemary. The accounts of the children and what became of the, was especially heartbreaking and sensitively told. This will be a must-read for anyone interested in the case.

Inside the mind of Rose West is a challenging read with triggers, however sad the events are the authors have expertly written the story about the victims and children/women involved and those that escaped the house of horrors.
The authors have set the stage with a lot of interesting facts setting the stage of life in the UK in the 1960’s onwards to understand how different the UK was then without the digital access. Police reports without digital tracking. It helps to understand the decades an excellent depiction of life back then.
Rose West and her husband Fred West were psychopaths and it’s hard to read the torture and abuse they did to victims. The people that survived those years are living today, with memories. Those that were murdered had names and a story of their lives, upto their murder. Inside the mind of Rose West talks about all the women who they murder and focuses on there story. The children of the couple who live on either side their parents who did the worst harm.

News reports and newspapers at the time mentioned names of people. I remember this story and the trial and I throughly enjoyed reading about the women, we always hear a lot about the monsters or psychopaths who commit the crime. People need to hear about the women who were murdered and the ones that survived.
A brilliant 5 star read that could make you shudder and emotional. However a wonderful review of the true crime.

#insidethemindofrosewest #thebookcaseofkay #netgalley
#truecrimereads

Inside the Mind of Rose West by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber offers a unique and poignant perspective on one of the most infamous criminal cases. This book stands out because it focuses on giving the victims their own voice, rather than merely recounting the horrific crimes committed against them. This approach brings depth and humanity to the narrative, honouring the lives and stories of those affected.

The book also provides new information, for exam0ple adding clarity to some of the evidence that reveals it was from one of the lodgers at 25 Cromwell Street. This additional detail enriches the overall understanding of the case. However, given the extensive coverage of the crimes over the years, it remains incredibly challenging to truly comprehend the mind of Rose West. The authors navigate this complexity with sensitivity, but the enigma of her psyche continues to baffle.

Overall, Inside the Mind of Rose West is a compelling read that offers fresh insights and a respectful tribute to the victims. For those familiar with the case, it provides additional layers of detail and a different perspective, while acknowledging the limitations of fully understanding such a profoundly disturbing mind.

3.5 stars, rounded up because, like, close enough, right?

This book is a deep dive into the horror show that was Rose West’s life. I learned so much that I didn’t know before, and you can tell the research was on point. But honestly? It left me wanting more. Like, what was even going on in her head? That part stayed a mystery, which was kind of frustrating. I was really hoping for a peek into her twisted brain, but nope, that door stayed firmly shut.

That said, it wasn’t overly gory, which I appreciated (I’m not here for the full-on nightmare fuel). But wow, the whole thing just left me feeling so bad for everyone who got let down by, well, everything.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 💕

3.5 ✨

I lived fairly local to this area in the early 90s, and remember the news breaking on the case.
It was horrific, as any serial killer (or murder) is.
The media frenzy made you aware of a lot of the details, but not everything.
This takes a closer look, and I've come away just sad at how the victims and the children were let down.
So many times things could have gone so differently.
Whilst this tells me a lot of background information on Rose West I didnt know, I'm not sure I felt it covered what might have been going on in her mind, no insights as such.
Clearly we'll researched, but I felt it didn't revel in the gruesome details.
Not enjoyable, but very informative.