Magnetized

Thank you to Catapult for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One week in September 1982, the bodies of four taxi drivers were discovered. The murderer was a 19-year-old boy who seemed to have no motive for the killings. Carlos Busqued, an Argentine author, began visiting the killer, Ricardo Melogno, and pieced together a more complete picture via interviews, forensic documents, and newspaper clippings from the time of the discoveries. 

As a fan of true crime, I was very intrigued by this book. While relatively short, I did have to take my time reading it as a lot of it could be a bit disturbing. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of the mind of Melogno and learn more about his life experiences that may have led him to commit such heinous crimes. 

For much of the book, it is essentially a transcript between Melogno and Busqued. It was very easy to follow and I don’t think any significance was lost in translation. I appreciated the exploration of mental health and how one’s relationships can affect it. 

Overall, this was a fascinating book that lets you into the mind of a killer. While it is formatted in a way that one can read easily, you may find yourself reading at a slower pace than usual as you digest the horrific things Melogno did and also endured.