The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer

This is a book for anybody who is interested in the darker side of the mind.Richard Kuklinski is the apocryphal bullied kid who rises to be the one holding the gun. Starting from his teen years he finds the power that derives from holding someone's life in your hands utterly irresistible. His methods are as varied as the men he kills.His icy demeanor makes him a favored killer for the Mafia, who often require him to kill someone in a specific manner to send a message to others. It is these killings that make up the most chilling part of the book; one has to wonder, is it really possible to take someone else's life like that?It has to be said that given a different home and background, Kuklinski could well have turned out as a normal, productive citizen. But the beatings issued by his father to both Kuklinski and his kid brother could not have passed without seriously harming the children, and indeed, it was very close that the Iceman didn't kill his father more than once. His brother is in an asylum for the criminally insane.If you are into true crime and the murderers of the Mob, you mustn't pass this one.Very nicely done Kindle version too, no errors worth mentioning.-Heikki Hietala, author of Tulagi Hotel

It's almost criminal to admit I loved this story about Richard Kuklinski but it was one hell of a good read. The man was truly maniacal as a modern day Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - contract killer and family man. I've seen the HBO interviews with him in jail and the movie with Michael Shannon. The book was just as fascinating but with additional details.This is definitely a must read for people who enjoy stories about true crimes. What makes this man scarier than Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers from the horror movies is that he really committed the crimes. The only thing in common is that no one really knows what the body count really is!

I watched the film that was adapted from this book last week, and liked it so much that I had to read this book. It's pretty difficult to decide which one was better, as I am giving both five stars.I will admit, reading a non-fiction book makes it far more difficult to appreciate a film on the same topic. "The book was so much better" seems to be a common refrain, and it seems that most people almost always have this opinion. Directors and screenwriters change little pieces of the story, often for seemingly no good reason. For example, in the movie, I believe that "Mr. Softie" -- the partner of Richard Kuklinski that drove an ice cream truck -- was killed by the Iceman on a park bench and left there to be found later. In the book, it appears that Mr. Softie was killed in his own ice cream truck, probably in one of his storage spaces, and then left hanging out the purchasing window. Why was it changed? And more importantly, does it really matter?And a book always gives more detail than a film. In this book, you get most of the background information about the man who investigated Mr. Kuklinski for almost two years: Dominick Polifrone. In the movie, you get very little of this information and he is really just a supporting actor with supporting screen time. (By the way: when you read the book, you will, or at least should, gain unbelievable respect for Mr. Polifrone. While the mob hates his guts and most likely wants him dead, he has risked his life -- and surely far worse -- in his quest to take down some pretty bad guys.)And there are many other reasons why a book is seemingly always better than a film. But in reality, comparing books and movies is like comparing apples and oranges. A book can be almost any length, although most are kept to 500 pages or less; a movie, while it may be longer, is generally limited to two hours due to both American audience impatience and for the size of one DVD. And this difference is not small; when a book is adapted as a screenplay it requires the screenwriter to cut out anything that is deemed unnecessary, even details sometimes that are important. There just isn't the time in a film to tell it all.I could go on and on how good this book is, and I would have a point. The writing is really good, especially for true crime. (While I "enjoy" true crime, the writers, outside of perhaps Jack Olsen, just usually aren't that good. I highly recommend taking a peek at his web site where he discussed this point himself while still alive.) I could discuss ad nauseum how nerve wracking it is while the reader becomes almost as scared as Mr. Polifrone for his own life, even his family. But instead and more importantly, I will make the following assertion: books and movies are different media, and people should stop comparing them the way they do. It isn't fair, and it isn't productive. Personally, I like both media myself, and they both have a place.I read part of a review I think where someone exclaimed, "Read the book first and then watch the movie!" I think he got it reversed, and I would say, "Watch the film and then read the book." That way, while watching the film, you won't get bogged down in minutiae that is just not that important. But I definitely recommend them both, as I'm going 5 stars on the book and 5 stars on the movie.

This book is well written and compelling, but reads more like a fictional novel than a biography. Much like the film featured on the cover, the author has taken liberties with the "true" story of Kuklinski. Yes, it is true that once in prison Kuklinski embellished many stories and his words are hard to take as fact, but there are some instances where the events portrayed in this book are not consistent with the story. Important events like Richard's childhood and early life with his wife are glossed over, and murders and other situations are not consistent with what was detailed in other biographies and in the HBO documentaries. While entertaining, this novel spends a lot of time dramatizing behind the scenes investigative meetings and not enough time detailing what a true psychopath Kuklinski was. If you are interested in the "Iceman" I'd much rather recommend the late Philip Carlo's biography of the same name. It is much more comprehensive and detailed and uses much less creative liberty. Also, avoid seeing the film. It is so loosely based on Kuklinski's story it is almost like the actual events never happened.

Never thought this would be the type of true crime that would interest me but it was one of the best I've read.This author was excellent -- fast moving story -- edgy! To learn this much about an uncover cop and his superior work trying to catch the Iceman kept me engaged! The Iceman was one in a zillion hopefully!!

Purchased this book for my holiday, had a quick read couldn't put it down

This was the best book I have ever read it did my English report on it, and I got an A. the author portrays the Richard Kulinski so well it's almost like your there this is the best book I have ever read I would highly recommend it.

C'est une chose qui déjà me dérange énormément. Au final, on ne sait plus ce qui est "real-life" et ce qui est "fiction". Je préfère largement une simple explications des faits.De plus, j'ai lu 24 pages, et l'auteur arrange déjà l'histoire en sa faveur. Il parle d'un meurtre qui n'a pas existé, qui de la bouche même de Kulinski était une bagarre pour se défendre, où il a pris une barre pour attaquer 6 intimidateurs. Bien évidemment, l'auteur transforme ça en 1 vs 1 qui fini par le meutre par Kuklinski.

la storia è molto interessante, peccato il libro si sia rovinato nel tragitto e l edizione sia relativamente cara per una stampa di relativa scarsa qualità

As described by seller!