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The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Nonfiction (2013)After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed "The Angel of Death" by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history.
Cullen's murderous career in the world's most trusted profession spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When, in March of 2006, Charles Cullen was marched from his final sentencing in an Allentown, Pennsylvania, courthouse into a waiting police van, it seemed certain that the chilling secrets of his life, career, and capture would disappear with him. Now, in a riveting piece of investigative journalism nearly ten years in the making, journalist Charles Graeber presents the whole story for the first time. Based on hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wire-tap recordings and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down, THE GOOD NURSE weaves an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship, and betrayal.
Graeber's portrait of Cullen depicts a surprisingly intelligent and complicated young man whose promising career was overwhelmed by his compulsion to kill, and whose shy demeanor masked a twisted interior life hidden even to his family and friends. Were it not for the hardboiled, unrelenting work of two former Newark homicide detectives racing to put together the pieces of Cullen's professional past, and a fellow nurse willing to put everything at risk, including her job and the safety of her children, there's no telling how many more lives could have been lost.
In the tradition of In Cold Blood, THE GOOD NURSE does more than chronicle Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him; it paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers a penetrating look inside America's medical system. Harrowing and irresistibly paced, this book will make you look at medicine, hospitals, and the people who work in them, in an entirely different way.
Cullen's murderous career in the world's most trusted profession spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When, in March of 2006, Charles Cullen was marched from his final sentencing in an Allentown, Pennsylvania, courthouse into a waiting police van, it seemed certain that the chilling secrets of his life, career, and capture would disappear with him. Now, in a riveting piece of investigative journalism nearly ten years in the making, journalist Charles Graeber presents the whole story for the first time. Based on hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wire-tap recordings and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down, THE GOOD NURSE weaves an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship, and betrayal.
Graeber's portrait of Cullen depicts a surprisingly intelligent and complicated young man whose promising career was overwhelmed by his compulsion to kill, and whose shy demeanor masked a twisted interior life hidden even to his family and friends. Were it not for the hardboiled, unrelenting work of two former Newark homicide detectives racing to put together the pieces of Cullen's professional past, and a fellow nurse willing to put everything at risk, including her job and the safety of her children, there's no telling how many more lives could have been lost.
In the tradition of In Cold Blood, THE GOOD NURSE does more than chronicle Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him; it paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers a penetrating look inside America's medical system. Harrowing and irresistibly paced, this book will make you look at medicine, hospitals, and the people who work in them, in an entirely different way.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2013
About the author
Charles Graeber
14 books217 followersCharles Graeber is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award nominated "THE GOOD NURSE" and the British Medical Association book of the year shortlisted "THE BREAKTHROUGH" (both published by Twelve).
He is also a contributor to numerous publications including Wired, The New Yorker, GQ, New York Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times. His writing has been honored with the Overseas Press Club award for the year's Outstanding International Journalism, a New York Press Club Prize, several National Magazine Award-nominations, and inclusion in anthologies including The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Science Writing, The Best American Business Writing, The Best of National Geographic Adventure and The Best of 20 Years of Wired.
"The Good Nurse" is currently being adapted into a major motion picture to be released in 2022.
He is also a contributor to numerous publications including Wired, The New Yorker, GQ, New York Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times. His writing has been honored with the Overseas Press Club award for the year's Outstanding International Journalism, a New York Press Club Prize, several National Magazine Award-nominations, and inclusion in anthologies including The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Science Writing, The Best American Business Writing, The Best of National Geographic Adventure and The Best of 20 Years of Wired.
"The Good Nurse" is currently being adapted into a major motion picture to be released in 2022.
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January 31, 2014You think Annie Wilkes was bad? Check out this chilling nonfiction account of Charlie Cullen, a friendly nurse who may have killed several -hundred patients before he was caught. Now, there’s a real cockadoodie brat.
October 31, 2022
**This is an old review, but I'm reposting it because Netflix has just released a new movie called The Good Nurse starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne based on Charles Graeber's book.**
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A fascinating look into the mind and rationalizations of Charles Cullen, a nurse ultimately responsible for dozens, and possibly hundreds, of patient deaths over almost two decades. It's alarming in both the relative ease with which he got away with it for so long, and the negligence or sheer blindness of so many institutions and individuals who could've stopped him along the way as mysterious patient deaths accumulated.
When medicines went missing, too many patients mysteriously died, and suspicions arose at a workplace, he'd simply move on to another. His prior place of employment - eager to make the problem go away without harming their bottom line - would turn a blind eye to their suspicions and in some cases even give him references for new employment. While it didn't give a black eye to medical institutions as a whole, it did show the unsavory business side of those employers that put profit before patients when scandal was at their door, and how lawyered up and obstructive they were when investigations began. I hope it's the exception, rather than the norm!
Thankfully the book also covers the bravery of those involved in stopping him. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy true crime. The movie only spotlights his final place of employment and how his arrest came about, so for those interested in the fuller picture, I highly recommend the book!
For every truly GOOD nurse, doctor and medical professional out there who faithfully does their job day in and day out to make patients' lives better. THANK YOU!!
★★★★
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A fascinating look into the mind and rationalizations of Charles Cullen, a nurse ultimately responsible for dozens, and possibly hundreds, of patient deaths over almost two decades. It's alarming in both the relative ease with which he got away with it for so long, and the negligence or sheer blindness of so many institutions and individuals who could've stopped him along the way as mysterious patient deaths accumulated.
When medicines went missing, too many patients mysteriously died, and suspicions arose at a workplace, he'd simply move on to another. His prior place of employment - eager to make the problem go away without harming their bottom line - would turn a blind eye to their suspicions and in some cases even give him references for new employment. While it didn't give a black eye to medical institutions as a whole, it did show the unsavory business side of those employers that put profit before patients when scandal was at their door, and how lawyered up and obstructive they were when investigations began. I hope it's the exception, rather than the norm!
Thankfully the book also covers the bravery of those involved in stopping him. It's an excellent read for those who enjoy true crime. The movie only spotlights his final place of employment and how his arrest came about, so for those interested in the fuller picture, I highly recommend the book!
For every truly GOOD nurse, doctor and medical professional out there who faithfully does their job day in and day out to make patients' lives better. THANK YOU!!
★★★★
February 10, 2016
4 to 4.5 stars
A very interesting and shocking story. It is amazing to think that monsters like this could be amongst those who are supposed to take care of and heal us.
This book hit home with me a bit more than it might some as I work in health care and deal with the Pyxis system from time to time - which is referenced frequently throughout the book.
While it did get a little slow (just a teeny, tiny bit) toward the end, it was still an enthralling investigation into madness.
If you think you can play the Angel of Death with human lives in a hospital, you are gonna have a bad time.
A very interesting and shocking story. It is amazing to think that monsters like this could be amongst those who are supposed to take care of and heal us.
This book hit home with me a bit more than it might some as I work in health care and deal with the Pyxis system from time to time - which is referenced frequently throughout the book.
While it did get a little slow (just a teeny, tiny bit) toward the end, it was still an enthralling investigation into madness.
If you think you can play the Angel of Death with human lives in a hospital, you are gonna have a bad time.
March 28, 2023
An unbelievable story about the most prolific serial killer. RN Charlie Cullen potentially killed up to 400 patients over 16 years at nine different hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Each and every hospital fired him instead of pursuing justice to avoid legal liabilities. Truly disgusting.
This book was very well written. I didn't know how the detectives would nail this guy so it was gripping and intense toward the ending. I listened to the audiobook with Will Collyer's narration. He's terrific and brings a lot of excitement. I had to double-check that this isn't a fictional account of the event. It was really like listening to a murder suspense novel. After peeking at an ebook sample, I would suggest you have a print copy as well, I didn't but saw the author's notes at the end which could be helpful as you listen.
The Netflix movie that goes by the same name was great as well. They changed a number of things but a very enjoyable movie and worth a watch.
This book was very well written. I didn't know how the detectives would nail this guy so it was gripping and intense toward the ending. I listened to the audiobook with Will Collyer's narration. He's terrific and brings a lot of excitement. I had to double-check that this isn't a fictional account of the event. It was really like listening to a murder suspense novel. After peeking at an ebook sample, I would suggest you have a print copy as well, I didn't but saw the author's notes at the end which could be helpful as you listen.
The Netflix movie that goes by the same name was great as well. They changed a number of things but a very enjoyable movie and worth a watch.
December 27, 2015
It was money, greed, profits that allowed the nurse to get away with serial killing.
The American health care system is first and foremost a business like any other, it exists to make money. Its product is health care. Savings can be made by cutting costs. Less nurses, automated drug retrieval and disposal systems. Untruthful, but vague references to cut the odds of the hospital involving another high-profit business, litigation, when someone is 'let go'. Agencies hire and send out staff without checking on these vague references as they make money on the hours the nurses work or the contracts they get them, due diligence would cost them money.
Then there is the great cover up. All the medical staff stick together and deny anything that would get any of them into trouble, not only stick together but get rid of evidence that might incriminate them should anyone manage to get through this monolithic wall of non-disclosure and investigate them. Not many ordinary people, families to patients who died an unexpected and untimely death have either the willpower to persist for years in trying to find out what happened or the wherewithal to employ lawyers to do so. They will get no help from insurance companies or health authorities, neither of whom care about truth, only profits.
It all comes down to money.
Does this mean it couldn't happen in a country with socialised medicine? Sadly, no. It's the same fear of litigation and medical staff sticking together, even though the profit motif is missing.
How do we prevent these mass murderers who move among sick people like they are angels of mercy when they are really angels of death? How do we even know how many there are when everything that might reflect badly on a medical institution or staff is covered up? Good question. I can't think of an answer.
The American health care system is first and foremost a business like any other, it exists to make money. Its product is health care. Savings can be made by cutting costs. Less nurses, automated drug retrieval and disposal systems. Untruthful, but vague references to cut the odds of the hospital involving another high-profit business, litigation, when someone is 'let go'. Agencies hire and send out staff without checking on these vague references as they make money on the hours the nurses work or the contracts they get them, due diligence would cost them money.
Then there is the great cover up. All the medical staff stick together and deny anything that would get any of them into trouble, not only stick together but get rid of evidence that might incriminate them should anyone manage to get through this monolithic wall of non-disclosure and investigate them. Not many ordinary people, families to patients who died an unexpected and untimely death have either the willpower to persist for years in trying to find out what happened or the wherewithal to employ lawyers to do so. They will get no help from insurance companies or health authorities, neither of whom care about truth, only profits.
It all comes down to money.
Does this mean it couldn't happen in a country with socialised medicine? Sadly, no. It's the same fear of litigation and medical staff sticking together, even though the profit motif is missing.
How do we prevent these mass murderers who move among sick people like they are angels of mercy when they are really angels of death? How do we even know how many there are when everything that might reflect badly on a medical institution or staff is covered up? Good question. I can't think of an answer.
February 7, 2023
2 stars !!!
Update Feb 7, 2023: We recently watched the Netflix documentary based on this book. Again very lacklustre but at least there were some snippets of this monster's confession. The interviews with the nursing colleague that brought him down were the most interesting as her struggles and her own misguided sense of alliances contributed to enabling this most wicked of men....overall 2.5 stars so a bit better than the book.
There needs to be something more comprehensive done to fully explain why this serial killer was allowed to kill up to 400 vulnerable patients and the bureaucrats that passed him from medical facility to facility while collecting huge paycheques. Unfckingbelievable !
Warmest respects and thanx to the law enforcement agencies that brought him down.
Original review:
I have the deepest sadness for the 400 victims and their families that were killed by this most evil nurse who killed as easily as picking berries from a bush. I am extremely angry that hospital bureaucrats did nothing at several hospitals and in fact enabled this man to kill nonstop for many years.
The 2 stars is for the quality of the book that made a valiant attempt for a clear trajectory of this nightmare but it failed on many counts:
1. the narrative read more like a low budget crime show than a serious work of investigative journalism
2. there was absolutely no analysis of what happened except for very simplistic explanations that was as tepid as weak cold tea
3. no interviews were conducted with outside experts like forensic psychologists to explain the murderer's psychopathology or organizational sociologists to explain how so many things could go wrong at the institutional level etc.
I do thank the author however for attempting to tell this story that is tragic and unfathomable.
Update Feb 7, 2023: We recently watched the Netflix documentary based on this book. Again very lacklustre but at least there were some snippets of this monster's confession. The interviews with the nursing colleague that brought him down were the most interesting as her struggles and her own misguided sense of alliances contributed to enabling this most wicked of men....overall 2.5 stars so a bit better than the book.
There needs to be something more comprehensive done to fully explain why this serial killer was allowed to kill up to 400 vulnerable patients and the bureaucrats that passed him from medical facility to facility while collecting huge paycheques. Unfckingbelievable !
Warmest respects and thanx to the law enforcement agencies that brought him down.
Original review:
I have the deepest sadness for the 400 victims and their families that were killed by this most evil nurse who killed as easily as picking berries from a bush. I am extremely angry that hospital bureaucrats did nothing at several hospitals and in fact enabled this man to kill nonstop for many years.
The 2 stars is for the quality of the book that made a valiant attempt for a clear trajectory of this nightmare but it failed on many counts:
1. the narrative read more like a low budget crime show than a serious work of investigative journalism
2. there was absolutely no analysis of what happened except for very simplistic explanations that was as tepid as weak cold tea
3. no interviews were conducted with outside experts like forensic psychologists to explain the murderer's psychopathology or organizational sociologists to explain how so many things could go wrong at the institutional level etc.
I do thank the author however for attempting to tell this story that is tragic and unfathomable.
January 23, 2022
Charlie Cullen, a registered nurse, earned the nickname "Angel of Death". Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. He ushered so many people into the great beyond he cannot recall most of their names nor faces. Using medication available on the nursing floors, he injected patients with whatever was on hand, forcing them to code.
Charlie was hired and fired from more than 10 different hospitals and nursing homes. Not warning the next one of their suspicions. In most cases, hospitals shredded paperwork and covered up Cullen's crimes. This is not only the true story of a nurse that killed the patients he was supposed to care for, but how a healthcare system placed money over patient's lives.
Charlie was hired and fired from more than 10 different hospitals and nursing homes. Not warning the next one of their suspicions. In most cases, hospitals shredded paperwork and covered up Cullen's crimes. This is not only the true story of a nurse that killed the patients he was supposed to care for, but how a healthcare system placed money over patient's lives.
February 21, 2015
An informative, but very disturbing look at the inadequacy of the healthcare industry of today. Pretty scary stuff knowing that we will probably all end up there for one reason or another (if we live long enough.) Having had someone close to me spend quite a bit of time there, I have seen the good and the bad in the nursing profession, but I think what upsets me most in this true-crime novel is the "transfer the problem" scenario that killed the 300+ innocent people. Shame on those corporations in PA and NJ who did not even contact the authorities suspecting and/or even knowing they had a killer in their employ all because of their reputations and bottom line. My biggest fear is that with the direction our current government is headed with healthcare, it will probably only get worse. A truly frightening read.
August 10, 2016
The Good Nurse
The Most Disturbing True Crime Book in Decades
Killer Nurse: Charles Cullin is sworn in during a court proceedingThis is not a script for a horror movie. This is a true story, and it could happen to you or someone you love.
Charlie Cullen was a serial-killer nurse who slowly murdered an estimated 400 patients in 9 hospitals over a span of 16 years, making him the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.
Cullen would spike hundreds of hospital i.v. bags with insulin or digoxin, causing patients to overdose on unprescribed drugs. The patient's conditions would mysteriously deteriorate and then they would die.
A national shortage of nurses makes it difficult for hospitals to recruit quality nurses.
Charlie Cullen continued to find good work as a nurse despite a long, documented history of mental instability including:
* hundreds of suspicious deaths of his patients during his shifts
* a medical discharge from the Navy after trying to commit suicide
* 8 more suicide attempts
* 3 unsuccessful stints in psychiatric facilities for mental instability
* 1 arrest & probation for stalking, breaking & entering & trespassing
* 2 formal domestic violence accusations to police by his ex-wife
* a long history of torturing & killing small helpless pets
* neighbors reporting him yelling and talking to himself
How did Charlie Cullen continue to get away with killing patients for so many years?
According to investigating detectives, co-workers and even Cullen himself, several hospitals suspected he was harming and killing patients but they refused to take appropriate legal actions.
Why did hospitals refuse to take appropriate legal actions?
Corporate staff at greedy, profit driven hospitals knowingly covered up Cullen's crimes because they prioritized their profits and their reputations over the lives and well-being of their patients.
Seven of Cullen's co-workers at St. Luke's Hospital met with the Lehigh County district attorney to alert authorities of their suspicions that Cullen had used drugs to kill patients. They pointed out that in 6 months, Cullen had only worked 20% of the hours on his unit but was present for 2/3's of the deaths.
Investigators never looked into Cullen's past, and his case was dropped 9 months later due to lack of evidence. It was later learned that hospital administrators had stymied the investigation by not being totally forthcoming with investigators.
Corporate staff at hospitals refused to alert police, refused to alert state regulators and refused to take any steps to protect other patients as potential victims. They simply pressured this serial killer employee to quietly transfer to another, unsuspecting hospital where he could continue murdering patients, but at a different hospital.
The most guilty of these corporate criminals is Mary Lund, a corrupt bureaucrat at Somerset Medical Center. Mary Lund repeatedly lied to police and blatantly obstructed justice to protect Somerset Medical Center's reputation and lucrative profits. Mary Lund made it her mission to prioritize her hospital's profits over the lives of hundreds of people.
Mary Lund was never prosecuted for her cover-up of Charles Cullen's murders at her medical center. Mary Lund should be serving time in prison, yet she happily lives her life, successful in her career where I believe she has been promoted. Google her name to see for yourself.
Thanks to a very upstanding diligent nurse named Nancy Doherty, at Somerset Medical Center, Charles Cullen's suspicious activities were finally reported to the New Jersey Poison Control.
Later, two police detectives, Detective Braun and Detective Baldwin worked tirelessly to gather enough evidence from Somerset Med Center to arrest Cullen for his crimes. Still, corrupt hospital administrators like Mary Lund at Somerset, blatantly lied to the detectives in an effort trip up their investigation, making it nearly impossible for them to pin down Charles Cullen's criminal activity.
I really hope, in my heart, that this book will help the victim's of Charles Cullen & the victim's of corporate criminals like Mary Lund, finally receive some sort of valid justice and compensation.
This is a shameful and terrifying portrait of American corporate greed and corrupt morals.
Last, below is a list of hospitals and the timeline of Charles Cullen's employment where & when he committed his hundreds of murders.
1. 1988-1992 Saint Barnabas Medical Center; Livingston, NJ
2. 1992-1993 Warren Hospital; Phillipsburg, NJ
3. 1994-1996 Hunterdon Medical Center; Flemington, NJ
4. 1996-1997 Morristown Memorial Hospital; Morristown, NJ
5. 1998-1998 Liberty Nursing & Rehab Center; Allentown, PA
6. 1998-1999 Easton Hospital; Easton, PA
7. 1999-1999 Lehigh Valley Hospital; Allentown, PA
8. 1999-2002 St. Luke's Hospital; Bethlehem, PA
9. 2002-2003 Somerset Medical Center; Somerville, NJ
Charlie Cullen was finally arrested in 2003, after sixteen years and 400 dead patients under his care.
October 31, 2022
Informative and terrifying. I have always said "if you want to survive a hospital stay, stay close to your nurses."
April 22, 2022
Everyone knows that true crime is my Achilles’ heel. I’ve said many times that these careful accounts of human misery are just too sleazy and voyeuristic and I quit. But just like that Godfather meme, I thought I was out and they pullllled me back in.
My excuse here is that I never read an account of a killer nurse before and I wondered how they get away with it. Turns out, with considerable ease. They can go on for years if they choose victims that are likely to die anyway. The tale told expertly by this book is quite shocking. The perp doesn’t shock us so very much, human revoltingness being a well-known component of our lives. But the hospitals involved did shock me. Their drug accounting was almost non-existent. This guy Cullen was using more of one particular dangerous drug in a week than all other night staff on the ICU ordered in six months – did anyone spot this? Nope. Finally when suspicions began to gather did the hospital call the cops? Nope. They sat on the whole case very nervously making “internal enquiries” whilst the lunatic nurse continued to work there. When pressure of evidence forced them to call the cops did they explain that there was a computer system where you could see exactly what a particular nurse did to a particular patient? Nope. The hospital’s whole attitude was we want this to go away, we are going to squash this if at all possible.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE THING
99% of killer nurses are women and they do it for two reasons. One is simply mercy killing. The other used to go under the flamboyant name Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy. This is where you cause the patient to have a medical crisis and then you rescue the patient from certain death, thus becoming a hero. (Or they die anyway but you still heroically tried to save them.) This Cullen guy (he admitted around 40 murders, cops think it might have been more like 400 over 16 years) was different.
Here’s the strange theory this book mentions (almost in passing). Cullen was a life-long depressive who had attempted suicide many times. So, his murders were a way of killing himself successfully by proxy. Hmmm…. Sounds wacky to me. But otherwise the explanation for this guy’s dedicated 16-year long career of dealing out death randomly is blowing in the wind.
I’m hoping American hospitals have tightened up their drug dispensing procedures since 2003.
May 5, 2013
My rating: 2.5 stars.
I truly wanted to like this more. This whole subject of "Angels Of Death" really fascinate me in terms of serial killer behavior, and I was fully wanting to round the stars up to 3 because it's obviously his first book. I truly couldn't after I read the afterword.
This novel suffers from this distinct issues. The first is the easiest, the other two are tied into each other.
Issue 1: The dialog sucks. This writer couldn't do decent dialog to save his life. The sheer amount of 'Uh's and 'Um's and 'Okay's and 'Er's made me want to throw my ipod. Seriously. There are whole conversations on the phone where one person is just saying "Um. Er. Ah. Okay." the entire time to everything that is being spoken about.
Issue 2: The author wrote this in a kind of imitation of Capote's 'In Cold Blood' and that failed. Hard. There is no problem trying to emulate greatness, just as long as you're being realistic about it. One of the great things about Capote's book is how he makes you feel for the bad guys. Graeber tries that and failed very badly, which ties into...
Issue 3: The first half of this book is almost unbearable. The author writes almost entirely from the killers POV and the author didn't write it as a more distant nonfiction book. He tries to make this into more of a work of fiction (which is why there is an Issue 1.) This translates into taking the killers side of everything. The first half of the book is just filled with this guys depression. Oh, he's so stressed and then he kills someone.
It's so odd. All the biographical stuff is almost entirely overlooked. The author prattles on about how the killer is leaving brownies for one of his coworkers and he goes on and on and on about how this makes the killer feel, and then he goes on and on and on about how the killer feels when the woman ignores him after he tells her who it is but the actual meat of the event -- the semi-stalking and, in one case, breaking into a house -- is given more as an afterthought.
I don't care about the depression of this killer (who's thought to have killed over 400 people.) I want the facts. The killer was able to charm the author so much so that the first half of the book (which is, as I said, from the killers POV) is just the sob story that most sociopath serial killers give. It's only until you get to the second part that we can finally cut the chains tying us to the pity train.
The afterword is the worst, though. It's amazing how this author can go on and on and on about the killers depression (yes, after it's estimated that he's killed over 400 people, the author is still trying to feed us the 'feel sorry for me' line.) It was an added insult to injury for the author to put that the killer was yelling through the witness testimonies and then, not two sentences later, go on about said depression because the poor, poor, poor killer isn't able to donate a kidney. Why, he's always been a hardworking healthcare worker who provided the best he work he could and that meany judge won't let him donate a kidney?
Why, how cruel the legal system is to keep down such a fine, upstanding nurse.
Gag me with a fucking spoon. I lost whatever respect I had for the author right then.
The final verdict is this: this SERIAL KILLER is a sociopath and the author obviously fell of it hook, line, and sinker.
If you're looking for a more balanced true crime novel of a serial killer (something similar to Anne Rule's take on Bundy), you won't find it here. The author needs to grow up a little and actually research what these sorts of killers are like. This is an insult to the people he killed and the families that suffered.
I truly wanted to like this more. This whole subject of "Angels Of Death" really fascinate me in terms of serial killer behavior, and I was fully wanting to round the stars up to 3 because it's obviously his first book. I truly couldn't after I read the afterword.
This novel suffers from this distinct issues. The first is the easiest, the other two are tied into each other.
Issue 1: The dialog sucks. This writer couldn't do decent dialog to save his life. The sheer amount of 'Uh's and 'Um's and 'Okay's and 'Er's made me want to throw my ipod. Seriously. There are whole conversations on the phone where one person is just saying "Um. Er. Ah. Okay." the entire time to everything that is being spoken about.
Issue 2: The author wrote this in a kind of imitation of Capote's 'In Cold Blood' and that failed. Hard. There is no problem trying to emulate greatness, just as long as you're being realistic about it. One of the great things about Capote's book is how he makes you feel for the bad guys. Graeber tries that and failed very badly, which ties into...
Issue 3: The first half of this book is almost unbearable. The author writes almost entirely from the killers POV and the author didn't write it as a more distant nonfiction book. He tries to make this into more of a work of fiction (which is why there is an Issue 1.) This translates into taking the killers side of everything. The first half of the book is just filled with this guys depression. Oh, he's so stressed and then he kills someone.
It's so odd. All the biographical stuff is almost entirely overlooked. The author prattles on about how the killer is leaving brownies for one of his coworkers and he goes on and on and on about how this makes the killer feel, and then he goes on and on and on about how the killer feels when the woman ignores him after he tells her who it is but the actual meat of the event -- the semi-stalking and, in one case, breaking into a house -- is given more as an afterthought.
I don't care about the depression of this killer (who's thought to have killed over 400 people.) I want the facts. The killer was able to charm the author so much so that the first half of the book (which is, as I said, from the killers POV) is just the sob story that most sociopath serial killers give. It's only until you get to the second part that we can finally cut the chains tying us to the pity train.
The afterword is the worst, though. It's amazing how this author can go on and on and on about the killers depression (yes, after it's estimated that he's killed over 400 people, the author is still trying to feed us the 'feel sorry for me' line.) It was an added insult to injury for the author to put that the killer was yelling through the witness testimonies and then, not two sentences later, go on about said depression because the poor, poor, poor killer isn't able to donate a kidney. Why, he's always been a hardworking healthcare worker who provided the best he work he could and that meany judge won't let him donate a kidney?
Why, how cruel the legal system is to keep down such a fine, upstanding nurse.
Gag me with a fucking spoon. I lost whatever respect I had for the author right then.
The final verdict is this: this SERIAL KILLER is a sociopath and the author obviously fell of it hook, line, and sinker.
If you're looking for a more balanced true crime novel of a serial killer (something similar to Anne Rule's take on Bundy), you won't find it here. The author needs to grow up a little and actually research what these sorts of killers are like. This is an insult to the people he killed and the families that suffered.
February 4, 2014
How could you resist wanting to read a book about a good nurse gone bad? Since I work in the OR myself, I just was so curious about this book because it just seems so unbelievable. I mean, how could someone who is trained to care for patients and be there for their every need want to kill them? I wanted to see what could possess someone to do such a thing.
The first quarter of the book was interesting. It gave some insight to the nurse's background and habits. I was mesmerized by the fact that he was such a hard worker and worked the hours that no one wanted to work, but would suddenly turn when he found something else outside of work to possess. I was astounded by the fact that he could go from hospital to hospital after all of the suspicions that followed him and yet had no problems getting jobs and in area where people were dying. It was sickening really.
The rest of the book just sort of dragged on for me. I don't know if it was just depressing or just to wordy, but I got bored at that point. I would still recommend this book because it is insightful and scary and it's good to know that you have to be guarded when you or someone you love is in the care of others. At least that is my opinion.
The first quarter of the book was interesting. It gave some insight to the nurse's background and habits. I was mesmerized by the fact that he was such a hard worker and worked the hours that no one wanted to work, but would suddenly turn when he found something else outside of work to possess. I was astounded by the fact that he could go from hospital to hospital after all of the suspicions that followed him and yet had no problems getting jobs and in area where people were dying. It was sickening really.
The rest of the book just sort of dragged on for me. I don't know if it was just depressing or just to wordy, but I got bored at that point. I would still recommend this book because it is insightful and scary and it's good to know that you have to be guarded when you or someone you love is in the care of others. At least that is my opinion.
September 10, 2022
Stephen King no se equivoca cuando define este libro como escalofriante.
La historia de Charles Cullen pone los pelos de punta. A lo largo de 16 años se dice que fue el culpable de acabar con la vida de más de 400 pacientes a lo largo de nueve hospitales y un hogar de ancianos. Cómo se salió con la suya durante tanto tiempo está fuera de toda explicación, al menos para mí. ¿Dejadez por parte de las autoridades sanitarias? ¿Incompetencia? ¿Negligencia? Elegid vosotros.
Un hombre con un fuerte trastorno de personalidad cuya necesidad de atención le llevó a intentar suicidarse alrededor de veinte veces, aunque nunca quiso morir, prefería sufrir la muerte como verdugo y espectador. Fue, y cito textualmente, «un hombre que había usado una posición de confianza para asesinar a los miembros más vulnerables de sus familias». Pero durante años fue, para muchos compañeros y jefes, el empleado perfecto. Llegaba siempre antes de tiempo a sus turnos, era atento, educado, diligente. Siempre saludaba, vamos. Incluso cuando empezó a haber irregularidades y la cosa ya chirriaba nadie hizo nada. Con recomendaciones neutras o sin ellas, nunca tardaba más de unos días en conseguir un nuevo empleo.
Leer la historia del que es considerado el asesino en serie más prolífico de los Estados Unidos ha sido una mezcla de rabia e indignación. La sensación de que podría haberse hecho más y salvado muchas vidas no me ha abandonado durante toda la lectura. Y es que no es sólo la historia de un asesino, sino también la de un sistema sanitario que escogió el dinero por encima del bienestar y las vidas de sus pacientes.
Un libro muy bien documentado (el autor se entrevistó con el propio Cullen y con muchos de los implicados en la investigación) y que, aunque peca de volverse lento hacia el final, ha sido una lectura muy interesante.
Si os gustan los true crime, tenéis que leerlo.
La historia de Charles Cullen pone los pelos de punta. A lo largo de 16 años se dice que fue el culpable de acabar con la vida de más de 400 pacientes a lo largo de nueve hospitales y un hogar de ancianos. Cómo se salió con la suya durante tanto tiempo está fuera de toda explicación, al menos para mí. ¿Dejadez por parte de las autoridades sanitarias? ¿Incompetencia? ¿Negligencia? Elegid vosotros.
Un hombre con un fuerte trastorno de personalidad cuya necesidad de atención le llevó a intentar suicidarse alrededor de veinte veces, aunque nunca quiso morir, prefería sufrir la muerte como verdugo y espectador. Fue, y cito textualmente, «un hombre que había usado una posición de confianza para asesinar a los miembros más vulnerables de sus familias». Pero durante años fue, para muchos compañeros y jefes, el empleado perfecto. Llegaba siempre antes de tiempo a sus turnos, era atento, educado, diligente. Siempre saludaba, vamos. Incluso cuando empezó a haber irregularidades y la cosa ya chirriaba nadie hizo nada. Con recomendaciones neutras o sin ellas, nunca tardaba más de unos días en conseguir un nuevo empleo.
Leer la historia del que es considerado el asesino en serie más prolífico de los Estados Unidos ha sido una mezcla de rabia e indignación. La sensación de que podría haberse hecho más y salvado muchas vidas no me ha abandonado durante toda la lectura. Y es que no es sólo la historia de un asesino, sino también la de un sistema sanitario que escogió el dinero por encima del bienestar y las vidas de sus pacientes.
Un libro muy bien documentado (el autor se entrevistó con el propio Cullen y con muchos de los implicados en la investigación) y que, aunque peca de volverse lento hacia el final, ha sido una lectura muy interesante.
Si os gustan los true crime, tenéis que leerlo.
March 31, 2020
From the mid-1980s to the end of 2003, an intensive-care nurse named Charles Cullen worked a string of hospitals in the northern New Jersey / eastern Pennsylvania region, killing deeply ill people by adding toxic medicines to their I.V. bags. Although Cullen escaped under a cloud from several employers, he was not charged with murder until Christmastime, 2003, though it was presupposed he must have dispatched at least forty ailing patients, probably more. Most frustrating of all, perusal of medical records often told exactly HOW the many patients died (usually with purloined drugs from the computerized drug hopper, ordered under different patients' names), but not conclusively who did it, or exactly when. Charlie was very good at covering his tracks, and for most of his career was considered a good -- if not outstanding -- floor nurse by his co-workers and supervisors.
Charles Graeber's enlightening and often engrossing 2013 NF book tells the story in "Law and Order" fashion: first, where Charlie worked and what he likely did, and second, what his friend-who-is-a-girl (Amy) did to abet the police once they started cracking down on him and needed evidence. As true-crime stories go, it's better than most. My chief objections are two: First, that the text is too rife with footnotes. Don't get me wrong, I'm a footnote guy when it comes to histories or biographies, but too many of them here merely clutter the text with side information not vital to the story. Second, sometimes there is too much side information within the text. Consider this passage on p. 213 of the mass-market paperback version:
THE GOOD NURSE, despite its length (even the "Post Script" runs 25 pages), it still a riveting story, though it largely leaves unexplored the idea of how to guard against highly-credentialed psychopaths with so much access to legal -- and potentially lethal -- prescription drugs. After nearly six years, I still hope for a movie, assuming the script has been properly trimmed. I should also point out that the mass-market paperback I read has no photos, except a small one of Charlie Cullen on the cover.
PHOTO: Charles Cullen, "Angel of Death":
Charles Graeber's enlightening and often engrossing 2013 NF book tells the story in "Law and Order" fashion: first, where Charlie worked and what he likely did, and second, what his friend-who-is-a-girl (Amy) did to abet the police once they started cracking down on him and needed evidence. As true-crime stories go, it's better than most. My chief objections are two: First, that the text is too rife with footnotes. Don't get me wrong, I'm a footnote guy when it comes to histories or biographies, but too many of them here merely clutter the text with side information not vital to the story. Second, sometimes there is too much side information within the text. Consider this passage on p. 213 of the mass-market paperback version:
Tim and Danny [detectives] watched the guy [gravedigger] gopher out a few shovelfuls until the spade hit concrete, the hard, hollow sound reflexively triggering the thought of pirate-movie treasure. An hour later the digger had the vault exposed at the bottom of a neat, rectangular hole, the dimensions having been figured just right to allow the guy to work a chain around the vault sides.This goes on for another twelve lines, but it could all have been easily replaced with: "The body was exhumed and sent to the medical examiner's office."
THE GOOD NURSE, despite its length (even the "Post Script" runs 25 pages), it still a riveting story, though it largely leaves unexplored the idea of how to guard against highly-credentialed psychopaths with so much access to legal -- and potentially lethal -- prescription drugs. After nearly six years, I still hope for a movie, assuming the script has been properly trimmed. I should also point out that the mass-market paperback I read has no photos, except a small one of Charlie Cullen on the cover.
PHOTO: Charles Cullen, "Angel of Death":
October 2, 2016
Absolutely chilling account of a killing sprees performed by a registered nurse on her most venerable patients. It hits close to home, it really does. All the methods of manipulating medication dispensers on the units, injecting digoxin or insulin into IV bags, or pushing wrong medications directly into patients IVs are still commonly performed and widely accepted on many units, and no one thinks about it twice. Pharmacy sends and restocks medications constantly without second guessing orders. No accountability exist for missing doses or partial doses of narcotics or high risk medications(heparin insulin fentanyl morphine)
In truth, the only factor that decides whether or not patient will live and improve is... the sanity of the nurse that takes care of him.
In truth, the only factor that decides whether or not patient will live and improve is... the sanity of the nurse that takes care of him.
April 4, 2015
My sincere thanks to all the very dedicated Nurses and other medical staff that I know and love for their dedication to their careers and their patients. I have faith that there are few people like Charlie Cullen.
The Good Nurse depicts Charlie Cullen as an angel of death. In the truest sense this may be the term that is used to describe someone who murders his/her patients. Though angels are not always good, I've always seen them as such. My picture of An Angel of Death is a person, perhaps misguided, who gives a very ill person an assist out of this world and puts an end to their suffering. I do not consider this their right but can understand the concept. A mercy killing.
I've never read any true crime story quite like this. Throughout, I continually shook my head. It was bad enough that Cullen killed many people, perhaps as many as 400. What I found incomprehensible and in the end, despicable was the turning of the heads, the ignoring of the facts, the good references, which allowed Cullen to continue nursing, going from one hospital to the next for over 13 years, this by hospital personnel and administration. To maintain ratings; to prevent suits, to get him out of their hospital. Thank heavens someone, "a confidential informant" finally helped police to stop Charlie Cullen.
Charles Graeber did his best to provide a portrait of Charlie Cullen's actions and deeds. I'm not certain he was ever able to truly scratch the service of what makes Charlie tick.
Writing - 3.5 stars
The Good Nurse depicts Charlie Cullen as an angel of death. In the truest sense this may be the term that is used to describe someone who murders his/her patients. Though angels are not always good, I've always seen them as such. My picture of An Angel of Death is a person, perhaps misguided, who gives a very ill person an assist out of this world and puts an end to their suffering. I do not consider this their right but can understand the concept. A mercy killing.
I've never read any true crime story quite like this. Throughout, I continually shook my head. It was bad enough that Cullen killed many people, perhaps as many as 400. What I found incomprehensible and in the end, despicable was the turning of the heads, the ignoring of the facts, the good references, which allowed Cullen to continue nursing, going from one hospital to the next for over 13 years, this by hospital personnel and administration. To maintain ratings; to prevent suits, to get him out of their hospital. Thank heavens someone, "a confidential informant" finally helped police to stop Charlie Cullen.
Charles Graeber did his best to provide a portrait of Charlie Cullen's actions and deeds. I'm not certain he was ever able to truly scratch the service of what makes Charlie tick.
Writing - 3.5 stars
September 8, 2017
I think the scariest part of the Exorcist was not the head spinning, stomach writing or projectile vomiting. It was the test and treatments in the hospital. Yes, hospitals can be the scariest place on earth and if you have a nurse like Charlie Cullen working there, run don't walk to the nearest exit.
Charlie Cullen worked the hospitals of Pennsylvania and New Jersey from the late 1990's to 2003 leaving a mysterious trail of dead patients in his wake. Dead from overdoses of insulin and digoxin and epinephrine either injected into their IV bags or directly into the patient themselves. Many were not even his patients. When suspected of the deaths but lacking solid proof the hospitals would terminate his employment but give him a "neutral" job appraisal so Charlie would just go to the next hospital down the road and start killing all over again. The why is never very clear. It was just a compulsion. His patients in many cases were not dying. He just killed many at random.
Because of the nursing shortage and his willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays Charlie had no problem getting a new job. He even attempted suicide on many occasions and once while in a mental facility he received a call from the hospital he was working at, not to be fired but to come back to work right away. That was how easy it was for him to get work. This is painful to read for the millions out there hunting for work who never hurt a fly.
Cullen may go down in history as the largest mass murderer in the country with at least 40 deaths but he could be responsible for more than 400. He says he just can't recall all of them. But the hospital administrators who let him go without investigating, fearing lawsuits are as culpable since they facilitated his continuous murder spree.
Chilling disturbing read that makes you angry at the entire health care system.
May 15, 2019
Dr. Death 2.0 ... but more chilling! 4 stars for this true crime catastrophe!
Synopsis: The Good Nurse unfolds in two parts. The first being a chronicle of all of Charles Cullen’s comings and goings across nine hospitals in the Jersey/Pennsylvania states. The second highlights the investigation into Charlie Cullen as a murderous nurse who killed over 30 patients. 30+ PATIENTS. WTF?!
HOLY SHIT! Have you listened to Dr. Death by Wondery? It's a podcast surrounding the criminal case against Christopher Duntsch. I thought I’d heard the worst when I learned what Duntsch did. But then came Charlie Cullen! What’s insane about this case is his void of motive. He just killed because he could. And he waited to get caught! And when he didn't, he killed again 😳 And what’s PURE INSANITY is the multitude of hospitals that had suspicions that Charlie was doing shady shit but provided him with a neutral reference to work somewhere else so their reputation wouldn't be tainted!! HOW?! WHAT? SERIOUSLY?! ☠️This infuriated me. This institution is supposed to protect us. To revive us. Not pass off a murderer!
As several reviews have stated, I too found the second half of this audiobook more intriguing, BUT you CAN'T skip the first half. It’s instrumental in building all the critical evidentiary pieces.
Soooooo if you want a vantage point into the not-so-pleasant side of America’s medical system, THEN LISTEN/READ THIS! It's thanks to nurse Amy Loughren, and detectives Dan Baldwin and Tim Braun who broke this case. Their persistence, courage, and intuition led to this conviction. It's a seriously wild ride.
Synopsis: The Good Nurse unfolds in two parts. The first being a chronicle of all of Charles Cullen’s comings and goings across nine hospitals in the Jersey/Pennsylvania states. The second highlights the investigation into Charlie Cullen as a murderous nurse who killed over 30 patients. 30+ PATIENTS. WTF?!
HOLY SHIT! Have you listened to Dr. Death by Wondery? It's a podcast surrounding the criminal case against Christopher Duntsch. I thought I’d heard the worst when I learned what Duntsch did. But then came Charlie Cullen! What’s insane about this case is his void of motive. He just killed because he could. And he waited to get caught! And when he didn't, he killed again 😳 And what’s PURE INSANITY is the multitude of hospitals that had suspicions that Charlie was doing shady shit but provided him with a neutral reference to work somewhere else so their reputation wouldn't be tainted!! HOW?! WHAT? SERIOUSLY?! ☠️This infuriated me. This institution is supposed to protect us. To revive us. Not pass off a murderer!
As several reviews have stated, I too found the second half of this audiobook more intriguing, BUT you CAN'T skip the first half. It’s instrumental in building all the critical evidentiary pieces.
Soooooo if you want a vantage point into the not-so-pleasant side of America’s medical system, THEN LISTEN/READ THIS! It's thanks to nurse Amy Loughren, and detectives Dan Baldwin and Tim Braun who broke this case. Their persistence, courage, and intuition led to this conviction. It's a seriously wild ride.
August 17, 2023
5 stars
Not only did I like this story, I liked the way the author presented it. Finally an author who knows how to use the Notes in the book for the readers advantage. None of that "Ibid, page number" crap - Graeber's notes actually gave you information. There were 76 pages of notes in this book and every page was informative and easy to understand.
The story of Charles Cullen, know as 'The Angle of Death' who randomly killed hospital patients. Authorities believe that he is the most prolific serial killer in the United States to date - possibly racking up between 300 and 400 deaths total, however they only know by name approximately 10% of that number. Charles Cullen is still alive and living in a Pennsylvania prison. He will never be released.
After reading this book I watched the movie "The Good Nurse'' on Netflix. It followed the book really well given that it only had 2 hrs to recreate it. Then I watched a documentary on Cullen "Capturing the Killer Nurse" which I enjoyed more. The documentary interviews the actual people who brought Cullen to the end of his killing spree, plus it has Cullen and parts of his trial, and segments of this author Charles Graeber included.
There are additional books published about Cullen, but I would recommend reading the one authored by Charles Graeber. It is a quick read, and his additional notes makes the book that much better.
Not only did I like this story, I liked the way the author presented it. Finally an author who knows how to use the Notes in the book for the readers advantage. None of that "Ibid, page number" crap - Graeber's notes actually gave you information. There were 76 pages of notes in this book and every page was informative and easy to understand.
The story of Charles Cullen, know as 'The Angle of Death' who randomly killed hospital patients. Authorities believe that he is the most prolific serial killer in the United States to date - possibly racking up between 300 and 400 deaths total, however they only know by name approximately 10% of that number. Charles Cullen is still alive and living in a Pennsylvania prison. He will never be released.
After reading this book I watched the movie "The Good Nurse'' on Netflix. It followed the book really well given that it only had 2 hrs to recreate it. Then I watched a documentary on Cullen "Capturing the Killer Nurse" which I enjoyed more. The documentary interviews the actual people who brought Cullen to the end of his killing spree, plus it has Cullen and parts of his trial, and segments of this author Charles Graeber included.
There are additional books published about Cullen, but I would recommend reading the one authored by Charles Graeber. It is a quick read, and his additional notes makes the book that much better.
February 27, 2023
As a nurse, I've spent the majority of my career working in the ICU, so naturally I found this story completely incomprehensible and disturbing. I shook my head and was left with my mouth agape so many times while listening to this book because I found it insane that Charlie Cullen got away with what he did for as long as he did. There were so many red flags that were just blatantly overlooked.
While the story itself is fascinating, there were a few things that kept me from giving it a higher rating. These were definitely me things and probably would not affect the enjoyment for everyone. The book goes into a lot of detail regarding medications and medical treatments which left me a little bored since it was information that was well known to me. There were mispronounced words in the narration which bothered me. In this case, I might have enjoyed it a bit more had I read it rather than listening to the audiobook. 3.5 stars.
While the story itself is fascinating, there were a few things that kept me from giving it a higher rating. These were definitely me things and probably would not affect the enjoyment for everyone. The book goes into a lot of detail regarding medications and medical treatments which left me a little bored since it was information that was well known to me. There were mispronounced words in the narration which bothered me. In this case, I might have enjoyed it a bit more had I read it rather than listening to the audiobook. 3.5 stars.
May 14, 2019
The author did a very good job on the research but I was expecting something different. Part I read like a book report: lots of facts and background information on Cullen. Part II delved into the investigation. I liked this part more. Amy's part in all of this was very interesting.
November 8, 2020
Wow. Just wow. This might just be the best true crime book I’ve ever read. It’s certainly the one that has left me feeling the most horrified after finishing it! I find it so terrifying that someone who has pledged to help save lives in their career does the total opposite and indiscriminately kills HUNDREDS of people over the span of his career. I was just so shocked the whole time I was reading this, my brain had a hard time processing that such a thing could possibly happen and for so damn long. That’s part of what makes this so scary, Cullen got away with it for SO many years before he finally got caught and sentenced. I won’t soon forget this true crime story and I HIGHLY recommend it to other true crime fans!
December 13, 2018
This book is one of only two true crime books I read this year and it was a truly well-written, gripping, and shocking story. True crime stories can sometimes be boring reads, spending countless pages on dialogue that never really happened. I crossed my fingers as I opened the book, hoping that it would get off to an interesting start. I was more than impressed.
As much as this story was about Charlie Cullen, nurse cum serial killer, it was just as much an indictment about the failure of the American hospital system. All of the hospitals Cullen worked at in his 16 year profession as a nurse responded to Cullen's various shortcomings by passing the buck to the next hospital. As his transgressions quickly added up in number and severity, no one thought to warn his next place of employment, state medical boards, or the police. This all culminated in his final investigation in his last place of employment, where investigators had been warned/threatened numerous times by the local board of health to contact authorities. The hospital did not want a lawsuits or sanctions on their hands, so they ignored commands until they were turned into the police. They then stonewalled police and withheld information that was critical to arresting Cullen. How the police end up actually obtaining critical documents was even more fascinating.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in a captivating true crime book.
As much as this story was about Charlie Cullen, nurse cum serial killer, it was just as much an indictment about the failure of the American hospital system. All of the hospitals Cullen worked at in his 16 year profession as a nurse responded to Cullen's various shortcomings by passing the buck to the next hospital. As his transgressions quickly added up in number and severity, no one thought to warn his next place of employment, state medical boards, or the police. This all culminated in his final investigation in his last place of employment, where investigators had been warned/threatened numerous times by the local board of health to contact authorities. The hospital did not want a lawsuits or sanctions on their hands, so they ignored commands until they were turned into the police. They then stonewalled police and withheld information that was critical to arresting Cullen. How the police end up actually obtaining critical documents was even more fascinating.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in a captivating true crime book.
November 8, 2016
Charles Cullen confessed to 40 murders but the estimated number is more like 400. What is more shocking is that the hospitals he worked for allowed this to happen out of fear for legal repercussions. He would be caught, then let go(with references). Unbelievable. 16 years this went on. Truth is more frightening than fiction.
July 8, 2013
I haven't read a book this quickly in a long time. My first reaction was, "This reads just like fiction, like a really well done murder mystery, but ... it isn't fiction. It's real."
This should be required reading for all hospital managers, at all levels. While I was reading it, I kept looking for something ... unusual, something surprising, other than the murders themselves. It all hung together, and it all made sense. Too much sense. I could imagine this happening, and couldn't see any way to stop it that didn't involve some person or circumstance that is extraordinary, that does something unexpected. That is what is most terrifying about this. That it is so incredibly REASONABLE and awful at the same time. I know, since then, there have been changes in the laws to balance the dynamic of the rights of the patients and the rights of the hospitals. Things like this still happen. There are still coverups, still this awful balance between who you are protecting. Something milder but similar happened here last year. Not murder, but child pornography. Not 16 years but 6 months. Still.
Aside from the credibility of the story itself, it is well told and well crafted. The detail is amazing. The consistent and orderly progression of the story, the murders, the movements, the investigation ... what will tip the balance? I can imagine the author surrounding himself with piles of papers and notes and outlines and recordings, trying to assemble all the myriad interviews and pieces of evidence into a coherent timeline, and then doing a second sort by the point of view, balancing and weighing the importance to the overall story.
One other reviewer remarked that he wished there had been more about the actual confession. My interpretation is that those details were integrated throughout the rest of the story, comingled with the author's own interviews with Charles and the police and the informant. I loved the extremely clever pun in the title, how who is the good nurse changes throughout the telling of the tale, the layers of meaning in "good nurse," layers which are unfolded throughout the telling of the tale.
It isn't a perfect book, but it is a Very Good Book and an Important Book. Don't read this book and think for one second that it couldn't happen again, or hasn't happened before. This is not a unique tale. This is perhaps the richest and most comprehensive telling of this type of series of events, and a call for change. Not just legal change, but a more widespread cultural change. Or, is there any change that could prevent things like this from happening? We can make it harder, more difficult, more challenging, but is it really possible to prevent it?
This should be required reading for all hospital managers, at all levels. While I was reading it, I kept looking for something ... unusual, something surprising, other than the murders themselves. It all hung together, and it all made sense. Too much sense. I could imagine this happening, and couldn't see any way to stop it that didn't involve some person or circumstance that is extraordinary, that does something unexpected. That is what is most terrifying about this. That it is so incredibly REASONABLE and awful at the same time. I know, since then, there have been changes in the laws to balance the dynamic of the rights of the patients and the rights of the hospitals. Things like this still happen. There are still coverups, still this awful balance between who you are protecting. Something milder but similar happened here last year. Not murder, but child pornography. Not 16 years but 6 months. Still.
Aside from the credibility of the story itself, it is well told and well crafted. The detail is amazing. The consistent and orderly progression of the story, the murders, the movements, the investigation ... what will tip the balance? I can imagine the author surrounding himself with piles of papers and notes and outlines and recordings, trying to assemble all the myriad interviews and pieces of evidence into a coherent timeline, and then doing a second sort by the point of view, balancing and weighing the importance to the overall story.
One other reviewer remarked that he wished there had been more about the actual confession. My interpretation is that those details were integrated throughout the rest of the story, comingled with the author's own interviews with Charles and the police and the informant. I loved the extremely clever pun in the title, how who is the good nurse changes throughout the telling of the tale, the layers of meaning in "good nurse," layers which are unfolded throughout the telling of the tale.
It isn't a perfect book, but it is a Very Good Book and an Important Book. Don't read this book and think for one second that it couldn't happen again, or hasn't happened before. This is not a unique tale. This is perhaps the richest and most comprehensive telling of this type of series of events, and a call for change. Not just legal change, but a more widespread cultural change. Or, is there any change that could prevent things like this from happening? We can make it harder, more difficult, more challenging, but is it really possible to prevent it?
January 5, 2020
Not what I expected. I was hoping it would be a little bit more resolved. My full review will be up on my booktube channel at http://YouTube.com/peterlikesbooks
May 22, 2023
Jednom rečju - šokantno.
Teško i moram reći, sa kneglom u grlu, je bilo čitati o serijskom ubici koji pripada mojoj struci, poslu gde treba čoveku pomoći, gde se treba svim snagama boriti da se iščupa iz kandži smrti - a koji ga namerno, ciljano, hladnokrvno i gotovo kroz neku vrstu adrenalinske igre u tu smrt... gurne 😳
Ovaj šokantni publicistički roman projekat je američkog novinara Čarlsa Grejbera koji je, nakon što je 2007. godine za časopis New York napisao članak o Čarlsu Kalenu, deset godina posvetio naučnoistraživačkom radu u cilju da svetu predstavi kompletnu priču o najvećem serijskom ubici moderne američke istorije. Knjiga je bazirana na dokumentima policijske istrage i transkriptima razgovora, audio i video snimcima, ali i intervjuima sa svedocima, policijom i zločincem lično što je autoru omogućilo da nam je predstavi iz dva ugla, tačnije podeljenu na dva dela. U prvom delu iz ugla ubice stičemo uvid u Kalenovu prošlost i potencijalni razvoj homicidnih poriva, privatnom životu i porodici, odnosu sa kolegama i načinima kako je za 16 godina izbegavajući odgovornost zahvaljujući "nedelanju čelnika zdravstvenih ustanova" ubio preko 300 pacijenata. U drugom delu iz ugla detektiva Denija Boldvina i Tima Brauna pratimo tok istrage od trenutka kada je prvi put prijavljen (ali ne prvi) slučaj mogućeg ubistva namernim ubrizgavanjem toksične doze leka pa sve do Kalenovog hapšenja.
Na stranu učešće ubice kao svakako odgovornog za smrt više stotina ljudi što je donekle i objašnjeno zaista specifičnom prošlošću i razvijenom psihopatologijom (što ne umanjuje njegovu odgovornost i krivicu), meni je čak šokantnije postupanje čelnika zdravstvenih ustanova kojima je "što manji broj preminulih, to bolje kotiranje u državi" ili "ne prijavljuj potencijalno sumnjive smrti da ustanovu ne bije loš glas" 😳
Pacijent je samo broj u statistici, sredstvo za dobar ili loš skor... žao mi je što zapadna medicina sve više postaje biznis i sve više odstupa od našeg pravog zadatka i odgovornosti prema čovečanstvu.
Nije mi se dopala ova priča, nisam uživao čitajući je, ostavila me je tužnog i poraženog, šokiranog, doduše ne previše zapadnim interesima iznenađenog ... ali šta ću, takva je tematika. Ona je svoj zadatak ispunila, а autorov istraživački rad i način predstavljanja ne dovodim u pitanje. Istina je jedna i nema tu šta da se ulepšava 🤷♂️
Teško i moram reći, sa kneglom u grlu, je bilo čitati o serijskom ubici koji pripada mojoj struci, poslu gde treba čoveku pomoći, gde se treba svim snagama boriti da se iščupa iz kandži smrti - a koji ga namerno, ciljano, hladnokrvno i gotovo kroz neku vrstu adrenalinske igre u tu smrt... gurne 😳
Ovaj šokantni publicistički roman projekat je američkog novinara Čarlsa Grejbera koji je, nakon što je 2007. godine za časopis New York napisao članak o Čarlsu Kalenu, deset godina posvetio naučnoistraživačkom radu u cilju da svetu predstavi kompletnu priču o najvećem serijskom ubici moderne američke istorije. Knjiga je bazirana na dokumentima policijske istrage i transkriptima razgovora, audio i video snimcima, ali i intervjuima sa svedocima, policijom i zločincem lično što je autoru omogućilo da nam je predstavi iz dva ugla, tačnije podeljenu na dva dela. U prvom delu iz ugla ubice stičemo uvid u Kalenovu prošlost i potencijalni razvoj homicidnih poriva, privatnom životu i porodici, odnosu sa kolegama i načinima kako je za 16 godina izbegavajući odgovornost zahvaljujući "nedelanju čelnika zdravstvenih ustanova" ubio preko 300 pacijenata. U drugom delu iz ugla detektiva Denija Boldvina i Tima Brauna pratimo tok istrage od trenutka kada je prvi put prijavljen (ali ne prvi) slučaj mogućeg ubistva namernim ubrizgavanjem toksične doze leka pa sve do Kalenovog hapšenja.
Na stranu učešće ubice kao svakako odgovornog za smrt više stotina ljudi što je donekle i objašnjeno zaista specifičnom prošlošću i razvijenom psihopatologijom (što ne umanjuje njegovu odgovornost i krivicu), meni je čak šokantnije postupanje čelnika zdravstvenih ustanova kojima je "što manji broj preminulih, to bolje kotiranje u državi" ili "ne prijavljuj potencijalno sumnjive smrti da ustanovu ne bije loš glas" 😳
Pacijent je samo broj u statistici, sredstvo za dobar ili loš skor... žao mi je što zapadna medicina sve više postaje biznis i sve više odstupa od našeg pravog zadatka i odgovornosti prema čovečanstvu.
Nije mi se dopala ova priča, nisam uživao čitajući je, ostavila me je tužnog i poraženog, šokiranog, doduše ne previše zapadnim interesima iznenađenog ... ali šta ću, takva je tematika. Ona je svoj zadatak ispunila, а autorov istraživački rad i način predstavljanja ne dovodim u pitanje. Istina je jedna i nema tu šta da se ulepšava 🤷♂️
April 18, 2013
Spoiler alert in this review.
A bit Raymond Chandler-esque--and slow to warm up, as the first 100 pp or more details the life of Charlie Cullen and how he kills the patients...and I found that a little boring because, ultimately pathology is inexplicable and as awful as it is, it's somehow not that interesting to read about it ad infinitum.
But when we got to the detectives, and to the heroism of his friend, a nurse named Amy, and how they worked together to arrest him, then it became like a really good thriller. Complete with the cop dialogue...
And once in jail, a really odd twist of fate, SPOILER ALERT, Charles ends up being asked to donate a kidney for the male relative of a former girlfriend--the request comes to him in jail, and it turns out he's a miraculous 6 for 6 antigen match.
One of the nicer aspects of the book is it tries to show the complexity of its characters, without trying to explain it away. So in the end it is a very captivating book and it must've taken incredible amounts of hours of interviews just for the author to begin to get a grasp on it all. It is memorable.
A bit Raymond Chandler-esque--and slow to warm up, as the first 100 pp or more details the life of Charlie Cullen and how he kills the patients...and I found that a little boring because, ultimately pathology is inexplicable and as awful as it is, it's somehow not that interesting to read about it ad infinitum.
But when we got to the detectives, and to the heroism of his friend, a nurse named Amy, and how they worked together to arrest him, then it became like a really good thriller. Complete with the cop dialogue...
And once in jail, a really odd twist of fate, SPOILER ALERT, Charles ends up being asked to donate a kidney for the male relative of a former girlfriend--the request comes to him in jail, and it turns out he's a miraculous 6 for 6 antigen match.
One of the nicer aspects of the book is it tries to show the complexity of its characters, without trying to explain it away. So in the end it is a very captivating book and it must've taken incredible amounts of hours of interviews just for the author to begin to get a grasp on it all. It is memorable.
December 13, 2017
4.5 Stars
I knew little of this case before reading this book. Graeber does a great job at detailing Cullen's life and crimes as well as the investigation. Cullen, a nurse, indiscriminately killed hundreds of patients in his care over the span of his career. It is astounding that Cullen was able to get away with it for so long. Hospitals seemed more concerned with covering their butts and hiding indiscretions than they did about actual patient care and murder. I applaud the nurse and friend of Cullen's, Amy, for becoming a CI and potentially putting her career and life on the line for justice.
I highly recommend this book to true crime fans.
I knew little of this case before reading this book. Graeber does a great job at detailing Cullen's life and crimes as well as the investigation. Cullen, a nurse, indiscriminately killed hundreds of patients in his care over the span of his career. It is astounding that Cullen was able to get away with it for so long. Hospitals seemed more concerned with covering their butts and hiding indiscretions than they did about actual patient care and murder. I applaud the nurse and friend of Cullen's, Amy, for becoming a CI and potentially putting her career and life on the line for justice.
I highly recommend this book to true crime fans.
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