Book Review of The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder

There is a vast amount of textbooks associated with a number of critical aspects within the discipline of criminal justice. From a fundamental standpoint, a few of these publications offer a comprehensive look into the role of policing (Policing America: Challenges & Best Practices, 7 Edition; Peak, 2012 or Law Enforcement in the 21 Century; Grant & Terry, 2004), others examine various aspects related to law (Basic Criminal Law: The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes, 3 Edition; Davenport, 2012) and the significance of probation and parole (Probation and Parole: Theory and Practice, 11 Edition; Abadinsky, 2012). Within the arena of criminal justice textbooks, a number of books are related exclusively to the commission of certain offenses. This includes a wide range of crimes that may include computer crimes (Digital Crime, Digital Terrorism, 2 Edition; Taylor, Fritsch, Liederbach, & Holt, 2011), white-collar crime (Trusted Criminals: White Collar Crime in Contemporary Society, 4th Edition; Friedrichs, 2010), and gangs (Youth Gangs in American Society, 3 Edition; Sheldon, Tracy, & Brown, 2004). A few textbooks have explored the existence of certain criminal acts that may be considered a growing epidemic during the past few years. This includes, but is not limited to human trafficking (The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today; Bales & Soodalter, 2009) and identity theft (Economics of Identity Theft: Avoidance, Causes and Possible Cures; Camp, 2010). Finally, there is text that that is associated with a crime that is both universal and constant; the act of killing. In The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder, Fourth Edition, Fox, Levin, and Quinet explore the various circumstances associated with the act of homicide. This includes contextual factors associated with theories, trends, and legislative policies. In addition, they also examine the extent of homicide within a number of settings as well as the numerous responses enacted by the criminal justice system.