Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era. This epistolary novel explores the aftermath of his arrest and the psychological trauma of those who lived through it. The Pennsylvania native brutalized his way into the zeitgeist during the early part of the new millennium, leaving a trail of corpses across five states before his eventual arrest. All told, Williker was responsible for the rape and murder of 23 women, and is suspected in the deaths of dozens more. His calling card-a ...
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Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era. This epistolary novel explores the aftermath of his arrest and the psychological trauma of those who lived through it. The Pennsylvania native brutalized his way into the zeitgeist during the early part of the new millennium, leaving a trail of corpses across five states before his eventual arrest. All told, Williker was responsible for the rape and murder of 23 women, and is suspected in the deaths of dozens more. His calling card-a torn piece of fabric found on or inside the bodies of his victims--helped popularize his now ubiquitous nickname. The Purple Satin Killer. In the years following his arrest, Jonas Williker received hundreds of letters in prison. Collected here, these letters offer a unique glimpse into a depraved mind through a human lens, including contributions from family, the bereaved, and self-professed "fans." They represent a chilling portrait of the American psyche, skewering a media obsessed culture where murderers are celebrities to revere. What you learn about the man from these letters will shock you, but not as much as what you learn about yourself.
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Can you simultaneously be grateful something is a work of fiction and yet also long for more information?
ââ?¬Å"Letters to the Purple Satin Killerââ?¬Â? is a compendium of letters written to the fictional serial killer Jonas Williker, AKA the Purple Satin Killer. Jonas has been convicted for the brutal murders of 23 women after leaving a torn piece of purple fabric on or inside the bodies of each of his victims. Jonas received hundreds of letters during his short stint in prison on death row, but Chaplinsky states that each letter chosen for this novel was carefully picked for this curated book.
Whether it is the painfully optimistic epistles from his mother Judy, the gradually deranged letters from one of the surviving victims, the loving and then angry letters from his ââ?¬Ë?number one fanââ?¬â?¢ Ginny, the sometimes erotic and always opportunistic letters from true crime fans, or the simple but poignant letters of condemnation, each letter is deeply unsettling.
Although this is not a traditional novel, it still reads like one. Each letter is organized along the fictional timeline so that we can chronologically follow along. For example, we see the developing romance between Jonas and Candance, a young doctorate student, grow from a case study to a sexual encounter, into a marriage, and devolve from parenthood to divorce. Scenes like Jonasââ?¬â?¢ escape and subsequent events are still vibrant and intense even if they happen ââ?¬Ë?off-screen.ââ?¬â?¢
It is an interesting take to write a true crime piece without ever showcasing the criminal. We never hear Jonas speak but he is very much front and center. Chaplinsky writes around Jonas Williker creating a literary silhouette. The world is vibrant around him, but Jonas himself is rather lackluster. It may be embarrassing to admit it, but I had to check several times to make sure that Jonas Williker was fictional. The tone of each letter and the carefully crafted historical timeline made it seem like this was a piece of non-fiction. I wanted to know more about Jonas and the key players of this drama even if it was a quick Wikipedia search.
Chaplinsky has created the ideal for true crime literature in which the focus is deviated from the killer, and focuses instead on the victims, the impact of the crimes, and the vacuum their actions cause. There is something like cognitive dissonance or catharsis within these pages.
Joshua Chaplinsky has created a piece of performative art that leaves the reader unsettled but deeply reflective. ââ?¬Å"Letters to the Purple Satin Killerââ?¬Â? is a book that will haunt me for all the right reasons.
